Australian Partner Visa: Start your life together

Australian partner visa applications

If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or an eligible New Zealand citizen, you might qualify for an Australian Partner visa.

Types of Australian Partner visas

The Australian Partner visa category is divided into various subclasses. Their classification is dependent on whether the visa is temporary or permanent as well as where the application is made.

The Department of Home Affairs assesses applications under a “combined application”. This means that your application will be assessed against the criteria for both temporary and permanent partner visas. You will be issued with the appropriate visa, depending on which criteria you meet.

Temporary Partner visa

After two years from the grant of the temporary Partner visa you will be eligible to submit additional evidence to be assessed for the permanent Partner visa. During those two years it is important that you continue to document your relationship. If your relationship is assessed as meeting the requirements, you will be granted a permanent Partner visa.

Permanent Partner visa

Once a permanent Partner visa is granted, the visa holder becomes a permanent resident of Australia. While permanent residency itself does not expire, the visa includes a five-year travel facility. This means the holder can travel freely in and out of Australia for five years. After this period, they remain a permanent resident if they stay in Australia, but will need to apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) if they wish to travel overseas and return to Australia.

To be eligible for Australian citizenship, applicants generally need to have lived in Australia on valid visas for four years immediately before applying, including at least the last 12 months as a permanent resident. Applicants must also meet residence requirements relating to time spent outside Australia during that four-year period. Importantly, time spent in Australia on temporary visas may count toward the overall residency requirement.

All Australian Partner visa applications are assessed on the following:

• The financial aspects of the relationship, which includes how financial responsibilities are shared or pooled.
• The nature of the household, which includes how household tasks are divided and shared.
• Social aspects of the relationship, which includes how you are perceived as a couple in public.
• Nature of the persons’ commitment to each other, which includes the willingness to move to another country

In addition to the four factors above, applicants must also demonstrate that the relationship is genuine, ongoing, and exclusive. Couples must either be legally married or meet Australia’s de facto relationship requirements.

For de facto couples, this generally means they must have lived together for at least 12 months before applying, unless the relationship has been formally registered in an eligible Australian state or territory.

Bringing your partner to Australia

When you apply for an onshore or offshore Partner visa, you lodge one combined application that covers both the provisional (820/309) and permanent (801/100) stages.

The Department first assesses whether your relationship meets the temporary Partner visa requirements. If successful, the applicant is granted the Subclass 820/309 visa, allowing them to enter or remain in Australia and live with their partner while waiting for the permanent stage to be finalised.

There are four routes to bringing your partner to Australia:

1. Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309 visa) and Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100 visa)
   Must be applied for outside of Australia.
2. Partner visa (subclasses 820 visa and 801 visa)
   Must be applied for within Australia.
3. Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300 visa)
   For couples engaged to be married. Must be applied for outside of Australia.
4. New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa (subclass 461 visa)
   For those with New Zealander partners

Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309 visa) and Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100 visa)

Any person submitting an application for a visa falling under either subclass 309 visa or 100 visa must do so outside of Australia. Should you wish to travel to Australia while your partner visa is being processed, you are able to do so provided you secure an appropriate visa (i.e. a Visitor visa).

Partner visa (subclasses 820 visa and 801 visa)

Subclasses 820 and 801 are applied for from within Australia. To apply, you must hold a valid Australian visa (excluding a Bridging, Criminal Justice or Enforcement visa) or be eligible for a waiver. In addition to this, these applicants must not hold a visa with condition 8503, which prevents you from making a further application in Australia.

Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300 visa)

The purpose of this visa is to allow people to come to Australia, marry their intended spouse and then apply for the Partner visa to remain in Australia. It is granted for 9-15 months. You must be outside of Australia when you apply and when it is granted.

The Prospective Marriage visa has unrestricted work rights. The holder is required to marry their partner and apply for the Australian Partner visa before the visa expires.

This visa is often referred to as the fiancé visa and is used by unmarried individuals who cannot show that they have cohabited for 12 months.

New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa (subclass 461 visa)

This allows a foreign citizen, who is a family member (partner or child) of a New Zealand citizen to come to Australia or remain in Australia for up to five years.

This is a five-year provisional visa that will not lead to permanent residency in Australia but can be renewed onshore as required.

This visa allows the holder to:

• Work and study in Australia
• Live in and travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted

Get the right Australian Partner visa strategy with Sable International

Partner visa applications are among the most complex in the Australian migration system. Small differences in visa status, or relationship evidence can affect:

• Whether you should apply onshore or offshore
• How quickly permanent residence may be granted
• Whether exemptions or special provisions apply

With high government fees and long processing times, submitting the wrong application can be costly. Many applicants worry about visa refusal, losing fees, or facing significant delays.

Before you apply, it’s important to get advice tailored to your circumstances. Our Australian migration team can:

• Provide a detailed eligibility assessment before you apply
• Identify the correct Partner visa pathway
• Help you prepare a clear, well-structured application that meets the Department of Home Affairs requirements
• Provide a clear, step-by-step visa strategy

We simplify the process, so your application is complete, compliant and strategically prepared from the outset.

Australian partner visa processing times

How long does a partner visa take?

Australian Partner visas can take 12–24+ months to process, which raises concerns around living arrangements, work rights and visa status during the wait.

Our goal is to help you manage life during the process — not just the application itself.

Australian Partner visa costs, full transparency, no surprises

The Australian partner visa cost typically starts from around AUD $9,365 in government fees, before additional expenses like medicals and police clearances.

We believe in full transparency and risk mitigation, offering:

• Clear fee structures
• No visa, no fee guarantee
• Honest advice on your eligibility before you apply

Before you commit, we ensure the pathway is right for you.