Partner Visa Processing Times 2026: 820, 309, 801 & 300

At VJ Consulting and Education, we work with partner visa applicants every day and understand just how much uncertainty surrounds processing timelines — which is why we've put together this guide to help you plan realistically.

#How long does partner visa 820 take?

The Subclass 820 onshore partner visa is currently one of the slowest-processing temporary visas in Australia's system, with the 50th percentile at around 24 months and the 90th percentile stretching to 40 months as of early 2026. These figures represent how long it takes to receive the temporary grant — the permanent 801 stage is assessed separately. Among the applicants VJCE has assisted with Subclass 820 applications, those who submitted a well-organised, evidence-rich initial application from the outset have generally experienced a smoother case officer review process compared to those who needed to respond to multiple follow-up requests.

One of our clients described the experience bluntly:

The backlog is real. Applications are assessed in the order they are received, and bridging visa A conditions allow applicants to remain in Australia and work while they wait.

Tip: Lodge as completely as possible from day one. Requests for Further Information (RFIs) can add months to an already long queue.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Processing Times: 820, 309, 801

#How long does partner visa 309 take?

The Subclass 309 offshore partner visa — applied for by applicants who are outside Australia at the time of lodgement — currently takes 20–36 months from lodgement to temporary grant. This is marginally faster than the 820 in some cohorts, but the gap has narrowed significantly over the past two years.

A key distinction: once the 309 is granted, the applicant can travel to and live in Australia immediately. The subsequent Subclass 100 permanent stage is then assessed after 2 years of the relationship being recognised, measured from the original 309 lodgement date — not from the grant date.

Tip: Applicants who lodge a 309 offshore can visit Australia on a visitor visa while the application is pending, but cannot work without a separate work-authorising visa. Plan finances accordingly.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Comparison: 300, 309, 820, 801

#How long does it take to get an 801 visa after 820?

The Subclass 801 permanent visa is not a separate application — it is the permanent stage of the same application you lodged for the 820. The Department of Home Affairs will invite you to provide updated evidence at the 2-year mark from your original lodgement date, provided the relationship is ongoing.

If your relationship is less than 3 years old (or less than 2 years if you have a dependent child together) at the time of lodgement, the 820 is granted first. If the relationship already exceeds these thresholds at lodgement, the Department may assess the 801 directly without issuing the 820 first.

Tip: When you receive the 2-year review invitation, respond promptly with updated evidence — joint bank statements, shared lease renewals, photos, and statutory declarations from people who know you as a couple.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa 820 & 801: Time and Cost

#How long are spouse visas taking right now?

Right now, in 2026, Australian spouse and partner visas are taking longer than at any point in recent history. The 820 sits at 24–40 months, the 309 at 20–36 months, and even the Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa — historically the fastest — is running at 12–18 months.

A migration agent responding to client inquiries in early 2026 noted simply: "That is a very long wait" — an understatement that reflects the sentiment of thousands of applicants currently in the queue.

The primary driver is the sheer volume of applications lodged post-COVID, combined with limited case officer resources and a high proportion of cases requiring manual relationship assessment.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Processing Times: 820, 309, 801

#How long does the partner visa process take?

From start to finish — meaning from the day you decide to apply to the day you hold a permanent visa — the full Australian partner visa process typically takes 3–5 years. This encompasses lodgement preparation, the temporary visa wait, the 2-year relationship assessment period, and the permanent stage review. VJ Consulting agents generally advise applicants to treat the end-to-end partner visa journey as a multi-year commitment and to build their evidence of the genuine relationship continuously throughout that period, rather than scrambling to compile documentation close to the lodgement date.

The mandatory 2-year period is not a processing delay — it is a legislative requirement under the Migration Regulations. The Department uses this time to verify the relationship is genuine and continuing.

One of our clients, who went through the full 820/801 pathway, described it as: "a marathon, not a sprint — you have to document your life together continuously, not just at lodgement."

Tip: Keep building your evidence file throughout the wait. Updated joint documents at the 2-year mark significantly smooth the permanent stage.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Comparison: 300, 309, 820, 801

#How long is a visa 820 valid?

The Subclass 820 is a temporary visa, and it does not expire in the conventional sense — it remains valid until the Department finalises your application (either by granting the 801 or refusing the overall application). There is no fixed expiry date stamped on the 820 grant letter.

