How to apply for a Partner Visa if you’re out of Australia (Offshore)

Are you looking to apply for a partner visa while residing outside Australia? You've come to the right place. 

In this guide to offshore partner visas, we'll guide you through the steps involved in securing a partner visa subclass 309 (short-term visa) followed by a partner visa subclass 100 (permanent partner visa)—the start of your pathway to Australian citizenship.

A 1-minute guide to offshore partner visas in Australia

• Visa categories: You'll start with a subclass 309 visa (short-term), and after two years, you can progress to a subclass 100 visa (permanent). In some cases, you may receive your short-term visa and permanent visa at the same time, such as if you’re in a long-term relationship. 
• Basic eligibility requirements: You must be the spouse or de facto partner of or in a civil relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and applying while outside Australia.
• Cost estimate: From $9,095.00 (combined visa application charge)
• Processing time estimate: As of May 2024, 50% of applications for short-term offshore partner visa 309 are processed within 16 months, and 90% are processed within 32 months. 

💡 Matilda Tip: The visa processing times listed on the Home Affairs website can be incredibly misleading for offshore partner visas. Each offshore office has its own average processing times, which can skew the accuracy of these average figures. For example, offices in Dubai have processing times of years, while offices in London and Berlin can offer processing within six to nine months. 

Unpacking Australia's offshore partner visa categories

There are two steps to securing an offshore partner visa, which are available to those who are in a marriage, de facto relationship or in a civil registered relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Firstly, you'll be granted a short-term visa (subclass 309 visa), and then you can progress to a permanent partner visa (subclass 100 visa). As a combined visa application, the costs of your permanent visa application are combined with your short-term visa application, too.

Once you secure a permanent partner visa, you’ll also have permanent residency in Australia. You’ll then be able to apply for Australian citizenship once you’ve been living in Australian for four years, with at least one year as a permanent resident. 

While it might seem like a long time away, now is the time to be thinking about your long term goals if your ultimate aim is to become an Australian citizen. 

About partner provisional visa subclass 309 (short-term)

The first step in securing an offshore partner visa is to apply for a short-term partner visa subclass 309. With a 309 visa, you'll be able to stay, work, study and travel to and from Australia until you receive your permanent partner visa.

The eligibility requirements for a 309 provisional partner visa include:

• You must be outside Australia when submitting your visa application
• You must be 18 years or older (in most cases)
• You'll need to prove you're in a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner (who needs to be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen)
• You must be sponsored by your partner
• You must meet the Australian government's relationship, health and character requirements
• You must not owe any debt to the Australian government
• You must sign the Australian values statement

💡 Matilda Tip: Do you have a dependent child when applying for this visa? As an offshore partner visa applicant, you can add dependent children to your application if they are under 18 years of age, unmarried, under your custody and financially dependent on you.

Keep Reading: Dive into our complete guide to applying for a partner visa for a deeper look into the eligibility requirements for Australian partner visas. 

About partner migrant visa subclass 100 (permanent)

With a 309 visa in place, you'll unlock the ability to progress to a permanent partner visa (subclass 100) after two years. In some cases, you might even be granted your permanent visa as soon as your short-term partner visa is approved (typically if you've been in a long term relationship or marriage upon applying).

To qualify for a permanent partner visa, you'll need to provide additional documents proving your relationship status. But there are still pathways to a permanent visa if your relationship has changed, too.

How does a long-distance relationship impact your application?

What's unique about the 309 and 100 visas is this: you may not be living with your Australian partner when you apply. Being located in different countries in a long-distance relationship can pose some extra consideration when it comes to providing that you're in a genuine and continuing relationship to the exclusion of all others.

For onshore visa applications, it tends to be easier to provide evidence of your relationship status as you'll likely be sharing a bank account (financial evidence), renting or paying off a mortgage together (household evidence) and frequently photographed together at parties and events (social evidence).

But there are ways around this for long-distance couples, including:

• Providing signed statements that offer plenty of details about the circumstances of your relationship, backed by information from friends or family members who can speak to the unique reasons why you're unable to live together in Australia
• Building a timeline of significant events in your relationship to show your level of ongoing commitment
• Gathering evidence and proof of ongoing contact even while abroad (such as regular phone calls, text messages and FaceTime calls)
• Sharing evidence of any times you've previously lived or travelled together (such as photos as well as flight and hotel bookings)

A step-by-step guide to applying for an offshore partner visa

There is a lot to consider when preparing your offshore partner visa application. From gathering and organising your supporting documents to understanding what level of detail you need to provide, navigating the process alone can be incredibly time-consuming.

In our ultimate guide to applying for a partner visa, we run you through everything you need to consider, including a more detailed version of this step-by-step application guide. For a more consolidated overview of the application process, dive into the summary below.

