Family & Partner Visas
Partner, prospective marriage, parent, child and other family visas, carefully evidenced applications for the people who matter most.
Family and partner applications are among the most personal, and among the most document-heavy. The Department needs to be satisfied that a relationship is genuine and continuing, and that means evidence across the financial, social, household and commitment aspects of your life together.
We know how confronting it can feel to compile that. We work through it with you methodically, tell you plainly where your evidence is thin, and help you build it out before lodgement rather than after a request for more information arrives.
How we help with family & partner visas
- Assess eligibility for onshore and offshore partner pathways
- Build a structured relationship evidence file across all four assessment areas
- Prepare sponsor applications and sponsorship obligations advice
- Guide you through statutory declarations and third-party statements
- Prepare prospective marriage, parent, child and other family applications
- Manage the permanent (second-stage) partner application when it falls due
- Advise on family violence and relationship-breakdown provisions where relevant
Visas in this category
Expand any option below for who it suits and what it involves. These summaries are general. Your own eligibility depends on your circumstances.
A two-stage pathway for partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens who apply while in Australia.
Who it may suit
- Married or de facto partners already in Australia
- Applicants whose sponsor is an Australian citizen, PR or eligible NZ citizen
- Couples who can evidence a genuine and continuing relationship
Key points
- Subclass 820 is the temporary stage; subclass 801 is the permanent stage
- Both stages are covered by a single application and one fee
- You can generally live, work and study in Australia while the 820 is being decided
- Assessment covers financial, household, social and commitment aspects
- De facto applicants usually need twelve months of cohabitation, with exceptions
- A registered relationship may remove the twelve-month requirement
The equivalent two-stage partner pathway for applicants who are outside Australia when they apply.
Who it may suit
- Married or de facto partners applying from outside Australia
- Applicants whose sponsor is an Australian citizen, PR or eligible NZ citizen
- Couples separated by distance while the application is processed
Key points
- Subclass 309 is the provisional stage; subclass 100 is the permanent stage
- You must be outside Australia when the 309 is lodged and decided
- The same four relationship assessment areas apply as for onshore applications
- You can travel to and from Australia once the 309 is granted
- The permanent stage is generally assessed around two years after lodgement
A temporary visa allowing you to come to Australia to marry your intended spouse, then apply for a partner visa.
Who it may suit
- Engaged couples who have met in person and are known to each other
- Applicants who intend to marry within the visa validity period
- Couples who do not yet meet de facto relationship requirements
Key points
- Generally valid for between nine and fifteen months
- You must be outside Australia when you apply and when it is decided
- You and your sponsor must have met in person as adults
- You must marry before the visa expires
- After marrying you can apply for a subclass 820 partner visa onshore
Several pathways for parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens, differing in cost, processing time and whether they are contributory.
Who it may suit
- Parents of settled Australian citizens or permanent residents
- Families who satisfy the balance-of-family test
- Applicants weighing contributory against non-contributory options
Key points
- Contributory options (143, 173, 864) cost significantly more but are processed sooner
- Non-contributory options (103, 804) have very long processing queues
- Aged parent streams (804, 864) can be applied for while in Australia
- The balance-of-family test must generally be satisfied
- An assurance of support is generally required
- Health and character requirements apply to all applicants
For dependent children of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens.
Who it may suit
- Dependent children of an Australian parent, applying from offshore or onshore
- Adopted children and children in the custody of an Australian parent
- Dependent children of a provisional partner visa holder
Key points
- Subclass 101 is lodged outside Australia; subclass 802 is lodged onshore
- Subclass 445 is for dependent children of provisional partner visa holders
- The child must be under 18, or a dependent full-time student under 25
- Parental responsibility and custody arrangements must be documented
- Health and character requirements apply
For people whose only close family members live in Australia.
Who it may suit
- Applicants whose near relatives all live in Australia
- People with no remaining close family outside Australia
- Applicants sponsored by an eligible Australian relative
Key points
- Subclass 115 is lodged offshore; subclass 835 is lodged onshore
- Strict definition of who counts as a near relative
- An assurance of support is generally required
- Processing queues for this category are very long
For people coming to Australia to provide long-term care to a relative with a medical condition.
Who it may suit
- Relatives able to provide ongoing substantial and continuing care
- Families where care cannot reasonably be obtained in Australia
- Applicants sponsored by the Australian relative needing care
Key points
- Subclass 116 is lodged offshore; subclass 836 is lodged onshore
- An approved medical assessment of the sponsor's condition is required
- Care must be needed for at least two years
- The care must not be reasonably obtainable from other sources in Australia
Not sure where you stand?
Book a consultation and get an honest assessment of your options, including the ones that are not open to you yet, and why.
Initial consultations are by appointment, in person in Punchbowl or by video anywhere in Australia and overseas.
- Registered migration agency. MARN 2619475
- Honest assessment, including when a pathway isn't open
- Written quote before any work begins
- In person in Punchbowl, or by video Australia-wide