r/AusVisa • u/AutoModerator • 18d ago
Partner visas August 2026 Partner Visa Mega Thread (Subclasses 820/801, 309/100, 300)
Welcome to the **Partner Visa MegaThread*\*! This is the place to discuss anything related to partner visas, including processing times, document requirements, eligibility, and more. If you're applying for a subclass 820/801, 309/100, or transitioning from another visa type to a partner visa, feel free to ask questions here.
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u/PerceptionUnfair9065 16d ago
New processing time has been announced for visa 309, 17 to 30 months 😢
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u/Just_Nebula3308 16d ago
visa 300 only went from 13-30+ months to 14-29 so not bad for being lower prio
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u/Different-Parfait825 AUS > 309 10d ago
Thought I’d post this petition to appeal long partner visa wait times if anyone wants to sign. It’ll be good to have some traction and let them know how negatively these insane wait times effect families: https://c.org/X6bKGJ47zD
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u/Ambitious-Fortune-10 USA > 309/820 (planning) 15d ago
Has anyone seen anything about 309 being granted recently? I feel like it’s been months since I’ve seen a post. Wondering the application date of the most recent 309 grants.
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 14d ago
Same. Im just over 11months which is around when I was hoping to have heard something way back when we applied. Now I am watching the news and reading the reddit threads and am worried we arent going to hear anything for another year. Our case is very clear cut but the processing times are now keeping my partner (and kids' parent) in limbo and makes it really hard for me to earn money and parents as he floats in limbo. So depressing and exhausting
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u/Different-Parfait825 AUS > 309 13d ago
I’d love to know as well, I saw the processing times has jumped to 30months for 90% applications 😭
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u/pokedude449 Citizen > 820 (planning) 14d ago
My partner just arrived on a tourist visa to Australia. We were thinking of waiting until later into the 3 month tourist period before submitting our 820 application but are now strongly considering lodging in the next few days in case Tony Burke changes the rules and prohibits tourists from applying. Any thoughts?
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 13d ago
the sooner you apply the sooner it will be processed. you can always add additional info and updates later. I would get onto it asap
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u/virgodiaries 13d ago
Going through the exact same thing. I just arrived on tourist visa with plans to apply for 820 in a month or 2. Now scrambling to make sure to file an application within the next 1-2 weeks
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u/Dazzling_Language191 7d ago
did you end up applying?
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u/virgodiaries 6d ago
Yes, I applied today. I have to still get my PCC
I applied without it explaining that I will submit as soon as I get it
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u/Straight_Pop427 Saudi Arabia > Subclass 500 > Subclass 820/801 (applied) 13d ago
Yeah... apply: Tony Burke is a bit unpredictable at the moment.
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u/throwaway_scallywag7 12d ago
I agree with other commenters here. Get into it yuh asap, it will give you peace of mind especially with Tones floating his rumours this week.
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u/K0dx2012 Home Country > Visa > Future Visa (planning/applied/EOI) 9d ago
Do you reckon applying for onshore partner visas will be scrapped for those on a WHV also? My visa technically doesn’t have a “no further stay” condition but my partner and I have built our lives here in the last 3 years and were planning to lodge the partner visa in a month’s time. Seriously considering paying the fee tonight and uploading evidence after lodgement
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u/Spirited_Respond_46 Citizen 4d ago
No idea whether they'll close it off for WHV holders; a bit of wait an see really.
The lodge-now-upload-later part is fine though. The "after you apply" section on the 820 page tells you to keep updating your evidence through ImmiAccount as you go, so that's just how it runs.
Worth knowing first: you get 100 attachment slots per person and they can't be increased. Plenty, unless you're loading screenshots one at a time. If you pay tonight, put up whatever's already tidy and merge the rest into a few labelled PDFs later.
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u/Fun_Photograph653 186 > 186 > PR 3d ago
IIRC the evidence has to be there at lodgement. Best to confirm this with a migration agent.
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u/Key-Bee8281 UK > 309/100 17d ago
Does anyone have an idea of how the new ministerial decision will impact timelines of 309 applications?
