Australia Partner and Family Visas 2026: Cost, Rules, Wait
To join a partner in Australia you apply for two visas at once, a temporary one and a permanent one, and pay for both up front. Which pair you apply for depends on where you are when you apply. This guide covers the partner visas, the Prospective Marriage visa and the other family visas, checked against the Department of Home Affairs on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
The Australian Partner visa is for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. If you are in Australia you apply for subclasses 820 and 801; if you are outside Australia, subclasses 309 and 100. Either way you apply for the temporary and permanent visas together and pay AUD 11,710 once, which covers both. De facto partners usually need a relationship of at least 12 months before applying. The permanent stage becomes eligible for processing two years after you applied. Home Affairs' guide currently shows half of subclass 820 applications decided in 22 months and half of subclass 309 applications in 21 months.
Which partner visa you apply for
| Where you are when you apply | Temporary visa | Permanent visa | Cost for the main applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Australia | Partner (subclass 820) | Partner (subclass 801) | AUD 11,710 for most applicants |
| Outside Australia | Partner (Provisional) (subclass 309) | Partner (Migrant) (subclass 100) | AUD 11,710 |
| Outside Australia, not yet married | Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) | Then the 820 and 801 after you marry | AUD 11,710, then AUD 1,955 for the partner visa |
In each pair, the temporary visa lets you live in Australia until the permanent application is finalised. You do not pay again for the permanent visa: Home Affairs says you paid for it when you made the combined application.
Who can apply
You must be in a genuine relationship with a spouse or de facto partner who is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and that partner must sponsor you. The rules for the subclass 820 visa, which Home Affairs sets out in detail, are:
- Married applicants must be in a married relationship and, in most cases, be 18 or older when they apply.
- De facto partners must be 18 or older and usually must have been in the de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before applying. Time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count.
- The 12-month rule does not apply if you have registered your relationship with an Australian state or territory authority, such as a registry of births, deaths and marriages, or if you can show compelling and compassionate circumstances.
- Your sponsor is usually your partner, must be approved by Home Affairs, and cannot be changed. The same person must sponsor you for 2 years after the temporary visa is granted.
- Health and character. You and family members who apply with you must meet the health requirement and the character requirement.
- No debt to the Australian Government, or an arrangement to pay it back.
- The Australian Values Statement, signed by every applicant aged 18 or over.
Extra rules if you apply in Australia
- You must be in Australia when you apply, along with any family applying with you.
- Your current or previous visa must not carry a condition that prevents further stay, such as condition 8503, unless a waiver has been approved first.
- If you do not hold a substantive visa when you apply, and did not previously hold a Prospective Marriage visa, you must show compelling reasons for the grant. You must also include at least two statutory declarations, each made within the last six weeks by an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, confirming your relationship. Form 888 does not count as a statutory declaration.
What the temporary partner visa lets you do
With the subclass 820 visa you can live, work and study in Australia while the permanent visa is processed, travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if you are eligible, and apply for access to Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme.
If you held a valid substantive visa when you applied in Australia, you are granted a Bridging visa A. It starts if your current visa expires before a decision, so that you can stay lawfully in Australia while your application is processed.
What it costs
| Applicant | Charge (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Main applicant, partner visas (820/801 or 309/100) | 11,710 |
| Each additional applicant aged 18 or over | 5,860 |
| Each additional applicant under 18 | 2,935 |
| Main applicant who holds a Prospective Marriage visa, applying for the 820 and 801 | Generally 1,955 |
| Main applicant whose Prospective Marriage visa expired before they applied | Generally 2,475 |
The charge covers the temporary and the permanent visa. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics are extra, and the Home Affairs pricing estimator does not include them. Since 1 July 2026 a lower cost applies to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, based on the main applicant's passport. Our Australia visa fees guide has the full table.
