4 Pillars Partner Visa: Evidence of Genuine Relationship

Avoiding Partner Visa Refusal: Proving The 4 Main Pillars of the Relationship

A Partner Visa application requires evidence that your relationship is genuine and continuing. To assess whether your relationship is genuine and continuing, the decision maker, an immigration officer, will consider the 4 pillars of the Partner Visa application: the financial aspect of the relationship, the social aspect of the relationship, the nature of the household and the nature of commitment.

Below is the breakdown of all 4 pillars of the Partner Visa application and the evidence for each aspect. Remember, there are various ways to provide evidence, giving you the flexibility to choose what best represents your relationship.

Factor 1 – The Financial Aspect of the Relationship

Talking about the financial aspect of the relationship refers to any evidence that you and your spouse/de facto partner are genuinely and entirely devoted to each other through shared finances. The decision maker will take into account several factors before deciding whether or not you meet this requirement, including:

• Shared ownership refers to any co-ownership of significant assets, such as real estate.
• Legal obligations refer to whether one partner has legal responsibilities toward the other.
• Joint liabilities refer to any joint obligations, such as mortgages, etc.
• Household expenses refer to whether daily household expenses are split between you and your partner.
• Pooled resources refer to the amount of money you and your partner combine to use, such as a joint bank account.
• Financial goals in the future refer to your plans for your savings and any assets you currently share or would like to share.

Documents as evidence of your financial aspect for your Partner Visa application:

• Joint bank account;
• Joint household bills;
• Joint mortgage or lease paperwork attesting to joint ownership or rental of real estate;
• Noteworthy asset loans in both names, such as houses, automobiles, or significant equipment.

You can also explain and provide evidence of the following to support the financial aspect of your relationship:

• How are your finances currently distributed between you?
• Does one person earn and provide for the couple?
• Will your financial arrangements change if your partner is granted the visa?

Factor 2 – The Nature of the Household

When assessing the nature of the household, the decision maker must consider whether you and your partner live together. The decision maker will take into account several factors to decide if you meet this requirement:

• Shared living arrangements refer to a joint leasing arrangement or joint ownership of real estate.
• Children refer to joint accountability for the upbringing and care of your children.
• Joint utility bills refer to joint phone, electricity, gas or other utility accounts.
• Housework refers to shared responsibilities for house chores.
• Letters refer to written letters sent to the same residential address for you and your partner.

But what if you’re currently in a long-distance relationship or long-distance marriage?

You can provide the following evidence to show the nature of your household if you’re in a long-distance relationship:

• Fund transfer refers to showing commitment to the household necessities where your partner lives or for your children.
• Record of you living with your partner refers to receipts for your hotel stay or lease agreement for a villa where you lived with your partner even for a short time.

Documents as evidence of the nature of your household for your Partner Visa application:

• A statement regarding the housework distribution.
• Bills for the house in both names.
• Letters or emails were sent to both of you.
• Shared responsibility for children.
• Your living arrangements.

You can also explain and provide evidence of the following to support the nature of your household:

• About the jobs around the house and also your daily routine.
• Explain how chores are shared in the house.
• What do you both enjoy doing?
• Does one person love to cook while the other loves to do jobs around the garden?
• Explain if any of this will change once you are granted the visa.

Factor 3 – Social Aspects of the Relationship

The social aspects of the relationship refer to your wider social life and ties in determining whether your relationship is genuine and continuing. The decision maker will take into account several factors of evidence, including:

• Officially declared refers to proof that the relationship has been disclosed to other public, commercial, and governmental organisations; for example, you have registered your relationship.
• Travel plans refer to plans for joint travel. 
• Witness from friends refers to a witness written by your friends, parents, other family members, and other interested parties such as colleagues, neighbours, or community leaders.
• Social representation refers to how you show up together in public as a couple.
• Group membership refers to documentary proof of cooperative engagement in social, cultural, athletic, or other activities; it is shared membership in organisations or groups.

Documents as evidence of the social aspects of your relationship for your Partner Visa application:

• Photos of you and your partner in any social activities, i.e. your friend’s birthday, wedding party, casual catch-up, etc.
• Flight tickets or accommodation bills for your travel plans.
• Invitation for an event was sent to you and your partner.
• Gym or other membership.
• Record of communication with your partner’s family members.

You can also explain and provide evidence of the following to support the social aspect of your relationship:

• Have you met each other’s friends?
• Do you meet up with them regularly?
• Explain what you like to go out and do as a couple, whether it’s alone as a couple or together with friends.
• You should also mention any groups you are part of or shared hobbies.

Factor 4 – The Nature of the Commitment Between the Couple

Nature of commitment means that the decision-maker should recognise that you and your partner are in a committed, long-term relationship. With this, the decision maker will more likely approve your Partner Visa application. To ascertain this, the decision maker will take into account the following:

• Length of relationship refers to the length of time that both of you have been living together or been married.
• Knowledge of each other refers to the partner’s understanding of one another’s situations, which may be determined during an interview and include background and family dynamics. 
• The level of support refers to the amount of emotional support or companionship that one provides the other.
• Parties’ intentions refer to evidence of each other’s goals for the relationship.
• The nature of the relationship refers to whether you and your partner envision your relationship as long-term.

Documents as evidence of the nature of your commitment to your Partner Visa application:

• Your wills. 
• Correspondence and phone bills proving you were in communication even when you lived apart
• Statement of your relationship that includes:
  • Information about how, when and where you first met;
  • How the relationship progressed;
  • When you were engaged or married (if relevant);
  • Shared activities;
  • Times when you were apart;
  • Significant events in the relationship;
  • Future goals as a couple.

You can also explain and provide evidence of the following to support the nature of your commitment:

• how you cannot bear to be apart,
• how significantly it would impact your life, happiness and well-being if partner visa refusal happens to you,
• how the relationship developed,
• tell immigration what made you fall in love with each other,
• Explain how your partner improves your life.

Check out the complete document checklist for Partner Visa application curated by our Principal Migration Agent, Indah Melindasari, here: Document Checklist For Australian Spouse Visa 2024

What if I lack in one of those pillars? Will the decision maker refuse my application?

First, you must understand that the relationship background of every couple is different. So, don’t be scared or horrible if you lack in one of those 4 pillars of a Partner Visa. Lacking evidence in one pillar will not automatically refuse your Partner Visa applications.

For example, suppose you lack evidence of the nature of the household due to being in a long-distance relationship. In that case, you may still be eligible for the Partner Visa as long as you have strong evidence of commitment and social and financial aspects of your relationship.

For something as serious as a partner visa, we strongly recommend you hire a registered visa agent to help you. So, if you’re not confident in meeting the criteria for all 4 pillars of a Partner Visa, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have over ten years of experience with the government’s policy guidelines in assessing the 4 pillars.