# 457 defacto - evidence



## gougher (May 13, 2014)

Hi there

I'd really appreciate some advice

My new employer is sponsoring me for a 457 and we're hoping to have my boyfriend added as a defacto

In the eyes of DIPB what does defacto mean for 457? I've read conflicting evidence it it meaning either living together for 6 months, OR just proving you're in a genuine relationship

Our migration agent has told us it's the 6month living together factor but I've read elsewhere this isn't the case. And the Immi website is ambiguous

We have lived together for 7 months, however our migration agent isn't 100% sure we have all the evidence required to prove this as we've moved around subletting apartments. We're having problems because both my boyfriend and I still have kept our banking addresses at our parents houses, and due to the internet practically all documentation we have is digital

What we have gathered as evidence as follows;

- Online bank statements showing we have both paid rent to the same account (the person we've sublet from)
- Email confirmation of move in dates from the people we've sublet from
- Evidence of a joint account we did set up in the last 3 months that does match our address at one of the places we've lived
- Confirmation I'm included on his car insurance (but no address on confirmation)
- Letters from friends and family acknowledging we're a couple, and have been for 2 years, and that they've visited al three of our homes where we've lived together
- History and evidence of past trips and holidays we've taken in the last 2 years - including flight confirmation, accommodation booking and photos
- Evidence of joint wedding invites and thank you cards (but no envelopes with addresses on them!! - i'm cursing myself for throwing these away)

The one item we don't have is any official letters (or any post infact) sent to one of our addresses that has my boyfriends name on it. We do have the bank payments though

Does this seem like it's enough evidence? The migration agent has said we can proceed with the application but there's a risk we could be refused due to living together proof

Thanks for any help of advice you can offer

Alex


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## Hunter85 (Dec 5, 2013)

for defacto you need to live at least 12 months together before the application (if you have been living together for 11 months and if you lodge your application and even though it takes for CO to get assigned to you 2 months, it will get rejected) You need to have 12 months in same address before the application date

I am the main applicant and I have been living with my partner for 18 months. We provided : 

Facebook check-ins, e mails, rent contract on both of our names, pictures with our families (her mom, my dad to prove that our relationship is recognized), joint travels (bus/plane tickets and hotel reservations), mails (post) to our address.


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## gougher (May 13, 2014)

Hunter85 said:


> for defacto you need to live at least 12 months together before the application (if you have been living together for 11 months and if you lodge your application and even though it takes for CO to get assigned to you 2 months, it will get rejected) You need to have 12 months in same address before the application date
> 
> I am the main applicant and I have been living with my partner for 18 months. We provided :
> 
> Facebook check-ins, e mails, rent contract on both of our names, pictures with our families (her mom, my dad to prove that our relationship is recognized), joint travels (bus/plane tickets and hotel reservations), mails (post) to our address.


Hi Hunter85, thanks for the reply

Is that for the 457 defacto? I'm sure it's only the 6 months not 12. Just trying to prove we have those 6 months together. The only postal reference we have for one of the properties is a postcard. I'm hoping this will help substantiate that we lived together at that address - along with evidence of paying the landlord

Thanks

Alex


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## steve_79 (Jan 12, 2015)

Hi
How did you get on with your application in the end? we are in a similar position. I'd be interested to hear if we have a shot! 

thanks


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## gougher (May 13, 2014)

steve_79 said:


> Hi
> How did you get on with your application in the end? we are in a similar position. I'd be interested to hear if we have a shot!
> 
> thanks


Hi Steve,

Pleased to say we've been living happily over in Sydney since last July 

Don't know what swung it as I know we didn't have enough 'proper' evidence of us being at the same address - infact i believe our fate may have rested on one postcard I'd sent to my boyfriend at our shared address.

My point of view was to just pull as much evidence together as possible. We likely went overboard but I was glad we did - i wanted to know that I'd tried as hard as possible - so that if it didn't come off I'd known I'd tried my hardest

Regarding what a 'genuine relationship' means - i still think this is super ambiguous but our migration agent wanted to see 6 months of living together evidence - which we didn't have all of this in official docs - see below thread

I'd advise getting really organised and gathering together all that you can. Scan everything in and index and organise it all. I named and uploaded documents as separate files with an index / key to reference and make it easy to navigate. My boyfriend and I also wrote personal statements as well as including a timeline of our relationship that referenced every key event that I could substantiate with evidence

Best of luck to you, it's a massive pain and it ate up a few of my weekend and evenings but I now living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and it was definitely worth the effort


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## tinaozzie (Nov 3, 2014)

100% you have to live together 12 months at least. evidence from letters for both send to the same address, bills, leases, ...


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

tinaozzie said:


> 100% you have to live together 12 months at least. evidence from letters for both send to the same address, bills, leases, ...


 Not for 457 defacto you dont.


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)

Including family members in your application
_
For a married partner, the marriage must be legal under Australian law. For a de facto partner, the relationship needs to have *existed for six or 12 months before you lodge the application. The length of the de facto relationship depends on the visa you are applying for.*_


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## steve_79 (Jan 12, 2015)

6 months is good news. We have started collecting evidence. Joint bank account, changed address for car, banks etc. How many items of evidence did you end up submitting in the end?

thanks !


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