How Long Does A Partner Visa Take To Process In Australia?

If you're waiting on a partner visa Australia decision, here's the honest answer: it's not one wait, it's two. A partner visa is lodged as a single combined application but decided in two separate stages, months or years apart — and knowing that changes how you should plan the next couple of years.

At a glance: The Department of Home Affairs reported a median processing time of around 17 months for the temporary partner visa stage (Subclass 820 onshore / 309 offshore) as of early 2026, with a realistic range of 12–24 months. The permanent stage (801/100) is generally assessed roughly two years after your original lodgement date — so most couples are looking at 3–4 years from application to permanent residency.

Two Visas, One Application

• Subclass 820 (onshore, temporary) or 309 (offshore, temporary) — assessed first
• Subclass 801 (onshore, permanent) or 100 (offshore, permanent) — assessed later, once you've reached the two-year eligibility mark from your original lodgement

You don't apply for these separately. One combined application covers both stages, and Home Affairs decides the permanent stage once the qualifying period has passed.

What Happens While You Wait (Onshore Applicants)

If you lodge onshore, you're automatically placed on a Bridging Visa A from the day you apply, which grants full work rights and lets you remain in Australia lawfully while your 820 is assessed. If you need to travel overseas before the 820 is decided, you'll need a Bridging Visa B first — leaving without one causes your bridging visa to lapse.

What Actually Speeds Things Up (or Slows Them Down)

Processing times move month to month and vary by individual case, but the biggest factors are consistently:

• Evidence quality — Home Affairs assesses relationships across four pillars: financial, household, social, and commitment. Thin or inconsistent evidence across these is one of the most common causes of a Request for Information (RFI), which can add months to the timeline.
• Health and character checks — police clearances from multiple countries, or follow-up medical requests, extend the wait.
• Application volume — Home Affairs processes files based on lodgement order within each stream, so a decision-ready file with no gaps genuinely moves faster.