Australian Partner Visa Services for Thai Nationals
The partner visa in Australia is open to married and de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens. It provides a direct pathway from temporary to permanent residency and can be lodged from within Australia or from offshore. Choose Australian Visas for structured, decision-ready partner visa applications that reduce refusal risk and give you clarity, confidence and expert support throughout.
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Who Qualifies for a Partner Visa?
A spouse visa in Australia covers two relationship types: registered marriage and de facto. De facto couples must demonstrate at least 12 months of continuous cohabitation before applying, unless the relationship is registered under a state or territory register.
Same-sex couples qualify on the same terms as opposite-sex couples. Your Australian partner must be a citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and must be willing to act as your sponsor. Australian Visas provides an eligibility assessment before any application is lodged, so you know where you stand before committing to the process.
Onshore and Offshore Partner Visa Pathways
The Australia partner visa operates across two pathways depending on where you are located when you apply.
Partner Visa Subclass 820/801 (Onshore)
The subclass 820/801 partner visa applies to applicants who are already in Australia at the time of lodgement. The partner visa subclass 820 is the temporary stage of this pathway, granting the right to live and work in Australia while the permanent component is assessed. The partner visa subclass 820/801 is lodged as a single combined application, and applicants transition from temporary to permanent residency once the Department of Home Affairs re-assesses the relationship, ordinarily after two years. Current processing times for the partner visa 820 Australia temporary stage sit between 20 and 30 months for most applicants.
Partner Visa Subclass 309/100 (Offshore)
The partner visa subclass 309/100 applies to applicants who are outside Australia when they lodge. The partner visa subclass 309 is the temporary stage and, once granted, allows the holder to travel to and remain in Australia. The subclass 100 partner visa is the permanent stage, granted after approximately two years when the Department confirms the relationship is genuine and continuing. Both stages are submitted as a single combined application, regardless of which country you are applying from.
From Temporary to Permanent Residency
Both the partner visa in Australia onshore and offshore pathways follow the same two-stage structure. During the temporary stage, visa holders can work, study and access Medicare in Australia. At the two-year mark, the Department reviews the relationship a second time before granting permanent residency.
Processing times for the partner visa 820 Australia and the partner visa subclass 309/100 are currently among the longest in the Australian immigration system. Australian Visas prepares clients for the second-stage review from the outset, building a relationship evidence file that develops continuously rather than requiring clients to compile documentation under pressure when the review arrives.
How Australian Visas Manages Your Application
Partner visa applications are refused for predictable reasons: insufficient relationship evidence, incomplete statutory declarations, inconsistent timelines and poorly structured financial records. Australian Visas reduces that risk by managing every stage of the Australia partner visa application on your behalf.
Our process covers:
- Eligibility assessment against current Department of Home Affairs criteria
- Preparation of relationship evidence across the four assessed categories: financial, household, social and commitment
- Drafting of statutory declarations for both the applicant and their Australian sponsor
- Management of biometrics, police clearances, health examinations and sponsor approval in the correct sequence
- Online lodgement and ongoing case management through to grant
Whether you are applying through the partner visa subclass 820 onshore pathway or the partner visa subclass 309 offshore pathway, the evidence standards are the same and the consequences of a poorly prepared application are equally significant. See the visa types we cover and review our fees before your first consultation.
Applying from Outside Australia
The spouse visa in Australia is accessible to applicants living in any country. The application is lodged entirely online, so your location does not affect your ability to start the process. Australian Visas works with offshore clients across Southeast Asia, Europe and beyond, and our Thailand office handles applications locally for clients based in Thailand.
The subclass 820/801 partner visa and the subclass 100 partner visa carry identical evidence requirements regardless of where the applicant is located. The partner visa subclass 820/801 and the offshore pathway share the same Department assessment criteria, and Australian Visas applies the same preparation standards to both.
Book a consultation with our team today to check your partner visa eligibility.
Partner Visa FAQs
Can we apply for a Partner Visa if we have never lived together?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs does not require cohabitation, but you must show your relationship is genuine and continuing. De facto applicants need 12 months of relationship history or a registered relationship under an Australian state scheme. Married couples are exempt from the 12-month rule. Couples who haven’t lived together should provide strong evidence across financial, social, household and commitment categories.
What is the current cost of an Australian Partner Visa in 2026?
The base application fee in 2026 is AUD $9,365. This single charge covers both the temporary stage (Subclass 309 or 820) and the permanent stage (Subclass 100 or 801). Fees are reviewed annually by the Department of Home Affairs around 1 July. Additional costs include health examinations, police certificates, document translations and dependent applicants, with most applicants budgeting $9,365 to $12,000 in total.
Do we need to be married to apply for a Subclass 309 visa?
No. A Subclass 309 visa can be granted to a married spouse or a de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. De facto applicants must show the relationship has existed for at least 12 months before lodging, unless registered under an Australian state scheme. Married applicants need a marriage certificate recognised under Australian law.
How do we prove our relationship is "genuine and continuing"?
The Department of Home Affairs assesses four areas: financial aspects (joint accounts, shared bills), the nature of the household (shared address, division of responsibilities), the social aspect (joint friends, family recognition, shared travel) and the nature of your commitment (length of relationship, knowledge of each other’s circumstances, future plans). Strong applications include consistent evidence across all four categories rather than relying on one or two.
What happens if our Partner Visa is refused?
If your Partner Visa is refused, you generally have 21 days to seek merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). The ART reconsiders the decision on the evidence and law. Application fees are non-refundable on refusal. Depending on the refusal reason, options include appealing to the ART, lodging a new application, or pursuing another pathway. A registered migration agent can advise on the strongest next step.
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