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Partnervisum for Australia

Your pathway to an Australian partner visa.

Australian Partner Visa

Living together and making Australia your home.

On this page:

  • Which partner visa categories are available?
  • Which relationship evidence is required?
  • What to consider if children are included?

How can I get an Australian partner visa?

Love doesn’t recognise borders – but visa requirements can be complex. The Australian partner visa allows spouses, de facto partners and fiancés of Australian citizens and permanent residents to live together in Australia on a permanent basis.

Depending on your situation – whether you are already married, engaged, or in an established de facto relationship – there are different visa options. On this page you’ll find a clear overview of the visa types, key requirements such as the Balance of Family Test, typical rights and potential pitfalls.

Visa options for partners of Australians

Whether you are engaged, married or in a de facto relationship – there are several visa options that can fit your situation and future plans. Key factors are where you are currently living, your relationship status and your long-term plans in Australia.

Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)

Getting married in Australia

The Prospective Marriage Visa is for fiancés of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens. It allows you to travel to Australia to get married there and then apply for a partner visa afterwards. This visa lets you start your life together in Australia as a couple – and as a family.

The application must be lodged outside Australia.

What this visa allows:
  • Travel to Australia in order to marry your Australian partner
  • Apply for a partner visa afterwards so you can remain in Australia
Key requirements:
  • Sponsorship by the Australian partner
  • Meeting health and character requirements

Partner Visa Offshore (Subclass 309/100)

Moving to Australia on a partner visa

The offshore partner visa (subclass 309 – temporary / 100 – permanent) is for spouses or de facto partners of Australian citizens and permanent residents who are living outside Australia and wish to move to Australia together once the visa is granted.

What this visa allows:
  • Permanent migration to Australia
  • Access to work, study and Medicare
Key requirements:
  • Marriage or de facto relationship with an Australian partner
  • Evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship
  • Meeting health and character requirements

Partner Visa Onshore (Subclass 820/801)

Staying with your partner in Australia

The onshore partner visa (subclass 820 – temporary / 801 – permanent) is for applicants who are already in Australia – for example on a work visa, student visa or visitor visa. Once the application is lodged, you receive a bridging visa, which allows you to remain in Australia while your partner visa is being processed.

This pathway is ideal if you are already living together in Australia or your partner is working in Australia and you wish to continue the relationship here.

What this visa allows:
  • Permanent residence in Australia
  • Live, work and study in Australia while the application is processed
Key requirements:
  • Evidence of a genuine relationship (marriage or de facto)
  • Onshore application with a valid visa at the time of lodgement
  • Health and character requirements, plus sponsorship by the Australian partner

What about visas for the children?

If children are part of the family, there are several ways to include them in the process – depending on where they live, their visa status and whether one parent is already an Australian citizen.

Citizenship by Descent or by Birth

citizenship without a visa application

If one parent is an Australian citizen, Australian citizenship by descent can usually be applied for quite easily, or the child may become an Australian citizen automatically by birth, depending on whether they are born inside or outside Australia.

The key advantage: the child obtains Australian citizenship without needing a prior visa process and can apply straight away for an Australian passport – independent of the other parent’s visa status.

Offshore or Onshore Partner Visa

one visa application for the family

Minor and financially dependent children can be included in a partner visa application as dependant applicants – both in onshore and offshore applications.

This is particularly suitable for children from previous relationships or where the requirements for citizenship were not met at the time of birth. The children receive the same visa status as the main applicant and therefore long-term residence rights in Australia.

Child Visa (Subclass 101 / 802)

own PR for children

A child visa is usually relevant where children are born outside Australia after the parents have already been granted permanent residence.

It allows the child, as a separate applicant, to obtain Australian permanent residence – especially for families who have already completed the visa process successfully but are still living overseas or spending time outside Australia.

  • What the partner visa allows

With a partner visa, you can live, work and study in Australia. You have access to Medicare, the public health system, and enjoy most of the rights of an Australian permanent resident. Initially, a temporary visa is usually granted – moving to the permanent stage depends on the relationship continuing. Once permanent residence has been approved, that status remains even if the relationship later ends.

  • Married or de facto?

A marriage certificate is not strictly required. What matters is that there is a genuine and continuing relationship – an authentic, stable and ongoing partnership. This can be recognised either as a marriage or as a de facto relationship.

Equally, the fact that you are married is not, on its own, enough for a successful partner visa application. Decisive are the lived connection and your shared life.

