Defacto (same sex) dilemma

Niquikay · June 2014

Hi, I am currently working in Singapore and we (me & my partner) are planning to apply next month for skilled-independent visa. She will be the primary applicant. We have been living together for the last 8 years.

Our dilemma is this, I am married but has been separated for the last 10 years. My ex-husband is already living in the UAE with his girlfriend. Do I qualify to be under defacto since I was already married previously? I have done a bit of research but I can't find a confirmed answer.

Please help to shed some light into this? Thank you very much.

lock_code2004 · June 2014

@Niquikay - it is possible but the CO might request for additional documents about your previous relationship..
- your personal statement is very crucial.. apart from proving that your current relationship is genuine, you also need to prove why your previous relationship is not continuing anymore.. you should state why the legal process of separation was not done (e.g annulment is costly in phils..etc)
- you need to get statements from friends/relatives for your current relationship.

Please read the defacto "relationship requirements".. the links are in these thread:

http://pinoyau.info/discussion/828/adding-secondary-applicants-married-de-facto-engaged/p1

Niquikay · June 2014

@lock_code2004

Thank you for your reply. We have applied for annulment a few years ago but it was denied several times. However, we cannot pursue it anymore due to financial constraints. Thank you again for your input, I will check the link po.

staycool · June 2014

Hi @Niquikay ... ako I am trying to get my partner as well through DE FACTO partner visa... and you know what, it seems complicated sa ganitong status natin so I opted to get a professional agent to help me with this...sa ngayon, I am still coming up with my initial payment kse it is not cheap at all!!! pero i think it is worth it...I can't risk na ma-deny ang partner ko eh ... ang mali ko lang is hindi ko sya naisama sa application ko (as advised by my former agent, which is sa katangahan ko sinunod ko naman)....

Niquikay · June 2014

Hi @staycool, thank you for sharing. We will be getting the services of an immigration agency here sa Singapore, we can't afford din kc na ma-deny ako, package deal kami eh, haha. Pero really, ni-advise nila na di mo sya isama sa application mo? Sana positive namn ang maging advise sa min ng agency namin dito. I can't wait, napaka unstable na dito sa Singapore eh.

staycool · June 2014

@Niquikay i sent you a PM...heheh
yeah, maganda din ata na kumuha nalang kayo ng agent..pero piliin nyo ang reliable at magaling...there are some agents who do not really KNOW what they are doing esp. pagdating sa case natin na same sex de facto visa application...medyo complicated kse ang sa status natin eh...that was why i changed agents...as in may kamahalan nga talaga sya and I am working my ass off dito para lang mapush through ang application ng gf ko...saang state nyo plano mag apply??...

Niquikay · June 2014

@staycool got your pm!

mhej · June 2014

Good luck to you Niquikay! My partner and I also got our De Facto Same Sex PR Visa last November. Tama si staycool. Use an agent. Sobrang rave ako sa agent ko sa Manila. She got us a PR Visa in 5 months since starting the application. Hassle free kahit same sex kami. Although, syempre, compared to your situation, wala kaming complications at all.

staycool · June 2014

hi @mhej...nice at marami kmeng karamay ni @Niquikay ... ill send you a PM as well...

Niquikay · June 2014

Hi @mhej, thank you! Goodluck to both of you! : )

Stidleyfied · June 2014

@staycool @mhej @niquikay include me in the loop! also in a same sex da facto. ielts nalang kulang pra mka proceed sa next step.

Niquikay · June 2014

Hi @Stidleyfied, Goodluck! Update mo rin kami. Are you from Pinas or also from SG?

staycool · June 2014

@Stidleyfied ayan...dami pala nating ganito eh...nag-a-agent ka din ba sa kasalukuyan??....

Stidleyfied · June 2014

@niquikay thanks! we are both working in SG. will be following this thread. need more inputs kung ano pa kailangan na documents. @staycool d kase kami ng agent mahal masyado.

lock_code2004 · June 2014

@niquikay thanks! we are both working in SG. will be following this thread. need more inputs kung ano pa kailangan na documents. @staycool d kase kami ng agent mahal masyado.

if walang complications sa case nyo... pwede naman walang agent..
i personally know several friends na nandito na sa AU.. skilled PR visa with same sex partner in less than 6 months. they processed without agents..

Stidleyfied · June 2014

@lock_code2004 thanks! wala nman complications. hoping for the best.

staycool · June 2014

well that is kng WALANG complications...sa case namin kse may "complications" na eh...hehehe...kung pwede lang walang agent sana di rin nalang ako kukuha...doble pa bayad ng agent compared sa app fee....huhuhh

lester_lugtu · June 2014

To everyone,

De facto same-sex here.
At partida secondary applicant lang ako.
At later na lang din ako ipinasok ng partner ko sa 457 visa nya.
Tama si lock code, tingin ko hindi naman ganun kahirap mag-apply ng de facto as long as mptunayan nyong mag-jowa tlga kau.
Thus, no need for agent na din.
Mine, took almost 2 weeks proccessing b4 i got my visa.

