Australian Partner Visa: What You Need to Know Before You Apply

If your partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, the Partner visa is your pathway to living in Australia together. It is one of the most commonly applied-for visas in the family stream — and also one of the most frequently underestimated. The application fee is substantial, processing takes many months, and the evidence requirements catch out even genuine couples who assume their relationship "speaks for itself."

This guide walks through how the visa works, who qualifies, what evidence the Department of Home Affairs expects, and the practical points that matter before you lodge.

One application, two stages

Australia's Partner visa is a two-stage process, but you apply for both stages together and pay a single application charge:

• Onshore pathway — subclass 820 (temporary) and 801 (permanent): for applicants who are inside Australia when they lodge.

• Offshore pathway — subclass 309 (provisional) and 100 (permanent): for applicants who lodge from outside Australia.

• Prospective Marriage visa — subclass 300: for couples who are engaged but not yet married. This visa lets you travel to Australia, marry your partner, and then apply for the Partner visa onshore (usually at a reduced fee).

The temporary visa (820 or 309) is granted first if you meet the criteria. In most cases, you become eligible for assessment for the permanent stage (801 or 100) two years after you originally lodged, provided the relationship is continuing.

Who is eligible?

There are two relationship pathways.

Married applicants must be in a marriage that is valid under Australian law. Most overseas marriages are recognized, but there are exceptions — including certain underage marriages, polygamous marriages, and marriages between close relatives. If you married overseas, it is worth confirming your marriage is recognized before you rely on it for the visa.

De facto applicants must show that they are not married to each other but are committed to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, that the relationship is genuine and continuing, that they live together (or are not permanently separated), and that they are not related by family.

Same-sex and opposite-sex relationships are treated identically under both pathways.

The 12-month rule for de facto couples

As a general rule, a de facto relationship must have existed for at least 12 months immediately before you apply. Time spent dating or in a long-distance online relationship before the de facto relationship began does not count.

There are ways around this. The most common is registering your relationship with an Australian state or territory that offers a relationship register — registration generally exempts you from the 12-month requirement. Compelling and compassionate circumstances (for example, having a child together) can also provide an exemption. If your relationship is under 12 months old, get advice before lodging rather than after a refusal.

What the Department actually assesses

Case officers assess relationships against four broad aspects, and strong applications provide evidence across all of them — not just one or two:

1. Financial aspects — joint bank accounts, a lease or mortgage in both names, shared bills, joint loans or major purchases.

2. The household — evidence you genuinely run a home together: shared address on official mail, how domestic responsibilities are divided, joint care of children if applicable.

3. Social aspects — proof that your relationship is known to family, friends, and institutions: joint invitations, photos across time, joint travel, statutory declarations from people who know you as a couple (Form 888).

4. Commitment — knowledge of each other's lives, wills or superannuation nominations naming each other, evidence of contact during any periods apart, and a relationship statement covering how you met, how the relationship developed, and your plans together.

Importantly, the law requires decision-makers to consider all the circumstances of the relationship — so context matters, and a weakness in one area can sometimes be explained. But a thin file across multiple areas is the most common reason genuine couples receive refusals or lengthy requests for further information.

Documents you will need

Beyond relationship evidence, expect to provide:

• Identity documents for the applicant: passport, birth certificate or equivalent, national ID card if held, and evidence of any name change.

• Relationship documents: marriage certificate (if married), or evidence of the de facto relationship, plus at least two Form 888 statutory declarations from supporting witnesses.

• Evidence of previous relationships ending, if either of you was previously married or in a de facto relationship — divorce orders, death certificates, or separation evidence.

• Character documents: police certificates from countries where you have lived, Form 80, and military service records if applicable.

• Health examinations, completed with a panel physician, with results sent directly to the Department.

The sponsor must also lodge their own sponsorship application, provide evidence of their citizenship or residence status, and meet character requirements — sponsorship is a legal undertaking, not a formality.

Costs in 2026–27

From 1 July 2026, the government application charge for the Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100) is AUD $11,710 for the main applicant. Additional applicants pay $5,860 (aged 18 or over) or $2,935 (under 18). This single charge covers both the temporary and permanent stages — there is no second government fee at the permanent stage.

On top of the application charge, budget for health examinations, police certificates, certified translations of any documents not in English, and professional fees if you engage a registered migration agent. The application charge is not refunded if the visa is refused, which is a significant reason to get the application right the first time.

Bridging visas: staying lawful while you wait

If you lodge a valid onshore Partner visa application while holding a substantive visa, you are normally granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA) automatically. It takes effect when your current visa expires and generally allows you to work, study (without government fee support), and enrol in Medicare while the Partner visa is processed.

Two important cautions:

• A BVA does not allow travel. If you need to leave and re-enter Australia while waiting, apply for a Bridging Visa B before you go.

• Never cancel your current visa or let it expire without a valid application in place. Becoming unlawful means you lose access to the standard bridging visas and your options narrow considerably.

• Some visas carry a "No Further Stay" condition (8503), which prevents onshore lodgement unless the condition is waived. Check your visa conditions before planning an onshore application.

Processing times

Partner visa processing times vary considerably depending on the pathway, the completeness of the application, and country-specific checks. Temporary-stage applications commonly take a year or more, and the Department's published times shift from month to month. A complete, well-organised application at lodgement — sometimes called being "decision-ready" — is the single most effective thing you can do to avoid delays.

Final thoughts

The Partner visa is not difficult because relationships are hard to prove — it is difficult because the fee is high, the wait is long, and the evidence rules are precise. Most refusals we see are avoidable: an unregistered de facto relationship a few months short of 12 months, missing evidence in one of the four assessment areas, or a lodgement made without checking visa conditions first.

If you are planning a Partner visa application — whether onshore, offshore, or through the Prospective Marriage pathway — seek professional advice before you lodge is far cheaper than a refusal after.

This article provides general information only and is not immigration advice for your specific circumstances. Fees and processing times change; always confirm current figures with the Department of Home Affairs before lodging.

Annie Davies- Davies Migration MARN: 2518970

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