309 Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309)
Purpose	Temporary partner visa pathway
Stay	Until subclass 100 decision/withdrawal
Cost	From AUD11,710
Apply from	Outside Australia
Decision location	In or outside Australia
Eligibility timing	Relationship at application and decision
Sponsor	Approved partner sponsor required
Work rights	Full work rights
Study	Permitted; self-funded
Medicare	May enrol or apply
Travel facility	Unlimited travel while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Sponsor required throughout temporary visa
Visa record	Digital passport-linked visa record
Permanent stage	Considered two years after application

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Purpose

The Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) lets the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily.

It is the first stage toward the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100).

Eligibility

You must:

• Be outside Australia when applying. Family members applying with you must also be outside Australia.
• Have an approved sponsor, usually your partner.
• Be the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Meet relationship requirements when applying and when the application is decided.
• Usually be at least 18 years old.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have no unpaid debt to the Australian Government, or have repayment arrangements.
• Sign the Australian Values Statement if aged 18 or over.
• Not have an immigration history that makes you ineligible, including certain visa cancellations or refusals.

The visa may not be granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

De facto relationship requirement

Usually, you must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before applying.

The 12-month requirement may not apply if:

• Compelling and compassionate circumstances exist.
• The relationship is registered with an Australian state or territory authority.
• Your partner holds or held a permanent humanitarian visa and specified relationship-notification requirements were met.
• Your partner is applying for a permanent humanitarian visa.

Time dating or in an online relationship might not count.

Sponsor requirements

Your sponsor must be approved. You and family members applying with you must have a sponsor when lodging and while holding the visa.

You cannot change sponsors. The sponsor at application must remain your sponsor for two years after grant of the subclass 309 visa.

After lodging, give your sponsor the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) or application ID so they can apply for sponsorship.

Stay and permanent visa pathway

You can remain in Australia until the Department decides your permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) application or you withdraw it.

You are eligible for consideration of the permanent Partner visa two years after first applying for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.

Important: To receive the subclass 100 visa, you must hold subclass 309 or a Dependent child visa (subclass 445). If you are granted another visa, you will no longer be eligible for subclass 100.

Cost

The visa application charge is from AUD11,710 for the main applicant. This covers both the temporary subclass 309 and permanent subclass 100 stages.

Additional charges apply for family members included in the application. You may also need to pay for:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Biometrics

The application cannot be processed until the correct charge is paid.

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession

From 1 July 2026, eligible applicants receive a lower visa charge when lodging a valid application with a passport from:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Family members may receive the lower charge based on the primary applicant's passport.

Rights and conditions

With this visa, you can:

• Live in Australia.
• Work with full work rights.
• Study in Australia.
• Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
• Attend eligible free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program.
• Enrol in Medicare.

Study costs are your responsibility; no government study support is provided.

You and your family members must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws. Check conditions using VEVO.

You may need to wait before accessing some Australian Government payments and benefits.

Health insurance

You may be eligible for Medicare while awaiting a decision. If you are not eligible, the Department recommends health insurance. Without insurance, you may be personally liable for health-care costs.

Travel

You may travel freely while the visa remains valid.

If you are outside Australia when granted the visa, enter before the first entry arrival date in your grant letter.

Do not arrange travel to Australia on this visa until the Department confirms the visa grant in writing.

New Zealand passport holders

Tell the border officer that you hold a temporary Partner visa and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444).

A subclass 444 grant overrides subclass 309 and makes you ineligible for the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100).

Family members

You may include members of your family unit when lodging the application.

You may add a dependent child after lodgement but before a decision on the temporary visa, if the child is outside Australia. Use Form 1436 – Adding an additional applicant after lodgement.

Family members applying with you must:

• Be members of the family unit.
• Meet health requirements.
• Meet character requirements.
• Be outside Australia.

Family members not travelling to Australia may also need health and character assessment.

After subclass 309 is granted, you cannot add family members to that visa application. A dependent child seeking inclusion in the permanent stage must first obtain a Dependent child visa (subclass 445), then use Form 1002.

Dependent children

A dependent child aged 18 to under 23 must be dependent on you or your partner. A child aged 23 or over must be unable to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations and be dependent.

For children under 18, obtain consent from any person with legal authority to decide where the child lives who is not migrating with them. Use Form 1229, unless an Australian court order or relevant home-country law permits permanent departure.

Required evidence

Provide clear colour scans or photos of original documents and English translations. Documents do not need certification.

Identity

Provide:

• Birth certificate showing both parents' names, where available.
• Current passport biographical pages.
• National identity card, if held.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.

Relationship

Provide a written relationship history covering how you met, how the relationship developed, living arrangements, time apart, significant events and future plans.

Provide evidence of:

• A valid marriage, if married.
• A de facto relationship, if applicable.
• Shared finances, such as joint accounts, loans, leases or bills.
• Shared household arrangements and responsibilities.
• Social recognition of the relationship.
• Long-term commitment and knowledge of each other's circumstances.
• Former relationships, including divorce, death, separation or statutory-declaration evidence.
• Dependants, where applicable.

Provide statements from two witnesses aged 18 or over who know both partners and the relationship. Use Form 888 – Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application. Australian citizen or permanent resident witnesses should provide status evidence.

Health and character

Health examinations are required. Health assessment results are generally valid for 12 months; a health undertaking, if required, is valid for six months.

Provide:

• Form 80 – Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.
• An Australian Federal Police complete disclosure National Police Certificate if you spent 12 months or more in Australia during the last 10 years since turning 16.
• Police certificates from every country where you spent 12 months or more during that period.
• Military records or discharge papers, if applicable.

Police certificates are generally valid for 12 months from issue.

How to apply

Apply online through ImmiAccount while outside Australia.

1. Create or log in to ImmiAccount.
2. Select New application.
3. Select Family.
4. Select Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa.
5. Attach supporting documents.
6. Pay the visa application charge.
7. Record the TRN for your sponsor.

You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application. Clearly label documents and attach each document only once.

After applying

The Department will confirm receipt of your application.

Keep relationship evidence and documents updated through ImmiAccount, particularly because Partner visa processing may be lengthy.

Tell the Department about changes before a decision, including:

• Contact, address or passport changes.
• Relationship-status changes.
• Birth of a child.
• Other changes relevant to the application.
• An application withdrawal.
• Errors in the application.

If the relationship ends, you may need to submit the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount.

You may still be eligible if the relationship ends, your partner dies, or you experience domestic and family violence. Information provided is confidential.

If you enter Australia on another visa while awaiting the decision, you must remain lawful and hold a valid visa.

Processing

Processing times vary and may be longer than expected. Processing follows Ministerial Direction 117 and family visa processing priorities.

Published processing times are guides based on recently decided applications and do not guarantee an outcome within that timeframe.

Do not contact the Department for updates while the application is within the standard processing time. Check application status and outstanding documents in ImmiAccount.

Visa record

Australian visas are digital and linked to your passport. You will not receive a visa label.

Use VEVO to view your visa record, conditions and validity. Your visa grant number is in the grant letter.