Hello everyone. Many of you know me, or know Tracy (Diva), or know both of us. You may be aware that we are engaged to be married. We have decided to live in Australia, and the visa I’m applying for is based on my relationship with Tracy. As part of the application for the visa, we need letters from people who know us to supply evidence of our relationship. We figured that since our relationship was born here on the org and since many of you witnessed it, we would ask anyone who wants to help for a letter. We don’t want anyone to feel pressured to write a letter for us, but the more letters we are able to obtain, the stronger our case will be.

Below, I’ve attached the relevant part of the application. Please know that you don’t have to address everything stipulated. Feel free to comment on whatever aspects below you feel are appropriate.

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Letters

Letters from anyone who is not in Australia.

Detailing the following from family, friends, colleagues, bank manager, doctors, accountant, lawyer, religious leaders, community leaders etc. Anything that can support your application:

• When and how the couple met.
• Significant Events in the Relationship (ie when they became engaged, honeymoon, anniversaries)
• That the relationship is genuine and continuing.
• How long they have been together.
• How they became known to each other.
• How and when the marriage proposal was made.
• Engagement Ceremonies/Parties.
• What their life together is like.
• General relationship comments, anything that shows the relationship is genuine and continuing.
• Financial Aspects of their relationship – details of any property/possessions they have together.
• How they share household expenses eg, groceries, bills, electricity, gas, phone.
• How they have joint loans, eg home loan, car loan.
• Living arrangements, state that they live together, sharing of housework, if they have children sharing responsibilities for them.
• Social. How they represent themselves to other people as being together.
• The degree of companionship and emotional support that they draw from each other.
• Please provide your address and a contact telephone number
• Please ensure that these are consistent with the couple’s letter/declaration.

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We understand that most of these points aren’t things most of you would be able to elaborate upon too well, but feel free to write about whatever you want- you can just use this list as a rough guideline. If you wish to participate, please send me an orgNote. We are getting married on July 29th, and are aiming to submit the application on August 15th, so we can’t use letters received after that date. The migration agent has told us that these letters are better sent through the mail, although email is passable too. If you want reimbursement for the cost of sending (most of you who participate will probably need to send it express), we can definitely work it out.

Here are some important items of information for you:

Tracy and I met on the org back in February of 2002 and formed a connection rather quickly. Posts led to orgNotes, which lead to instant message conversations, which led to phone conversations, which led to letters and packages. Our love blossomed and we finally met on June 15, 2003 in Utah, while I was in graduate school there. Our chemistry was immediate and we become an “official” couple on the 16th. Tracy and I travelled back to Michigan to meet my brother, parents and grandparents in late June and early July. It proved timely, as this would be the last time she would see my Dad.  After that first trip of only 17 days, we knew we wanted to be married. We took several trips to be together in the ensuing time. Here’s a list:

• South Africa: December 14, 2003- January 10, 2004 (Tracy’s original home) ( http://www.prince.org/msg/100/72666 )
  
• Michigan: March 11, 2004- March 16, 2004 (Tracy was there for my Dad’s funeral)
  
• Australia: July 24, 2004- August 10, 2004 (I got to meet her wonderful family for the first time)
  
• Australia: December 16, 2004- January 6, 2005 (Christmas and New Year’s in Sydney)
  
• Australia: May 18, 2005- August 13, 2005 (We got engaged on August 6th!)
  
• Australia: March 3, 2006- March 11, 2006 (Surprise visit)
  
• Michigan: April 8, 2006- April 22, 2006
  
• Australia: June 9, 2006- present
  

Our marriage will be the culmination of over 4 years of love and life, and we have endured and sacrificed a lot to make this work. It has been well worth the wait, and we’re utterly giddy at the prospect of being man and wife after all this time!

Again, please do not feel pressured to contribute for any reason. We thank you all for reading this thread and feel honored to have so many close friends here.

