We’ve just had a series on things to do to make life easier after the Australian partner visa is granted. We thought that maybe we should do one on what to do to make life easier before the visa is granted too? So here it is. Part Three of things you can do while preparing for the partner visa for your lady from the Philippines!

Not being overprotective of your Filipina lady

I wrote an article once about strong Filipina ladies. Please read HERE if you haven’t already.

We get problems sometimes caused by the Australian sponsor being overly protective, ie. trying to do everything himself, or leaping to her defence when there’s truly no defending to do. If you haven’t read the article above, please do.

We used to call up the Filipina lady applicants when the Australian sponsor would tell us she was having terrible difficulties. We’re less keen these days, because most of the time when Mila would do this she would find that the lady was going fine and had either done the supposedly impossible thing, or was just about to.

Chaps? A bit of advice, which I admit I’m not very good at taking either. Ladies often like to have a bit of a complain about things, and Filipina ladies are no different. Men tend to internalise, whereas ladies like to talk (which should come as no surprise). As men, we usually react by thinking “OK, I now have to fix this!” and it’s not always the case. Sometimes she’s just letting off a bit of steam, and just wants you to listen and to understand. Try to do that, and instead of playing Tarzan and Jane, just listen to her and encourage her to do the things she needs to do. Nothing we ask is unnecessary. She HAS to do these things, and she can do these things.

Being accurate with information

This is for both Aussie sponsor and Filipina visa applicant. Australian partner visas require a lot of information. Much of it probably (definitely?) seems to be of questionable significance. Why do we need to know whether your brother Steve is never-married or in a de facto relationship? I don’t know either. However they do ask these things, and they require truthful and factual answers. So make sure you put down correct information only.

If you can’t remember the date of birth of woman in the former de facto relationship that broke up in 1978? That’s OK. Just leave it blank, and put the details at the back of the Questionnaire. Try your best, but never guess and never ever lie.

And under no circumstances should important details be omitted. If she had a tourist visa refused last year, you need to put those details down. If she lived in Oman 6 years ago, we need the details. We particularly need truthful details of former (or still-existing) marriages and of children. Never leave anything or anybody out of an application simply because you don’t want to talk about it, or because Auntie Jhing Jhing said to leave those details out.

Don’t short-change the application with information

I learned long ago (long before becoming the best Registered Migration Agent in Philippines!), that the best way to handle any application to any government department is to take careful note of what they ask you for, and to be sure to give it to them. And if they ask for two? Give them three! If they ask for two, definitely don’t just send one and assume they will be OK with that. Treat them and their job with respect, and it will come back the same way. Treat them and their job with contempt, and you get the same in return.

Much of what they ask for is written into law, or it’s written into the Procedures Advice Manual (the internal book-of-rules that they follow, also known as PAM). If they don’t follow the rules, they have supervisors in their own office and visiting supervisors from Canberra who will go over their work and ask them why they made the decisions they made. If you shortchange them and they grant your visa, they will probably have to explain themselves to somebody.

And remember that whatever we ask you for is with the full knowledge of what’s in the law and what’s in the PAM manual, plus based on feedback and observations made over the years. Don’t fight us, and don’t keep asking why. We just want your visa application granted in a timely fashion.