Submitting a visa application is the first step in obtaining temporary or permanent residence in Australia. While most visa applications are finalised in 6-12 months, some visa applications such as the Partner Visa can take up to 24 months to finalise.

As such it is important to consider not only the documents, information and situation at the time of submitting your application, but also to be aware of what needs to be done until the visa is granted.

2018 Update & Related Articles: 

Partner Visa Sponsorship & Policy Update 2018: Changes Affecting Processing Times & Force Offshore Partner Visa Applications

What do you need to do after you have submitted your partner visa application?

24 months of uncertainty over the visa application outcome can add stress to the relationship between partners. It is important that the relationship remain strong throughout the application process and also continue to collect and build evidence that shows an ongoing and growing relationship. Even after submitting your application, you should continue to:

• gather documents that show co-habitation, such as utility bills in both names or letters to both addressed to the same address
• compile photographs of both together at social events
• share financial responsibilities and actively use joint bank accounts for financial transactions

There are more that can be done but the above are some examples that require continuation even after lodging your partner visa application. Case officers can call to ask questions, or make site visits to determine the authenticity of the relationship and application. Any deterioration or adverse effect to the relationship will decrease the chances of a successful visa application.

The 2 Year Provisional Period

Most partner visas that are approved are provisional for a period of at least 2 years from the date of visa application. While the applicant holds Australian temporary residency and has access to Medicare, the temporary residency status can be revoked if the relationship dissolves within 2 years from the date of visa application lodgement. Therefore it is important to note that the relationship must continue to exist for at least 2 years from the date when the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) received the partner visa application.

Once the 2 years have passed the applicant and sponsor should pro-actively contact the DIBP if they have not received any contact from the Department. You can initiate the second stage assessment for the permanent partner visa by using the information and instructions on the Partner (Permanent) Calculator on the DIBP website. Usually the Department will send you correspondence for this so it is very important that you update the Department if your residential or correspondence address has changed over the 2 year period.

Once the assessment is completed the applicant will receive the permanent Partner Visa (subclass 801). You can only sponsor relatives when you receive the permanent Partner Visa.

What if there are complications to the relationship during the 2 year provisional period?

While it is a requirement to fulfil the 2 years before obtaining the permanent Partner Visa, it is possible to have the permanent visa granted earlier if the following circumstances occur:

• your sponsor or de facto partner dies, the relationship would have continued if they had not died, and you have developed close business, cultural or personal ties in Australia
• the relationship breaks down and there is a child of the relationship
• the relationship breaks down due to family violence

You will need to contact the Department immediately if the events above occur. It may also be helpful to seek the advice of a Registered Migration Agent first to assess the situation.

What if there is Domestic Violence?

There are provisions in the Migration Act to protect holders of the provisional partner visa against domestic violence. The provisions aim to protect provisional partner visa holders from being abused by partners who use the provisional visa status as leverage. While it is unpleasantly true that such cases do occur, the victims of domestic violence must provide enough evidence to the Department to support such claims.

You are advised to seek the advice of a Registered Migration Agent with experience in such cases to assess the evidence you have to claim domestic violence in the relationship.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

The Australian Partner Visa application has been plagued with increasingly longer waiting periods and this has made the uncertain waiting period a test to a couple’s relationship. It will be harrowing to find out that the visa application is refused after waiting for close to 24 months. As such it is best to submit an application that is strong with supporting evidence at the beginning, to ensure the best chances of success for the application. Prepare your application well before submitting it to the DIBP.

Another note is that applicants with Schedule 3 considerations, where the applicant was unlawful in Australia at the time of application, are less likely to receive waivers as the Department has been very strict in assessing the “compelling reasons” criteria. If you are an applicant with Schedule 3 considerations, please check with a Registered Migration Agent first before lodging your Partner Visa application.

This information is accurate on 8 April 2016

Source:

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/801-

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 The price of assisting your fiancé, de facto or married partner to obtain an Australian residence visa is getting costlier.  The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has announced an increase in visa application charges (VAC) for partner visas.  The 50% VAC increase will be effective 1 January 2015.  Here are the numbers:

• Offshore provisional and permanent partner visas - currently $3085 increased to $4630.00
• Prospective marriage visa - currently $3085 increased to $4630.00
• Onshore temporary and permanent partner visas - currently $4575 increased to $6865.00

This move is expected to provide DIBP with an additional A$373.6 million over four years, for the purpose of funding whole-of-government policy priorities.

