If you are in a relationship with a citizen of another country you will need a visa in case you get married. There are numbers of ways in which you can qualify for a permanent or a temporary residence. The spouse visa category is divided into different subclasses which depend on several factors such as whether the visa is temporary or permanent as well as the location where the application is made. The entire process of visa application as well as the assessment of application is overseen by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
Usually, such assessment is made under a ‘combined application’ method wherein your application will be evaluated against the set criteria for both temporary and permanent partner visas. Depending on the specific criteria you meet, you will be issued either a temporary or a permanent visa.
Types and criteria
A temporary partner visa will be valid for 2 years. During this period your relationship will also be assessed just to find out whether or not you plan to stay with your partner. Assuming that you pass this test, you will be awarded a permanent partner visa.
On the other hand, a permanent residence partner visa is usually valid for 5 years and certainly not a visa for your lifetime. If you hold this visa for four consecutive years as per the set norms, you will be eligible to apply for citizenship.
There are different requirements to apply partner visa applications. The strict criteria on which most of the partner visa applications are assessed are as the following:
- The financial facets of the relationship which includes pooling or sharing of financial responsibilities
- The nature of household which includes division and sharing of household tasks
- The social aspects of your relationship which includes the way you are perceived in public as a couple.
- The nature of commitments to each other which includes willingness to relocate in another country.
Any person submitting an application for an AIA Partner Visa must be outside the country at the time of the decision or making the application especially in the 309 or 100 subclass. However, you will be allowed to travel in the country using another travel visa till the time your application is under process. There is a catch here though. You will not be allowed to bridge your travel visa and use it to live and work in the country as long as your current visa application is under the process. For migration agents in Sydney, check out Australian Migration Agents.
Few things to know
Since there are thousands of partner visa applications made it can take time till you get your visa. It can also very stressful as there are lots of rules, norms and complexity in the documentation process and paperwork.
The processing process is therefore lengthy and apart from that it is an expensive process as well, depending on which country you apply for your visa. It can also put a lot of pressure on your relationship both mentally as well as financially. You will also have to factor in police checks and health examinations that can sometimes be tricky.