Note for the moderators: I’m looking for threads from way back when we first met. I know the Old GD is closed, but is there a way that you could let us search that forum? I know a few threads in particular that I’d like to access. Some may not be in the Old GD, but I’m not able to go to old threads when I set the thread limits to “from the beginning”.
[Edited 7/20/06 6:53am]

I know this is a cheesy idea, but I think that those of us who submit documentation with personal anecdotes should post it on here afterward, kinda like a nerdy engagement/wedding gift. Y'know, like those awful 80's camcorder videotapes of drunken wedding guests professing their jokes/stories/friendship/support to the newlyweds.

Maybe it's a silly idea. Feel free to publicly flog me or agree with me. Or both.

I think I can attest to this relationship.

And, where do these letters go to?

Oooh, oooh, oooh--this is totally something up my alley, especially given all of the emails and orgnotes that Tracy and I exchanged during your overseas "courtship".

I'd be happy and honored to oblige.

Do we just orgnote them to you, or do you need a signature?

I'll definitely contribute what I can...would be a priviledge.

You did keep copies of your orgnotes I hope, proof of contact on the org. That would also be a good source of proof of your relationship


Photos of you with family and friends.

You know mine will be hand-delivered. And I would send a link of this to all the orgers you've met in person, Ian. Just so they know.

Dude, this is tantamount to fraud / obtaining a visa by deceit Let's hope there are no immigiration officials lurking.

GaryTheNoTrashCougar said:

It's actually not. We've run the idea by a migration agent who has also worked in the immigration department, and he thought it was good.

Moonbeam said:

All the best

But don't get Australian citizenship, or you'll turn into a crook

luv4u said:

We've got lots of good stuff.

GaryTheNoTrashCougar said:

AnotherLoverToo said:

It's better in letter form, signed, but an email is acceptable too.

Thanks for your willingness to help!

INSATIABLE said:

That'd be nice, actually.

Byron said:

Thanks, Byron. I'm sure your letter will be amazing!

GangstaFam said:

Are you gonna write yours when you're here?

I don't want to pressure anybody by sending an orgNote.

Can't wait to see you!

Counting down to the first mention of a restored search function on the Org...



Moonbeam and Diva, all the best to you in your effort. I'm sure you will find more than enough documentation!!!

I don't know you or Diva, I guess I know of you, so that really doesn't help much.

As far as searching the org try this: http://www.google.com/adv...=&safe=off

I think that's the only way to really do so, (and we all owe Nanna a big thank you for that! )


Oh and btw. .... Stickified!!!

I couldn't be happier for the both of you. I think a compilation of these letters might just be the neatest wedding gift the org could collectively give you.

I'm not sure we kept in touch through it all well enough for me to be of much use, but I will see if I can come up with something.

Sweeny79 said:

Thanks!

I've already tried that search through google, and I was only able to come up with the thread my bro started about us going to South Africa. I know of particular dates for some of them. Is there a way to check that?

ThreadBare said:

You said it!

Thanks for your well wishes!

CarrieMpls said:

Anything and everything helps, but please don't feel any pressure.

You just posting on this thread is great.

Moonbeam said:

Sorry not that I know of.

Wish I could be of more help.

The only other thing I can think of is webarchive.org, but I'm finding that difficult too.

This is so nice. I hope we get to read the letters.

Good luck guys! since I live in Australia and don't know you guys very well I'm probably not much use to you! Maybe I'll get to meet you two once you settle here?

I did find this birthday thread started during our first time together.

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/53260

Eureka! I found one of the threads! I had to type in all of the possible thread numbers, starting at 52000, it turned out one of them was 52257.

If any of you don't know us or weren't around, or you simply want to remember like I do, check this out:

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/52257
[Edited 7/20/06 17:36pm]

This is a really sweet, touching thread.

Awesome. It's like virtual scrapbooking... er, not that I know anything about scrapbooking...

Moonbeam said:

Awwww, I just read the thread and that poem got me all weepy. Congrats and God Bless.