Defacto (same sex) dilemma

alexsioson · September 2017

Share ko lang our Journey (Sana makatulong)... we got our visa yesterday as PR Visa 189 (w/ same sex defacto partner; partida pa kasi di pa sila annulled but we were able to prove that our relationship is for the long term; also naisama pa namin sa application 2 kids ng partner ko)... medyo napatagal lang before grant, in the end... na-grant din, Finally! Thank You Lord!!!... I am happy to say that pro-LGBT talaga ang Australia. I am PROUD to be one... Maybe I am here to attest to the fact that there's always hope no matter how tough/strict the policies or requirements for PLU. I will be glad to help to the best that I can and give advice to those who needs my little know-how on this journey. God Bless us All!

reonh · September 2017

Hi Guys, I'm a newbie here. I hope someone can shed some light in our application. My partner and I are based in Singapore and decided to migrate to AU. My partner will be the primary applicant because her occupation fall under the subclass 189. Because it's a same sex relationship, is it advisable to hire an agent to process our application? or can we do it on our own? Any advice will be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hunter_08 · September 2017

@reonh I think base sa mga nababasa ko dito no need to hire agent.. kaya niyo naman e process on your own yung application nyo.. I think it will be the same procedure ang dagdag lang is you have to provide proofs na mag partner na kayo for at least a year. like joint bank account, picture, travels mga ganun.

reonh · September 2017

@Hunter_08 thank you po. ung mga COE sa previous company sa pinas, required po ba tlga un?

Hunter_08 · September 2017

@reonh yup mostly likely need mo lahat ng COE,payslip,contract,ITR mo from your previous companies. pati din yung dto sa SG compay mo.

reonh · September 2017

@Hunter_08 thank u so much po for the info

first time kc mag apply hehe

Hunter_08 · September 2017

@reonh no worries. tanong ka lang if ever madaming sasagot dito..

RheaMARN1171933 · September 2017

@reonh this all depends on you. Hiring an agent is not required but more an option. Yes, makakatipid ka if you do it on your own. Some engage an agent for the peace of mind. From my personal migration journey, I tried both DIY and agent. DIY ako when I applied for student and tourist visas. Pero nung PR stage na, I attempted a DIY pero I realised ang daming policies na kailangan malaman and they constantly change. Also, I felt the more information I gather the confusing it was. I wasn't even sure if what I know was the updated one. Luckily, I found an agent in Sydney na super mura Lang so I decided to hire her services. And the rest was history after that. I totally understand those who process their application on their own kasi nga mas nakakatipid pero I also understand the value of having an agent (one of the reasons why I ended up being one)because I've experienced the journey myself. The thing about agent fees, unfortunately marami ang namamantala. Kahit dito sa UK, ang taas ng fees which sickens me because I'm a living proof na agents don't need to be too expensive but just fair with their fees since from my own experience I found one. Look around as well, check www.mara.gov.au if you want to shop around for agents. There are also those who will take cases for review lang, meaning check nila yung prinepare mo if all good before lodging it. Good luck!

subersibo23 · January 2018

Hello guys. Nalilito ako sa dami ng gagawin if I am planning to migrate to Australia. Here's my situation:

1. Isa akong chemical engineer na may 6 years experience sa Pilipinas at almost 2 years sa Dubai.

2. Ako and ang partner ko are planning to migrate to Australia and I am looking for ways kung paano ako makakapagsimula sa mga kailangan kong gawin.

3. Una kong plan is ako muna ako pupunta sa Australia, and then pag may work na ako, saka ko siya kukunin from Dubai. Then nakita ko itong thread na to, kaya ako nalito.

4. Sa tingin nyo po, alin ang mas magandang way? Mag-apply kaming dalawa or ako muna? Yung partner ko is Business Management graduate and 4 years na kaming in a relationship. Almost 2 years na kaming nandito sa Dubai, and nakatira kami sa iisang bahay.

Maraming salamat po sa mga sasagot.

RheaMARN1171933 · January 2018

@subersibo23 you're better off including her in your visa application as dependent. That way, you can move together and she'll have same visa as you. I do have cases of same sex relationship applying for permanent visa.

subersibo23 · January 2018

@RheaMARN1171933 Thanks sa reply. Ano ang difference ng PR sa Visa 189? Parehas lang ba sya? I am planning to apply this year. Tatapusin ko lang ang contract ko sa Dubai, then magmigrate kami by this year din sana.

