# Girlfriend coming from USA - Work and Holiday / Defacto Partner visa



## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Hey everyone!

I've been reading a few posts here and thought I should post my own and try to get some advice. I'm an Australian living in Melbourne and my girlfriend is living in the USA. We're in a long-distance relationship, we met online towards the end of 2008 and she has previously come to Australia on a three-month ETA visa (June - September 2009). She is wanting to eventually move here. Soon she is going to try to get a Work and Holiday visa and come here for one year (just getting all the required stuff ready). She doesn't have enough money to meet the $5000 requirement so I'm going to lend her money for that. We'd be living together here.

Would the one year we'll spend together from the Work and Holiday visa be sufficient for the 12 month defacto partner requirement for the partner visa? I was considering trying to make it so that after she's here for the year, when she goes back to the USA I could travel back with her and stay there for a few months (so we're living together longer than 12 months). Would that be a better idea? Due to university and work commitments (I'm doing a one-year fulltime IBL work placement this year, and my final year of university next year), I'm unable to travel to stay with her for a long period of time, but I could try to go during university holidays.

Thanks in advance!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi Daniel

Have you looked up in the forum for spouse/de-facto visa threads? there are plenty and a lot has been discussed in the past about the same. there are cases where people were not even together for over 12 months but had enough proof to support their ongoing relation. I suggest reading up. I cant help you much as I am not on spouse visa. i have applied for PR visa and am still waiting for a grant 
wish you luck

cheers


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## Busyte (May 19, 2009)

:bump:

Hi,

Sorry can't help, I have a spouse visa, so I wouldn't know what are they looking for on a de-facto one.

It's bump so other people see it and hopefully someone will be able to help you.

Cheers,
Busyte


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## nighstar (Apr 18, 2010)

Hi. 

Sadly I can't really help you since I'm in the same situation as you.

My partner is Australian living in Brisbane and I'm an American working/living in Japan for over 2 1/2 years. Obviously we're in a long-distance relationship as well (we also met online) and so can't fulfill the 1 year requirement of living together.  My partner came to Japan and lived with me for 3 months during his summer vacation (he's also a student), but that's still a long way from 12 months so even with any other evidence we could gather for a De facto Partner Visa application we'd still probably be declined...

At the moment I am preparing to apply for a Work and Holiday Visa, I'm just waiting for my next payday to come so that I have the required $5,000+ AUD in my bank account. Our plan (that will HOPEFULLY work without problem!) is for me to come to Australia on a Work and Holiday Visa in late July/early August once my current work contract is over. We'll live together in Brisbane for the 12 months of the visa all the while gathering as much financial and other evidence as we can. Towards the end of the Work and Holiday Visa I'll apply for a Tourist Visa (676) which will give me an additional 3/6/12 months in the country without having to leave first and during this additional time I will submit a Partner Visa (820) application.

Somewhere (I can't remember where) I heard about a "bridging visa" or something that you automatically get when applying for another visa from within Australia when the visa that you are currently on runs out so that you can stay until a decision is made on the new visa, but I am unable to find anything about this on the immigration website. That's why I'd apply for the Tourist Visa since it supposedly takes up to 3 months for a Partner Visa to be granted and my Work and Holiday Visa would have expired in the meantime.

Does anyone have an information about bridging/transitional visas and whether or not people on Work and Holiday/Working Holiday Visas are even eligible for them?

Anyway, best of luck to you and your partner, Daniel15. Hopefully things'll work out for all of us.


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## Busyte (May 19, 2009)

Hi,

Have you guys considered the prospective partner (or husband/Wife - sorry can't remember the name) , the one which allows people engaged to be married to come and marry in Australia?

I imagine many people coming from India and other cultures where people do not usually live together before marrying apply for that one. I think it's at least worth researching.

Good luck!

Busyte


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## nighstar (Apr 18, 2010)

Thanks for the idea, Busyte. 

I don't know about Daniel15 or his partner, but for me and mine the 9 month limit on the Prospective Marriage Visa makes it a no-go as we don't want to rush the issue of marriage. 

Marriage sure would make things a lot easier though, lol....


