If your partner is an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, they may be able to sponsor you for a permanent visa, which may change into Permanent Residency after 2 years (approximately).
To apply for this visa, you need to be either of the two:
1. Be married to an Australian permanent resident/ citizen.
or
2. Be living in with them in a “defacto relationship” (12 month cohabitation is required)
2 Step Process:
Step 1
The partner will be granted a temporary visa which will include work rights and access to medical facilities.
Step 2
The department of immigration will contact the partner to ensure the relationship is still continuing. Right after this step the applicant will be granted permanent residency.
This visa can be lodged both onshore and offshore.
Onshore:
If the application lodged onshore, the applicant will receive a bridging visa, which will allow them to stay in Australia while the permanent residency application is being processed by the department of immigration.
Offshore:
If the application is lodged offshore, the partner won’t receive a bridging visa,however the time taken to process the visa may be shorter and the application fee is lower.
Visa Assessment:
The department of immigration may consider the following aspects while assessing the partner visa:
1. Financial aspects- like joint bank accounts, joint assets/liabilities.
2. Nature of the household- like living arrangements, support and care of the children (if any) etc.
3. Social aspects- like opinions of friends and family (about the relationship).
4. Social activities- like overseas holidays
5. Duration of the relationship etc.
For more in depth information about eligibility criteria, documents, restrictions or to book a consultation with a migration lawyer please visit our website:
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