Temporary partnership visa (Subclasses 309 or 820)

What do I need to be eligible for a temporary partnership visa?

General criteria for partners

• You must be 18 years old or older
• You must have an approved sponsor and be their spouse or de facto partner. If applying as a married applicant - your marriage must be valid under Australian law.
• If applying as a de facto partner – you must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months (this requirement can be waived in some circumstances) and you must provide evidence of de facto relationship such as shared finance, shared domestic matters, social matters, commitment to a long-term relationship, etc
• You must meet health and character requirements

Online assessment

Criteria for sponsors

• Age – you must be 18 years old or older
• Be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen
• Agree to provide support, housing and financial help to the applicant and their family included in the partner visa application for the first 2 years of them living in Australia
• Meet Character requirements, not have convictions or charges for specific offences relating to children, and if applicable, consent to the Department of Home Affairs of Australia disclosing your convictions for relevant offences
• Not hold or have held certain visas such as Partner visas, Prospective Marriage visa, Contributory Parent visas, Woman at Risk visa in certain circumstances

English proficiency

Principal applicant and family members included in a partner visa application are not required to provide evidence of their English competency.

Health and Character

All family members who are included in a partner visa application must meet health and character requirements.
All applicants over 16 must provide police clearances from every country they lived in, Australia inclusive, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years. In some circumstances, non-migrating family members may be required to undergo health and character clearances.

Can I include my family in a temporary partnership application?

Principal applicants for a temporary partner visa may include their dependent children or stepchildren.

Dependent Children

Children can be included in your visa application, provided they fall under one of the below categories:

Category 1

They are under 18 years of age
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;

Category 2

They are over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;

Category 3

They are over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to *physical or cognitive limitations
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship

*Such child/ren will still need to meet Australia's health requirements for the visa to be granted.

Note: The child must meet the dependency criteria at the time of application submission as well as at the time of decision-making.

How long does it take to get a Sc 309 or 820 temporary partnership visa for Australia?

The official processing times are advertised as 21-28 months for Sc 309 visa and 23-30 months for Sc 820 visa, however priority processing is currently in place for partner visas.

What are the fees?

Sc 309-100 and Sc 820-801 visa application fees are currently AUD$,7850 for the main applicant, AUD$3,930 for any secondary applicant aged 18 and above and AUD$1,965 for any secondary applicant under the age of 18.

Australian Shores' consultancy fees are quoted through our online assessment.

Online assessment

Our Partner Visa Service includes

• Your personal adviser will manage everything required for the entire process, taking all the stress off your shoulders.
• We will apply for the necessary visa(s) on your behalf.
• Settlement advice and support once you receive your visa.

Online assessment