If your partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, the Partner visa is how you join them — and it leads to permanent residency. The thing most applicants get wrong is the money: people assume they’ll pay once for the temporary visa and again for the permanent one. They won’t. You apply for both stages together and pay a single fee. This guide explains that mechanism, the two-year wait, who can sponsor you and what evidence you’ll need. Last verified 14 October 2026.
Key facts at a glance
| Visa cost | From AUD 11,710.00 (820/801 or 309/100); From AUD 1,955.00 if you hold a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) |
|---|---|
| Stay | Temporary first (820 or 309), then permanent (801 or 100) |
| Who can sponsor | An Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen |
| Relationship | Married (spouse) or de facto |
| Processing | Prioritised under Ministerial Direction 117 — no fixed time is published |
| Last verified | 14 October 2026 |
The mechanism that confuses everyone: one fee, two visas
The Partner visa is really two visas in one. Onshore, you apply for the temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) and the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) at the same time, in the one application. Offshore, the equivalent pair is the subclass 309 (provisional) and the subclass 100 (migrant).
You pay the visa application charge once, when you lodge. The Department is explicit that when the permanent visa is granted, there is no second charge — the official page says simply: “You paid for this visa when you made your applications for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.” So if a fee schedule shows you two separate payments of around AUD 11,710, that is not how this visa works. The current charge is From AUD 11,710.00 for the combined application.
One exception is worth knowing. If you are in Australia on a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), the Partner visa charge is lower — From AUD 1,955.00 — because you already paid a substantial charge for the 300.
Who can sponsor you, and what counts as a relationship
Your sponsor must be one of three things:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident, or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Your relationship must be genuine and continuing, and it must fit one of two categories: married (you are legally married to your sponsor) or de facto (you are not married but live together as a couple). There is no minimum income requirement for the sponsor in the way some other visas have, but the sponsor must be able to meet their obligations, and the Department will assess whether the relationship is genuine.
Married or de facto — the practical difference
Marriage is straightforward to evidence: a marriage certificate does the job. De facto is where people get caught. To be a de facto partner you generally need to show you have lived together for a certain period, and you must be able to document the relationship. The Department sets the length of that period, and it also recognises registered relationships and, in some cases, relationships that are shorter but meet particular tests. Rather than guess at the number, check the official eligibility page for your visa, because the de facto requirements are the single most common reason applications fail.
What evidence you’ll need
Partner visa decisions turn on evidence, and the four categories the Department looks for are:
- Financial aspects — joint accounts, shared bills, joint leases, combined finances.
- Nature of the household — who lives where, shared responsibilities, a shared address.
- Social aspects — how your relationship is seen by family, friends and the community.
- Nature of your commitment — the history of the relationship and your plans together.
You don’t just tick a box for each; you provide documents across all four. Statutory declarations from people who know you both, in the correct form, are part of this. A thin file that covers only one category is a common cause of refusal or of a very long wait.
The Prospective Marriage route (subclass 300)
If you and your partner are engaged but not yet married, the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is a separate visa that lets you travel to Australia to marry your sponsor. After you marry, you apply for the Partner visa — and because you’ve already paid a substantial charge for the 300, the Partner visa charge drops to From AUD 1,955.00. The 300 is not a Partner visa itself, so don’t confuse the two: the 300 gets you into Australia to marry, and the 820/801 is what turns that into permanent residency.
Health, character and other requirements
The Partner visa isn’t only about the relationship. You and any family members included in your application must also meet the Department’s health and character requirements. That usually means health examinations and police checks, and the Department may ask for these at any point. Missing or delaying these is a common reason applications sit idle for months. Budget time and money for them alongside the visa charge itself, because they are separate costs.
The two-year wait and the eligibility date
This is the part people misread most often. The permanent Partner visa is not decided at the same time as the temporary one. The Department explains that the processing time for the permanent visa starts from the date of eligibility — two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent visas. In other words, the clock for the permanent stage begins on your lodgement date, not on the date you are granted the temporary visa, and not on the date you first moved in together.
So the sequence is: you lodge once, you are usually granted the temporary visa first, and roughly two years after your application date you become eligible to be considered for the permanent visa. If your circumstances change, you must keep the Department informed, because the permanent decision depends on the relationship still being genuine at that later date.
