( For families and partners )
Partner and family visas
Assistance with partner, parent and other family migration matters.
( The situation )
Who this service is for
For couples, parents and families with a partner, parent or other family visa to apply for, often the most personal applications there are.
General information only. This is not immigration assistance and does not take your circumstances into account. Migration law changes frequently. Confirm the current position before acting.
Shoreline Migration · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 2619597
( How we can help )
- Guidance on the application route that fits your relationship and circumstances
- Practical help organising the evidence that matters
- Careful preparation of forms and supporting documents
- Progress reports at each stage
( The pathways )
Three roads for partners and families
Family migration is decided on the relationship and on where the applicant is when the application is made. Which road applies follows from those two facts.
Your relationship, and where you are
- 01Partner, in Australia
Partner (820, then 801)
For the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, applied for in Australia. One combined application, two stages: a provisional visa first, then the permanent visa, usually assessed two years after the application was made.
Our part
We advise on the evidence the four aspects of the relationship call for, prepare the application and the sponsorship together, and keep the file ready for the second stage.
- Two stages
- Applied for onshore
- Bridging visa while it is decided
- 02Partner, outside Australia
Partner (309, then 100) and Prospective Marriage (300)
The same two-stage partner visa, applied for outside Australia. For a couple not yet married or living together, the Prospective Marriage visa brings the fiancé to Australia to marry, after which the partner visa follows.
Our part
We advise which of the two fits the relationship as it is today, not as it will be, and the order in which to do things so the second application is not harmed by the first.
- Applied for offshore
- Two stages
- Marry, then partner visa
- 03Parents and children
Parent, child and other family visas
Parent visas range from the long non-contributory queue to the contributory visas with a higher charge and a shorter wait, and a temporary visa for a sponsored stay. Child visas bring a dependent child to a parent who is settled here. Other family visas exist for narrow circumstances.
Our part
We set out the real waiting times and costs before anything is lodged, and advise where a different visa would serve the family better.
- Parent
- Child
- Carer, remaining and aged relatives
The evidence
A partner application is decided on evidence of the relationship.
Finances, household, social recognition and commitment: the four aspects every partner application is assessed on. The application is built around them from the start, and the gaps are found before the Department finds them.
Book an initial consultation( The visas in this area )
Partner and family visas: the subclasses
The subclasses this practice area works within, grouped the way the Department of Home Affairs lists them. The colour says what kind of visa it is.
Family and partner
- Permanent
- Provisional
- Temporary
( The pathway )
A partner application, stage by stage
The typical shape of a partner visa: built on evidence, decided in stages.
- Stage 1 of 5
Relationship evidence
Finances, household, social recognition and commitment: the four aspects assessed.
- Stage 2 of 5
Application choice
Onshore (820/801) or offshore (309/100), each with implications.
- Stage 3 of 5
Lodgement
The application and sponsorship are lodged together.
- Stage 4 of 5
Temporary stage
The provisional visa is assessed and granted first.
- Stage 5 of 5
Permanent stage
The permanent visa follows after the qualifying period.
( Talk it through )
Speak with us about partner and family visas
Telephone or email the office with a question, or book an initial consultation for advice on your circumstances.
Governing law
Advice on partner and family visas rests on the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, and on the legislative instruments made under them. What applies in your case depends on the visa, your circumstances and the law in force when you apply and when the decision is made.
- Migration Act 1958 (Cth)
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth)
( Related services )
( Related reading )
Initial consultation
Discuss your immigration matter
Book an initial consultation, or send an enquiry that sets out your circumstances.