The Australian partner visa allows the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live permanently in Australia. It's one of the most applied-for visa categories in the migration program. It's also one of the most document-intensive.

The process works across two distinct stages. The first stage grants a temporary visa. The second stage, assessed roughly two years later, grants permanent residency. Both are applied for in one combined application. Understanding how the four subclasses (820, 801, 309, and 100) link together, and knowing what the Department of Home Affairs requires at each stage, is where any application begins.

The Four Subclasses: How They Relate

The Australian partner visa system operates through two pathways, each spanning a temporary and permanent stage.

Onshore (applied from inside Australia):

  • Subclass 820: temporary partner visa (first stage)
  • Subclass 801: permanent partner visa (second stage)

Offshore (applied from outside Australia):

  • Subclass 309: temporary partner visa (first stage)
  • Subclass 100: permanent partner visa (second stage)

In both pathways, you lodge one combined application. The first decision grants the temporary visa. The second decision comes roughly two years after the first, once the eligibility period is met. That's when the permanent visa gets granted, according to the Department of Home Affairs.

Which pathway applies depends on where you are. In Australia? You apply for 820/801. Outside Australia? You apply for 309/100. For a detailed breakdown of how to choose, read: Onshore vs Offshore Partner Visa — Which to Apply For.

Who Can Apply

To be eligible for a partner visa, you must be the spouse or de facto partner of an eligible Australian sponsor.

Spouse means you are legally married to the sponsor. Marriage must be valid under Australian law.

De facto partner means you're in a genuine de facto relationship with the sponsor. As a general rule, this relationship must have existed for at least 12 months before the visa application is lodged. Two exceptions apply. The 12-month requirement gets waived if you've registered your relationship with an Australian state or territory authority, or if you and your partner have a child together.

Both applicants must be at least 18 years old.

Who Can Sponsor

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Sponsorship limits apply. A person can sponsor a maximum of two partners in their lifetime, and no more than one partner within any five-year period. Exceptions can happen in compelling circumstances, but these get assessed case by case.

The sponsor must also meet a character requirement. They must not have a history of family violence or domestic abuse. The Department of Home Affairs assesses sponsor suitability as part of the application.

The Genuine Relationship Requirement

The central requirement across all four partner visa subclasses is proof of a genuine and continuing relationship. The Department does not accept a marriage certificate or statutory declaration alone as sufficient. (And yes, the Department does check.)

Evidence must be provided across four categories:

Financial: Documents showing shared financial arrangements between you and your partner. This includes joint bank accounts, joint lease or mortgage agreements, shared bills, or other evidence of combined financial assets or liabilities.

Household: Evidence of how you share domestic life. Documents showing a shared residential address, mail addressed to both partners at the same address, and arrangements for any children's schooling or care all fall within this category.

Social: Evidence of your relationship within the community. Photos of you together across different settings and occasions, records of shared travel, and statutory declarations from friends and family members who know you as a couple all contribute here.

Commitment: Evidence showing the length and ongoing nature of your relationship. This includes correspondence between you and your partner, future plans such as shared property purchases or applications, and declarations about how you view your relationship.

No single category carries more weight than others. A strong application contains solid evidence across all four. For a complete document-by-document guide, read: Evidence of Genuine Relationship for Australian Partner Visa — Full Checklist.

Health and Character Requirements

All partner visa applicants must meet health and character requirements.

Health: Applicants complete a health assessment through a Department-approved panel physician. You'll receive a Health Assessment Processing (HAP) ID when you lodge, which you use to book the examination.

‍Character: Applicants provide police clearance certificates from each country they have lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. This applies to the primary applicant. Sponsors are also assessed for character.

The Two-Stage Grant Process

The partner visa operates across two stages, and this structure has practical implications. It affects how long the process takes and what rights you hold along the way.

Stage 1: Temporary visa. After the application is lodged, the Department assesses the relationship evidence and grants the temporary visa. For onshore applicants, a Bridging Visa A is automatically granted on lodgement. This allows the applicant to remain lawfully in Australia while the application is being processed.

Stage 2: Permanent visa. Roughly two years after the temporary visa grant, once the eligibility period is satisfied, the Department assesses whether the relationship is still genuine and continuing. If it is, the permanent visa is granted. At this point, the applicant becomes a permanent resident.

For some applicants, the permanent visa may be granted at the same time as the temporary visa. This applies to couples who were already married and in a relationship for more than three years at the time of the original application, or those with dependent children. Actually, this shortcut surprises a lot of applicants when they first hear about it.

For current processing time data and what affects the timeline at each stage, read: Partner Visa Australia Processing Time and Stages Explained.

English Language Requirements

Partner visa applicants are not required to demonstrate English proficiency as a condition of visa grant. English is not mandatory in the partner visa stream.

However, a recognised English qualification can affect future options in Australia. If you later intend to apply for citizenship or transition to skilled migration, English becomes relevant. For information on English tests accepted for Australian visas, read: PTE Requirements for Australian Visas 2026.