This means if your 801 assessment takes 3 years after the 820 grant, your 820 remains valid for that entire period. You are not required to renew it or extend it. The 820 effectively becomes a de facto permanent residency in practice during this period — you have full work rights, can access Medicare (depending on your nationality's bilateral agreement), and can travel freely in and out of Australia.

Tip: Always keep a copy of your 820 grant letter. Airlines and employers sometimes incorrectly treat it as a short-stay visa. Vevo verification solves most confusion.

#How long is the process for a partnership visa?

"Partnership visa" is a colloquial term Australians use to describe the full suite of partner visas — the 820/801 onshore pathway or the 309/100 offshore pathway. The total process length depends on which pathway you take.

The 300 pathway adds a step because the prospective marriage visa requires you to marry within 9 months of arrival, then separately lodge the 820 after the marriage — effectively resetting the queue clock.

For most couples where one partner is already living in Australia, the 820/801 route is the most direct. For couples still offshore, the 309/100 route is more appropriate and usually marginally faster at the temporary stage.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Comparison: 300, 309, 820, 801

#How long can I stay in Australia with a 309 visa?

The Subclass 309 grants an initial travel facility of 5 years from the date of grant. During that 5-year travel window, you can enter and exit Australia multiple times. There is no limit on the length of any individual stay — you can live in Australia continuously on the 309.

In practice, the 100 permanent stage is almost always assessed and granted well within the 5-year travel window, so the expiry of travel rights rarely becomes an issue.

Tip: If your 309 was granted but the 100 has not yet been decided and your 5-year travel facility is approaching expiry, contact the Department or a registered migration agent — a Resident Return Visa (RRV) may be required to re-enter Australia.

#How long does it take for a partner visa to be approved?

Approval timelines depend on the subclass and the complexity of the individual case, but the realistic figures for 2026 are: 24–40 months for the 820, 20–36 months for the 309, and 12–18 months for the 300.

These are Department of Home Affairs published benchmarks — not guarantees. Cases with incomplete documentation, prior visa refusals, complex relationship histories, or health and character issues consistently sit at the longer end of the range.

Factors that shorten processing time:

• Comprehensive evidence lodged at the outset
• No requests for further information
• No health or character issues flagged
• Sponsor has no prior relationship visa history

Factors that lengthen processing time:

• Incomplete evidence
• Multiple prior sponsors or applicants
• Health issues requiring further medical assessments
• Police clearance delays from certain countries

One of our clients, whose 820 application was refused at initial lodgement due to insufficient relationship evidence, had this warning for others:

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa 820 & 801: Time and Cost

#How long will a partner visa take?

There is no single answer — but here is a realistic planning framework. Budget for 3 years minimum from lodgement to permanent residency, and plan your life accordingly: housing, employment, children's schooling, and travel.

The current processing environment is unlikely to improve dramatically in the short term. The Department of Home Affairs has not announced any dedicated surge capacity for partner visas in its 2025–26 budget cycle.

Tip: If your circumstances are time-sensitive — expiring bridging visas, upcoming travel, employment that requires PR — consult a MARA-registered agent early. There are limited avenues for requesting priority processing, but they exist in specific circumstances.

#How long does it take for a partnership visa to be approved?

This question is substantively identical to the timeline question above, but worth addressing from a documentation angle: the approval clock does not start ticking when you begin gathering documents. It starts on the day the Department receives a valid, complete application with the government fee paid.

The government application charge for the 820/801 pathway is currently $8,850 for the primary applicant (as of 2026), with additional charges for secondary applicants over 18. Paying this charge correctly and on time is what secures your lodgement date — and your position in the queue.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa 820 & 801: Time and Cost

#How long does a partner visa take to the USA?

This article covers Australian partner visas, but the USA question comes up frequently from our clients who are comparing pathways. For a US spouse/partner visa, the two main routes are the CR-1/IR-1 spousal immigrant visa (for married couples) and the K-1 fiancé visa (for unmarried couples planning to marry in the US).

US processing times are managed by the National Visa Center (NVC) and vary significantly by the applicant's country of birth due to per-country annual limits on immigrant visas.

If you are choosing between an Australian and a US immigration pathway, the Australian partner visa system has the advantage of no annual numerical cap — any genuine couple can lodge regardless of nationality. The US system imposes numerical limits for some nationalities that create multi-year waits beyond the standard processing time.

