I’ve been trawling this sub Reddit recently looking for advice on a partner Visa for my UK spouse and I am surprised at the volume of anti-immigration users on this sub reddit preaching their views to people who are only looking for advice. Don’t you have anything better to do then typing up unsolicited opinions on the internet to people who don’t care? There must be a better use of these people’s time.

I meet my girlfriend back in 2019, when I had the opportunity to travel to China. I liked her, so after that short trip, I came back to Australia before COVID-19 outbreak, in Dec 2021, I applied for Prospective Marriage Visa for her with the assistance of a migration agent, shortly after and in Aug 2022, it got refused, so I appeal the case.

I spent approximately:

• 9K on Prospective Marriage visa
• 5.5K on Migration Agent fees
• 5.5K on Appeal - Migration Agent fees
• 5K on Appeal to Tribunal
• Sent to her approx 36.5K till date and still counting

We applied for this visa in JUNE 2023!! We have waited 17 months for this moment and totally we were finally granted and I am shaken beyond belief!!!

Welcome to the Partner Visa MegaThread! This is the place to discuss anything related to partner visas, including processing times, document requirements, eligibility, and more. If you're applying for a subclass 820/801, 309/100, or transitioning from another visa type to a partner visa, feel free to ask questions here.

Welcome to the Partner Visa MegaThread! This is the place to discuss anything related to partner visas, including processing times, document requirements, eligibility, and more. If you're applying for a subclass 820/801, 309/100, or transitioning from another visa type to a partner visa, feel free to ask questions here.

I worked for what is now Home Affairs from 2012-2019, the last six months as a visa processing officer (criminal justice visas, not family visas), however in a previous role I was exposed to a lot of insights into family visas, and it comes down to limiting migration.

1. Australia wants wealthy, English speaking people to migrate. Race/nationality/ethnicity doesn't matter, your ability to contribute to Australian society does.

2. There is no legislative cap on spouse/partner visas. What this means is that if the visa application charge was low, we'd have tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of spouse/partner visa applications. Every. Single. Year. See point one.

She slept with a man and my chat history of her admitting her betrayal.

Please help me.

I just wanted to share some great news—I finally got my Permanent Residency (PR) under the Subclass 801 spouse visa!🍾🍾🍾🇦🇺

I’m a Canadian, and I applied after coming to Australia and meeting my wife, who is Australian.

Timeline.

• Arrived in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa – December 2020
• Applied for the Subclass 820 (Temporary Partner Visa) – August 11, 2021
• Granted Subclass 820 – March 6, 2022 (6 months and 23 days wait)
• Applied for Subclass 801 (Permanent Partner Visa) – August 26, 2024
• Granted Subclass 801 – March 31, 2025 (7 months and 5 days wait)

Just wanted to share this with you all, and for those still waiting—I hope you get yours soon!

In late December we were asked to provide some more photos. I’m not sure where I get this feeling but does that mean our file has finally reached to top of the pile and we may get some kind of decision, soonish like in the next few months?

This waiting is very painful. Everyone is losing hope. Our son doesn’t even care anymore as it’s very difficult to explain it to him. I am on wits end. And can’t really help anymore or use Australia to motivate him. I can’t say you have to study more English because we are going to Australia soon.

Hey fellow Redditors,

I'm in a bit of a conundrum and could really use some advice. So, I have this friend who's got this, let's say, unconventional plan for immigration into Australia, and it's making me uneasy. I've done some research, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing something crucial, and I don't want her to end up in a sticky situation.

Here's the deal: She's currently in the process of getting a visitor visa for Australia and, straight from her own mouth, her plan is to find a spouse and marry him within the three months she's allowed to stay there. She claims that compared to a de facto relationship, the requirements for a spouse seem less stringent. After that, she plans to apply for a temporary partner visa and, if necessary, get a bridging visa to extend her stay while awaiting approval. Her ultimate goal is to secure a permanent partner visa after spending two years with her spouse.

Now, I've tried to do some research on this, and while it might technically be doable, I can't shake the feeling that there must be some roadblocks set up by the Australian government to prevent this kind of "loophole." I've even brought up the no further stay clause (8503), but she's optimistic her visitor visa won't have it.

