Partner migration is the second most popular method of achieving permanent residency in Australia. Nearly 50,000 couples apply for the partner visa in Australia every year and have their applications granted meaning that it is second only to the employer sponsored visa as a method of gaining permanent residency in Australia. The benefits of permanent residency are that you can then gain access to social security payments and medicare which is the system of public healthcare funding in Australia. It also allows you to sponsor other people to come to Australia and you can eventually become an Australian Citizen if you have been living in Australia for at least 4 years on a lawful basis with more than 1 year as a permanent resident.
The 2 principal application forms for applying for partner migration are:
– Form 47SP serves as an application for both the temporary and permanent partner visas and, likewise,
– Form 40SP serves as a sponsorship application for these visas.
Therefore, when you are granted a Partner visa that is temporary, you do not want to lodge another form 47 SP in order for consideration of your permanent visa to occur. At time of publication of this article, the position is that the department may request another completed form 40SP from your sponsor.
In case you are a Prospective Marriage visa applicant, in addition you use the form 47SP and form 40SP. However, if you were granted a Prospective Marriage visa, enter Australia and then marry your fiance(e) while your visa remains legal, you will have to lodge another form 47SP and form 40SP so that you can be considered an applicant to get a Partner visa.
Partner visa application forms are available:
— as PDF files from the department’s website printed out and then filled in; or
— in paper format from your closest office of the Australian immigration department.
Partner Visa Process:
We can advise you on the partner visa process in detail – please contact us about this using the contact forms available on this page.
Supporting documentation
You should make sure that you’ve read through before you lodge your Partner visa application (including Supporting documentation) for your migration to Australia. You should tell the office when you expect to be able to offer them and what records are missing, if you are unable to supply all of the supporting documentation when you lodge your partner visa application. The department may make a decision on the basis of the information you’ve provided in the event you don’t supply all of the required records. Thus, it is in your interests to support your partner visa application at the time you lodge your application with just as much information as you can.
