Australia Partner Migration: a two-stage permanent residency pathway built on a genuine relationship
The Australian Partner Visa is a migration pathway built around a genuine and continuing partner relationship. By establishing and maintaining a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, applicants can progressively obtain Australian permanent residency.
The visa is offered through two pathways — onshore and offshore — and follows a two-stage assessment model: applicants first obtain a temporary visa, then transition to a permanent visa.
Newstarsec walks you through every angle of Australia partner migration — visa overview, eligibility, relationship authenticity assessment, application process and costs — so you can plan with full clarity.
Free assessment →The heart of the partner visa: proving your relationship is genuine and continuing
The partner visa hinges on proving a genuine and continuing relationship — not on meeting a single isolated criterion. It follows a two-stage assessment model: a temporary visa first, then conversion to a permanent visa.
1. Two application pathways
Onshore and offshore pathways correspond to different temporary-to-permanent visa combinations:
- Onshore (Subclass 820 → 801): 820 must be lodged inside Australia; 801 can be granted onshore or offshore
- Offshore (Subclass 309 → 100): 309 must be lodged outside Australia; 100 can be granted onshore or offshore
2. Onshore vs offshore — side by side
- Lodgement location: onshore applicants lodge Subclass 820 inside Australia; offshore applicants lodge Subclass 309 outside Australia
- Transitional visa: onshore applicants receive a bridging visa; offshore applicants do not
- Work rights: onshore bridging visa typically allows work; offshore applicants must wait for the visa to be granted before travelling to Australia
- Best suited for: onshore is for applicants already in Australia; offshore is for applicants overseas
3. Core features
- Does not rely on a points test or skilled occupation list
- No qualification or work experience requirements
- The assessment focuses on the authenticity of the relationship
- Dependant children can be included in the application
Onshore, offshore and prospective marriage — three application pathways
Depending on where the applicant is currently based and their relationship status, the partner visa splits into three pathways — onshore, offshore and prospective marriage — each pairing a different temporary visa with its permanent counterpart.
Partner migration onshore (Subclass 820 & 801)
For applicants already inside Australia:
- Subclass 820 temporary visa — lodged inside Australia
- Subclass 801 permanent visa — granted onshore or offshore
- Bridging visa allows lawful work during processing
Best for applicants already living in Australia who want to transition to permanent residency step by step from onshore.
Partner migration offshore (Subclass 309 & 100)
For applicants located outside Australia:
- Subclass 309 temporary visa — lodged outside Australia
- Subclass 100 permanent visa — granted onshore or offshore
- No transitional bridging visa — applicants wait for the grant before travelling to Australia
Suited to overseas applicants who travel to Australia once the Subclass 309 is granted.
Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300)
For couples not yet married but committed to marrying:
- Subclass 300 temporary visa — applicants must marry within the prescribed timeframe after entering Australia
- After marriage, applicants then apply for Subclass 820 / 801 to enter the permanent residency pathway
- Best for offshore couples who have not yet registered their marriage
After marriage, applicants transition to the onshore Subclass 820 / 801 pathway and progressively obtain Australian permanent residency.
Applicant and sponsor — eligibility on both sides
Partner visa eligibility covers two angles — sponsor requirements and applicant requirements — and the Department also defines clearly what kinds of relationship are accepted.
1. Sponsor requirements
- Must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- At least 18 years of age
- Generally required to provide character and income-related information
- Limits apply on the number of partners a sponsor can support within a given period
2. Applicant requirements
- Must be in a genuine and continuing partner relationship with the sponsor
- Meet health and character (police clearance) requirements
- Provide comprehensive relationship evidence
3. Accepted relationship types
Form alone is not the deciding factor — the focus is on whether the relationship is genuine and continuing:
- Married spouses
- De facto partners (cohabitation requirement generally applies)
Relationship authenticity assessment — the heart of the partner visa
The decision on a partner visa turns on the authenticity of the relationship, and the Department weighs evidence across multiple dimensions. The more structured and consistent the documentation, the more persuasive it is — no single piece of evidence is enough on its own; the goal is to build a complete relationship narrative.
1. Key assessment dimensions
- Financial: joint accounts and shared financial dealings
- Household: whether the couple lives together
- Social: whether family and friends recognise the relationship
- Future: whether there is a long-term plan to share a life together
2. Common supporting documents
- Joint accounts or shared bills
- Cohabitation evidence (e.g. rental agreements)
- Chat records and photographs
- Joint travel records
- Statutory declarations / supporting letters from family and friends
3. Key takeaways
- The more structured and consistent the documentation, the more persuasive it is
- No single piece of evidence is enough on its own
- The aim is to build a complete relationship narrative
Six steps — the full partner visa application process
From the initial relationship assessment to the grant of the permanent visa, a partner visa application typically moves through six stages.
Step 1: Relationship assessment
Confirm eligibility and decide whether the onshore or offshore pathway is the right fit.
Step 2: Prepare the application materials
Gather relationship evidence and prepare personal identity documents.
Step 3: Lodge the visa application
Lodge the temporary and permanent visa applications together and enter processing.
Step 4: Receive the temporary visa
Onshore applicants are granted Subclass 820; offshore applicants are granted Subclass 309.
Step 5: Continuing relationship assessment
Two years after lodgement of Subclass 309 or 820 (note: lodgement date, not grant date), applicants can progress to the permanent stage — the relationship must remain genuine and continuing.
