How to Apply for a Partner Visa in Australia

Which subclasses you apply for depends on where you are when you lodge.

• Applying inside Australia: you lodge the subclass 820 (temporary), which leads to the subclass 801 (permanent).
• Applying outside Australia: you lodge the subclass 309 (provisional), which leads to the subclass 100 (permanent).
• Engaged, not yet married or de facto: the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) lets you come to Australia to marry, then apply for the 820 onshore. See our Prospective Marriage Visa page.

You pay one combined charge that covers both the temporary and permanent stages, so you’re not paying twice.

Before you lodge, make sure you can show that:

• You’re married, in a de facto relationship, or engaged to your sponsor.
• Your sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Your relationship is genuine and continuing.
• You both meet health and character requirements.

De facto couples generally need to show at least twelve months living together before applying, unless an exception applies, such as a registered relationship or compelling circumstances. This catches people out, so confirm it before you rely on a lodgement date.

This is where partner visas are won or lost. The department assesses your relationship across four areas, and you need to cover all of them.

• Financial: joint bank accounts, shared bills, how you pool money and make big purchases.
• Household: living together, a shared lease or mortgage, how you split chores and responsibilities.
• Social: friends and family who know you as a couple, joint travel, how you present publicly, and statements from people who know you.
• Commitment: your history together, how you’ve handled time apart, and your plans for the future.

Most refusals we see come from thin evidence in one of these areas, or a timeline that doesn’t add up. Build the file properly the first time, because fixing it after a refusal is far harder.

Both you and your sponsor complete your parts of the application in ImmiAccount, the department’s online system. You submit your visa application and your sponsor submits the sponsorship, linked to the same case. You pay the government application charge at lodgement. Getting the applications linked correctly, and uploading a well-organised evidence set rather than a pile of unsorted files, makes a real difference to how smoothly your case is assessed.

If you apply onshore for the 820 and your current visa is running out, you’re usually granted a bridging visa that keeps you lawful while the department decides. This means there’s no gap where you’re left without status. We sort this out as part of the application, and you can read more on our Bridging Visa page. One thing to watch: some visas carry a “No Further Stay” (8503) condition that can block an onshore application, so check your current visa’s conditions first.

You’ll complete health examinations and provide police checks as required. After that, it’s a waiting game while a case officer assesses your file. They may ask for more information, and responding fully and promptly keeps things moving. Once satisfied, the department grants the temporary visa, then reviews your relationship again before granting the permanent stage roughly two years later.

In many cases, yes. You can generally lodge an onshore 820 while holding a visitor or other temporary visa, which is common for couples who met while one partner was visiting. The catch is the 8503 “No Further Stay” condition. If your visitor visa has it, you usually can’t apply onshore unless it’s waived. This is exactly the kind of detail worth checking with us before you lodge, so you don’t lock yourself out.

A refusal isn’t always the end. In many cases you can seek review at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), and there are strict time limits. If you’re holding a refusal letter, act fast, because the deadline to lodge a review is short. We assess what went wrong and whether review or a fresh, stronger application is the better move. See our Visa Refusal & Appeal page.

• Thin relationship evidence. Love isn’t the test. Proof across all four areas is.
• Applying onshore with an 8503 condition. It can block your application entirely.
• Getting the de facto twelve-month rule wrong. Lodging too early can sink an otherwise strong case.
• Leaving the sponsor’s part incomplete. It’s a two-sided application. Both halves must be done.
• Disorganised uploads. A messy evidence set makes a case officer’s job harder and can slow you down.

• We confirm whether you should apply onshore or offshore, and check for traps like the 8503 condition.
• We assess your relationship evidence honestly and tell you what’s missing before you lodge.
• We prepare and lodge both the visa and the sponsorship, correctly linked.
• We arrange your bridging visa so you stay lawful onshore.
• We respond to department requests on your behalf, and if there’s a refusal, we move quickly on review.

A partner visa is one of the most personal applications you’ll ever make, and the evidence is everything. Learn more on our Partner Visa page, then book a consultation with a registered migration agent in Brisbane. Call 0434 893 901 or contact us online.