Build a Life in Australia With Your Partner
If you're married to, or in a genuine de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, the Partner visa is your pathway to live in Australia permanently, together.
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Quick Facts on the Partner Visa
The essentials, at a glance. Everything else we'll walk you through at your consultation.
What Is a Partner Visa?
The Partner visa is Australia's pathway for people who are married to, or in a genuine de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and want to live in Australia permanently based on that relationship. Unlike a student or skilled visa, your own qualifications, job, or study aren't the basis of this application. Your relationship is.
It's a two-stage process in both its onshore and offshore forms: a temporary visa first (820 if you're in Australia, 309 if you're outside Australia), followed roughly two years later by a permanent visa (801 or 100 respectively), once your relationship has been reassessed as genuine and continuing. If you're engaged but not yet married, the Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) is a separate entry point: it lets you travel to Australia to marry your partner, after which you'd apply for the onshore Partner visa.
Book Your Free ConsultationWhich Partner Visa Pathway Applies to You?
Three starting situations, each with its own subclass. Identify yours before reading any further.
| 820 → 801 (Onshore) | 309 → 100 (Offshore) | 300 (Prospective Marriage) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you must be | In Australia at the time of application | Outside Australia at the time of application (and when the 309 is granted) | Outside Australia |
| Relationship status required | Married or in a genuine de facto relationship (generally 12+ months, with some exceptions) | Married or in a genuine de facto relationship (generally 12+ months, with some exceptions) | Genuinely intending to marry, not yet married |
| What it leads to | Permanent residency (801), generally assessed ~2 years after the 820 is lodged | Permanent residency (100), generally assessed ~2 years after the 309 is lodged | A window (commonly 9 to 15 months) to enter Australia and marry, then an onshore Partner visa application at a reduced fee |
| Bridging visa while you wait | Automatic Bridging Visa A, generally with full work rights and Medicare access | Not applicable, you remain outside Australia until the 309 is granted | Not applicable |
How Long Does It Actually Take?
Partner visa processing is genuinely one of the longer visa categories, and being upfront about this matters more here than almost anywhere else in our services.
820 (onshore temporary)
Often in the range of well over a year from lodgement to decision.
801 (onshore permanent)
A further wait, commonly assessed roughly two years after the 820 application, once your relationship has been reassessed.
309 (offshore temporary)
A similarly long wait, often comparable to or longer than the onshore equivalent.
100 (offshore permanent)
Again, commonly assessed roughly two years after the 309 application.
300 (Prospective Marriage)
Its own separate timeframe, generally shorter than the two-stage partner pathways, but still measured in many months.
The Four Pillars of Relationship Evidence
Whether you're married or in a de facto relationship, the Department assesses your relationship against four broad categories of evidence. Strong applications build evidence across all four, not just one or two.
Four Categories, All Four Matter
- Financial aspects: joint bank accounts, shared bills, joint loans or major purchases (a mortgage, a car), evidence you genuinely function as a shared financial unit
- Nature of the household: a joint lease or property ownership, mail addressed to both of you at the same address, and evidence of how you share domestic responsibilities
- Social aspects: statutory declarations from friends and family (Form 888 in Australia), photos together over time, and evidence that your relationship is recognised by the people around you
- Commitment to each other: evidence of a long-term, genuine commitment, such as wedding plans or a marriage certificate, wills or life insurance naming each other, and a demonstrated shared future
A common mistake we see is applicants submitting a large volume of documents in only one or two of these categories (financial records, say) while leaving the others thin. Case officers are specifically looking across all four, and gaps stand out. We help you build a genuinely balanced evidence file from the start, rather than realise the gaps exist after a request for more information has already added months to your processing time.
Sponsorship: What Your Partner Needs to Know
Your partner, as your sponsor, needs to meet their own eligibility requirements. This isn't just about your side of the application.
- They must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and generally at least 18 years old
- They can't have a disqualifying serious criminal history
- There are limits on how many times someone can sponsor a partner visa in their lifetime, and a minimum waiting period between sponsorships if they've sponsored before
- They take on formal sponsorship obligations once approved, which we'll explain clearly before they commit
What's Included in Ignite's Partner Visa Service
What you're actually paying for, versus doing it alone or via a cheaper, less accountable "fixer."
Pathway assessment: of which pathway genuinely fits your situation, onshore, offshore, or Prospective Marriage
Evidence guidance: on building a genuinely balanced relationship evidence file across all four assessment categories
Sponsor eligibility assessment: for your Australian partner, including any history that needs addressing upfront
Full application preparation and lodgement: for both stages (temporary and permanent)
Bridging visa guidance: for onshore applicants, including Bridging Visa B if you need to travel while your application is processing
Ongoing liaison: with the Department of Home Affairs across what can be a multi-year process
Dependent children guidance: including your own dependent children in your Partner visa application
Ready to check your Partner visa eligibility?
Get a free, honest assessment of which pathway fits your relationship, and what evidence you'll need to build.
Frequently Asked Questions
01. What's the difference between a Partner Visa and a Dependent Visa?+-
A Partner visa is for when your relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen is itself your pathway to Australia, and you're the primary applicant. A Dependent Visa is for when you're joining a partner or parent who is themselves in Australia on a separate visa (student, work, or skilled migration). See our Dependent Visa service for that situation.
02. Do we need to be married to apply?+-
No, a genuine de facto relationship (generally of 12 months or more, though exceptions exist) can qualify, alongside marriage. If you're engaged but not yet married, the Prospective Marriage visa (300) may be the right first step instead.
03. How long does a Partner visa actually take?+-
It's one of the longer-processing visa categories, often well over a year for the first stage, with the permanent stage commonly assessed roughly two years later. See the timeframe section above for a fuller breakdown, and we'll give you current, realistic expectations at your consultation.
04. What if we live in different countries right now?+-
The offshore pathway (309/100) is specifically designed for this. You apply from outside Australia, and can generally travel more freely once the 309 is granted, unlike the onshore bridging visa arrangement.
05. Can my children be included?+-
In many cases, yes, your own dependent children can generally be included in your Partner visa application. We'll confirm what applies to your specific family situation.
06. What's the biggest reason Partner visa applications get delayed or refused?+-
Thin or unbalanced relationship evidence is one of the most common and avoidable issues. See the four categories of evidence above that the Department actually looks for, and how to build a genuinely balanced file from the start.
07. Can my partner sponsor me if they've sponsored someone else before?+-
Possibly, but there are lifetime limits and minimum waiting periods between sponsorships. Tell us this upfront so we can factor it into your strategy and timeline from day one.
Don't Let Distance or Paperwork Delay Your Life Together
Book a free consultation and let our registered migration agents build a genuinely strong Partner visa application, evidenced the way case officers actually assess it.
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