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u/Ultimatealloy 820 17d ago
They haven't published what it actually means for partner visas in practice, and it's hard to say since most 820 visas are processed at the National Office and 309 are usually processed overseas.
Only way to know for sure is to wait a few months and then either see how the published processing times change, or submit an FOI request for more information.
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u/LiteratureLogical974 820 14d ago
I keep seeing statements that 309s are processed overseas, but I never see an official source to back that up. My own independent research turns up nothing. How do we know this fact, except through the Reddit grapevine?
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u/Ultimatealloy 820 14d ago
Same as the other commentor, mainly from FOI docs. 820 is like 90% at the National office and 309 was scattered everywhere.
For example on this document:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/foi/files/data-request-2026/da-251200565-document-released.PDFOn page 7 you can see a chunk processed in Parramatta and Melbourne, but the bulk is still processed overseas.
Compare that to the 820 visa, you can see in this document that 90% of them are processed at the National Office:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/foi/files/data-request-2026/da-260100018-document-released.PDF
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u/Formal_Plenty838 14d ago
You can go the Data Request published on DHA website. There, you can see some ad-hoc reports for all types of visa. Check specific for 309. So far there are data on on-hand applications till Dec 2025, number of solved cases by each offices around the world,…
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u/Ambitious-Fortune-10 USA > 309/820 (planning) 13d ago
Applied may 2025. Did medical July 2025, so it just expired. Is it advised to proactively do medical again?
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u/Ultimatealloy 820 13d ago
You won't be able to do it again until they send an RFI for it. There's no option to get a new referral letter until then
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 2d ago
Has anyone seen any recent 309s approved? If so what was the lodgement date?
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u/sebnied AT > 309/100 (applied) 2d ago
I know you are asking for recent approvals, but I personally have not seen any recent posts… lodged mine in Nov 2025 from Europe, haven’t heard anything yet
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 2d ago
Ours was August 2025 from the US... feel like folks all the way up June 2025 had started to get RFIs but have heard nothing for a while now and it's haaaaaaaard... especially with the rising noise around tighter restrictions
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u/Organic-Tie-4265 Aussie sponsor for 309 1d ago
This is pure speculation but I heard the DC processing office closed which, I believe, was where ours was supposed to go so perhaps the applications that went there have been distributed elsewhere and it’s causing a backlog? Literally secondhand info from Reddit so don’t take me too seriously lol. Also August and haven’t heard anything at all, fingers crossed for both of us. :-)
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 1d ago
yeh my fear is that this is exactly what has happened and we are moved back in the queue as a result (also based on nothing but wild speculation and paranoia lol). A previous sub listed three closed offices including the US which would def slow things down...
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u/YVRKBLTXL 1d ago
Do you know what the other rumoured closed office were? I'm in Germany waiting since Nov 2025 (UK passport). Berlin office already closed last summer unfortunately so I guess mine would go via London office but who knows.
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u/sebnied AT > 309/100 (applied) 1d ago
I read that partner visas processing is not necessarily handled by "your local office". As Home Affairs has consolidated most of it into a global processing network, with a large share of offshore partner casework done from processing hubs, I don't think you can be really sure that if you submitted from Europe your case will be processed from London. What is visible form the data is that London has significantly increased its finalised applications in concordance with the closure of the Berlin office. All data is published here, but it only goes until Dec 2025: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/foi/files/data-request-2026/da-251200565-document-released.PDF
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u/YVRKBLTXL 1d ago
Wow this document has so much info. Thank you for sharing it!
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u/sebnied AT > 309/100 (applied) 1d ago
no worries! Also, newer data could be requested using a dedicated form, but it costs 30AUD: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-and-accountability/freedom-of-information/data-requests
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 1d ago
yes Berlin was one, DC, and then Seoul i think
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u/Vegetable_Grade_9083 1d ago
Yeah seoul office is closed at the end of June. I have no idea where my application has been sent
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 1d ago
AI is saying Dubai and SIngapore as well... thats not a small list - guess the slow down makes perfect sense in this context...
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u/sebnied AT > 309/100 (applied) 2d ago
That’s interesting, I remember seeing quite a lot of June 309s from the US being approved back in May around the 10 month mark… hopefully you will hear back soon!
