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Commonwealth of Australia · Processing time

Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100): how long does it take?

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Home Affairs — Partner visa does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.

How long does the Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100) take to process in Australia?

Home Affairs — Partner visa does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current Home Affairs — Partner visa service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

Source checked against Home Affairs — Partner visa on 10 September 2026.

Typical wait

Not centrally published

from complete application

Government fees

AUD 9,365+ — among the most expensive partner visas globally.

Last checked

10 September 2026

Reality vs official timing

Official clock
No central processing clock
Delay trigger
No fixed delay point - use route guidance
Source checked
10 September 2026

Home Affairs — Partner visa does not publish a central processing time. Use the current Home Affairs — Partner visa service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

What is the Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100)?

Residence visa for spouses and de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens.

Partner visas involve a two-stage process: a temporary visa (subclass 820 onshore / 309 offshore) and a permanent visa (801 / 100) typically 2 years later. De facto partners need 12 months of cohabitation or registered relationship evidence.

  • Sponsorship: No job offer or employer sponsor is required.
  • Settlement: This route can lead to permanent residence.
  • Typical permit length: Initial provisional to permanent residence.
  • Indicative government fees: AUD 9,365+ — among the most expensive partner visas globally.

Priority and fast-track options

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

Official source

Home Affairs — Partner visa

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times

Cite or reuse this dataset

This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.

Suggested citation

Visa Atlas, "Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100) processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/australia/partner-visa-au. Last checked 10 September 2026.

Page
https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/australia/partner-visa-au
JSON endpoint
https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times

Primary source (1)

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100) take to process?+

Home Affairs — Partner visa does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current Home Affairs — Partner visa service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

When does the Not centrally published clock start?+

Because no central processing time is published, there is no fixed start point. Contact the relevant authority once your application is submitted.

Is there a way to speed up the decision?+

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

What makes an application take longer than expected?+

The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.

When should I treat my Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100) application as delayed?+

Because no central processing time is published for this route, there is no fixed point at which it counts as late. If your wait runs well beyond comparable cases, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Duplicate chasing tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.

Next steps

Reviewed by , Editor and lead researcher.