When applying for a Partner Visa, you must provide evidence that your relationship with your spouse or de facto partner is 'genuine and continuing' and that you are committed to a 'shared life to the exclusion of all others'. As part of the assessment process, the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) will review certain aspects of your relationship, commonly known as “the four pillars”

The four pillars the department will assess are the financial aspects of your relationship, the nature of your household, the Social aspects of your relationship, and the nature of your commitment to each other.

So lets dive in and take a closer look at these four pillars. 

FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP

In assessing the financial aspects of your relationship, the Department will look at how you manage your finances as a couple. Examples of strong evidence include having a joint bank account used for daily spending or having each other listed as additional card holders on a credit card account. But it can also be helpful to show how you divide expenses; perhaps rental costs come out of one bank account while utility bills come out of the other. Or it could be that while one of you pay for flights, the other pays for the accommodation when you travel together.

It may be difficult to show that you share finances as a couple if one of you is overseas, you’ve spent a signigicant portion of your relationship as long distance, or are still living apart.

THE NATURE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD

Strong evidence can include sharing a lease, and having mail sent to both of you at a shared address. We can also look at this pillar like a 'day in the life of'. When you think about what a regular day or week looks like for you and your partner, you start to understand how your household runs. Perhaps one of you cooks, takes the children to school and keeps the garden under control.

Perhaps your partner is the tidy one who likes to make sure all the beds are made in the morning and everything is in its place.

Who takes the bins out? Who checks and sorts the incoming mail and household bills? Are there things you both prefer to do together such as grocery shopping or taking pets to their vet visits? This can also be a good opportunity to talk about how COVID has changed the dynamics of your household.

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP

Globe-trotting adventurous couples who have an abundance of social media posts, photos, travel tickets and are invited to family gatherings every other week likely have this pillar sorted! But if you don't have social media accounts, are camera shy, or don't like to leave the comfort of your own home often, you will still likely have some evidence in the social arena.

Perhaps you are both members of the same gym, social or gaming club or have a hidden web of online gaming evidence you probably haven't thought of. Simple things such as texts to your family and friends where you talk about your relationship can all go towards your social evidence. And remember, you will need to call on a few friends, family members and colleagues to write witness statements in support of your application.

Ultimately, the department wants to see your relationship is known to your family and friends, and you are socially accepted as being in a genuine relationship.

THE NATURE OF YOUR COMMITMENT

This pillar looks at your commitment to one another. If you have spent time apart, its important to show how you have maintained contact with your partner – your chat logs, phone calls, emails and other forms of communication can all evidence this.

You can also show your commitment to one another in other ways. Perhaps you're engaged, married, or planning a wedding, have children, or you have pets. You may have even tried to learn your partners language and culture. If you've been through any rough patches, it can also be good evidence to show how you've supported each other through these times.

If you are not married, you may choose to register your relationship with the relevant state or territory. This not only removes the need to prove your de facto relationship has existed for at least 12 months, but will also act as evidence of your commitment to each other.

So what if you don't have a joint bank account or own shared assets? Perhaps you both enjoy your privacy and don't have social media accounts or go out a lot with friends? And maybe you have been in a long-distance relationship which means you don't have a lot of household evidence. Its important to look at all areas of your relationship and understand where your strengths are.

HOW ARE ALL FOUR PILLARS ASSESSED?

Lacking evidence (or even having no evidence) in one or more pillars is not an automatic reason for refusal. Its natural for couples to be stronger in some areas than they are in others. Think of the pillars as a set of scales. Having very strong evidence in 3 pillars can outweigh the fact you are weak in the remaining pillar.

This means if you do not have a joint bank account or any assets, and do not have a lot of finance evidence, you may still be eligible for the partner visa if you have alot of commitment, social and household evidence. Likewise, if you have spent significant periods apart or have not lived together, you may still be eligible if you have strong finances, social and household evidence. 

But if you are lacking in one or more areas, it is essential you get advice from a Registered Migration Agent who understands how department policy guidelines are used by the decision makers in assessing the four pillars.

HOW MUCH EVIDENCE IS ENOUGH?

There is no easy answer. Every relationship is unique and every application is assessed individually.

If there are areas where you feel you lack evidence, now is the time to strategise how you can strengthen them. This doesn't mean doing things that you’re not comfortable with or that don't fit within the realms of your relationship simply to get your visa.

We encourage couples to have a good balance of evidence across all of the pillars. If you’re not sure how to strengthen your evidence, or are concerned you may not have enough, get in touch. We can help assess your overall prospects of a successful outcome and help you devise a plan to increase your chances of your visa being granted.