A Guide to Lodging an Australian Partner Visa in 2022

A Partner visa is a visa granted to a person who is already in an ongoing relationship with a permanent resident, Australian citizen or New Zealand citizen. An individual who wants to marry an Australian citizen or a permanent resident will be eligible for this visa. 

With the help of a partner visa subclass 820, you can become a permanent resident of Australia and enjoy all legal rights by remaining indefinitely in the country. To move to Australia as a dependent, you need to acquire a temporary visa. After the temporary visa is granted, you can opt for a permanent resident visa. In this blog, you will learn about an Australian partner visa.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Australian Partner Visas? 

If you want to be eligible for a partner visa in Australia, you need to be in a genuine spousal or de-facto relationship with an individual who is a permanent resident or an Australian citizen. It can also be an eligible New Zealand citizen with whom you have a relationship. 

The general eligibility requirements for a subclass 820 visa are as follows:

• You need to be over 18 years of age. 
• The applicant for the Partner visa needs to be sponsored by their spouse or de-facto partner already living in Australia. 
• The sponsor needs to be over 18 years old.
• As an applicant, you must be in a relationship with your partner for at least a year before applying. The same applies to your partner who is sponsoring your visa. 
• You also need to pass the health and character requirements.  

What Visa Category Are You Eligible for?

A partner visa in Australia can be both temporary and permanent. The different categories of partner visas are as follows:

• Subclass 309 visa 
• Subclass 100 visa 
• Partner visa 801
• Partner visa 820 

What is the Subclass 309 Partner Visa? 

This kind of partner visa can allow you to stay temporarily in Australia. To be eligible for this visa, you need to fulfil the following requirements: 

• You need to be in a genuine relationship with your de facto partner or spouse who is a permanent resident, Australian citizen or New Zealand citizen.
• You must be over 18 years old when applying for this visa.
• You must fulfil the health and character requirements before applying for this visa.
• You should not have had your past visa cancelled in Australia.
• You need to be outside of Australia when applying for this visa. 

What is the Subclass 100 Partner Visa? 

This type of permanent partner visa can allow you to stay permanently in Australia. You need to fulfil the following requirements to be eligible for this visa:

• You need to hold a 309 or 445 visa.
• You must be in a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. You also need to continue to meet the relationship requirements. 

Related Post: Australian Partner Visas – Know Some Important Tips Before Applying

What is the Subclass 820 Partner Visa? 

With the help of a visa subclass 820, you can temporarily stay in Australia and apply for a permanent subclass 801 partner visa. To be eligible for this partner visa, you need to fulfil the following requirements: 

• You must not have an Australian visa cancelled in the past during your stay in Australia. 
• You must not have held specific regional visas.
• You need to be over 18 years old when applying for the visa.
• You must be in a genuine relationship with your spouse or de-facto partner, a permanent resident, Australian or New Zealand citizen. 
• You will continue to be eligible for this visa even if the sponsor dies or your relationship ends while your visa application is being considered. 
• You must remain in Australia when filing for this visa and when your visa is being considered. 

What is the Subclass 801 Partner Visa?

With the help of the partner visa subclass 801, you can stay permanently in Australia. This partner visa can also allow you to work and study in the country. If you want to be eligible for this visa, you need to consider fulfilling the following criteria:

• You must hold a subclass 820 visa or a subclass 445 visa. 
• You need to be in a relationship with your de facto partner or a spouse who is a permanent resident, Australian citizen or New Zealand citizen. 
• You need to be continually sponsored for this visa.
• You might remain eligible for this visa even after your relationship ends or your spouse dies after the visa has been granted to you. 

What Are the Main Criteria that Need to be Met for a Partner Visa In Australia? 

To be able to qualify for a partner visa, including the partner subclass 801, you need to meet the following requirements: 

• You need to be in a long-term and genuine relationship with your de facto partner or spouse who is a permanent resident, an Australian citizen or an eligible New Zealand citizen. 
• You must be sponsored by your spouse or your de-facto partner in Australia.
• You must be in a relationship for at least a year before you apply for the visa.
• You need to fulfil the health and character requirements. 

Documentation & Application Preparation

The steps to apply for the Australian partner visa application are as follows:

• Prepare your documents 
• Lodge the Australian partner visa application 
• Obtain judgment from the DHA 
• Wait to get approval for the visa 

The documents that you need to provide for this partner visa are as follows:

• For finances 

1. Joint mortgage/ lease documents
2. Joint bank account statements 
3. Household bills in the name of both 

• For household

1. Joint mails or emails
2. Joint house bills 
3. Email that indicates how you share house bills 

• Commitment evidence  

1. Proof of having knowledge of each other’s family backgrounds 
2. Evidence that you have combined personal matters

• Other proofs 

1. Marriage certificates 
2. Evidence that you and your partner travel together
3. Images of together 
4. Images of together with common friends. 

Communicating with DOHA or Case officer

The Australian department might request more evidence or documentation from you based on your profile and application. You can view the requests on your government account, and your case officer can also notify you via email. You need to respond to them within 28 days. 

You may also be requested for an interview by the department along with other visa applicants. In this stage, you need to ensure that you do not provide false information or recheck the facts before the processing time of the visa. 

Visa Processing Time

The processing times for the temporary and permanent partner visas are as follows: 

• Permanent partner visa application

1. Around 50% of visa applications are processed within nine months. 
2. Around 90% of visa applications are processed within 39 months. 

• Temporary partner visa application 

1. Around 50% of visa applications are processed within ten months.
2. Around 90% of visa applications are processed within 23 months. 

You can take the assistance of a migration agent in Perth to know more about visa processing times. They can inform you if any changes are made to the visa processing times. 

Also Read: What Happens With Your Partner Visa If Your Relationship Breaks Down?

What Makes ISA Migrations the Right Choice?

If you want to learn more about Partner visas in Australia and know which visa is suitable for you, you need to take the assistance of a migration consultant in Perth. They are experts who can ensure that your visa application never gets rejected and is successful. You can contact ISA Migrations to access the best visa agents in Perth who can help you fill out visa application forms and educate you about different partner visas.