Partner Visa

Partner visa

A partner visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia.

There three different streams that individuals can use depending on their circumstances:

Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)

This visa lets you travel to Australia to marry your prospective spouse (Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen) and then apply for a Partner visa. Once granted, the visa is valid for a period of 9 months, within which you can marry your partner and apply for an onshore Partner visa.

Onshore Partner visa (subclass 820/801)

If you are in Australia and are married to or in a de-facto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you are eligible lodge this visa. The first stage is the temporary visa (subclass 820), and two years after the date of the lodgement of your Partner visa you are eligible to apply for the permanent visa (subclass 801).

Offshore Partner visa (subclass 309/100)

If you are outside Australia and you are married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you are eligible to apply for this visa. You are required to be outside Australia at the time of grant of the temporary visa (subclass 309). This visa will let you travel to Australia and apply for the permanent visa (subclass 100) two years from the date of application of your first visa.

Relationship requirement for onshore and offshore partner visa

• Married applicants: your marriage must be valid under Australian law. You and your partner must be committed to a shared life together to the exclusion of all others and be in a genuine and continuing relationship.
• De-facto partners: you and your partner are in a genuine and continuing relationship and are committed to a shared life to the exclusion of all others. Typically, your de-facto relationship must have existed for at least 12 months. This requirement may not apply if you have registered your relationship with an Australian authority such as registry of births, deaths and marriages.

Prospective Marriage visa requirements

• Proof that you and your prospective spouse have met face-to-face as adults since turning 18 and know each other personally
• A letter from a person who will office at the wedding that you will marry your prospective spouse within 9 months of being granted the visa
• Statements to demonstrate that you both genuinely intend to live as spouses

Cost

Main applicant: $7,715

This cost covers both the temporary and permanent visas.

Prospective marriage visa applicants applying for the Partner visa will have to pay $1,285 if they apply before the Prospective marriage visa expires.