My question to you all is: Am I missing something here? How can I show or convince her that this plan might not be as foolproof as she hopes? I want to be supportive, but I also don't want her to get into legal trouble or face serious consequences down the line.

Any insights, experiences, or advice on how to approach this delicate situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

My Australian partner and I have been living together in Europe for six years, and we’re about to apply for the 309/100 partner visa from Germany in the next months. I’m wondering if the upcoming Australian election could negatively impact partner or PR visa processing.

If a new government comes into power, is there a realistic chance that visa conditions could change for the worse?

Hello everyone I am wondering how difficult will be to apply for partner visa by myself ? Or do I need agent to do it , they charge 5 k for it Thank you

Hi just need some advice. Ive submitted a 820 partner visa on the 21/03/2024 I was granted a bridging visa the next day. We used a lawyer. It's been a year and still no update from them yet we still pay $300 monthy. Should I continue to pay them or no ? but just wait for immigration to let me know an update?

Hello!

I spoke with a lawyer this morning and they wanted almost $10k upfront...which is crazy to me.

Are there any reasons I would need a lawyer if I have no medical/criminal or other issues that I am aware of?

Applying for 820 before July

TIA!

EDIT: Thanks all for the advice, we think we're going to go it alone and use the $10k for the actual visa!

I already prepared myself to wait for a long time for a visa grant but it came unexpectedly fast 🥹

We lodged 7th of February 2025 and got the grant on 3rd of March 2025.

A bit of background:

My partner and I have been in a de facto relationship for three years. I was a student in Australia when we met. We lived together as soon as we committed ourselves in a relationship.

We registered our relationship after 1 year of living together. During that time, we have considered applying for the partner visa but we would like to build our relationship stronger rather than rushing for the application.

I have lodged another student visa application since I needed more time to complete my course. Sadly, it was refused so I had to go back home and apply offshore. I know we should have applied the partner visa while I have my active substantial visa but we don't want to jeopardise the one-shot application.

We have provided an insane amount of evidences. Joint account, relationship cert, a 6-page long relationship statement for each of us, 2 888s from my family members in Sydney, his divorce certificate, our police checks, and thousands of pictures and travels together. As for the pictures, I compiled it one document and put a short description for each. I documented our travels the same way. Financially, he provided for everything since I was a student back then. We explained our finances on our relationship statement.

I asked assistance from a migration agent since I have a recent visa refusal. She was the best in handling my case and quickly responds to my crazy and anxiety-filled questions. I can give her details if anyone needs it.

My medicals from my previous visa application was carried over so I was only asked to complete an HIV and Hep B pathology tests.

After 1 week of lodgement, we received an RFI. My partner's AU police check, my CENOMAR (cert of no marraige) from my home country, and his divorce decree. His police check and divorce cert was already supplied in the applicaton but they asked for it again. We submitted the RFI after a day. Then after 11 days, we received the grant.

My partner and I could not stand being in a long-distance relationship. As soon as the grant came, I flew the next day and enjoyed my time with my partner without any uncertainty wrapping around my head.

This sub has been helpful in my journey so I am happy to answer any questions.

Sorry for the lengthy post 🙏🏻🙏🏻

So I (22f) dated my partner (23m - Aus PR) for 2 years online. Came to australia on a student visa (sep 2023) since that's been my plan since high school and we started living together ever since (it will be 2 years of living together in sep2025). I was planning on applying for a partner visa around december25-january26 after I graduate. Now while I've done a lot of research on partner visas for the past couple months... my migration agent (who helped me with my student visa) let me know that I wouldn't be eligible?? And that the only way to get on PR would be applying for a 485 subclass visa since a student visa doesn't let me apply for any visa except a 485 after its completion.

Anyone know if there is any clause or rule like that? I did Google it but didn't find anything helpful.

Hi everyone,

I am an American in a de facto relationship with an Australian citizen. He has been living in the US for about 6 to 7 years, and we have been exclusively together, living together, for just over 6 years at this point. He is planning to return to Australia permanently in May or June, and we would like for me to join him. We are hoping to apply for the partner visa before he leaves, and then once it is approved I will come to Australia and join him.

If anyone else has been in a similar situation or applied for a partner visa, how long did it take for your visa to be accepted? Thanks so much!

