Who can apply for the 309 partner visa?

The spouse (married under Indian law or a marriage recognised in Australia) or de facto partner (12 months of cohabitation, or a registered relationship) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, applying from outside Australia. Both must be 18 or over; the sponsor must be approved first, must not have sponsored two partners before or sponsored one within five years, and must pass character checks; the applicant meets health and character requirements.

AUD 11,710 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, covering both the temporary 309 and the permanent 100 stages, plus AUD 5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 2,935 for each child. Add health examinations, police certificates from India and any other country, and certified translations. There is no sponsor income threshold, but the sponsor must be approved before the visa can be granted.

How long does it take?

Partner visas are among the slowest Australian visas: Home Affairs' published 50 and 90 percent figures for the 309 have run to a year or more, and the permanent 100 stage is assessed two years after the original lodgement unless the relationship is long-standing. The applicant can visit Australia on a visitor visa while waiting and should expect to spend most of the first year in India.

How much is the Australian partner visa in 2026?

AUD 11,710 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, covering both the provisional 309 and the permanent 100 stages, plus AUD 5,860 for each additional adult applicant and AUD 2,935 for each child. The fee was AUD 9,365 before 1 July 2026.

Is there an income requirement to sponsor a spouse to Australia?

No. Australian partner visas have no sponsor income threshold. The sponsor must be approved, meet character requirements and not exceed the sponsorship limitations.

How long does the 309 partner visa take from India?

Often more than a year for the provisional 309 at Home Affairs' published rates, with the permanent 100 assessed from two years after lodgement. Couples married three years or more at lodgement (two years with a child) can be granted the 100 directly.

Can I visit Australia while my partner visa is processing?

Yes, on a Visitor visa (subclass 600), declaring the pending partner application. Grant is at the officer's discretion and condition 8503 may be imposed; the 309 itself must be granted while you are outside Australia.

How does Vistolane handle Australian partner visas?

Family routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked, MARA-registered migration agent chosen on the Australia destination page, who structures the four-pillar evidence before lodgement; start with the free eligibility check.

Australia visaSubclass 309/100

Australia Partner visa (subclass 309/100) for Indian applicants

The offshore Partner visa is lodged from India by the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. One fee of AUD 11,710 covers the provisional 309 and the permanent 100 stages, there is no income test for the sponsor, and the application is assessed on the four pillars of a genuine relationship.

7 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · How we verify

Australia partner visa: quick answers

Who can apply for the 309 partner visa?: The spouse (married under Indian law or a marriage recognised in Australia) or de facto partner (12 months of cohabitation, or a registered relationship) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, applying from outside Australia. Both must be 18 or over; the sponsor must be approved first, must not have sponsored two partners before or sponsored one within five years, and must pass character checks; the applicant meets health and character requirements.
What does it cost?: AUD 11,710 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, covering both the temporary 309 and the permanent 100 stages, plus AUD 5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 2,935 for each child. Add health examinations, police certificates from India and any other country, and certified translations. There is no sponsor income threshold, but the sponsor must be approved before the visa can be granted.
How long does it take?: Partner visas are among the slowest Australian visas: Home Affairs' published 50 and 90 percent figures for the 309 have run to a year or more, and the permanent 100 stage is assessed two years after the original lodgement unless the relationship is long-standing. The applicant can visit Australia on a visitor visa while waiting and should expect to spend most of the first year in India.

Australia Partner visa (subclass 309/100)

At a glance

Item	Detail
Visa	Partner (Provisional) subclass 309 then Partner (Migrant) subclass 100
Government fee	AUD 11,710 main applicant (from 1 July 2026); one fee for both stages
Additional applicants	AUD 5,860 each aged 18 or over; AUD 2,935 each child
Sponsor income test	None; sponsor must be approved and pass character checks
Relationship	Married, or de facto for 12 months, or a registered relationship
Processing	Often more than a year for the 309; the 100 is assessed from two years after lodgement
Work rights	Unrestricted on the 309 from arrival
Permanent residence	Subclass 100 after two years, or immediately for long-term relationships (3 years, or 2 with a child)

Who qualifies, on both sides

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, usually living in Australia, and must lodge a separate sponsorship application that is approved before the visa is granted. Sponsorship limits apply: no more than two approved partner sponsorships in a lifetime and at least five years between them, and the sponsor must consent to police checks and disclosure of relevant offences to the applicant.

The applicant must be legally married to the sponsor under Indian law (a registered marriage certificate is required; a religious ceremony alone is not enough), or in a de facto relationship with 12 months of living together (waived where the relationship is registered in an Australian state or there are compelling circumstances). The relationship must be genuine and continuing, with a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others.

Home Affairs assesses four pillars: financial aspects (joint accounts, shared expenses, remittances), the nature of the household (living arrangements, sharing responsibilities), social aspects (how the relationship is seen by family and friends, joint travel and events, statutory declarations from witnesses) and commitment (knowledge of each other, plans, time together and communication). Arranged marriages are assessed on the same evidence; the file should explain the arrangement and timeline.

