Partner Visa

Our registered migration agents in Brisbane prepare partner visa applications every week. Here’s how the visa works and where we come in.

A partner visa is a two-stage visa. You’re granted a temporary partner visa first, then the permanent one usually follows about two years later once the department is satisfied your relationship is genuine and continuing. 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).

If you’re engaged rather than married or de facto, there’s also the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), which lets you come to Australia to marry your partner and then apply onshore.

To be eligible, you generally need to 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, and you’re committed to a shared life together.

You both meet health and character requirements.

De facto couples usually need to show they’ve been together for at least twelve months before applying, unless an exception applies, such as a registered relationship. This is the kind of detail that catches people out, and it’s worth checking before you lodge.

The visa doesn’t turn on how much you love each other. It turns on whether you can prove your relationship across four areas the department looks at:

Financial: shared bank accounts, joint bills, how you split money and big purchases.

Household: living together, shared lease or mortgage, how you divide chores and responsibilities.

Social: friends and family who know you as a couple, trips together, how you present publicly.

Commitment: your history together, time apart and how you handled it, plans for the future.

Most refusals we see come down to thin evidence in one of these areas, or a story that doesn’t hang together. We help you build a file that covers all four properly, and we spot the gaps before a case officer does.

Partner visas carry a significant government application charge, and processing times move around depending on the department’s workload and your circumstances. Rather than quote a number that could be out of date by the time you read it, we’ll give you the current fee and a realistic timeframe for your situation during your consultation. What we can tell you now is that it’s a serious financial commitment, so doing it right the first time matters.

If you apply onshore and your current visa is running out, you’ll usually be granted a bridging visa that keeps you lawfully in Australia while the department decides. We sort this out as part of your application, so there’s no gap where you’re left without status. You can read more on our Bridging Visa page.

A refusal isn’t always the end. In many cases you can seek a review at the Administrative Review Tribunal, and there are strict time limits for doing so. If you’re staring at a refusal letter, talk to us quickly, because those deadlines don’t wait. See our Visa Refusal & Appeal page.

We assess your relationship evidence honestly and tell you what’s missing.

We prepare your 820/801 or 309/100 application and manage the sponsor’s side too.

We handle the bridging visa so you stay lawful.

We respond to any requests from the department on your behalf.

If there’s a complication, a previous refusal, or a character or health issue, we know how to deal with it.