Australian Partner Visa for Brazilian Citizens: 2026 Guide
Updated: 13 May 2026
The Australian Partner visa for Brazilian citizens runs through two streams: offshore subclass 309/100 (lodged outside Australia) and onshore subclass 820/801 (lodged in Australia). Both lead to permanent residency in two stages. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, PR or eligible New Zealand citizen. Assessment turns on the genuineness and continuing nature of the relationship.
Quick Facts: Partner Visa for Brazilian Citizens
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Offshore stream | Subclass 309 (temporary) leading to 100 (permanent) |
| Onshore stream | Subclass 820 (temporary) leading to 801 (permanent) |
| Application fee | AUD $9,095 (subject to annual change) |
| Sponsor | Australian citizen, PR, or eligible NZ citizen |
| Relationship types | Married, de facto (12+ months usually), or registered relationship |
| Health exam | Yes, Bupa panel physician |
| Police clearance | Brazilian Federal Police plus any country lived in 12+ months in the last 10 years |
| Processing | Multi-month to multi-year, two-stage |
| Two-stage grant | Temporary visa first, permanent visa about 2 years later |
Two Streams: Offshore and Onshore
The partner-visa system has two parallel routes. Which one fits depends on where you physically are at lodgement, not where you'd prefer to be.
Offshore: subclass 309/100. Lodged while you're outside Australia. The 309 is granted first as a temporary visa, allowing entry. About two years after the original 309 application, you're assessed for the permanent 100. Many Brazilian applicants who haven't yet been to Australia, or who returned to Brazil after a student/462 stay, use this route.
For full subclass detail, see the offshore partner visa 309/100 pillar.
Onshore: subclass 820/801. Lodged while you're in Australia on a substantive visa (student, 462, sponsored work, even bridging in some cases). The 820 grants temporary status and a bridging visa with full work rights. The 801 permanent stage follows roughly two years on. Common for Brazilian applicants who met their partner during a student or Work and Holiday stay.
See the onshore partner visa 820/801 pillar and the onshore vs offshore comparison for a side-by-side.
Who Can Sponsor
Your sponsor must be:
- An Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- At least 18 years old
- Not subject to a sponsorship limitation (most commonly, a five-year cooling-off after previously sponsoring a partner)
Sponsors with certain criminal convictions face restricted approval. Sponsors who have previously sponsored two partners or whose most recent sponsorship was within the past five years face the cooling-off rule, with limited compelling-circumstance exceptions.
The sponsor commits to financial support, accommodation and reasonable assistance for the applicant for the early period in Australia.
Relationship Types Recognised
Three relationship categories qualify:
- Married. A valid marriage recognised under Australian law. Brazilian civil marriages (casamento civil) are recognised. A religious-only ceremony without civil registration isn't enough on its own.
- De facto. Generally requires 12 months of cohabitation immediately before lodgement, unless the relationship is registered (see below) or compelling circumstances apply.
- Registered relationship. Registration with an Australian state or territory (where available) can waive the 12-month de facto rule. Brazilian união estável documentation doesn't automatically count; Australian registration is the route.
Same-sex relationships are treated on equal terms.
Evidence of Relationship
This is the heart of the application. The Department assesses your relationship across four limbs:
- Financial aspects: shared bank accounts, joint bills, shared property, financial dependence or interdependence, evidence of pooling money.
- Nature of the household: shared accommodation, joint household responsibilities, shared groceries, shared utility accounts.
- Social aspects: public recognition as a couple, joint social activities, photos at events with family and friends, joint travel.
- Nature of commitment: knowledge of each other's circumstances, length of the relationship, future intentions, statutory declarations from people who know you both.
For Brazilian applicants specifically, useful evidence often includes:
- WhatsApp conversation history covering the relationship period
- Travel records showing visits between Brazil and Australia
- Joint flight bookings and accommodation
- Wedding documents from Brazil (certidão de casamento) with NAATI translation if applicable
- Joint lease agreements
- Letters of support from Brazilian and Australian family and friends, with their contact details
- Photographs across different periods, with dates
The partner visa evidence guide covers each evidence type in depth.
Health and Character
Both the applicant and any included dependants need to meet standard health and character requirements.
- Bupa panel medical exam (and chest X-ray for adults). Bupa physicians operate in Sao Paulo and other Brazilian cities.
