What does a Partner Visa allow me to do?
This visa allows you to enter and/or remain in Australia within the visa’s validity period. The Partner Visa is a two phase process. A provisional Partner Visa will be initially granted and will be valid for approximately two years. Your relationship must be
genuine and if assessed as such, you will be granted a permanent Partner Visa. However, you may be granted a permanent Partner Visa without having to wait if you can demonstrate that, at the time you apply for the Partner Visa, you have been in the partnership for five (5) years or more. You apply for both the provisional and permanent Partner Visa at the same time.
If you are granted a provisional Partner Visa, there is no need to lodge another separate application for your permanent Partner Visa. A provisional Partner Visa is normally valid throughout the waiting period until a decision is made on your permanent Partner Visa application. If you are granted a permanent Partner Visa, it will allow you to remain in Australia permanently. As a holder of either the provisional or the permanent Partner Visa, you are permitted to live, work, study, and travel freely in and out of Australia.
- After making your initial entry in Australia, you may leave and re-enter Australia as any times as you wish.
- You can work full time (full work rights) in Australia. As a provisional resident, you may study, but you will not have access to government funding.
- As a permanent resident, you may study, and will have access to government funding.
- As a temporary or a permanent resident, you may use Australia’s government subsidized medical expenses and hospital care assistance program, Medicare.
- As a permanent resident, you are eligible to receive certain social security payments, including sickness and unemployment benefits. (You are exempt from the two year Newly Arrived Residents waiting period).
- You are on the pathway for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria).