Types of Visas
Subclasses 820 & 801 (Partner (Apply in Australia)) Visa
Subclasses 820 & 801 allow the partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or a citizen of New Zealand who meets certain requirements to live in Australia as their spouse or partner. Subclasses 820 & 801 are usually applied for one after the other as a two-step process to applying for the Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801).
The de facto spouse or partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or eligible citizen of New Zealand may reside in Australia briefly with a Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) Visa. Individuals holding this visa can then apply for a Subclass 801 (Partner (Permanent)) Visa and reside in Australia permanently.
Benefits of Subclass 820 & Subclass 801
With a Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) Visa, individuals can:
- Stay in Australia
- Work in Australia
- Study in Australia
- Travel to and from Australia as many times as the person desires
- Attend free English classes by the AMEP, if eligible
- Apply for access to Medicare
With a Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) Visa, individuals can:
- Stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- Work in Australia
- Study in Australia
- Travel to and from Australia as many times as the person desires
- Enrol in Medicare
- Sponsor family members to come to Australia
- Attend free English classes by the AMEP, if eligible
- Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Eligibility
Basic eligibility for both Subclass 820 & Subclass 801 is that individuals must be the spouse or de facto partner of an:
- Australian citizen
- Australian permanent resident
- Eligible New Zealand citizen
To be eligible for a Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) Visa, one must:
- Not hold certain regional visas
- Have a sponsor
- Be 18 years or older
- Be in Australia when applying
- Meet relationship requirements
- Meet health requirements
- Meet character requirements
- Not have had a previous visa cancelled or an application refused
To be eligible for a Subclass 801 (Partner (Permanent)) Visa, one must:
- Meet visa requirements
- Continue to meet relationship requirements, such as:
○ Be married
○ Be in a de facto relationship
○ Have a genuine and continuing relationship
○ Live together, or not live apart permanently
○ Be mutually committed to a shared life
Location when Applying
The individual must be in Australia when applying.
Including Family
The individual can include members of the family unit in their application when lodging the temporary visa application or add a dependent child after lodging the application and before the temporary visa is decided on.
Dependent children can be included when applying for the Partner (Temporary) (Subclass 820) Visa, but cannot be included after the Partner (Permanent) (Subclass 801) Visa is granted.
Family members applying with the main applicant must meet health and character requirements and be in Australia.
Know more about Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) Visa & Subclass 801 (Partner (Permanent)) Visa.