Come to think of it, when residing in a foreign country for either study or work purposes, you may get hit with the feeling of being lonely. Moreover, if you have a partner back at home, it could get slightly more devastating than usual.
This is why you and your partner should look into the options of applying for an Australian Partner Visa! Applying for a partner visa in Australia enables your spouse or partner to have Australian citizenship or PR.
Australian Partner Visas are categorized into Onshore and Offshore visas, depending on whether you apply while inside or outside Australia. Further classified as temporary or permanent visas, and it depends on the length of stay that is allowed to the applicants.
Moreover, there’s another type of visa that does not fall in the mentioned categories, and that is the Prospective Marriage Visa, also normally referred to as a Fiance Visa. Indeed an amazing opportunity to start a new beginning together with your partner in Australia!
However, it can get easily complicated, to know which type you are eligible for, the category you need to choose, then comes the processing stage. Well, no need to get overwhelmed as of yet, we are here to make it simpler for you. As our blog is aimed to provide a complete guide in applying for Australian Partner Visa – scroll down and get started!
What Are the Types of Partner Visa in Australia?
Onshore Partner Visas:
Onshore Partner visa will let you stay in Australia. First stage is provisional and After two years, it will determine whether you are eligible to apply for the permanent Onshore Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801) by submitting additional documents.
Your partner is to receive the permanent visa after two years of holding the temporary visa. The initial application and receipt of the Subclass 309 visa must occur while outside Australia, but your partner can be either inside or outside Australia whilst receiving the permanent visa.
Prospective Marriage Visas:
If you are engaged to an Australian citizen or resident and plan to marry them in Australia, you can apply for this visa. It allows you to stay in Australia for 9 to 15 months, during which time you must get married to your fiance.
What Are the Eligibility Conditions You Must Meet?
Your partner should be an Australian citizen, a PR, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Both, you and your partner, should be over 18 years or older.
Should be married or in a de facto relationship (that involves living together, sharing finances and domestic responsibilities, among other factors.)
At the time of application, your relationship’s duration should be at least twelve months or more.
The status of your relationship with your partners needs to be genuine and exclusive.
You must provide evidence, such as marriage certificates or ceremonial pictures, to demonstrate the authenticity of your relationship.
Eligibility of the sponsorship:
There’s a limit on sponsorship, so basically if your partner has sponsored more than two individuals in their lifetime, he/she cannot sponsor you.
There’s another catch, so if your partner has sponsored another PARTNER within the last five years, they cannot sponsor you.
Lastly, if there’s a history of your partner being sponsored and obtaining their own PR in the p of the last 5 years, they wouldn’t be eligible to sponsor you, and must wait for the 5 year period to end before being eligible.
Both you and your partner who’s sponsoring you, need to fulfill specific character requirements for eligibility.
Check out the table listing the type of documents you'll need to provide:
Document Type
Details
Financial Document
Financial documents that show the financial responsibilities between the partners, e.g. joint bank account statements, or joint mortgage or lease documents.
Household Document
To prove that you live with your partner, you need to show documents that justify the nature of the household, e.g. household bills in both names or mail or emails addressed to you both.
Social Aspect
You need to show proof of the social aspects of your relationship, e.g. mutual friends or involvement in community activities as a partner.
Proof of Commitment
Presenting evidence, that includes future plans and shared goals of the mutual commitment to a long-term relationship.
Proof of De Facto Commitment
Providing supporting documents that highlight the duration and growth of your relationship over time, e.g. mails, letters, text messages, or even call history.
The two-stage visa application process for Partner Visa:
Initially, you need to apply for both a temporary and permanent partner visa together, paying a single application fee.
Upon meeting the requirements, you will receive the temporary visa and be considered eligible to stay in Australia, while your application for the permanent visa is being processed.
After living in Australia for the duration of 2 years as a temporary visa holder, while your permanent partner visa is being reviewed.
At this stage, you will be required to submit additional documents to fulfill the processing of your visa application.
Cost for Visa Application:
The application fee for most applicants starts from $8,085 AUD. However, for individuals holding a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), the fee starts from $1,350 AUD.
Processing Time:
As per the Department of Home Affairs, as of the year 2023– the processing period for a permanent Partner visa begins from the date of eligibility, which is typically two years after applying for the temporary and permanent partner visas together.
Summary
Applying for a Partner Visa in Australia is an easy process with a critical approach and lengthy processing time. Well, all good things have a bit of a catch, doesn’t it? However, doing everything the right way by following the right steps and waiting for them to fall into their places will surely result in a positive outcome.
Don’t leave yourself wondering what you could do, rather partner with the right migration consultants who can help you prepare the documents correctly and guide you accordingly through all the stages. It’s only about time, you will be planning a future with your partner in Australia! Make the wait worth it, by partnering with PFEC Global you can dream bigger and achieve greatness beyond the border together.
What is the approval rate for a Partner Visa in Australia?
Answer: Approximately 39% of partner visas, including those applied for within Australia and from overseas, were rejected in the 2016-2017 period. In the following year, around 42% of partner visa applications were denied. During the period from July 2019 to December 2019, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) upheld 21% of the decisions to refuse partner visas, both for those applied for within Australia and from overseas.
What can I do if my Partner Visa is rejected?
Answer: If a Partner visa application is rejected, there are two alternatives, you’ll either need to reapply or appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) once again.
Can I get a job in Australia with a Partner Visa?
Answer: Holding a partner visa, regardless of whether it is temporary, permanent, or for prospective spouses, you get to enjoy unrestricted work privileges in Australia.
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