Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309/100)

What is the Offshore Partner Visa (309/100)?

The offshore Partner visa is Australia’s pathway for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is outside Australia when they apply. It is one combined application with two stages: Subclass 309 (provisional) lets you travel to and live in Australia while Subclass 100 (permanent) is assessed later — at no extra charge. You must be outside Australia at lodgement, in a genuine and continuing relationship, and meet health and character requirements, with an eligible sponsor.

At a glance (updated 12 September 2026)

Figures are set by the Australian Government and change — most fees index on 1 July each year. Confirm the current charge on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodgement.

Who can apply for Subclass 309/100?

You are generally a good fit for the offshore partner pathway if:

• You are outside Australia at the time you apply.

• Your sponsor is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

• You are either:

  • legally married (spouse), or

  • in a genuine de facto relationship (a real, ongoing partnership — not casual dating).

• You meet health and character requirements.

• Your sponsor meets sponsorship requirements, including any character-related obligations and requested police clearances.

Important practical point: Offshore partner visas are evidence-heavy. If your relationship is newer, long-distance, or has limited shared-living history, you can still succeed — but you must plan evidence properly.

How the 309/100 process works (two stages)

Stage 1: Provisional Partner Visa (Subclass 309)

At this stage, the Department assesses whether:

• the relationship is genuine and continuing

• identity is established and documents are consistent

• health and character requirements are met

• sponsorship is valid and supported

If approved, the applicant can enter Australia and live there while waiting for the permanent stage assessment.

Stage 2: Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 100)

The permanent stage is assessed later — generally from about two years after the original lodgement. This is not “automatic”. You will usually need to provide updated evidence showing:

• the relationship is still genuine and continuing

• you and your sponsor still meet requirements

• there have been no changes that affect eligibility (or if there have, they are explained and evidenced)

Couples in long-term relationships — generally three or more years, or two with a dependent child of the relationship — may be granted the permanent 100 directly or with a much shorter wait.

Best practice: Build your application from day one with the permanent stage in mind. If you only build a “temporary-level” file, you create future problems.

Key eligibility concepts the Department expects to see

A strong offshore partner case usually demonstrates:

• a clear relationship timeline (when you met, when commitment became serious, key milestones)

• credibility (your story matches documents, travel history, and declarations)

• stability (real-world conduct as a couple, not just online communication)

• continuity (evidence doesn’t stop after lodgement)

Relationship evidence: how to build a decision-ready file

Decision makers assess partner relationships using evidence across four key areas (“four pillars”). Your evidence should be organised into these pillars and supported with a timeline.

1) Financial aspects

Objective evidence showing financial interdependence, such as:

• joint accounts or consistent shared spending patterns

• shared bills, insurance, subscriptions

• transfers for mutual support with clear descriptions

• shared liabilities or major commitments (where relevant)

2) Nature of the household

Evidence showing how you live together when you are in the same place:

• shared address history (leases, official mail, bills)

• proof of cohabitation periods (not just a visit)

• domestic arrangements and how responsibilities are shared

• evidence that your living arrangement is genuine

For offshore couples, living apart is common. What matters is whether you can show credible reasons and supporting proof, and demonstrate that the relationship continues through those periods.

3) Social aspects

Evidence that others know you as a couple:

• events attended together (invitations, tickets, bookings)

• photos across time with context (not a single weekend set)

• statements from friends/family (specific, factual, not generic praise — Form 888 declarations from Australian citizens or permanent residents carry particular weight)

• cultural recognition where relevant (engagement, ceremonies, family introductions)

4) Nature of commitment

Evidence of long-term intent and exclusivity:

• a consistent relationship narrative

• future planning (where you will live, how you will support yourselves, family plans)

• long-term communications and decisions as a couple

• proof you maintain the relationship through separation (travel plans, visits, shared responsibilities)

Migration Vision standard: Messages and call logs support your case, but they rarely replace objective, real-world evidence. Use communication evidence to reinforce the narrative — not to become the narrative.

Sponsor requirements (often underestimated)

The sponsor’s side must be clean and complete. Offshore cases commonly slow down because sponsor documents are late or inconsistent with the relationship evidence.

Sponsors may be required to provide police clearances and supporting information. Sponsorship limitations also apply: in general a person can sponsor no more than two partners in a lifetime, at least five years apart. If the sponsor has sponsored before, or has complex character history, get advice before lodging.

Health and character: plan early

Offshore applicants often need:

• police certificates from countries where they have lived

• health examinations, depending on circumstances

• translations for all non-English documents (properly done and readable)

Delays often occur when applicants wait for the Department to request documents. A strong strategy is to prepare early so you can respond fast.

Cost: what to budget for (beyond the government charge)

The visa application charge is $11,710 for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026 — a rise of about 25% from the previous $9,365. The charge applies at lodgement, and there is no further application charge at the 100 stage. Applicants should also budget for:

• health examinations

• police clearances (sometimes multiple countries)

• biometrics (if requested)

• translations and certified copies

• travel costs for visits (which also strengthen relationship evidence)

Dependent children added to the application attract an additional charge per child.

