People move from one country to another for many reasons – work, lifestyle, and very commonly for love. However, to move to Australia to be with your love, you will need to know how to apply for a Partner Visa.
In this article, you will get to know more about a partner visa, how to apply for one, as well as what to do to ensure that your visa application gets approved on time.
What is a Partner Visa?
A visa is a nation’s official permission that authorises the recipient to enter, stay in and leave the country. In Australia, there are different types of visas, one of which is a Partner Visa.
A partner visa allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia. These types of visas are also known as de facto visas. Partner visa is categorised into two stages:
- Temporary partner visa stage: As its name implies, a temporary Partner Visa is impermanent. It is granted to the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia for a specified period. If you are granted a temporary Partner Visa, it is valid for the whole waiting period until the Immigration Department determines your eligibility to be issued a permanent Partner Visa application.
- Permanent Partner Visa stage: Once the applicant meets the requirements of this stage, a permanent visa is issued to them by the immigration department. A permanent visa gives the holder authorisation to live in Australia permanently. It is issued after two years of applying for it.
Both temporary and permanent Partner Visas give you the right to work and study in Australia. With a Partner Visa, you may also be eligible for Medicare.
What are the Australian Temporary Partner Visa Requirements?
Here are some of the requirements you should have in mind while applying for a Partner Visa in Australia:
- Your sponsoring partner must already be a resident of Australia.
- You must keep all legal criteria stipulated under Australian law.
- You must fulfil all legal criteria two years after the temporary visa is handed to you.
- You must be ready to pay for the visa costs and all fees needed for the application process.
- You must carry out all health examinations you are required to.
- You may also have to go through Police checks in your own country.
Two years after getting your Temporary Partner Visa, you must confirm that you are still in a relationship with your partner in Australia. However, once you are granted a Permanent Partner Visa, you can live in Australia indefinitely, whether you remain with your partner or not.
If you and your partner are ready to meet these requirements, then you can go ahead and apply for an Australian Partner Visa. If you are not sure if you meet the requirements of a Partner Visa or you are overwhelmed at the extent of the application process then contact a Partner Visa migration agent (like Immigate) to help you!
How does the Process of Applying for a Partner Visa Work?
If you intend to make an application for a Partner Visa, then here are some practical and valuable steps to take:
1. Prepare the required documents including registering a marriage or defacto relationship
The standard time for issuing a Permanent Visa is two years after the application is made. However, the waiting period can be shortened if the applicant can prove the following:
- That they and their partner have been married or have been in a relationship for a total of 3 years or more.
- That the applicant’s relationship with their partner has lasted for more than two years, and there is a child from the relationship.
- That the applicant’s partner has a permanent visa by way of the Australian humanitarian program or was given a protection visa.
2. Meet the Immigration Department’s criteria for issuing a Partner Visa
There are certain criteria you have to meet before the Immigration Department will issue a temporary partner visa to you. The temporary visa will be valid pending when you are issued a permanent Partner Visa. The following are the criteria partner visa applicants are required to meet before the visa is issued:
- Applicants must be in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and the partner must be willing to sponsor the visa application.
- Both the applicant and their partner must be above the age of 18 to apply for a partner visa.
- The applicant and their partner, who also is the sponsor, must have been in a relationship for at least 12 months. The applicant may be required to present proof of the relationship during the application process.
- The applicant and their partner must be able to pass the interview and submit relevant documents authenticating the relationship to the appropriate authorities.
3. Send in your Application
The process of applying for a Partner Visa starts with you sending in your application. You can do so by completing your application form and submitting it to the right agency for assessment. The applicant will, however, need to be a non-Australian resident to apply for a temporary partner visa.
How long does a Partner Visa application take?
The Australian immigration laws do not specify how long it should take to process a Partner Visa application. However, on average, the processing time for permanent visa applications can last anywhere between 16 to 24 months. Some of the factors that may affect the processing time includes:
- Whether you have a complete list of all the required documents to be attached with the application
- How long it takes to carry out a background check on the information that you provided
- How promptly you respond to the queries for additional information
- The time it takes to get information from sources outside the purview of the Australian immigration department like the health, national security, and police departments, etc.
Generally, the final decision will be based on the authenticity of all the information and documents that you gave in your Partner Visa application. We advise that you do not make travel arrangements like booking a ticket, until your Partner Visa application is successful.
Need Help Making your Australian Partner Visa?
Do you need a Partner Visa migration agent? Look no further. We’re here to help. Whether you want a visa subclass 820, visa subclass 590, visa subclass 801 or visa subclass 390, we’re the right organisation to turn to. We will break down the different types of partner visas that you can apply for, and we will advise you on the best choice to make when applying.
IMMIGATE is a Migration Agent and Lawyer that helps people apply for the correct visas to migrate to or live in Australia. We are a team of professionals committed to providing sterling immigration services.
At IMMIGATE, our friendly and efficient partner visa immigration lawyers work tirelessly round the clock to ensure that our clients get their partner visa processed successfully and in good time.
Thinking of moving to Australia to join your partner? Don’t hesitate, contact us today.
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