For spouses and de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens who wish to live together in Australia and pursue permanent residency. The framework is a two-stage assessment: after roughly two years, you show the relationship continues and move to permanent assessment (SC801 / SC100).
We also support complex cases, including provisions for family violence and other exceptions, with consistent guidance throughout.
A pathway for spouses, de facto partners, and fiancé(e)s to live together in Australia and work toward permanent residency, based on the genuineness of your relationship.
Partner visas follow a two-stage structure—from a temporary stage to permanent residence. Where you apply (onshore or offshore) and your relationship status (married, de facto, or engaged) determine the right pathway and how we design your evidence.
After a temporary or provisional stage (e.g. SC820/309), you typically show the relationship continues after about two years, then proceed to permanent assessment (SC801/100).
Onshore (in Australia) versus offshore applications use different subclasses and affect how we plan your status while the application is processed.
Whether you can show a genuine, continuing relationship through a coherent, chronological file directly affects processing time and the outcome.
Depending on where you apply (in or outside Australia) and your relationship stage (married, de facto, or engaged), the main pathways are:
Subclass 820 (temporary) → Subclass 801 (permanent)
For applicants in Australia. Once SC820 is granted, you can work, study, and access Medicare. After about two years, you show the relationship continues and move to SC801 (permanent).
Subclass 309 (provisional) → Subclass 100 (permanent)
For applicants overseas (e.g. from Japan). Once SC309 is granted, you can live in Australia with your partner; after about two years you progress to SC100 (permanent).
Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage visa)
For fiancé(e)s planning to marry in Australia. You must marry within nine months of entry, then transition to SC820/801 or SC309/100.
In addition to your sponsor being an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, you must meet conditions including the following.
Support shaped around your relationship.
Our director has been through a partner visa application personally and understands how demanding it can be. We help you organise your relationship and evidence, agree on eligibility and next steps, then move through preparation together—including document gathering.
We compare requirements with your situation and identify gaps and concerns. We also give indicative cost and timeframe at this stage.
For complex cases only—such as living apart, long distance, or family violence exceptions—we take a deeper brief and map schedule, priorities, cost, and timing (not required for straightforward cases).
Contracts are prepared in English; we explain the terms clearly before you sign. Service begins once the agreement is signed and the initial fee is paid.
We build the relationship evidence that matters most in assessment. Where evidence is thin, we specify alternatives and strengthening steps so your file is coherent and persuasive.
Success depends on knowing what to submit and when. We separate documents required at lodgement from those that can follow, and support you from submission through post-lodgement steps.
We help you respond promptly to requests for further information (RFI), manage delay risk, and assess whether priority processing may apply—flexible support after lodgement.
We stay with you through the permanent assessment about two years later—updating relationship evidence and preparing material that shows continuity.
We also handle matters that need careful judgment.
The timing of the move to permanent residency and the steps involved depend on your individual circumstances. Our principal will confirm the details accurately for your case. Please contact us to discuss your long-term schedule.
Processing times vary with Department of Home Affairs workload and the specifics of each case, so we cannot give a single fixed timeframe.
We can share current indicative timelines when you contact us, based on your situation. We also support steps to help keep your application moving smoothly.
Depending on your circumstances, it may be possible to pursue a partner visa even while living apart — if you choose an appropriate pathway and meet the relevant requirements. The best approach varies with how long you have been together, travel history, and other factors.
Our principal will review your case directly and outline the options available to you. Please feel free to consult us.
Whether you can apply depends on your shared history and what alternative evidence may be available. Even with limited joint documents, it is sometimes possible to demonstrate the relationship from multiple angles.
Our principal will review your situation in detail and advise on what preparation is feasible. Please tell us where things stand today.
Consultation is not about reaching a conclusion — it is about starting the design.
First Tree treats visas not as paperwork alone, but as design for workplaces and lives that keep moving. Before we talk applications, we clarify where you are and what conditions apply — then, if needed, we decide the next step together.
In an initial consultation, we typically cover: