Partner visa Statutory Declaration Example

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I, Penny Money, of 5 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000, full-time student, make the following declaration under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959:

1. I can confirm that John Bond and I have a mutual commitment to a shared life as spouse partners to the exclusion of all others.
2. Our relationship is genuine and continuing.
3. We first met on 20 February 2010 at the University of Sydney.
4. We both decided to enter into our committed and exclusive relationship on 30 June 2015. This was the date that we both decided that we would get married, and we would start planning our wedding. We got married on 11 October 2016.
5. We are currently living together at John’s family home, at 5 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Prior to getting married, we previously lived together at 6 Bay Street, Randwick NSW. We lived together at this address between June 2015 and October 2016.

Development of the relationship

1. John and I first met at the University of Sydney on 20 February 2010 while we were doing our undergraduate studies at this university. We both completed our undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney at the end of 2012. Please see attached copies of our undergraduate degree qualifications which demonstrate that we were both studying at this university at the same time.
2. During our time as undergraduate students, John and I were good friends, but we never dated each other. During our first and second years at university, we didn’t have many courses and subjects in common. We would usually see each other at university around once or twice a week, for various events and activities such as social activities organised by university social clubs or our mutual friends.
3. During the last year of our studies, John and I spent a lot more time together during our classes, and also after class as we often studied together.
4. Our last year of undergraduate studies was also the most difficult. John and I became a lot closer during this year as we helped and encouraged each other through the difficulties of our final subjects and examinations. I think that both of us performed much better with our exams and results because we had each other support and understanding. It was during this year that John and I first started to develop our feelings of care and support for each other.
5. In 2013, we both continued our studies as PHD students. We both completed our PHD studies in adjacent buildings on campus from 2013. Please see attached copies of our PHD degree qualifications.
6. In January 2013, we went for a day trip to the Blue Mountains with a group of our friends. We got to know each other a lot more during this trip, so this trip and time together was an important step and development in our relationship. It was at this time that our relationship changed from being just friends, as we talked to each other about dating each other as partners. Soon after this trip, we decided to enter into our relationship. Please see attached ‘Relationship Photos 2013-2016’ which includes a few photos from this trip.
7. In the year that followed, we developed and continued our close relationship by having nearly daily contact at our university. We have provided some examples from our message and phone records, which demonstrates our regular daily communication, including during a short period of separation when I travelled overseas to see my family (Dec 2014 –Jan 2015).
8. I was introduced to John’s father and brother in September 2014. Please see attached Form 888 completed by John’s father (Form 888 Sponsor father) and brother (Form 888 Sponsor brother).
9. We attended a Christmas party held at my supervisor’s place in December 2015. I introduced John to my supervisor and the other students that were doing my PHD course. Please see attached Form 888 completed by my supervisor.
   
10. After we started our relationship, we both knew from early on that we have found our right other-halves. Being PHD students, we are often faced with difficulties in research and exams. Our similar backgrounds and upbringing also made it easier for us to communicate, as well as communicate with each other’s friends and family. With the mutual commitment and support of both our families, we decided to get married and started organising our wedding plans in mid 2015.
11. Shortly after we told our parents that we would be getting married in June 2015 and that we had started organising our wedding plans, we also looked into moving in together. After we confirmed our wedding date, John moved in with me and my housemates at our rented unit in Randwick on 2 July 2015. The rent was $1,100 per fortnight. Our housemates paid their share to our joint account ($660) before we make the full payment to the real estate agency from our joint account. We have provided our lease agreement, and joint account bank statements where we have highlighted our regular rental payments.
12. John and I lived together for just over one year before we got married on 11 October 2016. This was a very important period in our relationship, as we got to see what it would be like to live with each other on a daily basis. While John and I were very certain that we would be able to live happily together based on our history and how much we knew about each other, it was still important for us to live together before we got married.
13. This period allowed John and I to connect and get to know each other even better. We got a chance to see how we as a couple can organise our home affairs, chores and joint responsibilities. Over time, we also got to know when it was right to give each other some space and personal time, which is still important to both of us. By the time that we got married, we already had a very good idea of each other’s daily habits.
14. From mid 2015, John and I organised and planned our wedding. We had a lot of help from John’s family in Australia. Because my family live overseas, they weren’t able to help much with our wedding organisation. But my family did help financially by sending money to our joint account which we used for various wedding expenses. We have provided receipts for these transfers from my family. My family also helped organise travel and accommodation for my extended family members who travelled to Australia for our wedding.
15. We celebrated our wedding with John’s family, our friends and my family who were able to travel to Australia. We held our wedding ceremony and reception at The Waterfront Function Centre where we all had an amazing day with our family and friends – we have provided documents from our wedding including our photos, wedding invitation to guests and receipts for various wedding related expenses.

