Temporary partnership visa (Subclasses 309 or 820)
Join or bring your partner
Under the Partner Visa Stream, applicants who are married, engaged or are in a de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, may be eligible for a grant of an Australian partner visa.
Partner visas
Australian Temporary partner visa (Sc 309 or Sc 820)
This temporary Australian Partner visa (Subclasses 309 or 820) is the first step before a permanent partner visa (Sc 100 or Sc 801) can be granted. Although there is usually a 2-year timeframe between the temporary and the permanent visas, you may be granted residence straight after the temporary one if you have been together for 3 years or more, or 2 years or more, providing there is also dependent child from your relationship.
Do I need a Registered Migration Agent to help?
Because the success of your application is based on a thorough preparation and review of the eligibility criteria, and particularly the evidence of relationship, it is recommended to have your application prepared by a registered migration agent to ensure you will meet Australia immigration requirements and avoid costly disappointment.
The Australian Partnership Visa Stream allows applicants who are married, engaged or are in a de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to seek a visa to be in Australian with their supporting partner.
Heterosexual as well as same-sex couples may apply for an Australian partner visa.
Which Australian partner visa is right for you?
There are three types of partner visa:
- temporary,
- permanent, and
- prospective marriage
The partner visa is a 2-stage process where you will be applying for both temporary and permanent visa at the same time.
If you are outside Australia, you will be applying for Sc 309-100 visa and those who are in Australia will need to apply for Sc 820-801 visa.
The Prospective Marriage visa Sc 300 is a temporary visa that can only be applied for from outside of Australia and enables visa holders to apply for an onshore partner visa (Sc 820-801) once they marry their Australian partner.
What is the process?
In order to be eligible for this visa, the applicant must be in a genuine and stable relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand resident.
OFFSHORE Partner visa (Subclass 309)
Subclass 309 is a provisional visa granted from offshore to allow you to travel to Australia to be with your partner until your permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) application is decided.
ONSHORE Partner visa (Subclass 820)
Subclass 820 Partner visa (temporary) is applied for if you are currently in Australia. It allows you to live in Australia with your partner until your permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) application is decided.
Holders of a temporary partner visa can
- stay in Australia until the decision on the permanent Partner visa (Sc 100 or Sc 801) is made
- work in Australia for any employer and study in Australia as an international student
- travel to and from Australia without limitations
- if eligible, attend English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program at no cost
- receive free or subsidised health care at publicly funded health services (Medicare)
What do I need to be eligible for a temporary partnership visa?
General criteria for partners
- You must be 18 years old or older
- You must have an approved sponsor and be their spouse or de facto partner. If applying as a married applicant – your marriage must be valid under Australian law.
- If applying as a de facto partner – you must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months (this requirement can be waived in some circumstances) and you must provide evidence of de facto relationship such as shared finance, shared domestic matters, social matters, commitment to a long-term relationship, etc
- You must meet health and character requirements
Criteria for sponsors
- Age – you must be 18 years old or older
- Be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen
- Agree to provide support, housing and financial help to the applicant and their family included in the partner visa application for the first 2 years of them living in Australia
- Meet Character requirements, not have convictions or charges for specific offences relating to children, and if applicable, consent to the Department of Home Affairs of Australia disclosing your convictions for relevant offences
- Not hold or have held certain visas such as Partner visas, Prospective Marriage visa, Contributory Parent visas, Woman at Risk visa in certain circumstances
English proficiency
Principal applicant and family members included in a partner visa application are not required to provide evidence of their English competency.
Health and Character
All family members who are included in a partner visa application must meet health and character requirements.
All applicants over 16 must provide police clearances from every country they lived in, Australia inclusive, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years. In some circumstances, non-migrating family members may be required to undergo health and character clearances.Can I include my family in a temporary partnership application?
Principal applicants for a temporary partner visa may include their dependent children or stepchildren.
Dependent Children
Children can be included in your visa application, provided they fall under one of the below categories:
Category 1
They are under 18 years of age
They are your or your partner’s child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;Category 2
They are over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner’s child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;Category 3
They are over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to *physical or cognitive limitations
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner’s child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship*Such child/ren will still need to meet Australia’s health requirements for the visa to be granted.
Note: The child must meet the dependency criteria at the time of application submission as well as at the time of decision-making.
How long does it take to get a Sc 309 or 820 temporary partnership visa for Australia?
The official processing times are advertised as 21-28 months for Sc 309 visa and 23-30 months for Sc 820 visa, however priority processing is currently in place for partner visas.
What are the fees?
Sc 309-100 and Sc 820-801 visa application fees are currently AUD$,7850 for the main applicant, AUD$3,930 for any secondary applicant aged 18 and above and AUD$1,965 for any secondary applicant under the age of 18.
Australian Shores’ consultancy fees are quoted through our online assessment.
Our Partner Visa Service includes
- Your personal adviser will manage everything required for the entire process, taking all the stress off your shoulders.
- We will apply for the necessary visa(s) on your behalf.
- Settlement advice and support once you receive your visa.
Not sure what visa is right for you?
Take our online eligibility assessment or get in touch with our team!
