PARTNER VISA APPLICATION MADE IN AUSTRALIA

The Subclass 820 temporary Partner visa allows you to live in Australia if you are legally married to or are the de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The Partner Visa can also be granted to same sex couples.

The application has to be made in Australia and you must be within Australia when the visa is granted. In some circumstances can be granted even if the relationship has ended.

Your partner must sponsor you. Your partner may not be able to sponsor you if they sponsored another person or had been sponsored within 5 years or if they have sponsored 2 people previously. There are some exemptions for compelling circumstances.

This visa is the first stage to obtaining a subclass 801 permanent Partner visa (subclass 801). The temporary Partner Visa (subclass 820) will allow you to:

• remain in Australia until a decision is made about your permanent Partner visa;
• work in Australia;
• study in Australia, but with no access to government funding; and
• enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses.

Your dependent children can be included in your application, but not other dependent relatives unless you hold or held a Prospective Marriage visa. The dependents must also be in Australia when they apply.

Two years after your subclass 820 is lodged if the relationship still exists you will be invited to apply for your Permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).

The Permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) will allow you to:

• stay in Australia indefinitely;
• work and study in Australia;
• apply for Australian citizenship once you are eligible to do so;
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence;
• receive some social security payments; and
• travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted and after that time you will need another visa to enter Australia if you have not become a citizen.

The applicant and any dependent members must satisfy health and character requirements.