Help needed! What options for my brazillian girfiend?

Hello, really hoping someone can give me some advice. I've been seeing my Brazilian girlfriend for a year - and I need to know what my options are for the future. She has a Stamp 2 type visa, which allows her to study and work a small amount also. She's due to renew her visa in June for another year - so we have about a year and a half, but after that she's due to go home. I need to know what my options are. Does anyone know if there are any other ways to extend it, or apply for a different type visa? We are very serious about eachother and have been talking about getting married - but I'd rather not be pushed into doing it so soon. Do I have any other options? What if we get engaged, does that enable us to extend the visa or anything?

If anyone can shed some light on the rules for me I would appreciate it!
Thanks

What nationality are you, and what is your current occupation? (Student, working, self-employed, unemployed, etc) Also are you currnently living toghether or planning to do so?

If you are irish or and EU citizen there should be options for you to sponsor her for a Stamp 4 without rushing into marriage if you are not ready for it, but things will work differently depending on your answers to these questions.

Thanks for the reply! Sorry I am Irish, 34, working in full time employment. We are not living together but I think we will in the next few weeks. That's great to hear. How do I go about sponsoring her? Thanks for your help!

De Facto Partnership can help u. See more info on the below link:

http://inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/De%20F ... ationships

Thanks. So we have been together a year in January. So it seems to say you need to show proof of 2 years of cohabitation. She's only moving in now, and her visa expires in 1.5 years. Where does that leave me?

The quick and only option seems at that stage is to get married....

It is discretionary and therefore not garanteed, but they can definitely show some flexibility with the requirement of 2 years of cohabitation if you are just missing a few months and providing other strong evidence showing your relationship has started over 2 years before your application.

My advice is to start documenting everything that could be useful for a de-facto application so that you don't loose that option should you want to go for it in the future:

Have her name added to your utility bills asap (it's OK if she hasn't moved in just yet ... these could be handy documents to have 1.5 years from now).
If you are renting, as soon as she moves in make sure you have her name added to your lease and ask your landlord to register you and her with the PTRB.
If you were thinking of opening a joint bank account, do it asap.
Start thinking of what poofs you could use to show that your relasionship started a year ago (pictures, proofs of traveling together, cards sent to each other, anything they could prove you gave present to each other, phone bills showing you have bee calling/texting each other on a regular basis, etc) - and make sure you keep all these documents safe.