Onshore or offshore: 820/801 vs 309/100
The stream you use depends on where you are, and it matters because you must be in the right place when you apply.
| 820 / 801 | For applicants in Australia. You must be in Australia when you apply for the 820. Leads to permanent residency via the 801. |
|---|---|
| 309 / 100 | For applicants outside Australia. You must be outside Australia when you apply for the 309. Leads to permanent residency via the 100. |
| 300 (Prospective Marriage) | Lets you come to Australia to marry your sponsor, then apply for the Partner visa. If you hold a 300, your Partner visa charge is lower. |
If you’re weighing up whether the Partner route or a work-based route is more realistic for your situation, it’s worth comparing it with the 482 Skills in Demand visa and the points-tested 189 Skilled Independent visa, which don’t depend on a partner at all. And if you want the bigger picture of what permanent residency actually gives you, see our guide to Australian permanent residency.
How processing priority works
Family visas are not processed first-in, first-out. They are handled under Ministerial Direction 117, which sets the order in which family visa applications are considered. The Department also states plainly that Partner visa applicants “may experience longer processing times than expected”, and it does not publish a fixed number of days. Instead it points you to the processing time guide tool and to a dedicated Partner Visa FAQ page.
In practice this means two things. First, a complete application with strong evidence across all four categories is the single biggest lever you control. Second, don’t build a life plan around a specific number of months — the honest answer is that the Department won’t give you one.
Step-by-step: how to apply
- Confirm you’re in the right stream. In Australia → 820/801. Outside Australia → 309/100.
- Check your relationship category. Married or de facto — and confirm you meet the de facto requirements if that’s your route.
- Gather evidence across all four categories — financial, household, social and commitment — before you lodge, not after.
- Prepare your sponsor’s documents, including proof of their citizenship, residency or eligible New Zealand citizenship.
- Lodge the combined application for both the temporary and permanent visas and pay the single charge.
- Attach everything up front. A complete application is processed faster than one that has to be chased for documents.
- Wait for the temporary visa, then the permanent assessment. Remember the permanent clock runs from your application date plus two years.
Common mistakes
- Thinking you pay twice. The temporary and permanent stages are one application and one charge.
- Counting the two years from the wrong date. It runs from the date you applied, not the date you were granted the temporary visa.
- Thin evidence in one category. You need documents across all four, not just photos and a joint bill.
- Applying from the wrong place. The 820 requires you to be in Australia; the 309 requires you to be outside.
- Assuming a fixed processing time. The Department doesn’t publish one and warns waits may be longer than expected.
- Letting the relationship evidence go stale. The permanent decision is made later, so keep records current.
FAQ
Do I pay twice — once for the temporary visa and again for the permanent one?
No. You apply for both stages together and pay a single charge of From AUD 11,710.00. There is no further charge when the permanent visa is granted.
When can I get the permanent Partner visa?
The permanent stage is assessed from your date of eligibility, which the Department defines as two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.
Who can sponsor me?
An Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Can I apply if we’re not married?
Yes, as a de facto partner, provided you meet the Department’s de facto requirements and can evidence the relationship. Check the official eligibility page for the current rules.
How long does it take?
The Department does not publish a fixed time and warns that Partner visa applicants may wait longer than expected. Applications are processed under Ministerial Direction 117.
What if I’m on a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)?
You can then apply for the Partner visa at a lower charge of From AUD 1,955.00, because you have already paid for the 300.
Visa fees are indexed on 1 July each year. The figures here were verified on 14 October 2026 — always confirm the current amount with the Visa Pricing Estimator before you lodge.
Official sources
- Partner visas (apply in Australia) — subclass 820 and 801 — Department of Home Affairs
- Partner visa (Temporary) — subclass 820 — Department of Home Affairs
- Partner visa (Permanent) — subclass 801 — Department of Home Affairs
- Partner visas (apply overseas) — subclass 309 and 100 — Department of Home Affairs
- Family visa processing priorities (Ministerial Direction 117) — Department of Home Affairs
- Partner Visa frequently asked questions — Department of Home Affairs
AU0061 publishes general information, not personal migration advice. Visa rules and fees change, and eligibility depends on your individual circumstances. Always confirm the current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs or a MARA-registered migration agent before you act on anything in this guide.