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Subclass 309 Partner Visa Granted for Couple Who Married Quickly Online Despite Cultural Scrutiny

Visa TypeSubclass 309
CategoryPartner Visa

Case Summary

A couple who had met online in 2011 and married within 13 months needed to establish the genuineness of their relationship despite the relatively fast progression, time spent living apart, and a potential vulnerability to depression that gave the case additional urgency. A psychologist assessment played a key role in securing the visa.

Background

Our clients had met online in 2011 and began formal communication in March 2012. The sponsor travelled to Eastern Europe in August 2012, and they married in October 2012 — just 13 months after initial contact. After the marriage the sponsor returned to Australia, and the couple lived apart due to the applicant's study commitments in Europe. Despite daily communication, the quick progression of the relationship and time spent apart required careful attention in the visa application. The sponsor had experienced severe depression at the age of 15 and was vulnerable to relapse.

Challenges

  • Relationship progressed very rapidly from first contact to marriage — within 13 months
  • Couple lived apart in different countries since marriage due to study commitments
  • Quick progression of the relationship could raise questions about genuineness
  • Sponsor's vulnerability to depression added urgency but also required careful documentation

How We Helped

We commissioned a psychologist assessment that confirmed the genuine and warm nature of the couple's relationship, and also documented the severe hardship of separation for the sponsor — particularly given her vulnerability to clinical depression and the high risk of relapse if the visa were not approved. We presented comprehensive evidence of the couple's daily communication while apart, their shared plans and emotional interdependence, and the genuine loving nature of their relationship despite its rapid development.

Schedule a call to discover how our experience and expertise made it possible

Key Success Factors

  • Psychologist assessment establishing the genuineness and warmth of the couple's relationship
  • Medical evidence of the sponsor's vulnerability to depression and the hardship of separation
  • Compelling evidence of the ongoing committed relationship despite living in separate countries
  • Direct engagement with the Department's likely concerns about the speed of the relationship
Schedule a call to discover how our experience and expertise made it possible

Outcome

The Subclass 309 Offshore Partner Visa was granted.

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