Eligibility Quiz
Application Process
You apply for both the temporary Subclass 309 visa and the permanent Subclass 100 visa in a single online application. You must be outside Australia when you apply, though you can be inside or outside when the Department decides on your visa.
Step 1: Before You Apply — Prepare Your Documents and Gather Evidence
Start by collecting all documents you'll need. The Department assesses relationships across four key areas — financial, household, social recognition, and commitment to the future — so gather evidence across all four pillars rather than relying on a marriage certificate alone.
Relationship Evidence (The Four Pillars)
- Financial: Joint bank accounts, shared assets, joint mortgage or lease documents, joint loan documents, household bills in both names
- Household: Statements about how housework is shared, household bills in both names, mail or emails addressed to both parties, documents showing joint responsibility for children, proof of living arrangements
- Social Recognition: Statements from at least 2 witnesses aged 18 or older who know both you and your partner and know about your relationship (using Form 888). Also gather joint invitations, proof of friends in common, proof of telling government or commercial bodies about the relationship, and proof of joint sporting, cultural, or social activities
- Commitment to the Future: Evidence showing you know each other's background, family situation, or personal details; combined personal matters; staying in touch when apart; and that you're not related by family. Terms of wills can also be provided
Identity Documents
- Birth certificate showing the names of both parents (or family book, government ID, court-issued identity document, or family census register if a birth certificate cannot be provided)
- Pages of your current passport showing photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates
- National identity card, if applicable
- Proof of change of name if applicable (marriage or divorce certificates, or change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages)
Relationship Documents
- For married couples: marriage certificate or other evidence that the marriage is valid in Australia
- For de facto partners: evidence of the de facto relationship
- If previously married, widowed, divorced, or permanently separated: divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents, or statutory declarations
Health and Character Documents
- Police clearance certificates from every country where you've spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years (or since turning 16, whichever is more recent). For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. If more than 15 months has passed since an Australian Federal Police National Police Certificate was issued, new checks will be required
- If you've spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years (since turning 16): an Australian police certificate from the Australian Federal Police (complete disclosure National Police Certificate only)
- Military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country
- Form 80 – Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment
Dependent Family Members
If dependent children under 18 are applying with you, provide:
- Identity documents
- Evidence of relationship (birth or marriage certificate)
- Parental consent from anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives and who is not coming to Australia with the child, using Form 1229
- Adoption papers or parental court orders, if applicable
- Evidence of enrolment at school, college, or university, if applicable
- Evidence of sole custody, if applicable
For dependent family members over 18, they must be either over 18 but not yet 23 and dependent on you or your sponsor, or over 23 and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your sponsor.
Document Preparation
- All documents not in English must be translated into English. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited but must include their full name, address, telephone number, qualifications, and experience in English on each translation
- All documents (English and non-English) must be scanned or photographed in colour and be clear enough to read. If a document is more than one page, save it as one file
- You do not need to have any documents certified
- You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application
Write a Relationship Statement
Provide a written account of how, when and where you first met, how the relationship developed, when you moved in together, got engaged or married, what you do together, time spent apart, significant events in the relationship, and plans for the future.
Get Help if You Need It
You can appoint someone to receive correspondence using Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient. You can also appoint someone to give immigration assistance — they must be a registered migration agent, legal practitioner, or exempt person — using Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
Step 2: Your Sponsor Applies to Sponsor You
Your Australian partner (the sponsor) must apply to sponsor you. They can do this before you apply or after you apply, but should apply as soon as possible. Your sponsor must:
- Be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Be at least 18 years old
- Not have previously sponsored more than one other fiancé, partner, or spouse for migration to Australia (sponsors are limited to sponsoring two Partner Visa applicants in their lifetime)
- Not have sponsored another partner within the last 5 years
- Have no history of family violence
- Be approved as a sponsor by the Department of Home Affairs
- Provide police clearance certificates from each country where they have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years (if a child under 18 is included in the application or if the sponsor is an eligible New Zealand citizen)
Your sponsor completes Form 40SP (sponsorship application). The person who sponsors you when you apply for the visa must be the same person who sponsors you for 2 years after the temporary partner visa is granted — the sponsor cannot be changed.
Step 3: Apply Online for Your Visa
You must apply online via ImmiAccount. If you don't have an ImmiAccount login, create a new account.
How to Apply
- Login to ImmiAccount
- Select 'New application'
- Select 'Family'
- Select 'Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa'
- Complete the application
- Pay the visa application charge (the Department cannot process your application if the correct visa application charge is not paid)
- Submit the application and provide the transaction reference number (TRN) to your sponsor
- Attach supporting documents to the completed application
Important Notes
- You should provide your own phone number and email address in the application, as the Department may need to contact you directly
- Documents should be attached only once, even if used to show more than one thing, and should be clearly labeled
- Provide all required information with your application, or as soon as possible after applying. Applications with all required information reduce processing delays
- The Department might ask for more information, but is not obliged to do so and may make a decision without requesting more documents
Step 4: After You Apply — Organize Health Examinations and Provide Character Documents
Health Examinations
You need to have health examinations conducted by Department of Home Affairs-approved panel physicians. The Department cannot grant the visa unless you have a valid health assessment. The results of health assessment are valid for 12 months from the time examinations were completed.
