Crackdown on partner visa sponsors who tell different stories [May-2015]

 The Australian Minister has announced a crackdown on partner visa sponsors who tell one story to the Department and a different story to Centrelink about their status:

The Procedures Advice Manual shows that declaring your relationship to Australian government bodies has always been a factor taken into account in assessing partner visa applications.

For regulation 1.15A (3) (c), social aspects may be evidenced by:

• evidence that the relationship has been declared to other government bodies and commercial / public institutions or authorities and acceptance of these declarations by these bodies where a sponsor receives Centrelink benefits or lives in public housing.

If the above scenario relates to you, or you received a letter from the Department requesting further information in relation to your character, please give us a call immediately to discuss your circumstances.