3 things to know for your Partner Visa Interview

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When applying for Partner (Subclass 820/801) visas or Partner (Subclass 309/100) visas, the majority of Partner visa applicants may not be asked to attend an interview and may have their Partner visa applications finalised without being interviewed by the Department of Home Affairs.

However, the Department of Home Affairs can in fact choose to invite both you and your sponsor to an interview as part of their assessment of your Partner visa application, which may indicate that your application is being closely scrutinised by a decision maker.

It is important that you are aware about the possibility of an interview being scheduled for your Partner visa application, and it is crucial that you understand how your Partner Visa Interview may proceed, especially if you have already been invited to attend one for your Partner visa application.

Here are three critical things to know about the Partner Visa Interview process:

1. The Department may have doubts about your Partner visa application

One of the main reasons why the Department of Home Affairs might invite you to attend an interview is to resolve any concerns or doubts about the authenticity of your relationship, or about the claims that have been made in your Partner visa application.

These doubts could stem from inconsistencies in the information you and/or your sponsor have provided to the Department across different forms and/or visa applications, or from information that they have received from third parties (including other government organisations and/or community sources).

For example, if there are discrepancies between your relationship timeline, conflicting information from your sponsor, or if your relationship history doesn’t align with the documentation evidence provided (e.g., your personal photographs, financial statements, etc.), the Department may want to verify some of these details with you and your sponsor through direct questioning, so as to to assess whether your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and whether it meets the requirements set out by the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth).

2. You and your Sponsor may not be interviewed together

While an interview is usually conducted with both the applicant and the sponsor, separate interviews conducted at the same time are not uncommon. This approach allows the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that your answers are genuine and not contrived, and thereafter compare your responses with those of your sponsor to determine whether both of you can provide consistent and credible answers to questions about your relationship.

If your responses do not align, further concerns may be raised about the veracity of your claims in your Partner visa application. For example, if one party describes a situation in a way that contradicts the other’s version, it may suggest that the relationship is not as genuine as claimed.

Therefore, it’s critical that both you and your sponsor are prepared to provide matching details about your relationship, from how you met, your day-to-day lives to your future plans together.

3. You may be interviewed about the day-to-day aspects of your relationship

During your Partner visa interview, you will likely be asked questions about the practical and day-to-day aspects of your relationship. This includes how you live together, how you share responsibilities, and your day-to-day interactions, amongst other facets of your shared lives.

These questions are designed to find out how well you know each other and how you function as a couple on a regular basis, as this is relevant to the assessment of whether your relationship is genuine and continuing, as well as whether you are truly living together and/or sharing your lives as de facto partners or spouses.

To ascertain your overall credibility and the veracity of the claims in your Partner visa application, your answers to these questions during your Partner Visa Interview may also be cross-checked against the other information you have provided to the Department, not just in your Partner visa application, but also in any previous visa application(s) you may have lodged.

Need Help Preparing for Your Partner Visa Interview?

If you have been invited to an interview for your Partner visa application, it is crucial that you seek professional advice about the Partner Visa Interview process, so that you can go into the interview fully informed and prepared.

Our experienced immigration lawyers can:

• guide you through the entire interview process

• help you anticipate and understand the questions you may face

• ensure that both you and your sponsor are on the same page

• advise you on how you can answer the questions during your Partner visa interview to appropriately provide an accurate portrayal of your relationship

In particular, we have compiled a long and non-exhaustive list of over 100 questions which you may be asked during a Partner Visa Interview, including:

• Who does most of the cooking and cleaning in the household?

• How do you and your partner usually spend your weekends or free time?

• Have you met each other's families? What are they like?

• How do you manage your finances together?

• Can you describe a typical day in your life as a couple?

These questions help the Department verify the “four pillars” of your relationship, including the financial aspects of your relationship, the nature of your household, the social aspects of your relationship and the nature of your commitment to each other, which are important considerations for both the Partner (Subclass 820/801) visas and the Partner (Subclass 309/100) visas.

Failure to answer these types of questions in sufficient detail or in a consistent manner could lead to further scrutiny of your Partner visa application or even a refusal of your Partner visa application.

Our immigration lawyers have extensive experience in advocating for visa applicants and sponsors, and assisting them in complex immigration matters including Partner visa applications. For more information on the questions which you may be asked during your Partner Visa Interview and how you can prepare for this, please email us at info@inclusivemigration.com.au, submit an enquiry through the contact form on our website or send us a WhatsApp message at +61 490 704 775 to speak to one of our immigration lawyers.