Our partners and spouses guide is packed with useful information you will need to know when emigrating to Australia.
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If you or your partner is British or Irish this is the best way to apply for a spouse visa.
The offshore partner pathway (Subclass 309 leading to 100) is lodged in the UK; in most cases, it provides an outcome in a few months, rather than a couple of years if you lodge onshore in Australia.
Offshore lodgement changes the strategy, the waiting experience and the evidence.
Often applying from the UK also means that you receive permanent residency on arrival, rather than have to complete a two year probationary period.
We apply from the UK, for permanent residency of arrival in Australia. From the moment you land, you are treated as an Australian citizen, except for the right to vote.
The tests are:
Couples living apart must document commitment across the separation: communication, visits, shared plans and finances that bridge the gap.
The offshore sequence:
Compare the other road in our onshore 820/801 guide; the right choice depends on where your lives, jobs and family sit today.
Cost: AUD 11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both the 309 and 100 stages, plus AUD 5,860 per additional adult and AUD 2,935 per child.
Processing: Even though The Department of Home Affairs claims that half of offshore partner applications are decided within eighteen months and nine in ten within thirty-two months.
Over 90% of our UK-filed cases are approved within 6 months, and permanent residency is approved, rather than the usual probationary visa.
Certified passports and birth certificates for both partners, marriage certificate or relationship registration, evidence ending previous relationships, and name-change documents, plus your sponsor’s citizenship or PR evidence.
The four-pillar file: visit records (passport stamps, boarding passes, photographs), communication logs across the separation, financial transfers and shared savings, statements from family and friends in both countries, and your concrete plans for the shared Australian household.
Sponsorship application, sponsor police certificates, and previous sponsorship disclosure, with the sponsor’s Australian re-establishment (housing, work) documented where it strengthens the settlement story.
Immigration medical examinations with an approved panel physician in your country of residence, booked to instruction so validity carries to grant.
Police certificates from every country of 12+ months residence in the past decade since turning 16, sequenced early, since offshore applicants often need certificates from multiple jurisdictions.
Discuss your eligibility and explore your options with a dedicated migration specialist.
There are two stages to one application: the 309 is the temporary visa that brings you to Australia; the 100 is the permanent stage, normally assessed two years after lodgement, or immediately for long-established couples.
Our aim is always to secure the 100 visa initially to avoid the 309 visa entirely.
Yes. Married couples especially can apply while living apart, provided the evidence shows the relationship continuing across the distance: visits, communication, finances and shared plans.
Generally yes, on a visitor visa, and the 309 can be granted whether you are inside or outside Australia. We still time travel plans around the expected decision window.
The Department of Home Affairs processing guide currently shows that half of temporary partner visa applications are decided within eighteen months, and nine in ten within thirty-two months.
We are currently securing permanent residency within six months.
AUD 11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both stages, plus AUD 5,860 per additional adult and AUD 2,935 per child.
Yes. The spouse visa carries full work rights from the day you enter Australia, along with Medicare enrolment eligibility.
It depends on where your lives sit today: onshore suits couples already together in Australia; UK-based cases suit couples who require a speedy outcome and are able to wait a few months.
We always recommend securing your visa prior to emigrating, as it provides security on arrival.
Our assessment maps both against your circumstances.
Yes. Dependent children are included in the application and receive the same visa and pathway to permanent residency.
Comparing life in Australia to the United Kingdom.
Daytime temperatures in Launceston sit above those in Inverness all year round. Each figure is a long term average taken from the official weather station records on both sides.
| Measure | Launceston | Inverness |
|---|---|---|
| Mid winter daytime high | 11.8 °C | 7.1 °C |
| Mid summer daytime high | 25.2 °C | 18.9 °C |
| Year round daytime high | 18.2 °C | 12.7 °C |
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology; Met Office Australian source
Bunbury counts far fewer wet days across the year than Blackpool. The national weather service in each country publishes these averages from decades of station records.
| Measure | Bunbury | Blackpool |
|---|---|---|
| Days of rain a year | 83.1 | 147.4 |
| Annual rainfall | 730 mm | 886 mm |
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology; Met Office Australian source
Australia sets no minimum income for a partner sponsor, where the British route asks the sponsor to prove a set annual income first. Both positions come from the official visa guidance published in each country.
| Measure | Australia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum income the sponsor must earn | None set | £29,000 a year |
| Financial evidence needed before the partner can join | None required for income | Payslips and bank statements covering the income test |
| Health surcharge on top of the visa fee | None | £1,035 for each adult for each year |
Sources: Department of Home Affairs; GOV.UK. Australian source
Whether you have questions or need guidance on your Australian immigration path, our specialists are ready to listen and advise. Contact us today.