820/801 Onshore Partner Visa
820/801 Onshore Partner Visa Overview
The 820/801 onshore partner visa allows a qualified sponsor to support their partner’s application for Australian permanent residency. The eligible sponsors include Australian citizens, permanent residents, or qualified New Zealand citizens. This visa must be applied for within Australia, and the applicant must be in Australia when the visa is granted. Typically, applicants will first receive the 820 provisional visa, and after a two-year relationship assessment period and meeting the necessary conditions, they can obtain the 801 permanent visa. However, in some special cases, applicants may receive the permanent visa directly, such as if the couple has been married for more than three years at the time of the application or if the couple has children together.
Advantages of the 820/801 Onshore Partner Visa
- No education, asset, or work experience requirements for applicants
- No financial sponsorship required
- Freedom to travel in and out of Australia during the visa period
- Access to Australia’s public healthcare system and other social welfare benefits
- Eligibility for Australian citizenship after meeting residency requirements
- Visa holders can travel to New Zealand without needing a visa
820/801 Onshore Partner Visa Requirements
- For applicants: There are no educational, work experience, or asset documentation requirements. However, applicants must meet health and character tests.
- For sponsors: Sponsors must be at least 18 years old and an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or a qualified New Zealand citizen. Each person can sponsor only twice in their lifetime, with a minimum five-year interval between sponsorships. If the sponsor gained permanent residency through a partner visa (820/801 onshore or 390/100 offshore partner visa) or contribution parent migration (subclass 143), they must wait five years before sponsoring again, and must hold an RRV visa.
Starting from 2021, if the sponsor is a permanent resident rather than a citizen, both the sponsor and applicant will nee的d to meet the English proficiency requirement. The English requirement is an IELTS score of 4.5 or an equivalent level. Additionally, the applicant must take the language test within 12 months before applying.
Basic Relationship Requirements: The applicant must be the marriage or de facto partner (including same-sex and opposite-sex couples) of the sponsor, and this relationship must have existed before the application is made.
- Married couples: Couples who are married in an Australian-recognized institution or those who are married in China are eligible for the partner immigration visa.
- De facto partners: Couples who have lived together for at least 12 months before submitting the visa application must provide related documentation. If a de facto relationship certificate registered in Australia is provided, the 12-month cohabitation requirement may be waived.
820/801 Onshore Partner Visa Application Process
- Assessing the applicant and sponsor’s situation
- Collecting relationship evidence and preparing visa documents
- Submitting the 820/801 partner visa application
- Receiving the 820 provisional partner visa
- Collecting and keeping relationship evidence during the two-year relationship assessment period
- After meeting the two-year period, submitting additional documents for the 801 permanent visa
- Successfully receiving the 801 permanent visa
Applicants May Receive the 801 Permanent Visa Directly if:
- The applicant and sponsor have been in a marriage or de facto relationship for over 3 years, or
- The applicant and sponsor have been in a marriage or de facto relationship for over 2 years and have a child together.
820/801 Visa Processing Times
- Stage 1 (820 visa): Processing time is 12-24 months.
- Stage 2 (801 visa): Processing time is 6-8 months.
820/801 Onshore Partner Visa Application Fees
- Primary applicant: AU$ 7,850.00
- Secondary applicant over 18 years old: AU$ 3,930.00
- Secondary applicant under 18 years old: AU$ 1,965.00
Note: The above policies and fees are subject to the latest information released by the Australian Department of Immigration.