How long it takes
| Visa | 50% decided in | 90% decided in |
|---|---|---|
| Partner (subclass 820), temporary, applied for in Australia | 22 months | 30 months |
| Partner (subclass 801), permanent | 8 months | 19 months |
| Partner (Provisional) (subclass 309), applied for overseas | 21 months | 32 months |
| Partner (Migrant) (subclass 100), permanent | 9 months | 21 months |
| Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) | 14 months | 26 months |
Two things explain these figures. The processing time for the permanent visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent visas. And partner applications are processed under Ministerial Direction 117, which gives highest priority to family visa applications made while the applicant was in Australia for a visa that can be granted in Australia. Home Affairs warns that partner applicants may experience longer processing times than expected. More visas are in our Australia processing times guide.
The Prospective Marriage visa
The subclass 300 visa lets you come to Australia to marry your prospective spouse, after which you apply for the partner visa. It lasts 9 to 15 months from the date of grant, and you can work and study. You must:
- be 18 or older;
- have a sponsor who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen;
- intend to marry your prospective spouse before the visa period ends;
- have met your prospective spouse face to face as adults, and know each other personally when you apply;
- be outside Australia when you apply.
Children and other family members
You can include a dependent child in a partner visa application when you lodge it, or afterwards but before the temporary visa is decided. Family members who apply with you for the subclass 820 must be in Australia and meet the health and character requirements.
Australia also has separate family visas. These are the base application charges for some of them.
| Visa | Main applicant (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Child (subclass 101 or 802) | 4,040 |
| Aged Parent (subclass 804) | 6,600 |
| Contributory Parent, temporary (subclass 173) | 4,245 |
| Contributory Aged Parent, temporary (subclass 884) | 6,300 |
| Carer (subclass 116 or 836) | 2,720 |
Some family visas are capped and queued, and Home Affairs publishes no processing time for those. The Child visa (subclass 101) currently shows 24 months for half of applications.
How to apply, step by step
- Work out which pair applies: 820 and 801 if you are in Australia, 309 and 100 if you are outside.
- Check your current visa for a no-further-stay condition if you are applying in Australia.
- Gather relationship evidence, and register a de facto relationship with a state or territory if you have been together for less than 12 months and that option is open to you.
- Apply for the temporary and permanent visas together and pay the charge.
- Have your partner lodge the sponsorship form as soon as possible after you apply.
- Complete health checks, police certificates and biometrics when asked.
- Wait for the temporary visa, then for the permanent stage, which becomes eligible two years after you applied.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an Australian partner visa in 2026?
AUD 11,710 for the main applicant, which covers both the temporary and the permanent visa. Each additional applicant aged 18 or over costs AUD 5,860 and each child AUD 2,935. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics are extra.
How long does an Australian partner visa take?
Home Affairs' guide on 13 October 2026 showed half of subclass 820 applications decided in 22 months and 90% in 30 months. For subclass 309, applied for overseas, the figures were 21 months and 32 months.
What is the difference between the 820 and 309 partner visas?
Where you apply. You must be in Australia to apply for the subclass 820 and 801 visas, and outside Australia to apply for the subclass 309 and 100 visas. Both pairs cost the same and lead to permanent residence.
How long do you have to be together for a de facto partner visa?
Usually at least 12 months immediately before you apply. The requirement does not apply if you have registered the relationship with an Australian state or territory authority or can show compelling and compassionate circumstances.
Can I work on a partner visa in Australia?
Yes. The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) lets you live, work and study in Australia while the permanent visa is processed, and you can apply for access to Medicare.
When do I get permanent residency on a partner visa?
The permanent visa becomes eligible for processing two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent visas together. You do not pay a second charge for it.
Can I come to Australia to get married?
Yes, on the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), which lasts 9 to 15 months. You must be 18 or older, be outside Australia when you apply, and have met your prospective spouse in person as adults.
Sources (official only)
- Department of Home Affairs — Partner visas, apply in Australia (subclasses 820 and 801)
- Department of Home Affairs — Partner visa (temporary), subclass 820
- Department of Home Affairs — Partner visas, apply overseas (subclasses 309 and 100)
- Department of Home Affairs — Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
- Department of Home Affairs — Current visa pricing table
- Department of Home Affairs — Visa processing times guide
All figures read from the Home Affairs pages above on 13 October 2026. Charges and processing times change, so check the official page before you apply. Information, not legal advice.