Demeo (Migration) - [2024] AATA 3471

Demeo (Migration) [2024] AATA 3471 (10 September 2024)
DECISION RECORD
DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division
REVIEW APPLICANT:  Mr Michael David Demeo
VISA APPLICANT:  Mrs Sital Shobna Nand
REPRESENTATIVE:  Ms Radhika Reddy
CASE NUMBER:  2206477
DIBP REFERENCE(S):  BCC2017/4558084
MEMBER:Brygyda Maiden
DATE:10 September 2024
PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne
DECISION:The Tribunal remits the application for a Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa for reconsideration, with the direction that the visa applicant meets the following criteria for a Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)) visa:
·cl 309.211 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations; and
·cl 309.221 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.

Statement made on 10 September 2024 at 4:43pm
CATCHWORDS
MIGRATION – Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa – Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)) – genuine and continuing relationship – limited evidence of financial, household and social aspects of relationship while living in different countries – nature of commitment – validly married in home country – regular money transfers and sponsor’s multiple visits – length of relationship – supporting statements – decision under review remitted
LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 5F(2), 65
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), r 1.15A(3), Schedule 2, cls 309.211(2), 309.221
CASES
He v MIBP [2017] FCAFC 206
Jayasinghe v MIMA [2006] FCA 1700
STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS
APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 3 March 2022 to refuse to grant the visa applicant a Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa under s 65 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (“the Act”).
The visa applicant, a 39-year-old Fijian national, applied for the visa on 1 December 2017 on the basis of her relationship with her 66-year-old sponsor (“the review applicant”). At that time, Class UF contained only one subclass: Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)). The criteria for the grant of this visa are set out in Part 309 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (“the Regulations”). The primary criteria must be satisfied by at least one applicant.
The delegate refused to grant the visa on the basis that the visa applicant did not satisfy cl 309.211(1) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations as the delegate was not satisfied that the visa applicant met the definition of spouse or de facto partner as defined in sections 5F and 5CB of the Act respectively.
The review applicant applied to the Tribunal for review of the Department’s decision on 3 May 2022, and attached a copy of the notification and decision from the Department.
On 24 January 2024, an officer of the Registrar sent the review applicant a letter inviting him to provide further and supporting evidence in relation to the circumstances of the parties’ relationship and in doing so, provided some examples of the types of information that could be submitted. The review applicant was given until 7 February 2024 to respond, requested an extension which was granted, and responded in time.
The review applicant appeared before the Tribunal on 27 August 2024 to give…

Grounds of appeal

[14] The appellant contends that the primary judge erred in finding that the respondent had discharged the onus of establishing the matters required under the relevant provision.

[15] It was submitted that his Honour failed to give adequate weight to the evidence of the second witness, and that the findings of fact were not reasonably open on the material before the Court.

[16] The respondent, for its part, submits that no error is disclosed, and that the conclusions reached were well within the range of outcomes available to the primary judge.

Consideration

[17] It is convenient to deal first with the question of construction, as the resolution of that issue informs the remaining grounds advanced by the appellant.

[18] For the reasons that follow, we are of the view that the appeal should be allowed in part and the matter remitted for further determination.

Continue reading Demeo (Migration)

Details

AGLC: Demeo (Migration) [2024] AATA 3471
Case: [2024] AATA 3471
Decision Date: 10 September 2024

CaseChat Overview and Summary

This matter concerned an application for a Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa, subclass 309, brought before the Tribunal by Brygyda Maiden. The central dispute revolved around whether the visa applicant was the spouse or de facto partner of the review applicant, an Australian citizen, as required by the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and its associated regulations. The Tribunal was tasked with determining if the parties were in a genuine and continuing married relationship, considering evidence both before and after the visa application date.

The legal issues before the Tribunal were whether the parties met the definition of "spouse" under section 5F of the Act, which requires a married relationship, mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of others, a genuine and continuing relationship, and cohabitation or not living separately and apart on a permanent basis. The Tribunal also had to consider all relevant circumstances of the relationship, including financial, household, and social aspects, as well as the nature of the parties' commitment to each other, as outlined in regulation 1.15A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994.

The Tribunal found that the requirements of section 5F(2) of the Act were met at both the time of the visa application and at the time of the Tribunal's decision. This finding satisfied the criteria under clauses 309.211 and 309.221 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. Consequently, the Tribunal remitted the application for the visa to the Minister for reconsideration, with a direction that the visa applicant met these specific criteria.