2026 Update: What Has Changed in Partner Visa Processing

In April 2026, the Department of Home Affairs issued a Partner Processing Newsletter. The changes do not alter eligibility requirements, but they directly affect how applications must be prepared and how applicants interact with the Department.

The most significant operational change is the one-request policy. The Department will now issue only one Request for Further Information if something is missing. No follow-up reminders will be sent. If the response deadline is missed, the Department may proceed to a decision based on the information already on file. This means an incomplete application can result in a refusal without a second chance.

The April 2026 Newsletter also reinforced expectations of decision-ready applications at lodgement. Health examinations, police clearance certificates, and core evidence should be prepared and ready to submit with the initial application. Applicants who front-load their applications experience fewer delays.

For long-processing applications (those in the queue for more than 12 months), the Department expects evidence updates through ImmiAccount every 6 to 12 months. Evidence of the current state of the relationship matters. Historical evidence alone is not sufficient when significant time passes between lodgement and decision.

ImmiAccount is now the Department's primary communication channel for all partner visa correspondence. Email enquiries to the partner visa mailbox receive limited response. Applicants should monitor their ImmiAccount regularly. Keep contact details current throughout the processing period.

What Can Go Wrong

Partner visa applications that are refused are most commonly refused on one of three grounds: the relationship was not found to be genuine, the character requirement was not met, or the health requirement was not satisfied.

Evidence gaps are the most common cause of a relationship genuineness refusal. Applications that are thin on financial or social evidence, particularly for couples in long-distance relationships or who have not yet lived together full-time, face more scrutiny. Detailed statutory declarations and corroborating third-party evidence strengthen these applications significantly.

For information on how to avoid visa refusals and what options exist if one occurs, read: Australian Visa Refusal Guide 2025: Reasons, Prevention and Recovery.

AEO Questions: Partner Visa Australia

What is the difference between subclass 820 and 801?

Subclass 820 is the temporary stage of the onshore partner visa, and subclass 801 is the permanent stage. Both are applied for in one combined application. The temporary 820 visa is granted first, allowing the applicant to remain in Australia while the permanent stage is assessed. The 801 is typically granted approximately two years after the 820, once the Department confirms the relationship is still genuine and continuing.

What is the difference between subclass 309 and 100?

Subclass 309 is the temporary stage of the offshore partner visa, and subclass 100 is the permanent stage. Subclass 309 requires the applicant to be outside Australia when the application is lodged. Both stages are applied for in a single combined application. The 100 is assessed approximately two years after the 309 is granted.

What is a de facto relationship for Australian visa purposes?

For Australian partner visa purposes, a de facto relationship is a genuine committed relationship between two people who are not married to each other. To be eligible, the de facto relationship must have existed for at least 12 months before lodging the partner visa application. This requirement may be waived if the couple has registered their relationship with an Australian state or territory authority, or if they have dependent children together.

What evidence is required for an Australian partner visa?

Evidence must be provided across four categories: financial (shared bank accounts, bills, or assets), household (shared address, domestic arrangements), social (photos, travel records, declarations from friends and family), and commitment (length of relationship, future plans, correspondence). The Department of Home Affairs assesses each category and makes a judgement about whether the relationship is genuine and continuing based on the overall evidence picture.

How long does an Australian partner visa take to process?

For the 820 onshore visa, approximately 50% of applications are decided within 16 months, and approximately 90% within 24 months. The 309 offshore visa follows a similar timeline of 14 to 24 months for most applicants. The permanent stage (801 or 100) is typically assessed approximately two years after the temporary visa is granted. Processing times can vary based on the completeness of the application and the volume of applications being assessed by the Department.

Who can sponsor a partner visa in Australia?

A partner visa sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The sponsor must pass a character assessment and must not have a history of domestic violence. Sponsorship is limited to a maximum of two partners over a lifetime and no more than one partner within any five-year period.

Can I stay in Australia while my partner visa is being processed?

Onshore partner visa applicants who lodge a subclass 820 application while lawfully in Australia are automatically granted a Bridging Visa A on lodgement. The Bridging Visa A allows the applicant to remain lawfully in Australia and to continue working while the application is processed, even if the original substantive visa expires during that period.

Do I need to meet English requirements for a partner visa in Australia?

English proficiency is not a mandatory requirement for the Australian partner visa. Applicants are not required to complete an English language test as a condition of the visa application or grant. However, English proficiency may be relevant to future pathways such as Australian citizenship.

How Desire Migration Can Help

The partner visa process involves a significant volume of evidence and documentation, assessed against a standard (genuine and continuing relationship) that is not defined by a checklist alone. How evidence is organised and presented affects how quickly and smoothly an application moves through the process.

Desire Migration is led by Mrs. Manisha Bhutani, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217756), with offices in Truganina, St Albans, and Melbourne CBD. Contact Desire Migration for guidance on partner visa applications, including which pathway suits your circumstances and what documents to prepare.