The Couple
Maria came to Australia from the Philippines on a working holiday visa to work as a caregiver. She met James, an Australian citizen, at a community event in Brisbane. After two years of dating, they decided to formalise their relationship and build a life together in Australia.
James had found an online guide and, wanting to save money, the couple lodged the partner visa application themselves without professional help. They were confident in their genuine relationship — but had no idea how stringent the Department's requirements were for documenting one.
— The First Refusal
The couple's initial application was refused. The Department was not satisfied that the evidence demonstrated a genuine and continuing relationship. The evidence they'd provided was superficial — some photos, a few bank statements showing shared expenses, and a brief personal statement. It wasn't nearly enough.
The Impact of Refusal
The refusal was devastating. Maria's working holiday visa was nearing expiry, and a partner visa refusal creates a complex situation — not just emotionally but legally. Any subsequent application would need to directly address the reasons for the first refusal, which would be scrutinised heavily.
A friend referred them to Global Migrations. When they came to us for a consultation, James was close to giving up on Australia altogether. Maria was preparing to return to the Philippines.
Rebuilding the Case
We started by analysing the refusal decision in detail. The Department had made specific findings about the lack of evidence — the sparse documentation hadn't addressed the four criteria used to assess genuine relationships: financial, household, social, and commitment.
We met with Maria and James over several sessions to understand their relationship thoroughly — their history, how they met, shared experiences, future plans, and how they managed their household together. What emerged was a rich, genuine, deeply documented relationship that simply hadn't been presented properly.
We prepared a comprehensive statement of relationship — detailed, chronological, and specific — supported by a complete evidence dossier: joint bank account statements, shared lease agreements, utility bills, photographs with dates and context captions, messages, social media, third-party statutory declarations from family and friends, and a medical document showing Maria as James's nominated next of kin.
We also responded directly and specifically to each ground of the original refusal — showing exactly how the new evidence addressed the Department's concerns.
The Outcome
Maria's new 820 temporary partner visa application was lodged with a full, well-structured, thoroughly documented case. While waiting, she was granted a bridging visa allowing her to remain lawfully in Australia. The 820 was granted within 14 months of lodgement.
Two years after the 820 grant, with their relationship stronger than ever, they lodged for the 801 permanent partner visa. It was granted the following year. Maria is now a permanent resident of Australia, working as a registered nurse after completing her Australian qualifications. They are planning their wedding.