#How long does it take to get a partner visa for 820?

The 820 visa application itself — meaning the lodgement — can be submitted within days of a couple deciding to proceed, once the evidence package is assembled. Assembly typically takes 4–8 weeks for couples who are organised, and 2–4 months for those who need to gather international documents, police clearances, and medical examinations.

Once lodged, the 820 temporary grant takes 24–40 months as outlined earlier. The preparation phase is where applicants have the most control — invest time here to avoid RFIs that add months to the back end.

Tip: Police clearances from some countries (India, Philippines, China) can take 6–10 weeks. Start these first.

#How long does it take to get a partner visa in the USA?

For US partner visas, the timeline breaks down by visa type and whether the sponsoring spouse is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Green card holders face longer waits due to annual numerical limits.

For clients weighing up whether to build their life in Australia or the USA, the Australian partner visa system typically offers a more predictable pathway — no numerical caps and a clear 2-year permanent residency timeline built into the structure.

If you are an Australian resident sponsoring your partner and they are currently in the US, the 309/100 offshore pathway is your primary option. Learn more on our Partner Visas overview.

#How long relationship for partner visa?

There is no minimum relationship length required to apply for an Australian partner visa — but the nature and stage of the relationship determines which visa you can apply for.

The 12-month de facto cohabitation rule is the most misunderstood requirement. It does not mean you must have lived together for 12 months — it means the relationship must have existed for 12 months in a genuine, exclusive, and committed form. Long-distance couples who have never cohabited can still qualify if they can evidence ongoing commitment.

Tip: Couples who cannot meet the 12-month de facto threshold should consider registering their relationship through a state or territory registry, which removes the time requirement.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Comparison: 300, 309, 820, 801

#How long does it take to get a partner visa for Australia 820?

From the day you decide to apply to the day you hold the 820 temporary visa in your ImmiAccount, you are looking at a minimum of 5–6 months for preparation plus the queue wait — meaning the earliest realistic grant in an uncomplicated case is approximately 26–28 months from the decision to apply.

Once the 820 is granted, you are free to work, study, and travel while waiting for the 801 permanent stage — which is assessed automatically at the 2-year mark.

A client who prepared her own application without agent assistance before coming to us for a review noted:

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa 820 & 801: Time and Cost

#How long does a US partner visa take?

Covered in full in the sections above, but to summarise: US partner visa processing in 2026 takes 12–18 months for US citizen sponsors (K-1, IR-1, CR-1) and 24–36+ months for lawful permanent resident sponsors (F2A), with additional variation based on the applicant's country of birth.

Compared to Australia's 820/801 pathway, the US system offers faster processing for citizen-sponsored spouses, but the US does not have an equivalent of the "bridging visa" — the applicant typically cannot enter the US to live and work while the immigrant visa is pending (the K-1 is an exception, as it allows entry specifically to marry).

#How long do you need to be in a relationship for a partner visa?

For married couples, there is no minimum relationship duration — you can lodge a partner visa application immediately after marriage (though you must satisfy the Department that the marriage is genuine).

For de facto couples, the standard threshold is 12 months of being in a genuine de facto relationship. However, this does not necessarily require 12 months of cohabitation — it requires 12 months of genuine, committed partnership, which can include a long-distance relationship with documented contact.

The exception to the 12-month de facto rule applies where compelling and compassionate circumstances exist — for example, a pregnancy. These exceptions are assessed case-by-case and are not straightforward to establish.

Tip: If you are close to the 12-month mark, register your relationship through your state/territory registry before lodging. This removes the time threshold entirely and strengthens the application.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Comparison: 300, 309, 820, 801

#How long does it take to get a partner visa in Australia 309?

The 309 offshore partner visa takes 20–36 months from lodgement to the temporary grant in 2026 — marginally faster than the 820 in most cohorts, though both visas draw from similar processing resources.

A key operational detail: the 309 is lodged while the applicant is outside Australia. The applicant can remain offshore or visit Australia on a visitor visa during processing, but cannot work in Australia until the 309 is granted.

The Department assesses 309 and 820 applications using the same legislative criteria — relationship genuineness, sponsor eligibility, health, and character. The offshore/onshore distinction affects where you can physically be during processing, not how the Department evaluates your relationship.