Processing times: what affects the timeline

The Home Affairs processing-times tool, read on 12 September 2026, shows half of subclass 309 applications decided within 21 months and 90% within 39 months. Both figures have moved out since August. Where your case lands in that range is influenced by:

• quality and organisation of relationship evidence

• how coherent and consistent your timeline is

• complexity (previous refusals, long separations, limited cohabitation, character issues)

• how quickly you respond to any requests

• document quality (clear scans, correct translations)

Where an offshore partner application sits (Ministerial Direction 117)

Ministerial Direction 117 replaced Direction 102 on 25 July 2026 and sets the order family visa applications are processed in. Partner and dependent child applications sit second in its six categories, behind only cases referred for ministerial intervention — but that order is applied inside two location groups, and the offshore group is the lower one. Highest priority goes to applications made while the applicant was in Australia for a visa grantable onshore; a 309 is made and granted offshore, so it is ordered below an equivalent onshore 820. An application may be moved up where there are special circumstances of a compassionate nature and there are compelling reasons to depart from the order. This is about order, not duration: it does not change the processing times above, and it is not on its own a reason to change from an offshore to an onshore application — that decision has eligibility and bridging consequences and needs advice.

Figures current as at 16 September 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.

Plain truth: You can’t control the queue. You can control how easy your file is to assess and approve.

Where offshore partner visas go wrong (and how to avoid it)

1. Inconsistencies in dates, addresses, or relationship timeline

2. Weak de facto evidence (no real financial/household proof), or relying on a relationship registration alone

3. Too much chat, not enough objective evidence

4. Unexplained long separations or minimal in-person time

5. Generic witness statements that lack detail or credibility

6. Sponsor problems discovered late — prior sponsorships, the five-year rule, or character issues

7. Evidence stops after lodgement (relationship appears to “pause”) — the 100 stage is refused or delayed because the couple stopped keeping records after the 309

If a partner visa is refused, review rights at the Administrative Review Tribunal are strictly time-limited — and for offshore refusals it is usually the sponsor who must lodge the review from Australia. Our visa refusals and appeals page explains the process and deadlines.

Sponsors anywhere in Australia, applicants anywhere in the world

In an offshore partner case the applicant is overseas — but the sponsor is here, and half the file is the sponsor’s. Migration Vision works with sponsors in every Australian state and applicants worldwide — online consultations across time zones. We advise in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, and cross-border relationships — Pakistan, India, and beyond — are the files we work with every week. The applicant joins by video; the sponsor can sit across the desk.

FAQs

How much does the partner visa 309/100 cost in 2026?

The application charge is $11,710 for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026, paid once at lodgement — the permanent 100 stage has no further charge. Health checks, police certificates from each country you have lived in, and translations are extra.

How long does the 309 visa take to process?

The Home Affairs processing-times tool, read on 12 September 2026, shows 50% of subclass 309 applications decided within 21 months and 90% within 39 months. Decision-ready files with strong evidence across all four relationship pillars tend to sit at the faster end.

Do we need to be married for 309/100?

No. You can apply as a spouse or as a de facto partner, as long as the relationship meets the legal requirements and the evidence supports it. De facto couples generally need 12 months together unless the relationship is registered under an Australian state or territory law or compelling circumstances apply.

Is long-distance a problem?

Not by itself. Many genuine couples are long-distance. The issue is whether your evidence shows a real, continuing partnership with commitment beyond online communication — visits, financial support, future plans, and family recognition all help.

Can I visit Australia while my 309 is processing?

Often yes, on a visitor visa — but you must satisfy the genuine visitor requirements, and you should be outside Australia when the 309 is granted. Travel plans around the decision window need care; tell your adviser before you book.

Should we apply offshore (309) or onshore (820)?

The cost is the same, and on the figures read 12 September 2026 the offshore route is now the faster of the two at the median (309: half in 21 months; 820: half in 23 months), though the 309 has the longer tail (90% in 39 months against 29). The real trade-offs are where the applicant can lawfully be: the onshore 820 route gives a bridging visa with work rights in Australia while you wait, and the offshore route means waiting outside Australia or on short visits. This is a strategy decision worth making before lodgement, not after.

Is the permanent stage guaranteed after 309?

No. The permanent stage is assessed later and requires updated evidence that the relationship remains genuine and continuing. Long-term couples (three or more years, or two with a dependent child) may be granted the 100 directly or with a shorter wait.

Why Migration Vision

Migration Vision prepares offshore partner visas as structured, decision-ready files:

• a clear relationship timeline supported by documents

• evidence mapped to the four pillars (so nothing critical is missing)

• sponsor documentation handled early to avoid bottlenecks

• a strategy that anticipates the permanent stage from day one

• risk scanning for weak points before lodgement

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Updated 12 September 2026 — fee and processing figures current as at that date; confirm the current charge with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.