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## Laura268 (May 7, 2010)

Daniel15 said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> I've been reading a few posts here and thought I should post my own and try to get some advice. I'm an Australian living in Melbourne and my girlfriend is living in the USA. We're in a long-distance relationship, we met online towards the end of 2008 and she has previously come to Australia on a three-month ETA visa (June - September 2009). She is wanting to eventually move here. Soon she is going to try to get a Work and Holiday visa and come here for one year (just getting all the required stuff ready). She doesn't have enough money to meet the $5000 requirement so I'm going to lend her money for that. We'd be living together here.
> 
> ...


Hey Daniel! Wow, your story sounds so much like mine. I live in the US and my boyfriend is currently living in Australia. We've been together for about 2 years and I went over there on a 1 year working visa and just got back about 3 weeks ago. Currently I am in the process of gathering our info to apply for the defacto relationship visa. So, what did she need 5,000 for? I didnt need any proof of sufficient funds. Anyway, I lived with my boyfriend in Australia for a year and I think that is definitely sufficient enough for the 12 month requirement. It better be, cause that is the exact amount of time we lived together! I came on this thread because I want to get all the info possible from other people who have done this visa already. Make sure you keep all proof of your relationship and when she goes back to the US, make sure you keep phone records and email records to prove that you kept in contact in case you dont go with her. Apparently they want that stuff too. Well, good luck..Keep us informed


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Daniel15 said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> I've been reading a few posts here and thought I should post my own and try to get some advice. I'm an Australian living in Melbourne and my girlfriend is living in the USA. We're in a long-distance relationship, we met online towards the end of 2008 and she has previously come to Australia on a three-month ETA visa (June - September 2009). She is wanting to eventually move here. Soon she is going to try to get a Work and Holiday visa and come here for one year (just getting all the required stuff ready). She doesn't have enough money to meet the $5000 requirement so I'm going to lend her money for that. We'd be living together here.
> 
> ...


YEs the Working Holiday visa is the best bet for sure. No 12 months won't be enough as the process takes about 6 months. but you can still secure a bridging visa if you guys are in a long term relationship. Once you secure the bridging visa at the end of her WHV then you'll be able to begin the process with the defacto relationship.


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## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

I may be wrong (and probably am) but if your girlfriend has already been here on a WHV in 2009, can she apply for another one? I have a vague recollection that you can only apply once for a WHV.

I know you can extend an exisiting WHV by another year, but not sure if you can apply again separately.

Hope someone can clairfy.

Dolly


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## norlyn (May 20, 2010)

*defacto visas*



Daniel15 said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> I've been reading a few posts here and thought I should post my own and try to get some advice. I'm an Australian living in Melbourne and my girlfriend is living in the USA. We're in a long-distance relationship, we met online towards the end of 2008 and she has previously come to Australia on a three-month ETA visa (June - September 2009). She is wanting to eventually move here. Soon she is going to try to get a Work and Holiday visa and come here for one year (just getting all the required stuff ready). She doesn't have enough money to meet the $5000 requirement so I'm going to lend her money for that. We'd be living together here.
> 
> ...


Hi Daniel
You should go to the website of the Immigration Action Rights Centre............iarc.asn.au.........they have all the info you require ..........
cheers
Norma


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

norlyn said:


> Hi Daniel
> You should go to the website of the Immigration Action Rights Centre............iarc.asn.au.........they have all the info you require ..........
> cheers
> Norma


Here is the reply I put on the other thread where you mentioned this too Norma. 

That organisation is for people already in Australia and specifically NSW who are under financial hardship. So that organisation is not suitable for most of the members on this website who are not even in Australia yet. 

I'm getting that info from their own website. 

Regards,
Karen


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## norlyn (May 20, 2010)

*defacto visas*



kaz101 said:


> Here is the reply I put on the other thread where you mentioned this too Norma.
> 
> That organisation is for people already in Australia and specifically NSW who are under financial hardship. So that organisation is not suitable for most of the members on this website who are not even in Australia yet.
> 
> ...



Hi again Karen
As mentioned on another thread, this website is invaluable to download all the forms required, and for an easy guide to the application process. If you are not requiring a personal interview, then this is all you require, and it doesn't matter where you are. Their website relflects the law from March 2010.
Cheers
Norma


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