The partner visa is unlike anything else in Australian migration. There are no occupation lists, no points test and no age limit, just one demanding question: is your relationship genuine and continuing?
Answering that question convincingly takes hundreds of pages of well-organised evidence, and from April 2026 the Department expects applications to be decision-ready at lodgement. Since 1996 we have guided couples through every conceivable circumstance, whether married, de facto, engaged, together or apart, and this guide shares how the strongest cases are built.
If your partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, two two-stage pathways lead to permanent residency:
You pay once and are assessed twice: the temporary stage establishes the relationship, and the permanent stage, usually two years after lodgement, confirms it endures. Married couples, de facto partners and fiancés (via the Prospective Marriage 300) all qualify, and same-sex relationships are recognised on identical terms. Dependent children can be included, and the permanent stage brings Medicare, unrestricted work rights and the citizenship clock.
Three parties must qualify:
Couples together three or more years, or two years with a child of the relationship, are often granted the permanent stage immediately. And because partner visas are demand-driven with no annual cap, every genuine couple who meets the requirements can succeed.
Case officers assess every partner application across four dimensions, and strong cases evidence all four, not just one or two:
Most refusals are not fraudulent couples but genuine ones with lopsided evidence. We audit your file across all four pillars before the Department ever sees it.
The lodgement strategy shapes your rights while you wait:
Engaged instead of married? The Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) lets your fiancé enter Australia to marry and convert onshore to the 820/801.
Visa Application Charges from 1 July 2026: AUD 11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both the temporary and permanent stages, plus AUD 5,860 per additional applicant aged 18+ and AUD 2,935 per child.
Processing: around half of offshore cases are decided within 14 months and onshore within 17 months, with nine in ten finalised inside roughly two years. Couples together 3+ years frequently receive permanent residency at first decision.
The rule change that matters: from April 2026 the Department expects decision-ready applications. Professional preparation has moved from advantage to necessity.
Discuss your eligibility and explore your options with a dedicated migration specialist.
Certified passports and birth certificates for applicant and sponsor, marriage certificate or relationship registration, divorce or death certificates ending previous relationships, and any name-change evidence. Sponsor’s citizenship or PR evidence sits here too.
The heart of the file: joint bank statements and financial commitments, leases and utility bills, photographs across the span of the relationship, travel records, communication logs during separations, statutory declarations (Form 888) from Australian friends and family, and your own relationship statements covering the four pillars: financial, household, social and commitment.
Sponsorship application, police certificates for the sponsor, evidence of sponsorship capacity, and disclosure of any previous sponsorships. Sponsor limitations catch many couples by surprise, and we screen for them first.
Immigration medical examinations for the applicant and any dependants, timed to instruction so validity aligns with the two-stage assessment.
Police certificates from every country where the applicant has spent 12+ months in the last decade since turning 16, plus military records where applicable. Slow jurisdictions are sequenced first.
Nearly three decades guiding successful emigrations to Australia.
Former Emigration Officials with deep, current knowledge of Australian immigration law.
Considered, discreet guidance tailored precisely to your circumstances.
From 1 July 2026 the government charge is AUD 11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both the temporary and permanent stages, plus AUD 5,860 per additional adult and AUD 2,935 per child, alongside health, police and translation costs.
Roughly half of offshore (309) cases are decided within 14 months and onshore (820) within 17 months, with most finalised inside two years. Long-established couples often receive the permanent stage at first decision.
Yes. Married or de facto, same-sex relationships are recognised on exactly the same terms as any other.
Usually after 12 months living together, or immediately in states where you register the relationship. Engaged couples can use the Prospective Marriage (300) route instead.
It changes your rights while waiting: onshore usually brings a bridging visa with work rights; offshore suits couples re-establishing in Australia. The right answer depends on your circumstances, and it is one of the first strategic calls we make.
Onshore applicants typically receive a bridging visa with full work rights once their current visa ends. Offshore applicants gain work rights on grant of the temporary 309.
Yes. Dependent children can be included in the application and share the same pathway to permanent residency.
Financial, household, social and commitment evidence. Strong applications prove all four; lopsided files are the most common cause of genuine couples being refused.
The Department now expects applications to be decision-ready at lodgement, and may give only one chance to provide missing information. Complete preparation before lodgement is now essential.
Book an assessment and our team will assess your options.
Receive tailored advice and a clear migration strategy built entirely around you.
Let us manage your application from lodgement to decision, or choose to be guided.
Whether you have questions or need guidance on your Australian immigration path, our specialists are ready to listen and advise. Contact us today.