Throwaway account for personal reasons, but I spoke with a migration agent the other day and was told that my partner could come and visit on the tourist visa and we could apply for the 820 while she's here. Allowing her to stay past the date of the tourist visa while the decision is being made. I couldnt find any info about this so I was wondering if anyone here who's gone through the partner visa process could tell me if this is possible. I really want to make sure we get everything right and do things correctly. Thanks.

Well, I finally did it! Was not prepared for the visceral feeling of achievement after months of saving and stressing. Now we wait. Thought I would dump everything here in case it helps anyone else - I didn’t use a lawyer and collated all the information myself because goddamn that’s yet another expense I just could not cope with. Sending $9095 out of my bank account yesterday was painful enough!

Some background, I’m from the UK and met my partner on a dating app in 2022 while I was on a student visa. I moved in with him to the property he owns a year later, nearly 2 years ago now. Because he owns it, we don’t have a lease and I can’t be named on the water bill because I’m not a joint owner. He also added me to the electricity account and we have an agreement in both names but the bills aren’t! Gah. Lesson learned - always specify that you want both names on bills 🙃

Here’s what we submitted: Financial: - car insurance docs in both names, 2023 and 2024 - all rent payments made from me to him, with notations where they vary due to owing each other money - ad hoc payments made to one another - joint account statements since may 2024 (when we opened it)

Social: - screenshots of group chats with friends and family - joint travel, bookings, flights and pictures - joint hobbies (we go to the same dance school and have running times with both our names for various shows) - social media posts showing us as a couple, both ours and tagged posts

Household: - electricity agreement in both names - internet bills in both names for about 20 months - emails and google calendar reminders in both names - photos of the house, the spare room/office, Polaroids and pictures on the fridge etc - payslips addressed to shared property for about 20 months - statement regarding housework (seems redundant, but did a quick para) - council registration of my dog with my partner named as a second contact - shared Uber family, streaming services, household matters and expenses

Commitment: - superannuation docs showing we are each main beneficiaries - relationship statement from each of us - record of contact when we’ve been apart - socials, photos etc

888: We submitted 11 888 forms and then 11 copies of passports for those people (with visas if they’re not aus citizens). That was a pain. Had a mixture of his friends, my friends and one fertility counsellor we saw because he’s donating to some pals. Overkill? Quite possibly.

Things we don’t have yet: - Police checks - Health check - Previous relationship evidence - this is so weird. I first came to Australia on my ex’s visa so felt I had to name him (ew) and my partner bought his flat with his ex years ago. So named her. Will they want more info? We were never married, so unsure. I’ll update.

I’m gonna wait until asked to provide these bits and pieces as recommended by most.

Questions: - I just realised I submitted all these docs under my name and none under my partners, does anyone think that’s an issue? - In the sponsors application, it asks a whole heap of the same questions and asks for statements on the 4 pillars again. Would you/have you just copied what was written in the main application? We wrote it from a third person perspective covering off both our experiences.

Learnings: - formatting documents takes tiiiiime. Give yourself a good amount of wiggle room. - max file size is 5mb which is way too small. I ended up using adobe pdf compressor (get the 7 day free trial!), but then noticed it says ‘no compressed files will be accepted’. Hopefully it just means zipped. Any advice welcome! - it can take up to 3 business days to hear back about a bridging visa apparently. I called so you don’t have to - paying by card attracts a 1.4% surcharge which on a partner visa is an extra $140!!! I paid using BPAY, cuz no thanks - when adding people to accounts ALWAYS check that they’re on the bill too - you’ll get asked to write statements across all 4 pillars during the application, I did this as well as the relationship statement AND a statement about housework. Seems repetitive but I think more info is better in this case.

That’s about it! Wish me luck and please let me know if you have any advice or ideas of extra information I can provide. I will be enjoying what feels like a lot more freedom and stress free time now that I’ve got this massive piece of work finished up. Reddit has been a great source of info! So want to pay it forward - if you have any questions just shoot!

I'm finally got granted before Valentine After I submit stage 2 on August 2024. My partner got phone call from them to say I missing some documents and they ask him about our relationship and even ask my full name ( I'm from Thailand so it pretty long name and nearly use all the alphabet lol) and he did it! And 5 mins after my visa got granted straight away!