At the same time DIBP has announced a planned increase in the intake of refugees for the year 2017-18.

What Do We Think

• The significant increase of 50% in the VAC is in effect a punishment for Australian citizens and permanent residents who have partners from overseas
• There is no promise of better service or shorter process times to go with the increase in fees.  Rather it is 50% higher fees at the same level of service.  From the date of application partner visas currently take approximately 1 year to be granted
• Bringing a partner in to Australia to start a family and contributing to the planned population growth will be more difficult financially

(net overseas migration currently contributes to 60% of Australia’s population growth)
Source: DIBP Fact sheet 15 - population growth

• The VAC increase is similar to what Skilled Migration applicants experienced in July 2013 when fees were changed to charge per person instead of per family application.  Read our previous article here

What Can You Do

• If you intend to apply for a partner visa, submit your visa application before 1 January 2015 to avoid the VAC increase
• If you need information about your current situation and to find out which visa is best for you to bring your partner into Australia, contact a Registered Migration Agent now

Source:

DIBP Website

http://www.immi.gov.au/News/Pages/increase-in-partner-vac.aspx

https://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/15population.htm

SBS Website

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/12/15/govt-cash-visas-foreign-love

This information is accurate on the 16 December 2014.  DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Family Migration Stream which includes Partner Visa applications.  We can also assist with Skilled Migration visa applications for candidates looking for other options.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091 

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why are Partner Visas Number one for Christmas?

Every year I notice that in the weeks leading up to Christmas there is a dramatic rise in the number of visa enquiries about Partner Visas. 

There may be a number of reasons for this and here are some of my explanations:

With the warmer weather and festive season, love may be in the air. 

·         It is common for WHV holders  to meet someone special that is an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident, and to consider lodging a Partner Visa onshore. Working Holiday Visas holders often arrived in Australia in summer and often their visas are nearing expiry late in the year.  On the 30 June 2014, between the Work and Holiday Visa (462) and the Working Holiday Visa (417), there was a total number of 151,201 visa holders. 

·         Student visa holders often have a visa expiry date of the 15 March and so in December they may be considering their next visa, which if they are in a relationship with an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident, may be a Partner Visa.

·         It could be that the approaching end of the year means that people start planning or the next year and a Partner visa may feature in the planning. 

Whatever the reason, if you are interested in applying for a Partner visa, or in being a sponsor for a Partner visa, then the following information may be useful.

Which Partner Visa should I you apply for?

Which one is best, depends a lot on your situation.

There are three main options in terms for partner visas.

·         Partner Visa Onshore

·         Partner Visa Offshore

·         Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Visa)

The Partner Criteria are also very relevant if you are adding a partner to an existing visa.  When adding a Partner, the key difference, is that the application is based on one of the partners holding a relevant visa, and not on one of the partners being an Australian Citizen or permanent resident.   The common criteria of a spouse relationship – a continuing and genuine relationship to the exclusion of others, will apply.

I will provide some information on these various options.

Partner Visa Onshore – Temporary and Permanent

All partner visas must have a sponsor and a primary visa applicant. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen that is in a relationship with the primary visa applicant.

The primary visa applicant must be in a relationship with the sponsor.

To qualify for a partner visa you must be in a married or de facto relationship:

•        The marriage must be recognised under Australian law or;
•        The de facto relationship must have existed for 12 months prior to applying, unless you be able to show that compelling and compassionate circumstance apply. De facto relationships include same-sex relationships.

In some states and territories it is possible to register a relationship which can then mean the 12 months de facto requirement does not need to be met. 

You must be able to provide evidence to support the genuine and continuing nature of your relationship including:

·         Financial evidence supporting your mutual commitment to your partner.

·         Social and public nature of the relationship.

·         Evidence detailing your mutual and exclusive commitment to each other. Factors considered by the Department include the time spent living together and the length of the relationship.

The visa application can include dependent children and may be able to include dependent relatives.

Partner visas are usually a two staged process. You must first apply for a temporary (provisional) Partner visa, which allows you to travel to and live in Australia.