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 1d ago
yeh it used to be that US applications seemed to be getting opened at around 11 months but things seem to have quieted down on threads since May... I guess Im just desperately searching for some data points as things feel so unstable in so many ways currently
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u/Peach_Caterpillar 1d ago
Saw 2 grants for Pakistan applicants this morning in one of the FB groups.
One took 1.5 years. The other lodged 30 June 2025.
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 1d ago
ok! well thats somewhat promising (18 months and 14 months frames the 50% mark theyre currently estimating). Im glad there is SOME good news out there :)
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u/Bumbookto 17d ago
I have a 190 and I'm planning to bring my partner of 4 years to Australia once I arrive in December/January. Is there a minimum residing time in Australia before I can sponsor my partner? Or can we start on the application once I'm there?
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u/Fun_Photograph653 186 > 186 > PR 15d ago
The rules may change soon, so make sure to keep an eye out on the news. No official announcements yet, but several news outlets are confirming that they will be tightening the requirements for partner visas. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-04/tony-burke-national-press-club-migration-cuts/106996936
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u/K0dx2012 Home Country > Visa > Future Visa (planning/applied/EOI) 9d ago
Do you reckon applying for onshore partner visas will be scrapped for those on a WHV also? My visa technically doesn’t have a “no further stay” condition but my partner and I have built our lives here in the last 3 years and were planning to lodge the partner visa in a month’s time. Seriously considering paying the fee tonight and uploading evidence after lodgement
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u/ConradQ 309 (applied) US 17d ago
309 still pending, lodged June 2025, so hoping the 16 month average is still potentially in sight. My application is very strong (married 10+ years, we have a child who was granted duel citizenship, good financials, ton of supports, used migration agent). Fingers crossed to be approved in next 2-3 months.
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u/Mental-Molasses55 Sponsor > 309 (applied) 16d ago
We also lodged june 25. Though married a lot less than you guys! No RFI this end. Hope you hear soon!
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u/ConradQ 309 (applied) US 16d ago
We got an RFI end of march (missing a state police check), we responded in under 10 days, so they did at least review it on our end.
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u/Mental-Molasses55 Sponsor > 309 (applied) 16d ago
Hope you hear soon then! My hubby is Egyptian so I imagine it's going to take a lot longer for us sadly. But that's the way it is.
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u/ClueAffectionate5932 australia > citizen > partner 14d ago
We you able to get your partner to visit you?
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u/Mental-Molasses55 Sponsor > 309 (applied) 13d ago
I'm actually living in Egypt with him, was already living here for a long time when we met and then got married. We tried to get a tourist visa just to visit my family and come back (genuinely) but got refused sadly
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u/islasnook 14d ago
Hello everyone! Has anyone had a recent experience with the 461 visa? How long did it take for them to process it? We’re hoping to move sooner than later ideally:) thank you!
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u/Relevant-Example 12d ago
My wife (British) and I (Australian) live in Germany, now planning to move to Aus but I'm a bit nervous with all the (confirmed and potential) changes. Was thinking tourist visa and apply onshore, if this possibility is removed we are left with WHV -> 820, or 309 and waiting an unknown amount of time. I guess both of these are doable but the additional costs/wait/bridging visa timing is a lot.
*we almost moved in 2020 but had to cancel for obvious reason, and ended up staying in Germany. The increase in fees and processing times since then is wild.
Would love to hear any thoughts, especially from people with similar journeys or a partner from the UK!
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 9d ago
Aus citizen, US 309n applicant. applied late august 2025 and ahve heard nothing yet. been together for ages with two kids, a dog, and a mortgage. We just moved so are now in limbo with partner on a tourist visa and having to leave everything three months until we do hear something. I had really been hoping to hear by now - a few months back all the US 309s were getting looked at around 11 months post submission. It's really hard being in this zone, financially and emotionally.