RheaMARN1171933 · January 2018

PR means permanent visa. 189 visa is an example of a permanent visa. I'm not sure if you've done enough research already but timeline for applying for visa from start to finish is 12 months or more. So the sooner you get things started, the sooner you'll get there. What's your occupation? Be mindful that major changes in policies and occupation lists happen every year in July. If you're occupation is on the list now it doesn't follow it will still be there in July. I always tell clients to get started sooner rather than later or risk the possibility of missing out on opportunities due to changes in policy.

subersibo23 · January 2018

@RheaMARN1171933 Hi. TBH, no research done yet. Chemical engineer ako, by the way. Last year pa ako naghahanap ng work sa Australia so I can have a sponsorship instead. Kaso, employers want me to be there already for the interview. Kaya magaapply na lang ako ng visa para makapunta.

RheaMARN1171933 · January 2018

@subersibo23 you're better off applying on your own then getting a sponsor. I always tell my clients this. Luckily wala ka nahanap before otherwise if you're in Australia na you may be one of those stuck dahil they recently changed the rules in sponsorship visa wherein it won't be a pathway for migration anymore.

This forum is a good source of info but just be careful with what advice you will take in for yourself. Each case is very individual and what applies to one doesn't mean it applies to all. From my personal experience on my Australian journey which was many years ago, the more you know about the process, the more confusing it could get. I ended up using an agent since I didn't want to make a mistake which could make my application messy - ending up wasting more time and money. Anyway, due to my experience, it inspired me to study Australian immigration law so I can be qualified to assist others too and promised myself I won't be one of those many agents who take advantage of those pursuing their Australian dream by charging too much.

Anyway, get things started na ASAP before you miss out on your chances. Good luck!

ldrrelationship · June 2018

hi po.
mag apply po yung partner ko for 189 at balak niya na din ako isama yung application ko. Same sex couple po kami. my joint account na po kami pero LDR kami,nsa Italy ako sya nasa Pinas. Based sa mga nababasa ko po dto,needed talaga na live in? o my iba pede ipasa to prove na couple talaga kami?

thank you po sa mga sasagot.

Mia · July 2018

@ldrrelationship you need to provide evidence that you have compelling reasons to be apart. Hindi kailangan live in for the whole duration of the relationship but must have for a time and may evidence. Hindi po pwede yung gf-gf or bf-bf lang.

chewy · June 2019

Hi po. My partner and I are gathering docs to prove our de facto relationship for 190 visa application. We have been living in the same flat since early last year pero wala kaming tenancy agreement so magpapagawa sana kami ng statement from the landlord na we are his tenants. San po pwedeng makakuha ng format for the statement/declaration? I have a rough idea, but just want to make sure that I cover all the bases before we send him a draft. Salamat po for your time.

RheaMARN1171933 · June 2019

@chewy tenancy agreement isn’t the only way to prove co-habitation. You can also provide bills showing the same address for both of you.

chewy · June 2019

@RheaMARN1171933 Hi po, thanks for your reply.

hersheythegreat · June 2019

@chewy hi, I know someone who didn't have a rental agreement but was able to get a grant. Kaso they were living with the girl's parents and yung parents nagbigay ng statement na they were indeed living together.

cherfurt · June 2019

Hi all! My girlfriend's visa just got granted today so I just wanted to share our journey hoping to help others out there din who's going through this whole process.

My girlfriend and I applied for a student visa. I am the primary applicant whereas she, was my dependent. Unfortunately during our first application, I was the only one who got the visa grant. Bale narefuse po sya. The reason was hindi nasatisfy yung CO sa proof namin. But in reality, may mali kasi kami dun. We have a joint account kaso imbes na bank STATEMENT ipinasa namin, bank CERTIFICATE lang po pinasa namin. Yun yung major cause ng refusal. According sa refusal letter, need daw makita na we have the account for atleast a year and gusto din makita ng CO na may mga transactions kami sa account na yun.

So we reapplied. Although hindi agad agad kasi we wanted to make sure na we have the complete documents.

Below were the documents we sent nung first application namin:

1. Apartment lease (2 years worth)
2. Bank certificate
3. statement from friends and family (by family I meant side lang nya kasi hindi kami legal sa side ko)
4. Photos of us, mga 20 pages to
5. Letters, tickets, hotel receipts, and utility bills
6. Brgy. Clearance
7. Drivers license showing na we are each other's emergency contact.

