VJ Consulting and Education has guided applicants through the full spectrum of Australian temporary and permanent visa pathways, from graduate and partner visas to bridging arrangements.
Who is eligible for a 485 visa?
Eligible applicants fall into one of two streams, and choosing the wrong one is one of the most common points of failure for this visa. The Graduate Work stream suits applicants whose Australian qualification is in an occupation listed on a relevant skilled occupation list, and who also hold a positive From cases handled at VJCE, applicants who carefully identify the correct stream before lodging tend to avoid the most common eligibility pitfalls, particularly around meeting the points threshold or satisfying the study requirement.skills assessment — without the skills assessment, this stream is unavailable regardless of the degree. The Post-Study Work stream is broader: it requires an Australian Bachelor degree or higher (or a Masters by Coursework or Doctoral degree) but does not require a skills assessment or an occupation match, making it the more accessible option for most recent graduates.
Across both streams, the core eligibility conditions are consistent. An applicant must have held a student visa (or a visa that allowed study) and must have completed at least one qualification in Australia that was studied while onshore. The application must be lodged within 6 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au of the date on the Completion Letter issued by the education provider. Age is capped at 50 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au at time of application. English proficiency must meet the minimum threshold — generally IELTS 6.0 overall with no band below 5.0As of current · homeaffairs.gov.au or equivalent in an approved test.
Health and character requirements apply universally, as they do for all Australian visas. One practical point many applicants overlook: the visa is not renewable. If the Post-Study Work stream grants 2 to 4 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au of stay (duration depends on degree level), that is the total window available under the 485 pathway. Using it strategically — to gain the experience needed for a skilled migration application — is the primary purpose of this visa, not an end in itself.
Who is eligible for Australian partner visa 820?
Yes — but eligibility for the 820 onshore partner visa turns on three things simultaneously: the applicant's current lawful status in Australia, the legal character of the relationship, and the sponsor's eligibility. All three must be satisfied at the time of lodgement.
On lawful status: the applicant must be physically in Australia and hold a substantive visa (or in some cases a Bridging Visa A or B) at time of lodgement. Certain visa holders are excluded — most notably, those on a Bridging Visa E are generally ineligible, and student visa holders with condition 8202 compliance issues should take care. Applicants who last entered Australia on certain tourist visas may also face scrutiny regarding intent.
On relationship: the applicant must be the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. For de facto relationships, the requirement is that the couple has lived together in a genuine, exclusive relationship for at least 12 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au immediately before lodgement — unless they are registered under a prescribed State or Territory law, in which case the 12-month cohabitation requirement is waived. Same-sex relationships are equally recognised under Australian law.
On sponsorship: the Australian partner must be approved as a sponsor, which involves character and age checks (the sponsor must be at least 18 years oldAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au). A sponsor who has previously sponsored two partners, or sponsored one partner within the last five years, may be restricted. The 820 visa is a two-stage process — the temporary 820 grant leads to the permanent 801 after the relationship has been tested over time, typically two yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au from lodgement.
Who is eligible for a 309 partner visa?
The VJ Consulting advisers generally recommend that offshore partner visa applicants prepare relationship evidence well in advance, as the documentary standard expected by the Department is consistently high across the cases we have seen.309 offshore partner visa is the mirror image of the 820 — it applies when the applicant is outside Australia at time of lodgement and intends to come to Australia once the visa is granted. The relationship and sponsorship requirements are substantively identical to the 820: the applicant must be the spouse or de facto partner of an eligible Australian sponsor, with de facto relationships again requiring 12 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au of cohabitation unless registered.
The critical structural difference is location and timing. A 309 applicant does not receive a bridging visa — they remain on whatever status they hold in their home country until the 309 is decided. This matters because processing times for the 309/100 pathway have historically been lengthy: median processing times have sat well above 12 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, and many applicants wait considerably longer. During this period, the applicant typically cannot work or live in Australia lawfully unless they hold a separate bridging or temporary visa.
One common scenario is an applicant who lodges the 309 while living overseas but then travels to Australia on a visitor visa to be with their partner during the wait. This is permissible, but the applicant must be offshore at the time the 309 is granted for the visa to be validly applied. Like the 820, the 309 is a two-stage process leading to the permanent 100 visa. Evidence requirements are substantive: applicants should document shared finances, cohabitation history, social recognition of the relationship, and mutual commitment, across all four categories that Home Affairs uses to assess relationship genuineness.