If you meet criteria including the relationship continuing two years after being granted the provisional visa, then you may be able to receive a permanent Partner visa.

In some circumstances, you may receive a permanent Partner visa straight away, such as when the relationship has been ongoing for several years or more, or when there are children of the relationship.

Partner Visa Offshore – Temporary and Permanent

The criteria are the same as for the onshore, as explained above.

The difference is that the application must be lodged offshore, at the closest Australian Embassy and the applicant must also be outside of Australia at the time of decision.

This type of visa is suitable for situations including:

·         The applicant is from a high risk country (by DIBP standards) and it is difficult or impossible to get a visitor visa to Australia.

·         The applicant has a visitor visa for Australia, but it has a ‘No Further Stay’ condition, which prevents an application from being lodged in Australia.

·         The applicant has a job outside of Australia and wants to be able to keep working in their job up until the time of a decision on the visa application.  In some circumstance it may be difficult to get an Australian visa with work rights prior to the partner visa being granted.

·         The visa applicant’s last Australian visa application which was lodged in Australia and was refused, and this has meant that schedule three criteria will apply to an onshore partner application, meaning an offshore application will be more attractive.

Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Visa)

This visa allows a visa applicant to come to Australia and marry their sponsor within the required timeframe.

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen that is in a relationship with the visa applicant.

The primary visa applicant must be in a spouse relationship with the sponsor.

You must be able to provide evidence to support the genuine and continuing nature of your relationship including:

·         Financial evidence supporting their mutual commitment to your partner.

·         Social and public nature of the relationship.

·         Evidence detailing your mutual and exclusive commitment to each other.

·         Evidence of an intention to marry, including details regarding the planned marriage.

For a Fiancé visa the level of evidence required in relation to your relationship may not be as not high as it is for a Partner temporary or permanent visa.

This visa is often appropriate where it is not possible, or not culturally appropriate, for you to live together with your spouse for an extended period prior to marriage.

The sponsor and applicant are required to get married within nine months of the Fiancé visa grant.

Following the marriage you will have to apply for a Partner visa to allow you to continue to live in Australia.

Adding a Partner to Your Current Australian Visa?

Some Australian visas allow you to add your partner and dependent children. For example, this is possible for a temporary worker on a subclass 457 visa.

Partner Visa Refusals and appeals to MRT

Partner visa refusals can be reviewed by the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT).

We are able to assist you with the process.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, Immigration Lawyer and Migration Agent Chris Johnston provides migration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

Warning -This information is accurate on the 22 November 2014.  

DIBP and can change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging a skills assessment or visa application.

Sources:

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/pdf/working-holiday-report-jun14.pdf

Do you Need Help with a Partner Application or Appeal?

If you require further information or assistance in relation to a Partner visa, adding a partner to a or an appeal of an partner visa refusal to the MRT, we can help you.

Contact us on (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why are Partner Visas Number one for Christmas?

Every year I notice that in the weeks leading up to Christmas there is a dramatic rise in the number of visa enquiries about Partner Visas. 

There may be a number of reasons for this and here are some of my explanations:

With the warmer weather and festive season, love may be in the air. 

·         It is common for WHV holders  to meet someone special that is an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident, and to consider lodging a Partner Visa onshore. Working Holiday Visas holders often arrived in Australia in summer and often their visas are nearing expiry late in the year.  The number of working holiday maker visa holders in Australia on 30 September 2013 was 166 260.

·         Student visa holders often have a visa expiry date of the 15 March and so in December they may be considering their next visa, which if they are in a relationship with an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident, may be a Partner Visa.

·         It could be that the approaching end of the year means that people start planning or the next year and a Partner visa may feature in the planning. 

Whatever the reason, if you are interested in applying for a Partner visa, or in being a sponsor for a Partner visa, then the following information may be useful.

Which Partner Visa should I you apply for?

Which one is best, depends a lot on your situation.

There are three main options in terms for partner visas.

·         Partner Visa Onshore

·         Partner Visa Offshore

·         Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Visa)

The Partner Criteria are also very relevant if you are adding a partner to an existing visa.  When adding a Partner, the key difference, is that the application is based on one of the partners holding a relevant visa, and not on one of the partners being an Australian Citizen or permanent resident.   The common criteria of a spouse relationship – a continuing and genuine relationship to the exclusion of others, will apply.