- Brazilian Federal Police certificate (Atestado de Antecedentes Criminais).
- Police certificates from every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
- Disclosure of any prior visa refusals, cancellations or character issues.
Concealing a previous immigration matter is more damaging than the original issue. The Department keeps records.
Cost and Processing Times
The combined fee for the partner visa is AUD $9,095, paid at lodgement. This covers both the temporary and permanent stages. Fees for dependent children are additional. The figure is reviewed annually; verify against the current fees schedule before lodgement.
Processing times are notoriously variable. The Department publishes ranges that span many months for the temporary stage. The permanent stage is typically assessed about two years after the original lodgement, by which point you'll be asked to provide updated relationship evidence. See the partner visa processing time guide for the current published ranges.
Onshore 820 applicants receive a bridging visa with work rights, so they can live and work in Australia while waiting. Offshore 309 applicants stay outside Australia until grant of the temporary visa.
What Brazilian Applicants Need to Know
Lodge where you actually are. The choice between offshore and onshore is largely set by physical location at the moment of lodgement. Lodging onshore while overseas, or vice versa, isn't an option.
Don't lodge on a thin file to "stop the clock". The Department doesn't speed-decide because you're anxious. A complete, well-documented lodgement runs faster in practice than a barebones one with later requests for further information.
Brazilian wedding documents need NAATI translation. Certidão de casamento, certidão de união estável if you have one, plus any supporting Portuguese documents.
Document the gap. Brazilian/Australian partner relationships often involve a period apart while paperwork is sorted. Cover that period with chats, calls logs, money transfers, flight bookings and family acknowledgment. Don't leave the case officer guessing what happened during the gap.
Plan for the permanent stage. Around two years after first lodgement you'll be asked to refresh evidence for the 100 or 801. Keep documents accumulating: joint accounts, shared leases, photos, family events. Don't put the file away after the temporary grant.
Family violence provisions. If a relationship ends because of family violence by the sponsor, the applicant may still be eligible for the permanent stage under specific provisions. Specialist advice from a registered migration agent (MARA) is appropriate.
Common Pitfalls for Brazilian Applicants
- Insufficient social evidence. Plenty of intimate photos, no joint social context. Add events, gatherings, family contact.
- No joint financial evidence. Two completely separate finances is hard to reconcile with a committed long-term relationship in the Department's framework.
- Short relationship, weak commitment evidence. Particularly relevant for couples who met during a 462 or student visa and married quickly. The relationship can still be genuine; the file just needs to show why.
- Missing translations. All Portuguese documents must be NAATI-translated.
- Forgetting the sponsor's documents. The sponsor's police checks, identity documents and Australian status evidence form part of the file.
- Treating it as a one-shot lodgement. Partner visa is a two-stage assessment. Document collection continues after lodgement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Australian partner visa should Brazilians apply for?
If you're in Australia on a substantive visa at lodgement, apply onshore (820/801). If you're in Brazil or any other country, apply offshore (309/100). The choice is determined by physical location, not preference.
How long does an Australian partner visa take from Brazil?
There's no single answer. The Department publishes ranges that span many months at the temporary stage, and the permanent stage is typically assessed about two years later. Better files run faster. See current ranges on the partner visa processing-times guide.
How much does the partner visa cost for Brazilian applicants?
AUD $9,095 at lodgement, covering both the temporary and permanent stages. Dependent children attract additional fees. Verify the current figure on the fees schedule.
Can my partner sponsor me from Brazil if we're not married?
Yes, if you can satisfy the de facto criteria: usually 12 months of cohabitation immediately before lodgement, or a registered relationship in an Australian state/territory, or compelling circumstances accepted by the case officer.
Do I need to translate my Brazilian wedding certificate?
Yes. Certidão de casamento and any Portuguese-language relationship documents need NAATI-accredited English translations.
Can I work while waiting for the partner visa?
If you applied onshore, your bridging visa typically carries full work rights. If you applied offshore, you stay outside Australia until the 309 is granted, then you can work on entry.
What if my partner has sponsored someone before?
A previous sponsorship within the past five years, or two prior sponsorships at any time, triggers a sponsorship limitation. Compelling-circumstance exceptions exist but are narrow. Specialist advice is appropriate before lodging.
