[jackpsmithuk]

Hello everyone,

So I'm going defacto with my partner. We have enough evidence etc, there is just one issue.

I don't get on with his family at all. They've expressed to my partner they are fine for him to go defacto, but they won't give any statements.

My issue is that do you think it would look weird that I don't have any Stat Declarations from my partners family on my application?

Who can I use instead?

 

[JanneKL]

You can use any of your partner's friends. Ideally someone who's met you, but even if they haven't met you personally, can still confirm that you are in a relationship.

As for "does it look weird?". I don't know. DIBP doesn't specify that one/both Stat Decs has/have to be from a family member, so my guess is it doesn't really matter? Maybe someone else can comment on this.

 

[Ramah]

I'd be careful as I've heard of instances where partner visas have been refused due to lack of support from parents.

For example this thread:
http://www.australiaforum.com/new-member-introductions/242250-mrt-decision.html

Could they give very brief statements just to prove that they know about the relationship etc?

 

[Skybluebrewer]

I have no relationship with my parents and they didn't even know my partner or that we were married until very recently. I wouldn't worry much about it. We used his family and friends for the stat decs and none from my family. I did make mention of it though in the application that I have no relationship with my family so it would be odd for DIBP to try and contact people I hadn't seen or spoken to in years and ask personal details.

 

[Skybluebrewer]

I think it would be questioned if your relationship were not known to those closest to you, but in my case I am not close with my relatives. Our relationship is public and very well known to even my partner's extended family and all of our friends in both Oz and the States. If everything was lowkey and only you and your partner knew about your relationship, naturally it would raise red flags to immigration.

 

[jackpsmithuk]

His family have refused, but I can ask.

If not, can I use my own family? Even if they live in the UK and have never met my partner?

We also have a lot of mutual friends that we can use.

 

[JanneKL]

His family have refused, but I can ask.

If not, can I use my own family? Even if they live in the UK and have never met my partner?

We also have a lot of mutual friends that we can use.

You can use your family, but you will still need two Stat Decs by Aussie citizens. Foreign Stat Dec equivalents won't have as much weight as Aussie Stat Decs. But it would be a good choice to have your family at least confirm that they know of your relationship.