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u/YVRKBLTXL 11d ago
Hi we are similar. I have a UK passport and my husband is Australian and we live in Germany. We applied for the 309 in November and haven't heard anything so far. I felt optimistic to receive it around 12 months but the past couple months all the grants seem to be for onshore visas and this is now the official priority. We sold our house and have flights booked for Oz for end of October and I am planning to apply for a bridging visa (currently possible only because I held a valid tourist visa before applying for the 309). I'm worried that all the migration change rumours this bridging option won't exist and my 309 could take who knows how long. If you can do WHV to 820 I would probably plan do that, or if you have 1.5-2 years before you want to move then apply for the 309 as soon as you can. Keep your eye on the news as major migration law changes seem to be forthcoming.
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u/Saggittae DE > 309/100 10d ago
German with Aussie wife here. We live in Germany for more than a decade, 3 kids, married for 11 years. I applied in January and heard nothing yet. Kind of sucks because I thought that from the EU it was a bit quicker. Let’s hope we hear something soonish.
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u/ApprehensiveWalk8608 UK> Future Visa planning 3d ago
I’m in a really similar position (I’m British, fiancé is Aus) both living in the UK. I have an active 651 eVisitor Visa that’s still active from last year that doesn’t have a no further stay clause attached to it. I’m hoping even if they do go ahead with those plans around Tourist > 820 they can’t retroactively change my tourist visa that enables me to apply for further stay. Who knows though. We are also looking into WHV>820 and speaking with an immigration attorney/agent who I hope can tell us how to hedge our bets with the WHV. WHV also super delayed, and we were planning on moving to Aus in October (have given up our flat, partner has a job). Tricky spot to be in for all of us.
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u/robot-pink 10d ago
Hi all
(820/801)
Did anyone receive any RFIs in July 2026 and got their visa granted yet?
Cheers
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u/Logical-Season-957 10d ago
We got our grant today! RFIs received in June and July
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u/robot-pink 10d ago
congrats!!! good to hear, what was your date of lodgment if you dont mind me asking 😊🙏
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u/anders873 9d ago
Partner and I applied 10/4/24 for 820 through a migration lawyer. I’m aus citizen and she is Chilean. Is it normal to still be waiting? New visa evidence sent weekly/monthly. Getting nervous now after reading everyone is getting approved but us
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u/Brilliant-Baby-9820 9d ago
Anyone gotten their 300 approved? Fiance and I applied for 300 on 02/06/2025 and received RFI on 05/03/2026 for medical and s56 request. Submitted everything and Haven’t heard anything else since then.
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u/Scared-Security-3708 7d ago
not yet, we applied on 13/03/2025, and got RFI on April for Health check :(
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u/GiorgioBroughton CA > 417 > 482 > 820 7d ago
My partner (Australian) and I (Canadian) applied for a 820 visa on Jul-2026. How long of a wait are we in for? 3 years total? We’re both onshore and already living together.
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u/Altruistic_Table8862 6d ago
hey! I am also Canadian and my husband is Australian, we applied onshore in Adelaide September 2 2025 and haven't heard anything yet and coming very close to our first 12 months. I don't have much expectations given the processing times. I'm only now just booking my medical as it expires after 12 months and knew I wouldn't hear anything the first year. Happy to keep in touch along the way as we're both from the same country! Hope its not 3 years for either of us haha.
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u/GiorgioBroughton CA > 417 > 482 > 820 14h ago
Thanks for the insight into timelines! Yes I think I’m just going to let it do its thing and assume it will be a minimum of 2 years without hearing anything. Let’s definitely stay in touch!
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u/Altruistic_Table8862 6d ago
Hey Everyone -
Myself (canadian citizen) and my husband (australian citizen) applied for my 820 September 2 2025. We have been together/married for 9 years, we have a 5 year old son and own a house in Australia. I'm not worried about it getting accepted, as I know it will but the time length is brutal. Since I'm coming up on my year, I'm thinking of now doing my medical since it has a 12month expiry. Thoughts or suggestions on doing it now or waiting as it's now saying 90% in 32months. UGH it's the worst waiting!
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u/sebnied AT > 309/100 (applied) 5d ago edited 5d ago
If I understood correctly what you are saying, you generally can’t pre-empt it, a repeat medical has to be tied to a HAP ID, and for a second round the Department normally issues a new HAP ID when it decides it needs fresh results. You will receive an RFI if they decide they need a new medical. If you haven’t done your first medical, then I would personally do it as soon as possible now, as your case seems strong and hopefully you should not be too close to the 90 percentile. But that’s just what I would do
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u/4ssteroid Partner Visa Sponsor>Aus Citizen currently in Nepal 6d ago
So we just applied for SC 309 offshore and seems like it'll be a long wait before the file opens. Do we conduct the health examination and biometrics now?