:-)

markier87 · June 2014

Hi all!

So happy to see people like us being successful in their VISA applications. Mine may be a little different because I will be going there as a post-grad research student with my de-facto partner as my dependent. We are also in the process of compiling evidences for our 2yrs and 11 mo. relationship. I hope people will share about the documents they presented.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

lock_code2004 · June 2014

@markier87 - hi you can check the link i posted above...

happyinmelbourne34 · June 2014

Hi all!

So happy to see people like us being successful in their VISA applications. Mine may be a little different because I will be going there as a post-grad research student with my de-facto partner as my dependent. We are also in the process of compiling evidences for our 2yrs and 11 mo. relationship. I hope people will share about the documents they presented.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

hello markier87, although ours were not same-sex, eto ung mga docs/evidences that we presented for the 801/820 (onshore partner application)

You can download ung partner migration booklet sa website ng DIAC but I think it only applies kung separate ung application nya as a partner, maybe requirements is not as much as compared kung isasama mo na sya as dependent in your application.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1127.pdf

Anyhow ung gnawa nmin is nagprovide ng written statement detailing the history of our relationship na pina-certified true copy nmin dto then we outlined the requirements according to below

1. Financial aspects - attachments (1) ung lease agreement na parehong nakapangalan sa amin (2) joint acct na inopen nmin dto then may detailed explanation bakit very recent lang kami nag joint acct (nilagay nlang nmin as explanation ndi kami aware na kahit tourist lang ang status nya dto pwede pala kami mag open ng joint acct because back in SG it was not allowed (3) ung joint acct welcome letter na andun pareho ang address nmin. (4) Ung kinikita nya from Odesk na nire remit nya sa paypal acct ko (5) my bank statement then i highlighted ung ex. sya bumili ng tiket ko/vice versa (6) Credit card statement nya then hinilight nya dun and naglagay ng konting description ex. furniture for our flat, groceries, mobile prepaid na inet nung dumating kami dto, etc. (7) receipts ng some gifts i sent to his parents

2. Nature of the household - (1) written statement nmin 2 kung pano nmin hinahati ung trabahong bahay (2) mga correspondence na naka address sa kanya dun sa address na binigay nmin ex. ung fedex na pinadala ng parents nya sa SG at correspondence sa kin within the same month just to show na pareho kami ng address (3) statutory declaration ng 2 landlord nmin sa SG na nag rent kami sa kanila ng ganitong period (4) rent receipt dto na nakapangalan sa min 2

3. Social aspect - (1) stat declaration from family, friends in SG at 2 citizens dto (2) pictures of us with friends or family (3) ticket of joint travel/holidays (4) pictures/ticket when I visited his hometown/vice versa (3) photocopy ng mga postcards/cards na pinadala ng parents nya

4. Nature of commitment - (1) written statement from us ng mga plano nmin for the future (2) my Super acct here in which he is included as a beneficiary (3) mga saved chats nmin sa yahoo during the time the we have to live apart (4) some phone messages at emails (5) some letters from insurance/govt institution na andun ung name nya as person to contact in case of emergency

Medyo ma-trabaho hehehehe naalala ko tuloy parang nagawa kami ng high school project non.

Goodluck on ur application

mhej · June 2014

Kami, rental copy, declaration from landlord na kami 2 nakatira don, parents declaration on both sides na aware sila sa relationship at hindi ko itatanan ang anak nila ng hindi nila alam, photos with description (better if may mga group pics with friends and family), written love story namin 2 (1 each, dapat pareho ang plot ng kwento), bank statements and billing statements that must be addressed to a single address (additional proof na we live together).

I don't know about the others, pero my experience was really smooth. I think yung mga heterosexual couples pa ang nahihirapan and are forced to get married to really prove the legitimacy of the relationship.

markier87 · June 2014

Thanks @mhej! I guess our problem will be, eventhough we have lived together since 2011, I never used our address in my official documents due to "closet" reasons. I just hope our landlady will sign a statement for us. Can I have format of the statement u guys used for the landlord?

markier87 · June 2014

@happyinmelbourne34 thanks for the detailed response! Can I have a copy of the statement you made for the landlord? If that's possible, here is my email add: [email protected]

thanks a lot!

