Partner visa: how it works

Short summary

A partner visa lets the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia. It is not a single visa. You apply for a temporary and a permanent stage together, and they are decided at different times. Which subclasses you use depends on whether you are in Australia or overseas when you apply.

The two pathways

Where you are when you lodge decides your pathway.

Onshore (you are in Australia): you apply for the subclass 820 temporary visa, which leads to the subclass 801 permanent visa. When you lodge, you are usually granted a Bridging visa A that lets you stay lawfully, with work rights, while you wait. If you need to travel overseas before the 820 is decided, you must apply for a Bridging visa B first, or your bridging visa can cease.

Offshore (you are outside Australia): you apply for the subclass 309 temporary visa, which leads to the subclass 100 permanent visa. You generally need to be outside Australia when the temporary visa is decided. Once it is granted, you can move to Australia.

Both pathways lead to the same place: permanent residence, and later a possible pathway to citizenship.

It is a two-stage process

This is the part most people misunderstand. You lodge the temporary and permanent applications together, but they are assessed at different times.

Stage one is the temporary visa (820 or 309). Stage two, the permanent visa (801 or 100), is usually assessed about two years after you first lodged. At stage two, the Department checks that your relationship is still genuine and continuing. Because of this, most couples are looking at several years from first application to permanent residence.

Who can apply

To be eligible, in general:

• Your partner (the sponsor) must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• You must be in a genuine and continuing relationship, either married or de facto.
• If you are de facto, you usually need to have lived together for at least 12 months before applying, unless your relationship is registered under an Australian state or territory law.
• You must meet health and character requirements, which includes police certificates from countries where you have lived.

Both you and your sponsor must meet the requirements. A problem on either side can affect the whole application.

What it costs

Partner visas are among the most expensive Australian visas. The Department's base application charge is a single large fee that covers both the temporary and permanent stages, and it is not refunded if the application is refused. There are extra charges for dependent children, and if you already hold a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) a fee reduction applies. On top of the government fee, budget for health examinations, police certificates, document translations, and any professional help. Fees change, so check the current charge on the Department of Home Affairs website before you lodge.

How long it takes

Processing times are long and they change month to month. As of early 2026, the Department reported a median of around 17 months for the temporary partner visa stage, with many cases falling in a range of roughly 12 to 24 months. The permanent stage is assessed about two years after lodgement. The Department publishes current times on its processing times page, and the best single thing you can do to avoid delay is lodge a complete, well-evidenced application, since missing documents and requests for more information are common causes of delay.

What to do next

Partner visas turn heavily on proving a genuine relationship, and the evidence and timing can be complex. Getting advice early can help you avoid delays or refusal. You can search VisaMatch for verified migration agents and immigration lawyers who handle partner and family visas, filtered by location and language.