How To Immigrate To Australia Through Spouse Visa Sponsorship

If you have a spouse in Australia they can help you migrate to Australia by providing spouse visa sponsorship for you. Australia is one of the largest cities in the world with lots of opportunities, they have a great economy with a conducive and welcoming environment for immigrants.

Do you have a spouse in Australia and you have been thinking of how to relocate to meet your partner? I will show you a step-by-step guide on how to immigrate to Australia through spouse visa sponsorship. This is a common route spouses use to migrate to Australia.

What Is A Spouse/Partner Visa?

A spouse/partner visa is a type of visa that is sponsored by an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen to bring their partner or spouse into the country. There are two stages of this visa which are the temporary and permanent partner visas. The application for these two stages is simultaneous.

Requirements For Australia Spouse Visa Sponsorship.

You will need to meet some requirements to immigrate to Australia through spouse visa sponsorship. You won’t qualify for a spouse visa if you fail to meet the following requirements.

• Relationship status: For you to apply for an Australian spouse visa sponsorship, you must be in a sincere relationship with an Australian citizen, a resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. Both of you must be either engaged, married, or living together as a couple(de facto relationship).
• De facto Relationship: A relationship where couples are not married but are committed together by living together in the same house is known as a de facto relationship. This relationship will require you and your spouse to be together for a minimum of 12 months before you will be eligible for a spouse/partner visa.
• Marriage: If you are married to your spouse you will need to provide a marriage certificate as proof of your union to be eligible for the partner/spouse visa.
• Age Limit: For you to qualify for a partner visa you and your spouse must be 18 years above, any age below 18 is considered ineligible
• Character Check: For you to be eligible for a spouse visa you will need to go for a character check. This is to determine if you have any criminal record in the past. You will need to undergo a police clearance to prove that you do not have any criminal records against you.
• Health Check: Your health status is important to qualify for the spouse visa. You will need to undergo some medical check-ups which may include tests like X-rays, HIV, Syphilis, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, etc. If you are outside the country you will need to visit a hospital in your country to undergo the test.
• Spouse Sponsorship: For your spouse to sponsor you, the spouse must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. This sponsorship must be done willingly by your spouse. Your spouse won’t be able to sponsor more than 2 partners throughout their life as a citizen of Australia and the space between the 2 partners’ sponsorship must not be less than 5 years.

The Visa Application Stages

The visa application is in two stages which are the temporary and the permanent visa. The partner visa has different subclasses which are;

• Subclass onshore application (820/801): This is when you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen and you live together with your spouse. This type of application is called onshore if you apply while you are living in Australia.
• Subclass offshore application(309/100): This is when you are in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen and you submit your application from overseas.
• Fiancé visa application (300): This is when an overseas applicant is engaged to an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The applicant must be married to their Australian partner within 9 months after the prospective marriage visa is granted, after which they can proceed to apply for either of the subclass temporary partner visa (subclass 820/801) and then proceed to the permanent visa (subclass 309/100).
• Temporary Partner Visa: The temporary visa is known as  (subclass 820/309) which is the first visa to apply for before the permanent partner visa. The temporary spouse visa will allow you to immigrate to Australia through spouse visa sponsorship and live with your partner in Australia. The temporary visa is only eligible for 2 years. You will be able to stay in Australia for 2 years while you are processing your permanent visa.
• Permanent Partner Visa: The permanent visa is known as the (subclass 801/100), the permanent visa is granted after 2 years. The visa will be granted to you if you are still in a relationship with your partner after 2 years of processing.

Documents

Certain documents are required to process a spouse visa. These documents are used to analyze your relationship with your spouse whether it is genuine or not. This will include pictures of you and your partner, joint bank account details, and other bills you must have paid together. Other documents you will need to provide are:

• Birth Certificate: You will need to provide your birth certificate document which is used to check your identity.
• International Passport: You will need to provide your international passport to prove you are an eligible citizen of your country. This is used to check your identity.
• Health Document: Your health clearance result will be requested to check your health status if you are eligible or not.
• Police Clearance Document: You will provide a police clearance document, which will be used to check if you have any criminal records.

Visa Application Fees

There is a fee specified for the different types of partner visas and the prices for these visas are not the same. The cost of a temporary partner visa for most applicants is AUD9,095 and for those applying for prospective marriage visa which is (subclass 300) holders, the cost is AUD1,515. For your permanent visa, you won’t have to pay for it after paying for your temporary visa because once you pay for your temporary visa the permanent visa is automatically inclusive.

How To Immigrate To Australia Through Spouse Visa Sponsorship

1.     Create an ImmiAccount: You will need to create an ImmiAccount for you to be able to apply for a partner visa.
2.     Select the type of application: You will need to start the application by selecting a new application and then choosing the type of application.
3.     Fill out the application: Fill out all your accurate information and pay for the visa. The cost for a partner visa is  $9,095 and $1,515 for a prospective marriage visa. Ensure you review the application before submitting it.
4.     Submit supporting documents: After filling out your application form you should attach all your supporting documents with your application.
5.     Give your sponsor your transaction reference number (TRN): Your TRN number will be used by your sponsor to submit their 40SP form. The 40SP is a sponsorship form that must be filled out and submitted by your partner to enable you to immigrate to Australia through a spouse visa sponsorship.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take To Get A Spouse Visa In Australia?

The time is different for the various subclasses of spouse visas. For an onshore spouse visa (subclass 820/801) there is no specific time for a temporary spouse visa, for an onshore permanent spouse visa the processing period is 2 years. While for an offshore spouse visa which is the overseas applicant (subclass 309/100) the processing period for the permanent visa is 2 years, the temporary visa period differs.

How Much Is Spouse Visa Fee In Australia?

The cost of a spouse visa for a subclass (820/100) is AUD9,095 while for a prospective marriage visa (subclass 300) is AUD1,515. The application fee is paid during the visa application.

Is It Difficult To Get A Spouse Visa In Australia?

The procedures may be long and the waiting period may also be long but it is not difficult to get a spouse visa in Australia. Although it might seem difficult because of the requirements and the procedures involved in getting a spouse visa. Once you have submitted all the required documents for the visa you shouldn’t be worried about getting the spouse visa.

Can I Travel To Australia While While Waiting For An Offshore Partner Visa?

You can only travel to Australia if you have gotten your temporary partner visa from overseas. If you are yet to receive your temporary partner visa you will need to wait for it before you can travel to Australia.

Conclusion

If you have a spouse in Australia you can immigrate to Australia through spouse visa sponsorship. The procedure is usually long and the processing period may take forever, you can track your progress by using the immigration and citizenship website which is also known as the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. For your spouse’s visa to be processed on time make sure you have lodged your application online through the ImmiAccount and have submitted all your required documents.