Who is eligible for a 300 Prospective marriage visa?
The 300 prospective marriage visa is for applicants who are engaged — not yet married — to an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and who intend to marry in Australia within 9 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au of entering on the visa. This is a fundamentally different instrument from the 820 or 309: it is granted on the basis of future intent rather than an existing marital or de facto relationship.
Eligibility rests on four conditions that must all be met. First, the applicant must be outside Australia at time of application (this is an offshore-only visa). Second, both the applicant and the sponsor must be legally free to marry under Australian law — meaning any prior marriages must be dissolved. Third, the couple must have met each other in person at least once. This is a strict requirement and one that catches some applicants off guard: a purely online relationship, however genuine, does not satisfy this criterion. Fourth, the intended marriage must be genuine — Home Affairs will assess the bona fides of the relationship and the intention to marry.
Practically, the 300 is a single-entry, temporary visa valid for 9 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au. If the couple marries within that window, the applicant can then lodge an onshore partner visa (820) without needing to depart. If the marriage does not occur within the 9-month period, the visa expires and no extension is available — this is where many applicants encounter difficulty, particularly if wedding plans are delayed by administrative or logistical factors. Sponsor eligibility requirements and character obligations apply in the same form as for the 820 and 309 pathways.
Who is eligible for a bridging visa?
The short answer is: almost any person in Australia who has lodged a valid application for a substantive visa before their current visa expires is automatically eligible for a Bridging Visa A (BVA). It is not applied for separately in most cases — it is granted by operation of law upon valid lodgement. This is the fundamental design of bridging visas: they are procedural instruments, not migration outcomes in themselves. In applications reviewed at VJCE, understanding which bridging visa subclass applies to a specific situation is often the step that prevents an unintended gap in lawful status — a detail that is easy to overlook when transitioning between substantive visas.
The eligibility framework differs by bridging visa type, and that distinction matters. A Bridging Visa A is the most common: it is granted automatically when a substantive visa application is lodged onshore. It allows the holder to remain in Australia while the application is decided, and in many cases allows work rights if the preceding visa had them. A Bridging Visa B (BVB) is a travel document — it allows a BVA holder to leave and re-enter Australia without the BVA ceasing, but it must be applied for before departure and is not automatic. A Bridging Visa C (BVC) is granted to unlawful non-citizens who lodge a valid application while in Australia without a substantive visa — it typically does not carry work rights without a separate application.
Bridging Visa D and E exist for more specific circumstances: BVD is a short-term visa where another bridging visa is pending, and BVE covers those facing removal or who have an obligation for Australia to consider their claims. The key eligibility condition for all bridging visas is that a valid substantive application must exist, or a legal basis for remaining must be established. Bridging visas do not make a person permanent, do not accumulate towards citizenship, and are conditional on the underlying application remaining active. If that application is refused and no review is lodged within the prescribed period — typically 28 daysAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au — the bridging visa typically ceases.
Next Step
Partner, graduate, and bridging visa eligibility each involves a different legal framework, and the consequences of lodging under the wrong stream — or with insufficient relationship evidence — can include refusal, unlawful status, or loss of bridging visa protection. If your circumstances involve overlapping visa conditions, a previous refusal, or a relationship that does not fit the standard timeline, independent professional assessment is worth the investment before lodgement. VJ Consulting's MARA-registered migration agents can review your specific eligibility and advise on the strongest pathway for your situation — visit the consultation page to arrange a structured assessment.
This article is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa requirements, fees, and processing times change regularly — always verify details on the relevant authority's official website before making decisions. For advice specific to your circumstances, consider consulting a MARA-registered migration agent.
References
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 820 Partner visa (onshore): homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/partner-820-801
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 309 Partner visa (offshore): homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/partner-309-100
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/prospective-marriage-300
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Bridging visas overview: homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/bridging-visas
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Visa processing times: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times
Related reading
To explore how eligibility works across other visa pathways in the same stage, visit the Am I Eligible? stage, or check out Eligibility Requirements for Skilled and Points-Tested Visas (189, 190, 491, 494) if points-tested options might be a better fit for your situation.
