Evidence of a Genuine and Continuing Relationship
You and your partner must each provide a statement or statutory declaration regarding the history of your relationship, including:
- how, when and where you first met
- how your relationship developed
- when you decided to marry or to start a de facto spouse or interdependent relationship
- your domestic arrangements (how you support each other financially, physically and emotionally and when this level of commitment began)
- any periods of separation (when and why the separation occurred, for how long and how you maintained your relationship during the period of separation)
- your future plans.
The statements written by you and your partner can be on ordinary writing paper or a statutory declaration form. Each statement or statutory declaration must be signed and dated by the person who wrote it.
See: Information to Help Prepare your Application
In assessing a claimed interdependent relationship, the department usually looks at evidence of things such as:
- living together full-time
- sharing important financial and social commitments
- setting up a household separately from other people
- All relationships are different, so you should provide as much evidence as you can that you believe will support your claims.
For a list of the type of evidence from these four categories that you should provide to satisfy the department that your spouse relationship is genuine and continuing, see the Partner Migration information booklet.
Note: The lists of the types of acceptable evidence under each category in the information booklet are only examples and other types of evidence that are not listed under each category may be given. You need provide only one type of evidence from each category as long as it is does indicate that your relationship is genuine and continuing. (You may be asked to provide additional information during the processing of your application.)
See: Booklet 1127 Partner Migration (229KB PDF file)