Applying with my de facto

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I'm Australian, living in a de facto relationship with my partner for the last 12years. All our assets including bank accounts are in joint names. We are as good as married but do not have a marriage certicate.

My question is am I allowed to apply for MM2H with my partner as my dependent spouse? Your kind assistance will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

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I think the quote from Gunnar45 pretty on 6th January pretty much sums up the current view of MM2H for unmarried couples.

2. Marriage certificate is a must!
They are not that modern in Malaysia, they still go by old standards and you may legally not even be allowed to live together without being married.
So if you want to have the MM2H for both of you, you will have to marry.
Even if it may not be the most romantic reason for a proposal.

Also

11/10/2006
NEWS / MALAYSIAN RELIGIOUS POLICE SLIP UP

Kuala Lumpur (dpa) Malaysian authorities on the northern island of Langkawi have issued an apology to an American couple after anti-vice religious authorities stormed into their home in the middle of the night and accused them of improper behaviour, a news report said Friday.

American tourist Randal Barnhart, 62, and his wife, Carole Joanne, 61, were fast asleep when six officers from the state's religious department pounded on the door of their rented apartment last month.

http://apostille.us/news/malaysian_religious_police_slip_up.shtml

Makes one wonder what they would have done if they didn't have a marriage license ...

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Thanks Kingy for your quick response. We have always treated our relationship as a marriage except for the certificate!

I guess if one wants to be in Rome, one would have to do like the Romans do! It just feels strange to get married at this stage of my life!

Anybody else have an idea on how to get out of this quandary? Thanks.

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hi, ozeman,

Welcome to the site.

At the point of application you need to show a relationship between the main applicant and the dependents.

Documents Needed for Direct Application :
9. Certified copy of Marriage Certificate ( if accompanied by spouse )

Refer : For the Record : New Application (DIRECT) 04 Oct 2011

Same with a mate of mine and partner who decided to make 2 applications. It took a bit of "Peter & Paul" with the joint accounts but no real problem he told me.

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You can always apply as two individuals, with all the extra costs that it bears with it.
But formally you may then not be allowed to live together....

So there are at least two reasons to take the final step.
1. Less cost and problems with the MM2H visa
2. You will comply with the MY laws (If you live together that is)

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I guess if one wants to be in Rome, one would have to do like the Romans do! It just feels strange to get married at this stage of my life!

At the end of the day, it cuts both ways with marriage. You might well say "What the hell do I need a piece of paper for - We've been together for x years, so we know how we feel.". Unfortunately, in Malaysia and most of Asia they don't understand this viewpoint and view a woman having relations with a man who is not her husband to be immoral and depending upon the country (Dubai for example) Westerners have been arrested and deported for what we would judge 'normal' behaviour.

Malaysia is much more relaxed than most countries with a majority muslim population, but from a bureaucratic perspective the only alternative would be to apply as two independent people, this would obviously double the costs of MM2H.   

However, to turn it around - It's just a peice of paper...

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hi,

2. You will comply with the MY laws . . .

The IN Laws may be a more scary proposition.   

My mate simply paid up for 2 applications.

He once told me that as a non-Muslim he expects to be left alone, and he says he treats as a one-off anomaly the weird case of the overzealous religious police and the tourist couple in Langkawi.

And MM2H is a long-term tourist visa. There's no requirement to produce marriage certs for travelling couples at airports. That'd see the tourist arrivals hit the floor.   

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2. You will comply with the MY laws

You and whose army?

 

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Scott,
Good point about the IN-Laws!
Yes, I do of course understand that they are not pursuing the laws here when it comes to non-muslim visitors or other unmarried co-habitants, but I just put it as an additional benefit of being married, in case the standard reasons for marrying plus the cost saving for the MM2H do not suffice.
AND, if there happen to come some other problems with authorities and it is discovered, it would definitely weigh in to your disadvantage.

By the way, there are also rules about the employment of maids, I think you are not allowed to employ a maid if you are a single man.
A friend who has his wife (permanently) staying in Europe managed though.....

KoLF,
I did not quite understand your comment.

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KoLF,
I did not quite understand your comment.

Apologies - A little Anglo/Irish/Manx Humour.

While you wrote (effectively) "You will comply with the MY (Malaysia) laws" it could be misread as "You will be comply with the MY (Gunnar45) laws".

As the old saying goes, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny.

 

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ozeman just get married. as kolf says, it's just a piece of paper. you will still be you 

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KoLF,
Thanks, I should have seen that!

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Thank you all for your suggestions. I'll discuss with my better half and see what we can do. Cheers.