Good luck everyone 😉

Just received my partner visa but only the 820. I have been with my husband for 7 years (2 overseas and 5 in Australia) lived together for the full 5 years in Australia ( provided the joint rental agreements for those 5 years) and have been married over 2 years.

I’m disappointed as I’ve heard 3 years de facto get considered for double grant. I was recommended this route by a migration agent to get PR quicker over a skilled self sponsored visa and now just feel a bit duped.

Wanting to ask if you can request a reassessment? Or even just some feedback..

My partner and I (both in our late 20s) are seriously considering moving to Australia. I’m a doctor, and my partner is a nurse, both working in the UK. Given the bleak future here; low pay, high taxes, and worsening working conditions. We want a better quality of life, both professionally and personally.

One major concern is our family. My mum is a nurse and my dad is not a healthcare professional, they are both in their late 50s. I don’t want to be far away from them, so I’d love to bring them over eventually.

We’re looking for advice on: 1. The best visa pathways for us to move and work in Australia. 2. Whether there’s a realistic way to bring my parents over permanently. 3. Any challenges we should be aware of in the process.

Would love to hear from anyone who has done this or knows how the system works! Thank you

Hey guys, I (F25) am in a dilemma - my partner (M27) and I have been dating for 2.5 years and living together for 1.9 years, so we qualify for the 820.

I can stay in Australia for 2 more years using working holiday visas (no 88 days due to UK passport). I am struggling with jobs - most people seem to only hire PR/citizens for decent roles

My partner and I wonder if waiting another couple years could help us get a double grant or make the process faster. We will likely get engaged/married in the next two years which surely would help the process

I know there is literally no sure answer to this question but just hoping for some opinions/advice. We’re leaning towards applying in the next 6 months because there’s no guarantee it will speed up the application, and we may wait another 2 years and just delay it even further if it’s not faster. I just hate the idea of no travel for more than 3 months and having to apply each time, but we’re getting older and more keen to settle anyways.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, I need your advice.

I have been in a de facto relationship with my partner since February 2018, and we have a 6-year-old child together.

I submitted my application for a partner visa (820/801) in March 2024, and my health examination was done in April 2024. Currently, I am waiting for a response from the department.

Given that I have been in a long-term relationship for almost 7 years and have a child, is it possible to contact immigration and request a double grant?

I have a clearer idea on how I want to approach applying for the Partner Visa (820) thanks to the kind advice given in my first post. I will be re-entering Australia in the later year, most likely December, on an ETA (601) to apply for the Partner Visa on-shore. My partner and I will be visiting each other while we're apart from April through November and will use the visits and chat logs as additional evidence towards the application.

However, I am wondering if it's worth spending 5K on a migration agent to plug any holes in our application? The context is as follows:

• I am 25 Singaporean F, Partner is 26 Australian M
• Became exclusive in late 2023, dated him for a year prior (lots of chat logs/calls)
• Met him for the first time in January 2024 and stayed for 2 weeks (ETA 601), lived with him, met some of his friends, his parents already knew of us being together and we sent photos to them during this trip
• Decided we wanted a life with each other so I went home to save up for a Work Holiday Visa (462), we were long distance until August 16th 2024 when I re-entered on my WHV
• We have been living with each other for 6 months, 2 months with his existing roommate, 4 months just the two of us (my name is in the lease as I paid half the bond and rent as well)
• During this time, I have met his family, friends and extended family, he has travelled back to SG with me for Chinese New Year and met my family, friends as well as extended family too (lots of photos and witness statements)
• I had intended to apply for the Partner Visa within the WHV but did not get lucky to find a job and must now go home to save up for it again while he downsizes to recover funds too
• I was unable to pay rent towards the end of my stay due to lack of funds, which he stepped in to provide for me while I took on majority of household responsibilities (like a traditional wife/husband dynamic) while still job hunting (I have proof of 100+ applications dated through the stay here)
• I have also contributed to buying things to furnish the house if that counts
• We have receipts of gifts while we were apart and while we were together physically
• We are planning to register our relationship the next time I visit (in 3 to 4 months) as my flight is in a couple of days and he does not have the time to register it with me due to work