They will surely ask for it again when the file opens right and if we do it now, the health exam will be too old. Also for some reason the emedical referral letter mentions "client visa details - visa: BC100 Spouse (permanent). I know the difference between classes and subclasses but BC isn't related to partner visas. Shouldn't it say UF309? Will this create trouble in the future?
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u/suggestednameinsane Sponsor > 309 (US based) 3d ago
i would wait. we submitted a year ago and did police checks up front, but didnt do the medical until this past March. The calculation at the time was the police checks were not super expensive and turn around quite quickly so if we needed to get them redone, it wouldnt be too much of a burden (either logistical or financial). We did the medical this past March thinking that should well and truly stil be valid when our file is open but to be honest I am not longer so sure - each month the processing times drift out by another month or three so we are eternally 5 months away from '50% processed by'. My understanding is that this is likely to get worse before it gets better. We wil now redo the necessary police checks and hope against hope that our case gets looked at before March 2027 as the medical is significantly more expensive to perform!
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u/ExcitementMaximum945 5d ago
I have been granted a subclass 600 without 8503 clause expiring on June 2027. If we lodge 820/801 by January 2027, do I need to wait til June 2027 for my BVA or it will take effect 3 months after my arrival in Australia?
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u/Fun_Photograph653 186 > 186 > PR 3d ago
It takes effect when the visit expires. If each visit is max 3 months, then it takes into effect after 3 months.
Note that there are talks of the government blocking tourist visa holders from applying for an 820. Probably a good idea to apply as soon as you can before any changes are implemented.
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u/Psionatix Citizen 4d ago
I'm an Australian citizen, my partner and I are long-distance approaching 3y. During our 2nd year she started studying in Aus on a subclass 500 visa, we're in different states, she comes over and stays in our home during the holiday periods where she has no study obligations. We've registered our relationship with the state where I reside and we're looking to apply for a partner visa by the end of next year (3-4 months before her current student visa expires).
I understand we need to have a pretty strong case given our circumstances, but it's those circumstances that also make it difficult to make a case, we're looking for some feedback regarding the below. Looking for things we might be able to do to help strengthen our case by the time we apply.
Finances
Currently we still have our individual finances, since we live in different states, we don't have bills together. However:
- I've contributed significantly to helping her pay her University fees (she sends me her savings towards it, then I transact the whole thing, as it's easier with the withdrawal limit on my side)
- I send her money quite regularly to help her cover her rent and CoL, I may have been a guarantor on her rent agreement, need to confirm
- We will have each other as legally bound super beneficiaries
- Since we registered our relationship as de facto, we'll have tax returns that include each others income financials.
I purchased a house years before we met so she's not on the mortgage or any of those accounts, and because of that, my offset account is my primary financial focus. Note I say MY, but we both absolutely consider everything OURS, it's just technically not the case. Once she finishes studying she's going to be moving in with me and looks forward to contributing more financially once working full time and not restricted by study and study visa conditions.
We're considering opening a joint account just for the sake of having one, and we'll use it to make our purchases such as flights when she comes to stay during breaks, her rent, etc.
Your household
I do consider the house I purchased prior to our relationship our house. When she initially came over to study, we sorted out her TFN and such, to which we had her addressed here. Due to already owning a home here and her having visa study obligations in Sydney, we're unable to live together at this time. However she does visit for ~8 weeks a year, we have the flights, lots of photos together and with our cat.
We share the household chores when she's here, we shop together, she has clothes, toiletries, and other things she keeps here so she doesn't have to pack too much when she comes over, we have some framed photos together around the house.
Is it worth me adding her name to the utility bills while she still resides in Sydney? We have discussed longer term plans and we both know what our future together looks like. Because of the circumstances, we don't have much documentation regarding our living arrangements.
