The application threshold for Australian partner visas is relatively low. There are no complex point-based systems or English language requirements. As long as you have a genuine and continuing relationship with your partner, obtaining permanent residency is almost halfway to success, making it one of the shortcuts to staying in Australia. However, the recent unexpected changes to partner visas have made the already slow processing times even more agonizing.
Current partner visa policies:
1. The applicant must be sponsored by an Australian permanent resident, an Australian citizen, or an eligible New Zealand citizen;
2. The applications for both the applicant and the sponsor can be submitted simultaneously;
3. After submitting the application onshore, the applicant can obtain a Bridging Visa (BVA), allowing them to remain in Australia until the visa decision is made, with the right to work full-time and access medical insurance.
Changes to partner visa policies:
1. The sponsor must first submit an application for sponsorship approval, and the applicant can only submit their visa application after the sponsorship is approved;
2. A validity period will be set for the temporary partner visa once granted, and the application for permanent residency must be made within this period; once expired, the application will be void;
3. Application fees will be charged separately for the temporary and permanent stages;
4. Sponsors must meet more conditions and requirements;
5. The sponsor's information will be shared with the applicant.
Impact of the new policies:
Sponsors must meet more conditions to obtain sponsorship approval. Once the first sponsorship application is rejected, future sponsorship is essentially impossible. The main factors currently affecting sponsorship eligibility include:
● Whether there is a criminal record; police clearance certificates must be provided for all countries where the sponsor has lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years;
● A lifetime limit of only 2 sponsorship quotas;
● A 5-year waiting period to sponsor a second partner;
● If the sponsor obtained their own permanent residency through a partner visa, they must wait 5 years before they can sponsor someone else.