Bale within 24 hours from lodging our first application, lumabas agad results. Ako granted, sya refused. So we asked our agent ulit kung ano pa pwede gawin. He said we can reapply, we just needed to provide more proof. So it took us four months to gather everything.

Below were the additional documents we sent during my girlfriend's SECOND APPLICATION:

1. Statement from family (my side naman this time. So yes, nag come out ang ate nyo for the sake of my girlfriend's visa)
2. SPA for the car na we have been using. (nakapangalan kasi sa dad ng jowa ko yung car kaya we needed an SPA)
3. BANK CERTIFICATE AND STATEMENT (minakesure namin na naibigay na namin to)
4. Proof of funds worth Php 2.1M (1.6 lang nirequire ni agent pero dinagdagan namin just to be sure)

Bale timeline nung second application is:

June 4 - Lodging of Visa
June 17 - Visa Grant

July - Lipad ni jowa pa Australia

Have faith lang mga kalahi, everything will work out in God's time. Happy pride month everyone

RheaMARN1171933 · June 2019

@chewy basically you need to satisfy minimum 12 months of cohabitation - as mentioned, tenancy agreement isn’t the only way to prove this. Also you need to prove there is interdependence between the two of you - socially, within the household, financially and emotionally. Good luck.

chewy · June 2019

@hersheythegreat thanks for the info.

Meron din kaming bills showing the same address kaya lang late kami nagupdate ng address kaya the period of living together will be much shorter if based lang dun. Pero I might use the sample you sent me to help me draft a statement from the landlord. Salamat.

chewy · June 2019

@RheaMARN1171933 thank you po! the bills we have will satisfy the 12 months of cohabitation naman, we just wanted to bolster our claim with a statement from the landlord para sure.

nakalagay din po sa personal statements namin yung interdependence between us as a couple, plus bank statements na rin. thank you po for the advise!

RheaMARN1171933 · June 2019

@chewy that’s the right way to go. I always advice my clients to provide as much documents as possible - more is better than less. Good luck.

kamoteuglz_07 · June 2019

hello po sa mga na approve na: hhingi po sna ng advise. we are preparing all documents pra po sa visa application nmin ng partner ko, ngclaim po kmi ng points nia anu po mga mga documents dpat need? maraming salamats po sa sasagot

hersheythegreat · August 2019

@cherfurt said:

Hi all! My girlfriend's visa just got granted today so I just wanted to share our journey hoping to help others out there din who's going through this whole process.

My girlfriend and I applied for a student visa. I am the primary applicant whereas she, was my dependent. Unfortunately during our first application, I was the only one who got the visa grant. Bale narefuse po sya. The reason was hindi nasatisfy yung CO sa proof namin. But in reality, may mali kasi kami dun. We have a joint account kaso imbes na bank STATEMENT ipinasa namin, bank CERTIFICATE lang po pinasa namin. Yun yung major cause ng refusal. According sa refusal letter, need daw makita na we have the account for atleast a year and gusto din makita ng CO na may mga transactions kami sa account na yun.

So we reapplied. Although hindi agad agad kasi we wanted to make sure na we have the complete documents.

Below were the documents we sent nung first application namin:

Apartment lease (2 years worth)

Bank certificate

statement from friends and family (by family I meant side lang nya kasi hindi kami legal sa side ko)

Photos of us, mga 20 pages to

Letters, tickets, hotel receipts, and utility bills

Brgy. Clearance

Drivers license showing na we are each other's emergency contact.

Bale within 24 hours from lodging our first application, lumabas agad results. Ako granted, sya refused. So we asked our agent ulit kung ano pa pwede gawin. He said we can reapply, we just needed to provide more proof. So it took us four months to gather everything.

Below were the additional documents we sent during my girlfriend's SECOND APPLICATION:

Statement from family (my side naman this time. So yes, nag come out ang ate nyo for the sake of my girlfriend's visa)

SPA for the car na we have been using. (nakapangalan kasi sa dad ng jowa ko yung car kaya we needed an SPA)

BANK CERTIFICATE AND STATEMENT (minakesure namin na naibigay na namin to)

Proof of funds worth Php 2.1M (1.6 lang nirequire ni agent pero dinagdagan namin just to be sure)

Bale timeline nung second application is:

June 4 - Lodging of Visa
June 17 - Visa Grant
July - Lipad ni jowa pa Australia

Have faith lang mga kalahi, everything will work out in God's time. Happy pride month everyone