Step 6: Receive the permanent visa
Onshore applicants are granted Subclass 801; offshore applicants are granted Subclass 100.
Partner visa costs at a glance
The overall cost of a partner visa includes the government application fee plus related expenses (medicals, police clearances, translations and notarisation).
1. Government fees
- Partner visa application fee: from approximately AUD 9,365 (indicative — always check the latest official figure)
2. Other costs
- Medical examinations: roughly AUD 300–500 per person
- Police clearances: vary by country
- Translation and notarisation: depends on the volume of documents
Not sure whether your relationship will meet the Department’s standards?
The critical question on a partner visa is not whether a relationship exists, but whether it can be clearly and comprehensively proven.
Newstarsec offers you:
- Relationship authenticity assessment
- Evidence structure design and optimisation
- Refusal risk analysis and tailored advice
Australia partner migration — frequently asked questions
1. Do I have to be married to apply for an Australian partner visa?
Not necessarily. The Australian partner visa accepts both married and de facto relationships. Unmarried applicants can apply as long as they can demonstrate their relationship is genuine, continuing and stable.
Generally, a de facto relationship needs to satisfy a minimum duration (such as a period of cohabitation or evidence of a stable foundation), although exceptions can apply in special circumstances. The deciding factor is not marriage itself — it is whether you can supply sufficient evidence that the relationship is genuine.
2. How long does it usually take to obtain PR through an Australian partner visa?
The partner visa generally has two stages: a temporary visa first (Subclass 820 or 309), then a permanent visa (Subclass 801 or 100).
In most cases, the journey from first lodgement to PR takes around 3 years. The exact timing depends on:
- Whether the application is complete
- Whether the relationship is clearly stable
- Departmental processing times
If the relationship is long-standing (for example, several years of marriage or shared children), processing can sometimes move more quickly.
3. Are Australian partner visas easily refused?
Common reasons for refusal include:
- Doubts about the authenticity of the relationship
- Incomplete or inconsistent documentation
- Inability to demonstrate cohabitation or a long-term relationship
Risk is noticeably higher for long-distance relationships, short-term relationships or applicants with weak supporting evidence. Success therefore depends on the structure and logic of your documentation, not simply on whether the relationship exists.
4. Can I apply for an Australian partner visa without cohabiting?
Yes, but you will need additional evidence of authenticity. Cohabitation is an important factor, but it is not the only one. Without cohabitation, you typically need to strengthen the case in other ways, such as:
- A long, stable record of communication
- Multiple in-person meetings or joint travel records
- Clear plans to share a future together
In short, the absence of cohabitation is not a deal-breaker, but it does require more evidence to compensate.
5. Can I work while my Australian partner visa is being processed?
It depends on the pathway:
- Onshore (Subclass 820): the bridging visa generally allows lawful work
- Offshore (Subclass 309): you must wait for the visa to be granted before working in Australia
For applicants already inside Australia, this is often a significant advantage.
6. Can I include my children in an Australian partner visa application?
Yes. Dependant children can be included as secondary applicants and receive the same status when the visa is granted. Things to keep in mind:
- Children must meet the dependency requirements
- Custody documents or written consent (where the other parent is involved) must be provided
7. Can I continue a partner visa application if the relationship ends?
Ordinarily, the end of the relationship affects the application. In certain special circumstances, however, it may still be possible to continue, for example:
- Where family violence is involved
- Where there are shared children and ongoing contact
- Where the application is already at a late processing stage
These situations require case-by-case analysis and cannot be treated as a one-size-fits-all rule.
8. How does the Department of Home Affairs assess relationship authenticity?
The Department weighs evidence across several dimensions rather than relying on a single document:
- Financial: shared financial arrangements
- Household: whether the couple lives together
- Social: whether the relationship is publicly recognised
- Future: whether there are long-term plans together
What matters is not the volume of evidence but whether it is consistent, genuine and forms a coherent narrative.
9. Can I apply for an Australian partner visa more than once?
Yes, but caution is needed if a previous application was refused. On a fresh application the Department will focus on:
- The reason for the earlier refusal
- Whether the underlying issues have been addressed
- Whether the new evidence is genuinely more persuasive
Without targeted changes, the risk of another refusal is high.
10. Where do partner visa applications most often run into trouble?
Common issues include:
- Fragmented evidence with no logical structure
- Inconsistent descriptions of the relationship
- Insufficient evidence or missing key documents
- Overlooked details (such as timeline errors)
Many applications fail not because the relationship is not genuine, but because it cannot be effectively proven.
11. Can long-distance couples apply for an Australian partner visa?
Yes, but with stronger evidence. For long-distance relationships, the Department typically pays closer attention to:
- How often the couple meets
- Communication records
- Shared plans for the future
Long periods without meeting in person or a lack of real-world contact will make the application markedly harder.
12. How can I improve my chances of success on an Australian partner visa?
Three things matter most:
- Authenticity: make sure the relationship itself is stable and genuine
- Completeness: cover every key dimension of evidence
- Narrative logic: present the evidence as a clear, coherent story
Many applicants meet the substantive criteria, but the way their evidence is presented ends up undermining the final outcome.
Take the next step on your partner migration journey
Onshore 820/801, offshore 309/100, prospective marriage 300 — Newstarsec walks you through a full end-to-end plan, from relationship authenticity assessment to the grant of your permanent visa, across all three partner visa pathways.
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