Partner and Family Visas
Partner Visas
We provide assistance for partners and spouses including Prospective Marriage Visas, Spouse Visas, and De Facto Partner Visas. These visas are about keeping you all together as a family and we will ensure we do all we can to facilitate this.
If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you may be eligible for a partner visa if you and your partner are:
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Married
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Engaged to be married
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Are in a de facto relationship
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Have registered your relationship with a relevant State / Territory authority
There are three pathways through which partners of Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents can obtain a visa for Australia which will be dependent on your individual circumstance.
Partner Visa (Onshore) subclass 820 and 801
This visa is available to those who are married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian Permanent Resident or Citizen, or eligible NZ Citizen. An applicant for this visa must be in Australia.
The subclass 820 (stage 1) requires that you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for 12 months, be married or have registered your relationship with a relevant State / Territory authority.
Evidence of a continuing relationship must be submitted from the 820 application date which will allow the Department of Home Affairs to proceed to the permanent visa stage - the subclass 801 visa.
Upon grant of the temporary 820 visa, the applicants is entitled to Medicare and both work and study rights.
Partner Visa (Offshore) subclass 309 and 100
This visa is available to those who are married to or in a de facto relationship with an Australian Permanent Resident or Citizen, or an eligible New Zealand Citizen. This pathway is for applicants who are located outside of Australia.
An applicant must be outside of Australia when the temporary Subclass 309 visa is granted. They can enter Australia immediately from the date of the visa grant and access Medicare, work rights and study rights.
Applicants will be granted a Subclass 309 visa before being provided an opportunity to apply for a permanent subclass 100 visa two years after the original application was submitted.
Subclass 300 (Temporary Residence) - Prospective Marriage Visa
This visa is available to those who are engaged to be married to an Australian Permanent Resident or Citizen, or an eligible New Zealand Citizen.
This pathway is for applicants who are outside of Australia. Once granted, the subclass 309 visa allows the holder to enter Australia and marry their Australian partner within a nine-month period.
Prior to the end of this nine-month period, applicants can apply for an onshore Subclass 820 / 801 visa. This visa allows holders to access work and study rights.
Family Visas
Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa subclass 870
On 17 April 2019, a new temporary parent visa - subclass 870 - opened for applications.
The 870 visa allows parents to live temporarily in Australia for three years or five years without needing to depart Australia during the course of their visa.
With this visa you can:
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reunite with children
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visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa
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re-apply for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas to visit up to a maximum period of 10 years in Australia
This is a temporary visa. This visa does not lead to permanent residence. You cannot apply for a permanent parent visa when you have this visa.
You can stay for a cumulative maximum 10 year period.
You cannot stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for another visa.
You must be outside Australia for at least 90 days before being eligible to be granted another Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, unless you have Permission to Apply in Australia.
If you have held Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas for the cumulative maximum 10 year period, you must either depart Australia or apply for another kind of visa that will allow you to remain in Australia. You will not be eligible for grant of a further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
Parent Visa subclass 103
The subclass 103 parent visa is open to parents with a child or children permanently settled in Australia. This includes citizens, permanent residents and eligible citizens of New Zealand.
*This visa has a very long processing period and could be as many as 30 years