[Lilly]

Hello all,

Well finally today we recieved an email from our case officer in London, Aaron Hapuku, if anyone has dealt with him we would love to know what he is like.

Anyway our big problem now is that we have to provide more evidence of living together for 12 months, I know this is a common thread and I have read them all but if anyone has any new thoughts I would love to know.

The problem is that although we have been together 2 and a half years and have been married for 6 months, we have no joint anything.

I walked into my husbands live in Austria, our flat, phones, everything are in his name, there was no need for me to get a bank account as I have not been working.

I am at a loss to think of what could prove our 12 months living together, could anyone please help me!!!

Thank you in advance,

Lilly

[GeordieLass]

Ooh! Maybe there'll be a letter waiting for me when I get home then!

As for evidence any letters at all which are addressed to you at that address, whether they are from family, friends or even junk mail will help.

Are you on any sort of electoral roll, any local council taxes?

You say you don't work but are you a member of any clubs, voluntary groups etc which have your address details and can write and corroborate?

Is your name on any travel, car, health or contents insurance policy?

If there's a car in your name, are your address details on the registration document?

Are you registered with a doctor? Would their records show your address?

[GeordieLass]

At the very least get some friends or family to write letters of support saying how long they've known you and when you moved in with your husband.

[Lilly]

Well was in quite a hurry so ended up sending mail addressed to the both of us at the same address going back a year. Flight details of when I arrived in Austria as this was when I moved in with my husband and a CD of photos of the two if us.

I hope this is enough!!!

Good luck GeordieLass and thanks for your great suggestions! :nice1

[Hannah]

I have been with my partner for 13 years but never had a joint account. Had children together so having both names on birth certificate helped. However, i also submitted household bills with both our names on, or each of our names on, at same address, and evidence that both of us paid different bills (using individual bank statements). Also highlighted in bank statement periods where we had paid money into each others bank accounts. We were never asked for joint accounts, or asked to provide other evidence, but that may be because we had children. Not being married did not prove a problem. I think its just a case of being creative - if you dont have a joint account, you will probably still be able to find evidence that you have interdependence financially (supporting each other at different times, paying different bills, taking financial responsibility for different things) - you can highlight relevant bits in bank statements and write a supporting statement that explains things. Others have used photos etc. although i didnt' go down that route as all of our photos were back in Uk (we applied in NZ for PR). However, we did have passports that also showed we have travelled abroad together in the past at different times.
It can be done!!!!
Good luck, hannah

[Nienke]

I went to the local council and got a statement from them that we had lived on the same addresses for so many years, as we only got married prior to the emigration. That was all the proof NZIS needed.