I will provide some information on these various options.

Partner Visa Onshore – Temporary and Permanent

All partner visas must have a sponsor and a primary visa applicant. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen that is in a relationship with the primary visa applicant.

The primary visa applicant must be in a relationship with the sponsor.

To qualify for a partner visa you must be in a married or de facto relationship:

• The marriage must be recognised under Australian law or;
• The de facto relationship must have existed for 12 months prior to applying, unless you be able to show that compelling and compassionate circumstance apply. De facto relationships include same-sex relationships.

In some states and territories it is possible to register a relationship which can then mean the 12 months de facto requirement does not need to be met. 

You must be able to provide evidence to support the genuine and continuing nature of your relationship including:

·         Financial evidence supporting your mutual commitment to your partner.

·         Social and public nature of the relationship.

·         Evidence detailing your mutual and exclusive commitment to each other. Factors considered by the Department include the time spent living together and the length of the relationship.

The visa application can include dependent children and may be able to include dependent relatives.

Partner visas are usually a two staged process. You must first apply for a temporary (provisional) Partner visa, which allows you to travel to and live in Australia.

If you meet criteria including the relationship continuing two years after being granted the provisional visa, then you may be able to receive a permanent Partner visa.

In some circumstances, you may receive a permanent Partner visa straight away, such as when the relationship has been ongoing for several years or more, or when there are children of the relationship.

Partner Visa Offshore – Temporary and Permanent

The criteria are the same as for the onshore, as explained above.

The difference is that the application must be lodged offshore, at the closest Australian Embassy and the applicant must also be outside of Australia at the time of decision.

This type of visa is suitable for situations including:

·         The applicant is from a high risk country (by DIBP standards) and it is difficult or impossible to get a visitor visa to Australia.

·         The applicant has a visitor visa for Australia, but it has a ‘No Further Stay’ condition, which prevents an application from being lodged in Australia.

·         The applicant has a job outside of Australia and wants to be able to keep working in their job up until the time of a decision on the visa application.  In some circumstance it may be difficult to get an Australian visa with work rights prior to the partner visa being granted.

·         The visa applicant’s last Australian visa application which was lodged in Australia and was refused, and this has meant that schedule three criteria will apply to an onshore partner application, meaning an offshore application will be more attractive.

Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Visa)

This visa allows a visa applicant to come to Australia and marry their sponsor within the required timeframe.

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen that is in a relationship with the visa applicant.

The primary visa applicant must be in a spouse relationship with the sponsor.

You must be able to provide evidence to support the genuine and continuing nature of your relationship including:

·         Financial evidence supporting their mutual commitment to your partner.

·         Social and public nature of the relationship.

·         Evidence detailing your mutual and exclusive commitment to each other.

·         Evidence of an intention to marry, including details regarding the planned marriage.

For a Fiancé visa the level of evidence required in relation to your relationship may not be as not high as it is for a Partner temporary or permanent visa.

This visa is often appropriate where it is not possible, or not culturally appropriate, for you to live together with your spouse for an extended period prior to marriage.

The sponsor and applicant are required to get married within nine months of the Fiancé visa grant.

Following the marriage you will have to apply for a Partner visa to allow you to continue to live in Australia.

Adding a Partner to Your Current Australian Visa?

Some Australian visas allow you to add your partner and dependent children. For example, this is possible for a temporary worker on a subclass 457 visa.

Partner Visa Refusals and appeals to MRT

Partner visa refusals can be reviewed by the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT).

We are able to assist you with the process.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, Immigration Lawyer and Migration Agent Chris Johnston provides migration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

Do you Need Help with a Partner Application or Appeal?

If you require further information or assistance in relation to a Partner visa, adding a partner to a or an appeal of an partner visa refusal to the MRT , we can help you.

Contact us on (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sources: BR0169 Temporary entrants and New Zealand citizens in Australia as at 30 September 2013, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/pdf/temp-entrants-newzealand-sep13.pdf

Warning -This information is accurate on the 15 DEC 2013.  

DIBP and can change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging a skills assessment or visa application.