Niquikay · June 2014

Hi @happyinmelbourne34! Thank you for sharing the documents that you prepared for your visa. I also checked the link na binigay mo and for my case, may nakita kong bulletpoint that greatly concerns me:

“if previously married, certified copy of divorce certificate or death certificate for each previous marriage.. “

Haay.. yan na nga ba sinasabi ko. : (

netzkeenet · June 2014

Hi @happyinmelbourne34! Thank you for sharing the documents that you prepared for your visa. I also checked the link na binigay mo and for my case, may nakita kong bulletpoint that greatly concerns me:

“if previously married, certified copy of divorce certificate or death certificate for each previous marriage.. “

Haay.. yan na nga ba sinasabi ko. : (

Pwede mo naman i explain why you did not get the annulment

basta ma prove mo lang na mtgal n kayo wla ng ex husband mo.

staycool · June 2014

asko ko na rin kung may nakakaalam ng kasagutan sa "complications" ko:

1. Hindi pinasama ng EX agent ko na shungaks ang gf ko sa application ko as PR dahil daw makakabagal sa pagprocess. Plus, pinalagay nya sa satus ko na SINGLE ako despite an on-going 3-year relationship.

2. May daughter si gf pero di sya married and hindi din naman nirecognize ng lalake ang bata sa birth cert.

Mukhang ang no. 1 ang medyo di ko magets i-explain kng nagkataon

mhej · June 2014

@staycool -
1. Is not true na nakakabagal. Although, baka complication yung fact na may anak siya. So baka kaya nag defer yung agent mo. Kasi hindi niya alam panu maghandle ng ganon. Kaya kung anu anung excuse na lang ginawa niya.

@markier87
Yung format is from my agent e. At lahat ng docos nasa kanya na. So I don't have a soft copy of any of the declarations needed. Not sure if it's going to be a problem. But you need statements from relatives about the legitimacy of your relationship. If hindi ka out, baka mahirapan ka. And I think, very important ang billing statements. Pwede mo pa naman ihabol siguro yung billing statements. Yung BPI monthly statement of account ni gf, pina redirect niya sa unit namin just months within processing the visa application.

happyinmelbourne34 · June 2014

@happyinmelbourne34 thanks for the detailed response! Can I have a copy of the statement you made for the landlord? If that's possible, here is my email add: [email protected]

thanks a lot!

sent po

markier87 · June 2014

@happyinmelbourne34 received it! Thanks

lester_lugtu · June 2014

@staycool,

I asked my partner kung single din ba nilagay nya o in relationship during application ng visa nya. Ang sb nya not sure kung single o in relationship ang nalagay nya. Pero base sa pagkakatanda ko before, cnb nya skn n ngaalala din sya, just like u, na bka hnd ako ma-approve as secondary dhl single nilagay nya s application nya. Which is hnd q ndn msyado matandaan n cnb nya un skn. Jijiji. Naguluhan ka ba? Jijiji. Pero ang cnb skn ng partner ko is, once in a relationship daw ang nilagay mo sa status mo, need mo pa ng stat dec support for that. Which is hindi nya ginawa so ibig sbhin, single ang status na nilagay ng partner ko. At okay lng kung single ang nailagay mo. Anyway, it will all depend sa case officer. Iba iba naman sila. May strict, may maluwag. I-explain mo na lang mabuti sa stat dec mo kung ano ang nangyari. At pwede ba, hwag ka na mag.agent! Sayang ang 5000aud! Apakadali lng ng process ng pag.add ng secondary applicant.

@markier87,

Kht wla kana hinging affidavit about ur same sex defacto relationship from ur parents. Just provide ur own affidavit, ur partner's affidavit, affidavits from ur friends who know ur relationship. Plain affidavit lng notarised ng atty.

About landlord leasing agreement, sa internet maraming sample. Hanap nlng kau dun. Once makakita kayo, ipasign nyo sa landlady nyo, then pa notaryo. Dapat nandun pareho ung name nyo ng partner mo. Take note dapat back dated ang pagkakanotaryo ng leasing agreement nyo.
An additional evidence eh mga rental receipt. Dapat both name nyo din nakasulat at may sign ng landlady nyo. Kung wla kaung resibo, kau nlng gmwa then pasign mo sknya. Atleast good for 1 yr.
Both of these are strong evidence of co-existence.

The strongest financial evidence is joint bank account. Na hindi namin nagawa before kasi nandito na sya sa aussie at ako ay nasa phils pdn nun. Lahat ng bangko nilapitan ko, lahat ayaw! Remittance receipt ang gnamit ko under financial support evidence. Kaya kung mgksma pa kau ngaun, much better kung mgkajoint account kau.

@staycool,

Balik ako sau, mine just took almost 2weeks processing. Like, inupload ko ngaun mga documents, after 5 days, pinagpamedical nako ng c.o. at pina-specify ung insurance. Then after 3 days aun inemail na ang visa ko. Mabilis lang! At masarap sa feeling n alam mong may australian visa kana. Aun hanggang ngaun wla pdng trbho d2. Hehehe. Tiis pdn. Jijiji

Remember lahat ng copy dapat certified true copy. 80 pesos ata per page ung certify true copy ng atty.