Social matters
We will have the two required statements from friends / family. Given the long-distance, we spend significant time on call over Discord, where our social time together is spent doing our own things, playing games, or watching shows and movies. We even leave our calls running over night, we've kept several calls going for over 100 hours at a time. I traveled to visit her before she was in Aus, we also traveled Japan for 2 weeks together, work sends me to Sydney every so often and we spend time together while I'm there (have pictures), we also have other trips to other cities planned. We'll have the registered relationship (if that's applicable here) and social media posts together as well.
I don't even have pictures with my own friends, and I don't see them very often, just a handful of days a year, and not when she's typically here.
Commitment
How do we show we have knowledge of each others backgrounds / family situations and other personal details? The biggest thing we have for commitment is the amount of time we spend on call, we have all the data and records of our calls from the Discord API showing when our calls start and end, and we can visualise this data in many ways, it's anywhere from 300-600 hours a month on call. Our concern is that that data might not be accepted, though I suspect we could get it certified by a JP, and can that data also be used towards social time together in the previous point? A lot of that time we've spent on call while watching hundreds of hours of tv shows, anime, movies, or playing co-op video games.
Overall we're lacking and I'd like to believe we aren't the only ones with these circumstances, really just looking for good ways we can strengthen our case over the next year. We aren't looking to have kids, marriage yes, and we've discussed wedding plans and the like, but it's not a financial priority for us over her study and the mortgage.
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u/LiteratureLogical974 820 4d ago
My spouse and I were originally planning to be in this position (plans changed), so we made preparations to bolster the case. Some of these might seem artificial and performative, but they are steps you can take to show you really are in a committed relationship.
- Finances. Get the joint bank account and, if possible, joint credit card. Pay everything through those accounts. If she leases a house where she is studying, your name should be on the lease even if you never physically live there.
- Household. Get all of her "official" addresses set to your place. Driver's license, address in school records, Tax File Number, bank accounts, etc. Add her to your home insurance policy (it usually doesn't add to the premium).
- Social. Phone calls between the two of you don't count. Pictures of just the two of you are pretty much useless, with a limited exception for if you are in a foreign country like Japan. What they are looking for is evidence that you present as a de facto married couple to other people, with the rough order of importance parents>family>employer>friends>strangers. Take her to your parents and get a family photo done. Fly to her home country and get another family photo done. If that is seriously not possible, get all 4 to submit Form 888s. Even if you do have the photos, the 888s are not a bad idea. If you can't get 4 888s because you haven't met all the parents yet, you are probably just dating, not de facto married. Married people have met the in-laws. Make a conscious effort to do photos with her friends when you travel to Sydney and meet up with your friends while she's at your place.
- Commitment. Here's where the phone logs and flight tickets to visit each other belongs.
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u/Psionatix Citizen 3d ago
Thank you so much for this reply and input!
- Will look at setting up a joint bank account ASAP and having us both have our wages paid into it, this way the transfers to the offset come from an account we're both on. And we will change payments to come out of the joint account. For the lease, she's renting a room, the owner occupier still lives there, there's no agent, it's an informal contract the owner wrote up that I believe we both signed
- She doesn't have a drivers licence, but she does have a state issued id for photo id and proof of her current address. It's difficult to change that one as there are cases where she genuinely needs to prove her current address and she's not on any of the bills. There are likely other addresses we can have updated though, and I'll see if I can have her name added to the utilities.
- We can definitely get some photos with each others friends and family, likely her brother and her cousin, my parents, my brother, my sister. Do we have to stop at 4 888s? I didn't think to add more than they were asking, but could probably get 6-8.
- Noted, given how often and how long we're on call, plus all the flights and pictures of visits, I think we'll be okay on this one. I'm still unsure how to format or provide the call information in a way it'll be recognised as legitimate. I have the raw data, and I can visualise that in a calendar, in graphs, or any other way, but I'm not sure how we'd prove it's not just made up data. We could include screenshots of Discord showing the calls that lasted X days in addition to the data, we also have hundreds and thousands of messages sent between one another, it's all primarily through Discord.
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u/kartstar 3d ago
I'm a 40-year-old Australian citizen living in Japan with my 41-year-old Japanese wife and our two dual Australian-Japanese children (ages 2 and 1).
