They say that true love knows no boundaries, and while this may be true from a metaphorical perspective, it is unfortunately not true in the eyes of the immigration authorities. You may have fallen in love with a foreign national and would like them to join you in Australia, but as you may imagine, there is a process involved. As it can unfortunately take some time to unfold, what can you do to enhance the process?

Dealing with Demand

The federal government has enacted laws that will allow Australians to bring in someone from another country as a domestic partner, rather than through marriage. This is welcome news for many. Consequently, it has led to a backlog of applications, and it may take the best part of two years to go through the entire process in some cases.

Complete Application

You can enhance your chances and may be able to get the visa in much less time if you take care of your initial application. The documentation itself is not too difficult to deal with, but the government will certainly require a significant amount of evidence in support. You should, therefore, gather as much of this together as you possibly can, and there is no such thing as "too much."

Gathering Information

Bring together any financial documentation to show evidence of a relationship. Print out conversations and message copies showing the strength of your communication, and anything else that can prove your commitment to each other. You will, of course, need proof of identity, and will need to get police clearance to attest to the character of the individual. They will probably need a health assessment as well to prove that they are not carrying certain infectious diseases.

Simplicity Is Ideal

In an ideal world, any supporting documentation will be straightforward. However, if your prospective partner has had any issues with law enforcement in the past that would show up on their clearance document, it may lead to some additional delays in the process.

Working with a Professional

You are best advised to work with an experienced immigration attorney. Talk with them to determine how long it is likely to take and how successful they have been in securing partner visas for others. They may well be able to streamline the process as much as possible so that you can unite with your partner and get on with your lives.