Relationship statements for partner visa

The statutory declaration is a formal statement written by the applicant or sponsor. It makes a legally binding declaration about your relationship. The statutory declaration will outline the authenticity and nature of your relationship.

The declaration typically covers details on five main aspects: financial, household, social, commitment, and development of relationships.

•  Financial aspects: You can demonstrate how you and your partner handle financial responsibilities. You can discuss your shared accounts, joint investments, and arrangements for sharing expenses. Here are some examples:

1. As partners, we maintain a joint bank account, which is the main way we manage our shared expenses and financial commitments. Through this account, we contribute [equally/proportionately] to cover various household costs, including [mortgage, rent, utilities, groceries] and other necessary expenses. This joint financial arrangement allows us to communicate about our finances and develop the financial well-being of our relationship.

2. We have a joint bank account, through which we contribute [equally] to shared expenses such as [mortgage, rent, utilities, groceries, and other household necessities].

• Household aspects: Here you can focus on how you organize your daily lives. You can discuss your living arrangements and the chores and roles that you share. It can be as follows:

1. [Partner's Full Name] and I have been living together at [address] since [date]. Our shared residence reflects our commitment to building a life together and creating a nurturing home environment for us both. We share the responsibilities of maintaining our household and actively contribute to its upkeep.

2. Together, we undertake various household tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, and managing household finances. We have developed a routine to support each other in these tasks, to make sure that these responsibilities are fairly distributed between us. This arrangement strengthens our bond and helps us work together.

• Social aspect: In this section, you can highlight how you and your partner present yourself in public. You can include aspects such as social media interactions, interactions with your family and friends, and clubs or groups that you both attend together. Example is shown below:

1. As a couple, we regularly engage in various social activities, both with close friends and with our broader community. We frequently attend dinner with friends, family gatherings, weddings, and community events, where we attend as a committed couple.

2. Together, we enjoy building meaningful connections with others and to share our joy and happiness as a couple. We cherish the opportunity to celebrate milestones and special occasions together, creating lasting memories with our friends and family. In [date], we attended the [example of milestone], where we were grateful to witness [explain what the event, the relationship with the party and why it was important].

• Nature of commitment: This section is important to prove long-term intentions and shared future goals. You can discuss the milestones that you achieved together and your goals, including your family and your future aspirations, such as starting a family, buying a house, etc. You can also discuss emotional and moral support as shown below.

1. Our commitment to each other is unwavering, and we have made long-term plans together. We are fully dedicated to the well-being and happiness of one another. We always work to provide emotional and physical support, helping each other through the challenges and celebrations of life.

2. We are committed to a shared future together and have developed long-term plans for our goals, to realize our aspirations and dreams. These plans include decisions around supporting each other in our career development in [occupation] and [occupation], further education and homeownership. We hope to purchase a new home [soon/in the future] and intend to use this as a base to continue to build our lives together.

• Development of the relationship: In this section you can discuss how your relationship started and evolved.

1. Our relationship has steadily grown and developed over the [last year/ months/years], since we first [starting dating/met] in [month/year]. We first met [inset activity/location/event describing how first met/started dating]. Since this time, we started to see each other very frequently and enjoyed [describe activities/hobbies/outings/dates]. It was during these [describe dates] that our relationship grew and we realised that we wanted a future together.

2. When we met, we were both looking for a serious relationship as we wanted to have a long-term partner who we can build a future with. From early on, we had discussions about the future and our goals, which helped us realise that we were a good match and could work towards achieving these goals together.

You can start your statutory declaration by introducing yourself and the purpose of your declaration.

I, [Your Full Name], of [Your Address], in the State of [State], [Occupation] make the following statutory declaration under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Cth).

1. I am an Australian [citizen/permanent resident], and our intention is to build a life together in Australia.

2. I make this statutory declaration in support of the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 Partner Visa application for my [wife/husband/partner], [Partner's Full Name].

3. The facts contained within this statutory declaration are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.

There is no strict word count on how long your statutory declaration should be. Typically, statutory declarations have a word count of 1,000–2,000. Some tips to keep in mind while you write your declaration is to be comprehensive without being repetitive by addressing the required aspects with specific examples.

 Your statutory declaration must be signed in the presence of an authorized witness for it to be legally binding and trustworthy. However, not everyone can sign your declaration as a witness.

An approved witness must either:

• hold one of the approved Australian licensed or registered occupations

• be enrolled as an Australian legal practitioner

• hold one of the approved Australian positions-

You can find a full list of Authorised Persons here: Who can witness your Commonwealth statutory declaration | Attorney-General's Department (ag.gov.au)

You have to make sure that the Authorised Person witnesses you signing the Statutory Declaration before they sign.