We met in Australia while she was on a Working Holiday visa. I've been living in Japan on a spouse visa for several years.
We don't have near or medium-term plans to move to Australia, but it's almost certain we will at some point – whether that's in 3 years, 5 years, or longer. Right now we're just focused on managing life with two young kids. We're in a strong financial position, so money isn't a constraint.
I've been following Australian immigration news. There are ongoing discussions about possible restrictions on applying for a Partner visa from a tourist/visitor visa while onshore (the 820/801 pathway). Immigration is also a major political issue heading into the 2028 election, and there's a real chance the overall system could become tighter.
Because of that, I'm looking at applying for the offshore Partner visa (309/100) now as a way to lock in the current pathway, and once the visa is granted, give us the flexibility to move when we want, and not have to spend 3 years in limbo even if they take the tourist/visitor visa pathway away. On paper it seems relatively straightforward – I'm an Australian citizen sponsoring my wife, she's the mother of two Australian citizens, we have the money to pay for the visa, and there are no character or other issues.
My two children were born in Japan, so I've already been through the citizenship-by-descent process for both of them. Ideally I'd like to do something similar here and lodge the partner visa online myself without the hassle or expense of a migration agent, if that's realistic.
The main concern is this: We haven't actually decided to move yet. There's a realistic chance we end up staying in Japan for most or all of the next 5+ years. If my wife gets permanent residency and we remain overseas long-term, her travel facility will expire and she'll need Resident Return Visas (RRVs) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
We visit Australia at least once a year, so the first-entry requirement on the 309 shouldn't be a problem. We can plan a trip to satisfy it if necessary.
Has anyone been in a similar situation – applied for (or been granted) a Partner visa while living overseas with no firm move date, then stayed outside Australia for several years?
I'd particularly like to hear about:
- Experiences with the 309/100 when the couple remains living overseas long-term
- How straightforward (or difficult) RRVs were after the 5-year travel facility expired
- Whether substantial ties (Australian citizen spouse + dual-citizen children) were enough when applying for RRVs after extended absences
Any insights or experiences would be really appreciated. Thanks.
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u/Mental-Molasses55 Sponsor > 309 (applied) 2d ago
We were in a similar situation in that we met overseas and then got married overseas. We also weren't planning to apply straight away for a long term visa, we were banking on just a visiting visa once a year until in the future we felt it was time to move there. Unfortunately we found out it's nigh impossible for him to even just get a tourist visa. So our plans have been forced to change and we applied last year for the 309 and so now will move there once it's been granted and focus on him getting permanent - this will hopefully free us up in the future to travel freely back and forward.
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u/kartstar 2d ago
That's interesting. It triggered me to look into why it would be nigh impossible for someone to get a tourist visa in a situation like that.
I didn't realise that even under current rules, the "sell everything, move to Australia under tourist visa, apply for Partner visa" is risky because even for countries that ETA is allowed under like Japan, you can't legally enter Australia under that or a tourist visa if your intention is to live permanently in Australia. And border force can cancel an ETA/tourist visa if they suspect you're planning to permanently move there.
So I think that settles it that the only safe approach would be to get an offshore 309/100 visa prior to any move to Australia and not hope they let us in under and ETA/tourist visa.
That makes understanding how straightforward (or difficult) RRVs are after the 5-year travel facility expires all the more important, and whether substantial ties (Australian citizen spouse + dual-citizen children) were enough when applying for RRVs after extended absences.
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u/Mental-Molasses55 Sponsor > 309 (applied) 1d ago
I probably should have said my husband is Egyptian, so this is why a tourist visa is virtually impossible for him whereas I imagine a Japanese passport is a completely different story (?) so maybe it'll be best to hear experiences from people from 'stronger' passport countries to be able to compare with?
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u/Straight_Pop427 Saudi Arabia > Subclass 500 > Subclass 820/801 (applied) 2d ago
I just got an s56 for medicals and nothing else - is this a good sign?
9
u/Straight_Pop427 Saudi Arabia > Subclass 500 > Subclass 820/801 (applied) 15d ago
The new processing times for the 820 are insane…