A Guide for De Facto Partner Visas for Australia

partner visa australia

A spouse visa for Australia is also known as a partner visa. The person sponsoring his partner for this visa must be an eligible Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. Only then will he will be able to call his spouse or de facto partner to Australia.

You can have your partner visa (or spouse visa) in two steps. The first step is to get a temporary visa, allowing you to live and work within Australia. The second stage grants you a permanent residence visa, allowing you to live permanently in Australia.

If you are already staying in Australia and lodging the visa, you will get a bridging visa until you get the provisional spouse visa. A bridging visa will allow you to stay in Australia lawfully. Therefore, you do not have to worry about being deported to your country without a valid visa.

A partner visa is also known as the following:

  • Spouse Visa
  • Spousal visa
  • Marriage Visa

Now, the question is that are you in a de facto partner relationship? If yes, then the following guide is for you, where you will get all the requirements and eligibility criteria to apply for your de facto partner visa easily.

You are eligible to apply for the visa in two circumstances such as:

  • You are a sponsor and want to bring your de facto partner to Australia.
  • You want to migrate to Australia, and your de facto partner is sponsoring you.

Terms & Conditions for a De Facto Partner 

Partner Visa

As mentioned above, a partner visa can also be termed a de facto, marriage, or spouse visa. Let us look at the essential terms and conditions of it.

Spouse Visa

Australia has opened gates for Australian spouses to get a permanent spouse visa. To avail of the visa, both the spouses – sponsor and the applicant must be in a married relationship or a de facto relationship.

820 Visa

When a de facto visa is applied within Australia, it is known as a subclass 820 partner visa.

309 Visa

When a de facto visa is applied outside Australia, it is called a subclass 309 partner visa.

Permanent de facto Partner visa

If you have either of these visas – 820 or 309 visa- you can apply for permanent residence in Australia.

To further differentiate, permanent residency granted under the 820 visa is called the subclass 801 visa. Under the subclass 309 visa, permanent residency is known as the visa subclass 100.

De Facto Partner Visa in Australia

The immigration offices grant a de facto partner visa after you meet all the requirements and eligibility criteria. It permits the applicant sponsored by an eligible Australian or New Zealand permanent resident or citizen to stay lawfully in Australia. The stay can be temporary or permanent, depending on the visa type.

Essential Requirements for Approval of a De Facto Visa

Following are a few basic yet essential requirements to fulfill for approval of your de facto visa:

  • Both partners must be in a de facto relationship for a minimum of 12 months right before lodging the visa.
  • Both partners must register their de facto relationship before lodging the visa or right after you apply for it.
  • If both partners are not living together, it must be for temporary reasons.  
  • The partner sponsoring must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. Most importantly, he should be above 18 years.
  • Both partners must commit to spend the rest of their lives together in peace and harmony.

Processing Time

You will have to complete the waiting period of 2 years beginning from the date of the application. This means that until the final decision on your visa, you will have to wait for a specific time.

During your waiting period, you must prove your relationship to the visa application officer that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship. Therefore, you must make up your mind before lodging the visa, as if there is any confusion about your relationship, you can lose your visa.

Conclusion

Asia Pacific Group deals in all kinds of Australian visas. A partner or de facto partner visa is one of them. You will get complete guidance for your visa, and you can also apply for it with us.

Talk to our experts and enjoy a satisfactory visa application experience with the Asia Pacific Group.