Every year thousands of partner visas are lodged and granted in Australia. The partner visa allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
The process for applying for the partner visa is a complex process and requires substantial documents. The basic eligibility for a partner visa is – you must prove to the Department that you are in a genuine relationship with your sponsoring spouse or de facto partner.
To cut significant waiting time it is advised that application should be lodged as ‘decision ready’ i.e. providing all documents at the time of application to the Department. The current processing time for a partner visa is 15 – 20 months.
The cost of the visa is AUD 7,160 for the main applicant and it covers the temporary and permanent Partner (Migrant) visa. There is also a fee for each family member who applies for the visa unless they hold a Dependent child visa.
To prove the genuineness of a relationship and to be granted the partner visa you require to provide evidence:
- a) Statement of relationship: Your statement needs to describe, how, when and where you met, how the relationship developed, joint activities, significant event, future plans.
- b) Financials: Mortgage, loan documents, bank accounts
- c) Responsibilities: Joint bills, living arrangements, correspondence addressed to both
- d) Community: Proof of joint travel, cultural or social activities, declaration of relationship to Government and family
- e) Long term relationship: Commitment to each other, correspondence between sponsor and applicant, personal documents, knowledge of each other in personal circumstances.
You also need to provide health, character and Insurance documents for the visa application. Applicants and sponsors must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
Getting Assistanc
If you intend to lodge a partner visa, it is worthwhile to seek immigration advice as a partner visa is a costly application and could lead to significant waiting periods for you and your partner or your application being refused.
At Migration Centre of Australia, we have expert migration agents knowledgeable in Partner visa, and we also assist in writing statement letters for a Partner visa. We are well-trained to handle highly complex matters. Book one of our agents for professional advice by calling 02 4626 1002 or email us to book in a time at info@migrationcentreofaustralia.com.au. We also speak fluent Hindi, Nepalese, Punjabi, Turkish, Tamil, Portuguese and Marathi. If one of these isn’t your language, we can also help you arrange an interpreter.