Character Documents
If you've spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years (since turning 16), you must provide an Australian police certificate. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted.
Biometrics
The Department might ask for biometrics and will notify you if this is required.
Attach More Information
If you didn't attach all documents when applying, attach them in ImmiAccount as soon as possible.
Add Family Members
You can add a dependent child to your application before the Department decides the visa, provided the child is outside Australia. Complete Form 1436 - Adding an additional applicant after lodgement and attach it.
Tell Us If Details Have Changed
You must inform the Department if your contact details, address, or passport details change.
Tell Us If Things Change
You must inform the Department if things change after applying but before a decision is made, including changes to marital or de facto status, birth of a child, or any other changes relevant to the application.
If the Relationship Ends
You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. You may still be eligible for a temporary and permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies, and all information provided is confidential.
Status Updates
To help ensure your application is processed as quickly as possible, attach all necessary supporting documents. If your application is within standard processing times, do not contact the Department, as they cannot provide further updates on progress. You can see if the Department has asked for more information in your ImmiAccount.
Travel
Do not arrange to travel to Australia on this visa until the Department notifies you in writing that the Subclass 309 visa has been granted.
Step 5: Receive Your Visa Decision
You can be inside or outside Australia when the Department decides on the temporary visa application.
The Department will notify you of its decision in writing. If the visa is granted, you will receive:
- The visa grant number
- The date the visa starts
- Visa conditions, if applicable
If the visa is refused, you will receive:
- Why the visa was refused
- Whether there is a right to a review of the decision
The Department will not refund the application fee if the application is refused.
If You're Outside Australia at Visa Grant
If you're outside Australia when your visa is granted, you must enter Australia before the first entry arrival date (first entry, arrive by) specified in your grant letter. You can travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if your visa is still valid.
Step 6: Transition to Permanent Residency (Subclass 100)
You become eligible for consideration of a permanent Partner visa 2 years after you first applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. You can check the date you submitted your application in ImmiAccount.
Exemptions for Long-Term Relationships
If you've been in a de facto relationship and/or married for at least 3 years before applying, or if you've been in a de facto relationship and/or married for at least 2 years before applying and have dependent children together, you can often be assessed for the permanent partner visa immediately after grant of the temporary visa, potentially bypassing the standard 2-year waiting period.
When Assessed for the Permanent Visa
When assessed for the permanent visa, you will need to provide additional documents. You must:
- Hold the Subclass 309 visa (or the Dependent child visa Subclass 445)
- Remain in the marriage or de facto relationship, except under special circumstances
- Obey all Australian laws and conditions of the 309 visa
Fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | AUD $9,365 |
| Dependent applicant over 18 years of age (each) | AUD $4,685 |
| Dependent applicant under 18 years of age (each) | AUD $2,345 |
| Sponsorship | Nil |
| Subclass 100 (Second Stage Visa Application) | Nil |
Total Estimate
For a single applicant with no dependents, the government fee is AUD $9,365. These fees cover both the temporary (Subclass 309) and permanent (Subclass 100) stages of the visa. The fees must be paid at the time of lodging the application and are generally non-refundable, even if the visa is refused.
Does Not Include
This estimate does not include:
- Medical examinations: typically AUD $300–$500 per person depending on the panel physician and country
- Police clearance fees: varies by country
- Translation costs for documents not in English
- Migration agent or lawyer fees if professional assistance is chosen: can range from AUD $2,000 to $5,000+
To work out how much the visa will cost, including adding additional family members, use the Visa pricing estimator. The estimator does not take into account the costs for health checks, police certificates, and biometrics.
Processing Time
Current Processing Times (as of March 2026)
| Application Type | 50% processed within | 90% processed within |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 309 (Temporary Partner Visa) | 16 months | 24 months |
| Subclass 100 (Permanent Partner Visa) | 10 months | 20 months |
Overall Timeline
Plan for 2 to 4 years from application to permanent residency. This includes:
- Subclass 309 processing: 14 to 26 months for 75% of applicants
- 2-year waiting period before Subclass 100 eligibility (can be waived for long-term relationships of 3+ years, or 2+ years with dependent children)
- Subclass 100 processing: an additional 12 to 24 months after the 309 is granted
Factors Affecting Processing Speed
Processing times vary based on the completeness of your application. The Department continues to prioritize aged, compassionate, and compelling applications. Applications with incomplete documents or missing information tend to take longer. The quality of evidence, submission documents, and correct, logical filing will influence how quickly the Department processes your application.
Document Validity Periods
- Police certificates: Valid for 12 months from the issue date. If more than 15 months has passed since a National Police Certificate was issued by the Australian Federal Police, new checks will be required
- Health assessments: Valid for 12 months from the time examinations were completed