Orders

Orders of the court

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Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

For the following reasons, the Tribunal has concluded that the matter should be remitted for reconsideration. CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE The issue in the present case is whether the visa applicant is the spouse or de facto partner (as those terms are defined in the Act[1]) of the review applicant. [1] See sections 5F and 5CB of the Act. The Tribunal has also had regard to evidence of events subsequent to the date of the visa application.[2][2] Middleton J stated in Jayasinghe v MIMA [2006] FCA 1700 at [35]:This does not mean that evidence subsequent to the visa application does not need to be considered at all. Evidence of events subsequent to the visa application is relevant if it ‘tends logically to show the existence or non-existence of facts relevant to the issue to be determined’: see Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Pochi (1980) 4 ALD 139 at 160 per Deane J. The Tribunal must consider all relevant evidence, which may include evidence of events subsequent to the date of application insofar as it assists in the task of determining whether the appellant and the sponsor were in a marriage relationship at the time of the application. The question of whether particular evidence is relevant and the weight it is to be given is clearly a matter for the Tribunal.Are the parties in a spouse or de facto relationship? Clause 309.211(2) requires that, at the time the visa application was made, the visa applicant is the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. With limited exceptions that only apply in relation to a decision to grant or not grant a Subclass 309 visa made on or after 20 August 2022, the visa applicant must continue to be the spouse or de facto partner at the time of the Tribunal’s decision: cl 309.221. In the present case the visa applicant claims to be the spouse of the review applicant who is an Australian citizen. A copy of the bio pages of the review applicant’s Australian passport appear on the Department file. ‘Spouse’ is defined in s 5F of the Act and provides that a person is the spouse of another where the two persons are in a married relationship. Persons in a married relationship must be married to each other under a marriage that is valid for the purposes of the Act, there must be a mutual commitment to a shared life as a married couple to the exclusion of all others, the relationship must be genuine and continuing, and the couple must live together, or not live separately and apart on a permanent basis: s 5F(2)(a)-(d). In forming an opinion about these matters, regard must be had to all of the circumstances of the relationship. This includes evidence of the financial and social aspects and the nature of the visa applicant’s and review applicant’s household and their commitment to each other as set out in reg 1.15A(3), which is extracted in the attachment to this decision. Each of the specific matters contained in reg 1.15A(3) is effectively a question which must be answered: He v MIBP [2017] FCAFC 206.Are the parties validly married?

Decision

Reasons for decision

On the basis of the above the Tribunal is satisfied that the requirements of s 5F(2) of the Act are met at the time the visa application was made and at the time of this decision. Therefore the visa applicant meets clauses 309.211 and 309.221 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. Given the findings above, the appropriate course is to remit the application for the visa to the Minister to consider the remaining criteria for a Subclass 309 visa.DECISION The Tribunal remits the application for a Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa for reconsideration, with the direction that the visa applicant meets the following criteria for a Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)) visa:·cl 309.211 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations; and·cl 309.221 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.Brygyda MaidenMemberATTACHMENT - Extract from Migration Regulations 19941.15ASpouse(1)For subsection 5F (3) of the Act, this regulation sets out arrangements for the purpose of determining whether 1 or more of the conditions in paragraphs 5F (2) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Act exist.(2)If the Minister is considering an application for:(a)a Partner (Migrant) (Class BC) visa; or(b)a Partner (Provisional) (Class UF) visa; or(c)a Partner (Residence) (Class BS) visa; or(d)a Partner (Temporary) (Class UK) visa;the Minister must consider all of the circumstances of the relationship, including the matters set out in subregulation (3).(3)The matters for subregulation (2) are:(a)the financial aspects of the relationship, including:(i) any joint ownership of real estate or other major assets; and(ii) any joint liabilities; and(iii) the extent of any pooling of financial resources, especially in relation to major financial commitments; and(iv) whether one person in the relationship owes any legal obligation in respect of the other; and(v) the basis of any sharing of day‑to‑day household expenses; and(b)the nature of the household, including:(i) any joint responsibility for the care and support of children; and(ii) the living arrangements of the persons; and(iii) any sharing of the responsibility for housework; and(c)the social aspects of the relationship, including:(i) whether the persons represent themselves to other people as being married to each other; and(ii) the opinion of the persons’ friends and acquaintances about the nature of the relationship; and(iii) any basis on which the persons plan and undertake joint social activities; and(d)the nature of the persons’ commitment to each other, including:(i) the duration of the relationship; and(ii) the length of time during which the persons have lived together; and(iii) the degree of companionship and emotional support that the persons draw from each other; and(iv) whether the persons see the relationship as a long‑term one.(4)If the Minister is considering an application for a visa of a class other than a class mentioned in subregulation (2), the Minister may consider any of the circumstances mentioned in subregulation (3).

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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