This visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step towards a permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).
You must
- be in a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner who is in Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- be in Australia when you apply for this visa and when we decide your temporary visa application. Family who apply with you must also be in Australia
With this visa you can
- live, work and study in Australia while we process your permanent Partner visa
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
- attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program
- stay in Australia until we decide your permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 801) or that application is withdrawn
- work in Australia
- study in Australia (you will not receive government support)
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
- attend up to 510 hours of free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program
- enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
Stay
Temporarily while we process your permanent Partner visa (subclass
801) application or it is withdrawn.
Cost
From AUD7,160 for most applicants. From AUD1,195 for Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holders.
You pay for the temporary and the permanent visa at the same time.
How long you can stay
Stay on the visa until we decide your permanent visa (subclass 801) application.
For most applicants, this stay is from 15 to 24 months.
Applicants who have been in a long term relationship before they apply might not have to stay on the subclass 820 visa at all. We might grant you the permanent visa immediately after we grant the temporary subclass 820 visa.
Include dependent children
You can include a dependent child or children in your application:
- when you submit your application, or
- after you submit your application but before we decide your temporary visa
These dependants must:
- meet our health requirement
- meet our character requirement
- be in Australia
You can also add a dependent child after we grant the temporary visa.
Prospective Marriage visa holders
Applicants who hold or have held a Prospective Marriage visa can also include a member of the family unit in their application. You can't add these family members after you submit your application.
Apply from
You and any family member or dependent child applying with you must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for this visa and when we decide your temporary visa application.
Your obligations
You and your family must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
See what conditions might be attached to this visa.
Adequate health insurance
We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.
See what we consider adequate health insurance.
Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.
Reciprocal healthcare agreements
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from the Department of Human Services about reciprocal health care agreement.
Private health insurance
You can get Australian residents' private health insurance if you have:
- an interim (blue) Medicare card
- a full (green) Medicare card