How much is a partner visa in Australia? The application charge, medicals, police checks and agent fees explained by registered agents in Brisbane. Book a call.
A partner visa in Australia is one of the more expensive visas, and most of the cost is a single large government application charge that covers both the temporary and permanent stages of the visa together. On top of that charge you pay for health examinations, police clearances from each country you’ve lived in, certified document translations, and, for most people, professional fees if a registered migration agent prepares the application. There’s a lower additional charge for each dependent child included. You pay the main charge once, at lodgement, and it covers you through to the permanent decision, so there isn’t a second big government charge later in a normal case. Because government charges change, treat any figure you read as a guide and confirm the current amount before you budget.
Below we break down every part of the cost, explain why the partner visa charge is high, and show what pushes the total up or keeps it down.
The partner visa (onshore subclasses 820 and 801, offshore subclasses 309 and 100) is lodged as a two-stage visa but paid for as one. You lodge a combined application, pay the main visa application charge once, and are granted the temporary visa first, then the permanent visa later once the relationship and other requirements are met. The single charge is large because it covers both stages. That’s why the partner visa looks costly next to visas that are billed per stage. The upside is that in a straightforward case you don’t pay another big government charge at the permanent stage.
The prospective marriage visa (subclass 300), for couples who aren’t yet married or in a de facto relationship, is charged separately and then leads into the partner visa. If that’s your situation, see our Prospective Marriage Visa page.
Plan for these pieces:
Some visas have a “second instalment” charge. For partner visas, an additional charge can apply in limited cases, for example where an included applicant does not have functional English. Most applicants don’t face a large second charge, but it’s worth checking whether it applies to you. We flag this at consultation so there are no surprises.
People often search for “partner visa agent cost” hoping to shave the bill. Professional fees are a real cost, but the partner visa is evidence-heavy and unforgiving. The most expensive path is a refusal, because you then face an appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), possibly a fresh application, and the stress of a bridging visa running down. A registered migration agent is bound by a legal Code of Conduct and is accountable to the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Unregistered “consultants” are not allowed to give immigration advice, and a cheap quote from one can cost you the whole application charge if the case is prepared badly.
We’re a registered migration practice in Brisbane, led by a registered migration agent (MARN 1794201). Before you pay anything to the government, we give you an itemised estimate: the application charge, the police and medical costs based on where you’ve lived, and whether any second-instalment charge could apply. Then we prepare the relationship evidence properly, because getting it right the first time is the single biggest cost saver on a partner visa. If you’ve already had a refusal, we can review it and advise on an ART appeal.
Most of the cost is one large government application charge that covers both the temporary and permanent stages, plus medicals, police checks, translations and any agent fees. There’s no single fixed figure we can publish safely because charges change, so we give you the current amount at consultation.
Once, in a normal case. The main visa application charge is paid at lodgement and covers both the temporary (820/309) and permanent (801/100) stages. You generally don’t pay another large charge at the permanent stage.
In Australia, “spouse visa” is an everyday term for the partner visa. Married and de facto couples apply through the same partner visa subclasses, so the cost structure is the same.
Each dependent child included adds a lower additional applicant charge, plus their own medical. insert current additional applicant charge at publish date.
An additional charge that applies only in limited cases, such as where an included applicant lacks functional English. Most applicants don’t face a large second instalment, but we check whether it applies to you.
Because the single application charge covers a two-stage visa, temporary then permanent, in one payment. Visas billed per stage look cheaper up front but can add up.
Professional fees are separate from government charges and depend on how complex your relationship evidence and history are. We quote them up front. Remember a refusal is the most expensive outcome of all.
You can lodge it yourself and save the professional fee, but the partner visa is evidence-heavy, and a poorly prepared application risks refusal, which costs you the whole charge and an appeal. Weigh the saving against that risk.
You need clearances from each country you’ve lived in for the relevant period, and each has its own fee. This is a common cost people forget to budget for.
The prospective marriage visa has its own separate charge and then leads into the partner visa, so it’s a different cost path. We can compare the two for your situation.
A refusal can mean an appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal, which has its own application fee, plus the cost of a fresh application in some cases. This is why careful preparation is worth it. See our Visa Refusal & Appeal page.
At lodgement, when you submit the combined application. Medicals and police checks are paid separately to the clinics and issuing bodies as you obtain them.
We’ll give you an itemised figure for your situation, then prepare the evidence so it’s right the first time. See our Partner Visa service page, or call BYD Education & Immigration Consultants on 0434 893 901 to book a consultation.
