Partner Visas

Often, yes. An earlier refusal on a different visa does not automatically block a new partner visa application. It does change what has to be addressed, and how the application is prepared. The detail matters: which visa was refused, why, and where you are now. Tell us what happened on the free consultation and we will give you a straight answer about your options.

Processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change regularly. We point you at the current published figures rather than quoting our own. You can check the current global visa processing times for your subclass on the Department’s website (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au). We will tell you what to expect for your situation on the free consultation.

Two things are worth knowing when you are deciding whether to lodge now or later. The Department sets the visa application charge and reviews it each year. Changes normally take effect on 1 July. The figure on this page is current as at 1 July 2026.

The second thing is your own timing. If you are in Australia on a temporary visa, the window to lodge while you still hold it gets shorter the longer you wait. We will explain what that means for your situation on the free consultation.

Lodging sooner does not improve your chance of approval. It affects cost and timing, not the decision.

All Partner Visa applications have the same government application fee. As of 1 July 2026 it is $11,710 (AUD) for the main applicant, set by the Department of Home Affairs. Additional applicants are charged separately ($5,860 per additional adult, $2,935 per child). This is the Government charge that every applicant pays, and it is separate from our professional fee.

A Partner visa is made up of two subclasses, one temporary and one permanent. You apply for both at the same time. You are usually assessed for the temporary part first. Once granted, the temporary visa lets you stay and work in Australia. It covers you until a decision is made on the permanent visa. You can be assessed for the permanent part two years after you lodged the Partner visa application. If you are in a long-term relationship, you may be considered for the permanent visa straight away, skipping the temporary part.

You might be in Australia and hold a substantive visa when we lodge your onshore Partner visa application. In most cases you will then be granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA). The BVA lets you stay in Australia while your Partner visa application is processed. It will not let you re-enter Australia if you leave during that time. Tell us straight away if you have travel plans. We will apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) so that you can travel.

Your work rights depend on the visa you held when you lodged your onshore Partner Visa application. The conditions on that visa matter too. Most people have unrestricted work rights once they move onto a BVA (bridging visa A).

You may hold a valid visa that allows multiple entries into Australia. If so, you are free to travel in and out, within the limits of that visa. Once you move onto a BVA (bridging visa A), it will not let you re-enter Australia if you leave during processing. You need permission before you go, so you would apply for a Bridging Visa B. Tell us straight away if you have travel plans. We will apply for a BVB (bridging visa B) so that you can travel and re-enter Australia.

You do not have to be married before you lodge a Partner Visa (subclass 309/100 or subclass 820/801). To be eligible to apply for a partner visa, you can be:

• married, or
• in a de facto relationship for 12 months before applying, or
• in a relationship that is registered under a prescribed Australian state or territory legislation, or
• have compelling and compassionate circumstances applicable to your relationship.

In all cases, you must be in a genuine, ongoing relationship to the mutual exclusion of all others.

To be a de facto partner, you must be in a de facto relationship. You and your partner are in a de facto relationship if:

• you are not married to each other
• you have a mutual commitment with your de facto partner to the exclusion of all others
• your relationship is genuine and continuing
• you live together, or do not live permanently apart
• you are not related by family

Usually you must be in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before you apply for this visa. Time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count as being in a de facto relationship.

The 12-month requirement will not apply if you can show us compelling and compassionate circumstances exist for you to be granted the temporary Partner visa (subclass 820).

It also will not apply if your partner holds or held a permanent humanitarian visa. In that case, your de facto relationship must have existed before that visa was granted. Your partner must also have told us about the relationship before that visa was granted.

It will not apply either if your de facto partner has applied for a permanent humanitarian visa. It will not apply if you have registered your relationship with an Australian authority, such as a registry of births, deaths and marriages.

Yes. Different states and territories in Australia have different rules, and fees may apply. We strongly recommend you check this with the education provider directly, or with that state’s education department.

You will need a health examination before your Partner Visa is processed. We recommend it happens about 6-8 months after you lodge. Health checks expire every 12 months, and processing can take longer than that. There is no requirement to pass an English test.

Offshore temporary Partner visas carry a condition: you must first enter Australia before a set date. A Prospective Marriage visa requires you to marry within a set time after the visa is granted. Other conditions may apply to children who have been included. ADI Immigration will tell you about these conditions when your visa is granted. Most importantly, during the temporary part of your Partner Visa, a breakdown in your relationship can lead to cancellation. Speak to ADI Immigration straight away if that happens.

Your Partner Visa does not have an expiry date. It is granted with a 5 year travel facility. Unless you become a citizen, you will need another visa to enter Australia once that travel facility expires. A Resident Return Visa is the usual one.

Yes, you generally can include your children in your visa application. There are specific requirements for children over the age of 18 to demonstrate dependency.

You or your partner may have a child from an earlier relationship. That child may be able to be included in your application. Or they may need their own Child Visa. We will work out which applies to you.

Your visa may be at risk of cancellation. That depends on many factors, including how the relationship ended. In some cases you may keep your Partner visa. Please contact ADI Immigration to discuss this privately.

In some cases you can ask for a waiver of the no further stay condition. The waiver must be approved before you can apply for this visa. Please speak to us if you need help.

No. You must apply online. You can apply by paper only in limited circumstances, and only by invitation.