Part 1: How to apply for a 309 visa (short-term)

Want to ensure a seamless application process? Gather all the supporting documents and ensure these key documents are translated into English and have clear, scanned copies available. 

You’ll need to provide evidence aligned with the four pillars of Australia’s partner visa program, including:

1. Financial Aspects: From shared bank accounts to joint ownership of major assets, it’s helpful to provide evidence of financial aspects to prove that you share and pool your finances as a couple and pay for living expenses together.
   
   
2. Nature of Household: Evidence of living together, sharing household utility bills or receiving mail addressed to both of you are common ways to show that you share household responsibilities as a couple.
   
   
3. Social Aspects: Demonstrating a shared life is key to providing the social aspects of your relationship. Evidence can include supporting statements from friends or loved ones, joint travel plans or photo evidence of attending events as a couple.
   
   
4. Nature of Commitment: You’ll also need to be able to show the nature of your commitment, including letters, relationship statements and even the terms of your wills that demonstrate the length of your relationship, significant events you’ve shared and your level of commitment to each other.

For a complete list of all the supporting documents you’ll likely need to wrangle, check out our comprehensive checklist below. 

Keep in mind that not every piece of evidence is going to be relevant to your application, which is why working with an RMA can be helpful (as they’ll be able to streamline this process, reduce your workload and narrow down what documentation is relevant for your specific application).

Ready to apply? Follow these steps:

1. Login or create an ImmiAccount.
2. Choose 'New Application' and select 'Family'.
3. Select 'Stage 1 - Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa'.
4. Fill out your application and attach any supporting evidence.
5. Pay the visa application fee.
6. Upon submission, make sure to share your transaction reference number (TRN) with your sponsor, as they'll need this to apply for sponsorship which is an additional application that follows the visa application.

Part 2: How to apply for a 100 visa (permanent)

If you score a permanent visa immediately as soon as your short-term partner visa is approved, good news: you've now received permanent residency status. 

If not, after two years, you'll need to gather additional documents to progress to the permanent stage of processing and to secure your 100 visa. Here's how:

1. Login to your ImmiAccount.
2. Choose 'New application'.
3. Select the 'Family' category.
4. Select 'Stage 2 - Permanent Partner Visa Assessment'.
5. Fill out your application and attach any supporting documents.

With this permanent visa, you become a permanent resident with full working rights and the ability to apply to become an Australian citizen after a certain period of time (typically, you’ll become eligible to apply four years after living in Australia, with at least one year as a permanent resident).

Offshore partner visas vs other partner visas

Learn more about the other partner visa pathways available with our guides to:

• Onshore partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801)
• Prospective marriage visa (subclass 300)

👀 Keep Reading: Learn everything you need to know with our ultimate guide to applying for a partner visa in Australia.

Offshore partner visa FAQs

How long can I stay in Australia with a 309 visa?

According to the Department of Home Affairs, you can remain in Australia as long as you’re awaiting the outcome of your permanent visa application (subclass 100).

Once your permanent partner visa application has been approved, you’ll be able to remain in Australia permanently. But if your application is rejected, you’ll need to reapply or secure another visa type to remain in Australia.

What’s the difference between an 820 and a 309 visa?

The main difference between these partner visa types is that the 820 visa is for onshore applicants (a.k.a. you’re in Australia when applying), while the 309 visa is for offshore applicants (a.k.a. you’re outside Australia when applying).

Can you access Medicare with an offshore partner visa?

Yes, you can access Australia’s public healthcare system through Medicare while on this visa.

Can you travel outside of Australia whilst on an offshore partner visa?

Yes, you can travel to and from Australia as many times as you like while holding an offshore partner visa (309/100 subclasses).

Once you’ve submitted your 309 visa application, can you add more information or supporting documents? 

Yes, you can add additional information or supporting documents after submitting your 309 visa application. 

We recommend ensuring you upload the key documents needed at the time of submitting your application (such as proof of marriage, evidence of living together for 12 months and a civil registered relationship certificate). But you can continue to bolster your application as new evidence comes in, such as monthly utility bills. 

Keep in mind that the crucial snapshot in time is the day you apply, so all eligibility criteria will be assessed against your circumstances on that day.

What are the processing times for the partner visa subclass 309?

As of May 2024, 50% of partner visa subclass 309 applications are processed within 16 months, with 90% of applications processed within 32 months.

However, the visa processing times listed on the Home Affairs website can be incredibly misleading for offshore partner visas. Each offshore office has its own average processing times, which can skew the accuracy of these average figures. For example, offices in Dubai have processing times of years, while offices in London and Berlin can offer processing within six to nine months.