  • Key challenge with partner visas: proving a genuine relationship

A central aspect of all partner visas is demonstrating that your relationship is genuine, committed and ongoing.

The Department of Home Affairs assesses evidence across four main areas:

  • Financial aspects – e.g. joint accounts, shared financial commitments, leases or property
  • Social recognition – e.g. friends and family, joint activities, how your relationship is perceived publicly
  • Nature of the household – e.g. living arrangements, daily life and how you share responsibilities
  • Commitment to each other – e.g. intention to marry, long-term plans, children, future obligations

If strong evidence is missing, processing can be delayed or the application refused. A structured and consistent set of documents is therefore essential.

Which partner visa is right for me?

Couples are in very different situations: some are planning to marry and start their life together in Australia, others already live together – either in Australia or overseas – and want to formalise their status.

Guiding questions:

  • Do you want to marry before moving to Australia – or are you already living there and want to stay?

  • Have you lived together for a significant period, or are you a newer couple – or have you mainly been in a long-distance relationship so far?

  • How quickly do you want to move to Australia? Do you have a fixed, tight timeline or is it more of a medium-term plan?

  • Do you see your future primarily in Australia, or only want to live there for a period of time?

Depending on your starting point, a Prospective Marriage Visa, an offshore partner visa or an onshore partner visa can be the right pathway. We outline the realistic options – clearly, transparently and tailored to your situation.

Alternatives to a partner visa

A partner visa is not always immediately available or the best option. In such cases there are alternatives that still allow you to spend time with your partner in Australia:

An eVisitor, ETA or Visitor Visa (subclass 600) allows short to medium-term stays and – depending on the grant – multiple entries during the visa validity.

If you have a job offer, an employer-sponsored work visa may allow you to live in Australia for several years and be close to your partner.

These pathways build a bridge until the requirements for a permanent partner visa are met – or until a long-term stay becomes possible via another route.

Your individual partner visa consultation

Our consultation makes it clear what is possible – and what isn’t. A registered migration agent guides you step by step. Whether your relationship is still relatively new or already long-established, our team supports you from strategic planning through to visa grant.

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Partner Visa - FAQS

FAQS

01 Who can apply for a partner visa?

Spouses, de facto partners or fiancés of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.

Partner visa subclass 309/100 is lodged outside Australia (offshore), subclass 820/801 inside Australia (onshore). Both lead to the same permanent status.

No. A de facto relationship that has existed for a meaningful period and is based on a shared household can also be recognised.

Likewise, being married on its own is not enough for a successful partner visa application.

A partnership that is essentially equivalent to a married couple’s life together – financially, socially and emotionally established.

If the permanent visa has already been granted, the end of the relationship has no effect. Your right to stay remains.

If the relationship breaks down before permanent residence is granted, it is different. The relationship is the basis for the visa; if it no longer exists, the foundation for the visa falls away. In such cases the Department can consider special provisions (for example family violence, death of the sponsor or where there are joint children).

Yes. Dependent children – including from previous relationships – can be included in a partner visa application, provided they meet the age and dependency criteria and the consent of the other parent is available.

Health conditions or a criminal record do not automatically rule out an application. The Department of Home Affairs assesses each case individually – particularly whether a health or character waiver may be available.

Visapath helps you identify potential risks early and prepare your application so that, despite special circumstances, it has the best possible chance of success.

Not necessarily, but it can have an impact. Australian sponsors can only support a limited number of partners in their lifetime, and there is usually a required gap between sponsorships.

The Department of Home Affairs will look at the individual circumstances, reasons and timing. In exceptional cases it may be possible to apply for a sponsorship limitation waiver. We help you check whether a previous sponsorship by your partner is an obstacle – and how your application can still be structured for success.

Yes, in principle that is possible – but long-distance relationships carry a higher level of risk. Many of the types of evidence the Department of Home Affairs looks for to confirm a genuine relationship – such as living together, shared finances or joint property – are naturally harder to demonstrate when you live apart.

That doesn’t mean an application is impossible. What matters is a thoughtful strategy and well-documented evidence of the authenticity and stability of your relationship.

We recommend carefully assessing your current situation before lodging an application. Are there already strong pieces of evidence, and how can they be presented clearly and convincingly? If the evidence base is still thin, it can be worth working on this strategically and putting a plan in place to strengthen it over time. Professional advice helps you avoid costly mistakes and prepare the strongest possible application.

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