Hi All, I'm new here and had a search through for a similar query but haven't seen anything so I'm hoping while I'm waiting to hear from a Go Matilda consultant someone might be able to help...

I went to Australia in 2000 on a working visa. My partner has never had a visa.

We have been together for 2.5 years now, living together for about 2 years. We think from point assessments, he can go on a Skilled Visa as he is in IT and has the degree necessary and experience in his field having worked in IT since graduating 4 or 5 years ago.

He is about to turn 27 and I am about to turn 29.

I didn't complete higher education, only A-Levels so don't have enough points to even get through the basic questions to go on a skilled visa, and as a PA, don't have a required skill anyway.

Does anyone know the chances of applying for a joint visa, he being the skilled migrant and me as his defacto spouse?

We both have some debt here too - I assume we need to pay that off before even applying?

Any help is really appreciated, thanks!

Hi there,

In order to get a skilled visa then your skills dont usually have to be relevant. One could thing is that you have your ages on your size - after the age of 30 the points start to decrease and a lot of people between 30 and 45 find themselves very close to the points threshold. The difficut thing will be proving the nature of your de-facto relationship - but as you have been living together then I assume you will have joint bills perhaps or statements addressed to you at the address - you will need to prove that you have been together - either that or get married !!

As for debt - no you dont have to pay it off before you move out here. I dont believe that Oz banks do an overseas check for outstanding credit. However you can still pay it off by making international transfers to your UK bank account.

Thanks Colin. Ideally we'd pay off our debts first (student things from years back!), but we're cetainly not doing a runner. I just wondered if it would be taken into account because you would need a certain amount of credit in your account to enter? Like you did when I had the wprking visa.

That's great news that I can still go on his visa despite having had one previously.

I suppose the real 'what next' is how do we apply on his, for both of us? Which visa would be be looking to get as I can't make head nor tail of them all (as he's not Australian and neither am I).

Do I have to score a certain amount of points to go, or as his defacto spouse do I automatically qualify is he does?

Gah, it's so confusing and we've not even started yet! ;-)

I am waiting for a Go Matilda bod to help..but in the meantime, this is really useful, thanks again.