Tip: If you are on an expiring visa in Australia and considering whether to lodge the 820 before it expires or depart and lodge the 309, this is a decision worth discussing with a MARA-registered agent — the implications for work rights and bridging visas are significant.

#How long does it take to approve a partner visa?

Approval — meaning the actual grant decision, not just lodgement acknowledgement — depends entirely on where your application sits in the queue and whether a case officer has been assigned. The Department does not publish real-time queue positions.

What we know from current data:

• 50% of 820 applications are decided within 24 months
• 90% of 820 applications are decided within 40 months
• 50% of 309 applications are decided within 20 months
• 90% of 309 applications are decided within 36 months

Applications are assessed in lodgement date order (with some exceptions for compelling circumstances). There is no fee to pay to "move up" the queue, and the Department does not provide estimated grant dates for individual applications.

A client currently in the queue shared the common experience:

Tip: Check the Department of Home Affairs processing time page monthly — published times update regularly and can shift by several months in either direction.

#How long is the wait for the partner visa?

The wait in 2026 is long — longer than most applicants expect when they begin the process. At the 90th percentile, some 820 applicants are waiting 40 months for the temporary grant alone. Factoring in the 2-year relationship assessment period and the 801 permanent stage, total wait from lodgement to permanent residency commonly exceeds 4 years. In VJ Consulting and Education's experience, applicants who are well-prepared for a lengthy wait — with bridging visa arrangements, travel plans, and work entitlements clearly understood before lodgement — tend to manage the process significantly less stressfully than those who underestimate the queue.

The silver lining: from the day you lodge the 820 application and receive your bridging visa A, you can legally live and work in Australia with full work rights. The "wait" is not a period of limbo in the traditional sense — it is a period of building your Australian life while the Department processes your paperwork.

→ Deep Dive: Partner Visa Processing Times: 820, 309, 801

#How long is the partner visa in the UAE?

The UAE does not have a direct equivalent of Australia's partner visa, but it does have a Spouse/Dependent Residence Visa that allows expatriates to sponsor their spouses and family members. UAE residence visa processing for sponsored spouses typically takes 2–4 weeks once the sponsor's own visa and employment are established — dramatically faster than Australian partner visas.

The UAE system is employer and residence-permit based — your spouse's right to live with you is tied to your own employment and visa status, and lapses if you lose your job. Australia's partner visa, by contrast, grants independent residence rights to the sponsored partner, completely separate from the sponsor's immigration status.

If you are currently residing in the UAE and your Australian partner wishes to sponsor you for an Australian partner visa, the 309/100 offshore pathway is your route. Consult our Partner Visas overview for eligibility details.

#How long does it take for a UK partner visa to be approved?

The UK spouse/partner visa (formally the UK Spouse Visa or Partner Visa under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules) currently takes approximately 8–12 weeks for a standard out-of-country application, or 8 weeks for applications made inside the UK. Priority service reduces this to 30 working days.

The UK system is faster than Australia's at the initial grant stage, but the route to settlement (permanent residence equivalent) requires 5 years on the partner route compared to Australia's 2 years before the 801 permanent stage is assessed.

The UK also imposes a minimum income threshold on sponsors — currently £29,000 per year (as of 2024, subject to change) — which Australia does not apply to partner visa sponsors.

#How long does an Ireland spouse visa take?

Ireland's spouse/civil partner visa (the Join Family Visa, Category D) currently takes approximately 6–12 months for standard processing, though some cases extend to 18 months depending on application complexity and supporting documentation.

Ireland does not have a points-based partner visa system. Approval is based on a case-by-case discretionary assessment of the genuineness of the relationship, the sponsor's financial capacity, and housing arrangements. There is no bridging visa equivalent — applicants must generally remain outside Ireland until the visa is decided.

Compared to Australia's 820/801 pathway, Ireland's system offers faster initial processing but does not grant work rights automatically on arrival — employment authorisation is a separate step in many cases.

#How long does it take to get a spouse visa in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong's Dependent Visa for spouses of Hong Kong residents (citizens or permanent residents) typically processes in 4–6 weeks for straightforward cases through the Immigration Department. Complex cases or applications requiring additional investigation can take 3–6 months.

Hong Kong's system is substantially faster than Australia's at the initial stage. However, Hong Kong