Partner & Family Visas

Overview

This type of visa allows partners, de facto partners, parents, or children of Australian citizens or eligible permanent residents to reside permanently in Australia. Different subclasses apply to onshore and offshore applicants. For more information, please refer to the following categories.

Partner visa

If you are married to an Australian citizen or permanent resident or in a de facto relationship with one, this visa allows you to live permanently in Australia. Onshore applicants must apply for both SC 820 and 801, while offshore applicants must apply for both SC 309 and 100.

Once the temporary visa is granted, it remains valid until the Australian government makes a decision on your permanent visa SC 801 or SC 100. Obtaining a temporary partner visa is the first step towards obtaining permanent residency. Processing times vary from 5 to 39 months for SC 820 and SC 801, and from 6 to 36 months for SC 309 and 100.

You can apply for both visas together, which will cost AUD 8,085 each. You don’t have to pay for the permanent visa separately. To be eligible, you must be sponsored by your partner and meet the relationship requirement, as well as health and character requirements. If you’re applying as a de facto partner, you need to have been in a relationship for at least 12 months.

Alternatively, if you’re planning to marry your partner in Australia, you can apply for a prospective marriage visa SC 300. This visa allows you to enter Australia to marry your partner, and it’s valid for 9 to 15 months. To apply, you must be over 18 years old and outside Australia. You also need to be sponsored by your prospective partner. The application fee for this visa is AUD 8,085, and the processing time is between 8 to 35 months. If you’re granted this visa, you must comply with conditions 8502, 8515, 8519, and 8520 during your stay in Australia.

Parent visa

A parent visa allows a parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident to migrate to Australia. The visa options include the permanent visa SC 103 and the temporary visa SC 870, which can be granted for up to 3 or 5 years. To be eligible for either visa, you must demonstrate that your child is permanently settled in Australia.

SC 103

This visa enables parents of an Australian citizen or permanent resident to permanently migrate to Australia. Sponsorship from the child is necessary to apply for this visa, except for those applying as retirees. Additionally, the applicant must pass the balance-of-family test, meaning over half of their eligible children and stepchildren must reside in Australia. To obtain the visa, an assurance of support must be obtained to ensure self-sufficiency. However, this requirement is waived for retirees. The applicant must also pass the health and character requirements, and not have applied for or possess an SC 870 visa. The processing time is variable, with visas applied in October 2010 being recently released as of January 2022. The visa application fee is AUD 6,65 and compliance with conditions 8515 and 8502 is mandatory.

SC 103

To enter Australia temporarily, you can apply for this visa if you are a parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You will need sponsorship approval from your child to apply for this visa. The visa application must be submitted within 6 months of receiving the sponsorship approval. If you are an onshore applicant, you can apply for “Permission to apply in Australia” and must submit your visa application within 60 days of receiving permission. Health and character requirements must be met to apply for this visa, and processing times range from 73 days to 9 months. The cost for this visa is AUD 5,090 for up to 3 years stay and AUD 10,180 for up to 5 years stay. Compliance with several conditions, including 8013, 8303, 8501, 8531, 8550, 8564, and 8609, is required under this visa. You may also be eligible for a contributory parent visa or an aged parent visa.

To get additional information regarding this, please schedule an appointment with us today.

Other family visas

Visas for other family members besides spouses and parents can be either permanent or temporary. Examples of such visas include the Remaining Relative visa SC 115 and Child visas SC 101, SC 802, and SC 102, among others.