Financial aspects of the relationship

1. We opened our joint bank account on 7 July 2015, shortly after John and I started living together. Please see attached file: Financial joint account bank statements.
2. Before opening this account, we would take turns paying for daily expenses such as food, entertainment, social events with friends etc.
3. Both our scholarship payments and tutor teaching salaries are transferred directly into our joint account. During our time as PHD students, we both earned extra income by working as tutors for our university. We have also both transferred funds from our personal accounts into our joint account whenever we need some extra funds for expensive purchases like furniture, electronics, holiday bookings, wedding expenses etc.
4. Our joint account statement demonstrates that we both regularly use our joint account for regular expenses like groceries, various personal bills, entertainment etc. Both our scholarship payments and salaries as university tutors were paid directly to our joint account and key expenses (e.g. rental payment, wedding-related, furniture, electronics etc.) have been highlighted and explained.
5. Currently John is not working and he is not receiving any further scholarship payments after the completion of his PHD. I am completing the final year of my PHD studies, hence, my scholarship payments and salaries as a university tutor are still paid directly into our joint account for both of us to use.
6. We currently both continue to use our joint bank account regularly for daily expenses, as well as all major purchases such as flight and holiday costs.
7. Because we currently live at a residence which is owned by John’s family, we currently do not have to pay rent. However, we do contribute to household expenses by buying groceries and other household items. We started paying for all electricity bills for the household from October 2016 onwards. This is paid directly from our joint account.
8. John is currently looking for work after recently completing his PHD studies. I currently have around another 12 months to go before I will complete my PHD research and studies. Once I finish studying and hopefully secure employment after graduation, we are planning to obtain a home loan to purchase an apartment.

Nature of the household

1. While living at 6 Bay Street, Randwick, we both had to handle the constantly changing schedule and time demands that are placed on PHD students. Hence, we shared our household chores in a flexible manner, so whoever had more spare time during the week would do the majority of chores.
2. I was mainly responsible for cooking and taking food to the university if John is working after hours on his experiments.
3. Our shopping was done together during any nights that we are free, although I or John would also do shopping by ourselves if the other was busy.
4. When we didn’t have any plans to go out, we set Saturday night aside for house cleaning and we did that together.
5. We adopted a dog in December 2015, and we have named him Dobby. Sharing the responsibility of looking after our dog has helped us tremendously in preparing ourselves for a family life. We both really enjoy taking Dobby out for walks, which also helps us keep active and gets us outdoors basically every day.
6. We are living with John’s family at the moment. John’s father likes to cook, so he is responsible for this most of the time. John and I are responsible for preparing lunch and dinner on Sundays. We also contribute by helping with the shopping and cleaning around the house. John’s father has retired, and he has really helped us by accommodating us into his home, and providing us with help as John looks for a job and we both look to save up to eventually buy a place of our own.

Social aspects of the relationship

1. Over the past year or so, we went for bushwalks in the surrounding national parks near Sydney on several occasions. We have now taken our pet dog Dobby on several of these walks, and this is an outdoor activity that we both really enjoy together.
2. We went to Watson’s Bay with a few other friends in November 2014 and again during Easter 2016.
3. We have also attended several major festival celebrations together as a couple (Easter, New Year, birthdays and weddings etc.). Please see attached ‘Relationship photos social’.
4. Since October 2015 we have been swimming at our local fitness & aquatic centre on a very regular basis. Please see attached: Gym cards.
5. We attended the lab Christmas party at my supervisor’s place as a couple. Please see attached completed Form 888 by my supervisor, Professor Nutty.
6. In January 2015, we and two other friends went for a road trip in Tasmania for a week during the Christmas break.
7. We have also talked to my parents on Skype regularly. I talk to my parents via Skype on Sundays, and John usually joins me for these calls. My dad and John are both really into football, and they message and banter with each other on weekends during games.
8. Our parents and John’s brother all support our relationship and marriage. Please see the Form 888s from John’s father and brother, and the attached statutory declarations from my parents.
9. Our friends are also supportive of our relationship and invite us to events as a couple. Please see attached ‘Relationship wedding and other invitations’.

Nature of the commitment

1. The relationship between John and I is genuine and continuing. We are both committed to a shared life as spouse partners to the exclusion of all others. We have been and will continue to support each other in all aspects of our lives.
2. From January to August 2016, I was preparing to finalise my important research project submission and examinations. This was a particularly difficult and stressful time. John has always been encouraging and understanding during such difficult periods. He also offered his expertise on solving problems and answering interview questions. John’s support allowed me to I perform well for my research project and exams.
3. My mother got sick in the same year and needed critical care for a while. This was an extremely challenging time for both of us, especially because I could not travel back home due to my need to submit my research project in time. During this tough time. John supported me emotionally and mentally. Overcoming these challenging life events have made our relationship even stronger. 
4. I know that John is working hard with his job applications, and thankfully he already has a few positive leads with some second stage interviews that he has completed. John has always worked hard throughout his life, and he is also very intelligent and easy-going. We are both confident that he will shortly be able to secure a job in an industry/business that is related to his studies and interests.
5. I currently have around another 12 months to go before I will complete my PHD research and studies. Once I finish studying and hopefully secure employment after graduation, we are planning to obtain a home loan to purchase an apartment.