If you have considered applying for a partner visa, chances are strong that you are familiar with the difficult process of assembling all the evidence you will need to show the Department of Home Affairs that your relationship is genuine. Partner Visa 309 and Partner Visa 100 are the two categories that are often accepted when applying for a partner visa in Australia.
The Partner Visa 309 and 100 are for international nationals who wish to migrate to Australia in view of marriage or other legally recognised connections. You may well be eligible for partner visa 309 and the subsequent partner visa 100 to continue living with your spouse or partner as a permanent resident in Australia when you are secured in to or in a de facto relationship including an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen of the relatively similar or another gender.
While you are from outside Australia, you must apply for both a Subclass 309 and a Subclass 100 Partner visa at the same time. If your relationship is not a long-term partner relationship, these visas will be evaluated and granted in two distinct stages.
After at least 2 years have occurred from the date of Subclass 309/100 Partner visa request, processing for the Subclass 100 Partner (Permanent) visa will then only begin. This is to make sure that only partners in sincere and committed relationships are eligible to become permanent residents of Australia.
A relationship or marriage that has lasted for a long time with a partner can be described as:
- At least 3 years when there is no kid in the partnership, or fewer than 2 years if the dependant of both the applicant and the Australian spouse/partner.
- A partner visa applicant in Australia could submit an application to join Medicare, that country’s healthcare programme.
Processing Time for Partner Visa
The current total processing time is as follows:
- Partner Visa Subclass 309: 25% of all visa requests for temporary partner visas take approximately 4 months, 50% of all visa requests take about 8 months, 75% of all visa applications take about 21 months, and 90% of all visa applications take about 29 months.
- Partner Visa Subclass 100: 25% of all visa requests for permanent partner visas take approximately 6 months, 50% of all visa applications take 9 months, 75% of all visa requests take 1 year, and 90% of all visa applications take 1 year and 18 months.
Depending on the particulars of the candidate and sponsor as well as the type of application submitted to the Department of Home Affairs, processing times vary for each application. In reality, many applications are handled far more quickly than usual.
Processing Time for Partner Visa Subclass 309 & 100 (Offshore)
A permanent Subclass 100 Partner (Migrant) visa can be obtained once at least two years have lapsed after the Subclass 309 Partner visa petition was submitted. The Subclass 309 Partner (Provisional) visa is a transient partner visa.
A permanent Subclass 100 Partner (Migrant) visa will be issued in one step to a partner visa applicant who has been in a committed relationship with the sponsoring partner for a significant amount of time.
A relationship or marriage that has lasted for a long time with a partner can be described as:
- If the applicant and the Australian spouse/partner both have dependent children, at least two years.
- Approximately 3 years have passed if there are no children involved in the partnership.
What Can I Do to Make It Go Faster?
There isn’t any such thing as special privileges, and the Department has fixed processing times. Although some partner visas – for no apparent reason – take considerably longer than the guidelines above, we have seen them issued in as short as 4 months.
The position that is reviewing applications sent overseas might occasionally affect how quickly they are processed.
Making sure that your petition or application is as near to being “decision-ready” as possible will be the only thing you can really do to try to speed up the process. Avoid leaving any significant gaps in it (such as unfilled police clearances, for example), since you want the officer’s work to be simple when they pick it up.
Australian Migration Expert 