Fees

Item	AUD	Notes
Partner visa 309/100, main applicant	11,710	One charge covers both stages; from 1 July 2026 (AUD 9,365 before)
Additional applicant 18 or over	5,860	Dependent adult child in limited cases
Additional applicant under 18	2,935	Each child
Sponsorship application	Nil	Lodged separately by the sponsor
Health examinations	Panel physician fee	Each applicant
Police clearance certificates	Passport Seva and other national fees	India and every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years

The charge is paid in full at lodgement and is not refunded if the visa is refused or the relationship ends. Applicants onshore use the subclass 820/801 at the same charge; the offshore 309 is the route for a spouse living in India.

How the application runs, step by step

1
Confirm eligibility and gather the four-pillar evidence
Marriage certificate or de facto evidence, and documents under each pillar across the whole relationship with a short index.
2
Applicant lodges the 309 in ImmiAccount and pays AUD 11,710
Form 47SP details, identity, relationship evidence, Form 80 character details and statutory declarations from the couple and witnesses (Form 888).
3
Sponsor lodges the sponsorship application
Form 40SP in the sponsor's ImmiAccount with citizenship or residence evidence, police checks and the sponsorship declaration.
4
Health, police and biometrics
Health examination with a panel physician in India, Indian PCC and other certificates, biometrics at a collection centre when requested; respond to any request within 28 days.
5
309 grant, arrival and the 100 assessment
Enter Australia on the provisional visa with unrestricted work rights; two years after lodgement Home Affairs requests updated evidence and grants the permanent 100 if the relationship continues.

Timeline at 2026 rates

Stage	Typical time
Evidence gathering	1 to 3 months
Sponsorship approval	Assessed with the visa
309 decision	Often more than a year; Home Affairs publishes monthly figures
Permanent 100 stage	Assessed from two years after the 309 lodgement; several months to decide
Visiting during processing	Visitor visa possible; declare the partner application

A relationship of three years or more at lodgement (two years with a child) can lead straight to the permanent 100 without the two-year wait. Processing figures are averages of recently decided cases; complete, consistent files with strong four-pillar evidence close faster than files that draw a request for more information.

After the grant

The 309 holder can live, work and study in Australia, enrol in Medicare and travel freely until the permanent decision. If the relationship ends before the 100 is decided, the visa normally ceases, except where there is a child of the relationship, family violence or the sponsor's death. The permanent 100 grants full residence rights and the five-year travel facility.

Citizenship by conferral follows after four years of lawful residence including 12 months as a permanent resident; time on the 309 counts towards the four years. India does not permit dual citizenship, so naturalising means surrendering the Indian passport and applying for an OCI card.

Document checklist: relationship

Document	Standard the officer applies
Marriage certificate	Registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act or applicable law, with a certified translation where needed
De facto evidence (unmarried couples)	12 months of shared address, joint lease or bills, or a registered relationship certificate
Previous marriages ended	Divorce decrees or death certificates for either party

Four pillars

Document	Standard the officer applies
Financial	Joint accounts, shared expenses, remittance receipts, insurance beneficiary nominations, joint assets
Household	Shared address evidence, mail at the same address, division of household responsibilities described in statements
Social	Photographs with family and friends across time, wedding evidence, joint travel, invitations addressed to both, Form 888 declarations from Australian citizens or permanent residents
Commitment	Statements from both partners, chat and call logs sampled across the relationship, visits, future plans

Sponsor

Document	Standard the officer applies
Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible NZ citizen evidence	Passport, citizenship certificate or visa grant
Australian Federal Police check and overseas police checks	For the sponsor where required
Sponsorship application (Form 40SP)	Lodged in the sponsor's own ImmiAccount

Applicant

Document	Standard the officer applies
Passport and identity documents	Valid passport, birth certificate, Aadhaar
Police clearance certificates	India (Passport Seva) and every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years
Health examination	Panel physician in India; results valid 12 months
Form 80	Full personal, travel and employment history

Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix

Relationship not genuine and continuing

Thin evidence under one or more pillars, inconsistencies between the partners' statements and the documents, or long periods apart without evidence of contact.

The fix. Build a chronological file with evidence under each pillar, align both statements to one timeline, explain cultural context for arranged marriages, and include Form 888 declarations from people who know the couple.

De facto period not met

Fewer than 12 months of cohabitation evidence and no registered relationship or compelling circumstances.

The fix. Register the relationship in an Australian state where possible, or wait until 12 months of shared-address evidence exists before lodging.

Sponsor ineligible or limitation

The sponsor had already sponsored two partners, sponsored one within the last five years, or had relevant convictions.

The fix. Check sponsor limitations before lodging; a waiver for compelling circumstances is possible but must be argued with evidence.

Public interest criterion 4020 or character

A false document, an undisclosed previous marriage or an undeclared conviction by either party.

The fix. Declare everything, use only verifiable documents and attach court records where there is a conviction.

Health requirement

A medical condition assessed as a significant cost to the Australian community without a waiver being considered.

The fix. Complete examinations early and take advice on the health waiver that applies to partner visas.

Official sources

Australia partner visa questions

Subclass 309/100 · government fee

₹7.78 lakh

Official fee: AUD 11,710 main applicant
Processing: Often more than a year for the 309; the 100 is assessed from two years after lodgement

Start the Australia family route Check my eligibility

Government fees are charged at the official Home Affairs rate.

Long-form guideAustralia Partner visa: the step-by-step guideWritten from the same Home Affairs pages, with the month-by-month plan.Refused before?Every Australia refusal reason, with the fixAll 5 Australia routes on one page, grouped by theme.

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