There are two types of Partner Visas: While the subclass 820 Partner visa is a temporary visa when granted, it lets the applicant stay in Australia while the permanent visa(subclass 801) is processed at a later stage, about two years apart . The Subclass 820 visa is the first stage towards a permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801). You apply for both visas at the same time and pay only one application charge. Applications are processed in two stages,.
Eligibility:
- The sponsor of the applicant must be an Australian permanent resident, Australian citizen, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Both the applicant and the sponsor must be aged over 18 years.
- The applicant must be married to or in a de facto relationship with the sponsoring partner for at least 12 months.
- There must be satisfactory proof that the relationship or the marriage is genuine, e.g. that you live together, that the relationship is strong and there is mutual commitment. This happens usually by providing supporting documents as evidence.
- You must meet the health and character requirement
The Temporary Partner visa allows you to:
- Live and work in Australia until a decision is made about your permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801)
- Study in Australia (without access to government funding)
- Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
- Include dependent children on your application
The Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801) includes all the benefits of Australian permanent residency:
- Work and live in Australia indefinitely
- Opportunity to study in Australia
- Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s state-run healthcare program
- Opportunity to apply for Australian citizenship