If you are married to an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can apply for a Partner visa and stay with your Australian spouse. It’s the best way for new couples to get together for a long time if you decide to stay in Australia. If you have no clue about the application for an Australia partner visa. In this article, we will show you a complete guide on what an Australia Partner Visa is and how to apply for it. Let’s read below.
What Is an Australia Partner Visa?
When you are engaged, married or in a de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you can apply for an Australian partner visa. According to the nature and length of your relationship the length of your relationship, there are different Partner visas available, such as the Fiancé (Prospective Marriage) Visa, Partner Visa and Marriage Visa. You are required to show the genuineness of the relationship, such as the financial aspects of the relationship, a shared household and social aspects to prove your relationship.
Types of Australia Partner Visa
There are many types of Australian Partner Visas, depending on the duration of the visa and where you are applying (in or outside Australia). Here are the different types of Australia Partner Visas, such as Prospective Marriage Visas, Onshore Partner Visas and Offshore Partner Visas.
Prospective Marriage Visas (subclass 300)
If you are engaged to an Australian citizen or resident and want to marry them in Australia, you can apply for a Prospective Marriage Visa that allows you to live there for 9 to 15 months. And you need to marry your prospective spouse before the visa expires.
Onshore Partner Visas
Onshore Partner Visas can only be applied within Australia. As this is a joint application process, you have to apply for both, the Onshore Temporary Partner Visa (subclass 820) and the Onshore Permanent Partner Visa (subclass 801). However, you will receive the 820 Subclass first, then you will have to wait two years to be able to obtain permanent residence.
- Onshore Temporary Partner Visa (subclass 820): When you hold this visa, the stay is for 2 years while your permanent partner visa application is being processed or withdrawn.
- Onshore Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801): After two years with a subclass 820 visa, you must submit certain supporting documents to qualify for this permanent visa.
Offshore Partner Visas
If you are applying outside Australia, you can apply for the Offshore Partner Visas. You must apply for both the Temporary Offshore Partner Visa (subclass 309) and the Offshore Migrant Partner Visa (subclass 100). Once you have received the temporary visa, you can come to Australia and wait two years to become eligible for a permanent visa. Here you can check out these two Offshore Partner Visas:
- Provisional Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309): This is a temporary two-year visa that must be applied from outside Australia.
- Offshore Migrant Partner Visa (Subclass 100): You will receive this permanent visa if you meet the requirements. You must first have a temporary visa for two years.
Australia Partner Visa Requirements
If you wish to apply for an Australian Partner Visa, you and your partner must meet the following requirements:
- Your partner must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
- You and your partner must be over 18 years old.
- You and your partner must have been in a relationship for at least 12 months when you apply for the visa.
- You and your partner must be in a true and committed relationship.
- You and your partner must prove the authenticity of your relationship.
- You must either be married or in a de facto relationship.
And you need to show some evidence that you have shared life and a commitment to each other. This can be done by providing a supportive assessment, such as financial aspects of the relationship, a shared household, social aspects, and the nature of the commitment.
Australia Partner Visa Document Checklist
If you meet the eligibility requirements, you will need to prepare all the Australia Partner Visa requirements. Here you can see the partner Australia checklist.
- Identity documents, such as birth certificates and family books to show your parents’ information.
- A valid passport.
- Two passport photos with a size of 45 mm x 35 mm and you must put the name on the back of the photo.
- Two of Form 888, such as the statutory declaration by a supporting witness in relation to a Partner or a Prospective Marriage visa application.
- Complete Form 80 for character assessment.
- Police certificates
- Documents supporting your relationship are genuine and ongoing, such as a marriage certificate and a de facto relationship.
- A national identity card, if applicable.
- The Military service records, if you have stayed in the armed forces in other countries.
- Other documents that can be proved to show your Partner Visa application.
How to Prove Your Relationship on Paper
You will be asked to show the supporting paper documents to prove your relationship when you and your partner are in de facto, engaged or married situation.
De facto
You must show supporting documents about shared financial and household responsibilities or your relationship is known by others, such as:
- Mortgage or lease documents showing joint ownership or lease of property
- Joint bank accounts
- Household bills in both names
- Friends and acquaintances in common
- Proof of joint travel
- Proof of joint sporting, cultural or social activities
- A signed statement showing the details of your relationship
If you keep the de facto relationship when you apply for a partner visa, your relationship must have existed for at least 12 months.
Engaged
Evidence that you and your partner have reported a relationship with government agencies, or commercial or public institutions. The evidence shows that you are committed to each other’s long-term relationship.
Married
If you are married, you can show the marriage certificate.
How to apply for an Australia Partner Visa?
After you have prepared all the necessary documents, you can apply for the Australia Partner Visa. However, the steps are different depending on where you apply for the Australia Partner Visa, in or outside Australia. Here you can check the steps below:
Apply in Australia
When you are in Australia, you must apply for subclasses 820 and 801. Here you can check the steps below.
- You need to log in to ImmiAccount on the Australian government website.
- Choose “New Application” > “Family” > “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa”.
- Then you need to complete the online application.
- Pay the visa application fee directly.
- After you have checked the information, you can submit the application.
- Then you need to give your sponsor transaction reference number (TRN), because they need the TRN to apply for sponsorship.
After that, you must attach supporting documents to your completed application. You must ensure that all information is correct and that you have paid the correct visa application fee. Otherwise, they can’t process your application.
Apply Overseas
If you are outside Australia, you can only apply for subclasses 309 and 100. Here you can follow the steps.
- You need to log in to ImmiAccount on the Australian government website.
- Choose “New Application” > “Family” > “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa”.
- Then you need to complete the online application.
- Pay the visa application fee directly.
- After you have checked the information, you can submit the application.
- Then you need to give your sponsor transaction reference number (TRN), because they need the TRN to apply for sponsorship.
- You must attach supporting documents to your completed application.
After you have a temporary visa to Australia for two years, you can obtain a permanent visa if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Australia Partner Visa Processing Time
Australia Partner visa processing times vary depending on the type of visa.
- Partner Visa (Temporary) (Subclass 820): 21-25 months
- Partner Visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801): 20 to 26 months
- Partner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 309): 13-18 months
- Partner (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 100): 19 to 39 months
- Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300): 14 to 18 months
However, if you want a detailed Partner Visa Australia processing time, you can use the visa processing time guide tool.
Australia Partner Visa Cost
The Partner Visa Australia Cost will be different depending on the type of visa.
Partner Visa (Temporary) (Subclass 820) and Partner Visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801): 20 to 26 months: AUD8,850.00. For Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holders, you must pay AUD1,475.
Partner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 309) and Partner (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 100): AUD8,850.00.
Australia Partner Visa Validity
The validity of the Australia Partner Visa is different. For example, the Partner Visa (Temporary) (Subclass 820) and the Partner Visa (Provisional) (Subclass 309) are only valid for 2 years. However, the Partner Visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) and the Partner Visa (Migrant) (subclass 100) are permanent visas.
Can I Become an Australian citizen with a Partner Visa?
Yes. Once you receive a permanent partner visa to Australia, you can apply for citizenship after 4 years in Australia. Of course, you also need to meet certain requirements, such as having a basic English language and Australian culture.
📚 Read Also: How to Apply for Australian Citizenship
Conclusion
It is important for you to know which Spouse Visa Australia you should apply for if you want to marry an Australian citizen. Remember to be aware of Australia’s partner visa requirements, so you won’t make any mistakes in the application. If you miss any information that may lead to the failure of the application, the application fee will not be refunded. Therefore, you must prepare every supporting document.
Dolores Xiao