Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309/100)

Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309/100): Complete 2026 Guide

The offshore partner visa is the pathway for people applying from outside Australia to join their Australian partner. Like its onshore counterpart, it's a two-stage process — the temporary subclass 309 comes first, followed by the permanent subclass 100 approximately two years later. The cost, at $9,095, is identical to the onshore route. The key difference is where you are when you apply and when the visa is granted: outside Australia.

Quick Facts: Offshore Partner Visa

How the 309/100 Process Works

The structure mirrors the onshore 820/801:

Stage 1 — Subclass 309 (Temporary Partner Visa): You apply from outside Australia. Once granted, you can enter Australia and live, work, and study with full rights.

Stage 2 — Subclass 100 (Permanent Partner Visa): Assessed approximately two years after your 309 application date. If the relationship is still genuine and continuing, permanent residency is granted.

One application, one fee, two stages.

Direct Permanent Residency

If you've been in a de facto relationship for three or more years at the time of application, or two or more years with a child of the relationship, you may bypass the temporary stage and be assessed directly for the permanent subclass 100. This significantly shortens the overall timeline.

Eligibility Requirements

Relationship Requirements

The same as the onshore visa — you must be in a genuine, continuing relationship that is:

• Married: Legally recognised marriage (including overseas marriages valid under Australian law)
• De facto: At least 12 months of living together on a genuine domestic basis (with some exceptions)
• Same-sex: Fully recognised, both married and de facto

For de facto applicants where the relationship has been primarily long-distance (which is common with offshore applications), the 12-month cohabitation requirement can be challenging. Options include:

• Registering your de facto relationship with an Australian state or territory
• Demonstrating compelling circumstances for why you couldn't live together
• Showing periods of cohabitation that collectively total 12 months (e.g., extended visits to each other's countries)

Sponsor Requirements

Your Australian partner must:

• Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen
• Be 18 or older
• Not have exceeded sponsorship limits (maximum two partner visa sponsorships in a lifetime, with a five-year gap)
• Pass character requirements
• Lodge a sponsorship application

Applicant Requirements

• Be outside Australia when you apply and when the 309 is granted
• Meet health requirements (medical examination)
• Meet character requirements (police clearances from all relevant countries)
• Be in a genuine relationship with your sponsor

Evidence Requirements

The evidence categories are identical to the onshore pathway, but offshore applicants face a unique challenge: proving a shared life when you're living in different countries.

1. Financial Aspects

For couples who've been living apart, financial evidence might include:

• Evidence of financial support between you (money transfers, remittances)
• Joint financial planning (savings toward a shared goal)
• Shared financial commitments (property in both names, shared investments)
• Evidence of costs incurred visiting each other
• Joint travel bookings and expenses

2. Nature of the Household

If you've lived together during visits, provide evidence of those periods:

• Accommodation bookings in both names
• Evidence of shared living during visits
• Plans for the household you'll establish in Australia
• If you lived together before one partner moved to Australia, evidence from that period

3. Social Aspects

• Photos together across different times and locations
• Communication records (messaging apps, call logs, video call history)
• Social media interactions showing the relationship
• Travel records documenting visits to each other
• Evidence of meeting each other's families
• Joint attendance at events (weddings, holidays, celebrations)

4. Commitment

• Correspondence showing discussions about your future
• Evidence of the impact of separation (changed plans, career decisions to be together)
• Combined wills, insurance beneficiaries
• Steps taken toward living together in Australia

Statutory Declarations

For offshore applications, statutory declarations are often even more important than for onshore cases. Since you may have less joint documentation (no shared lease, fewer joint bills), the personal statements from you, your partner, and witnesses carry significant weight.

Your personal statements should tell a detailed story:

• How you met
• How the relationship developed
• When you decided to commit
• How you've maintained the relationship across distance
• Your plans for living together in Australia
• Specific examples that demonstrate the genuineness of your relationship

Cost Structure

The second instalment applies if the main applicant doesn't demonstrate functional English by the time the 100 is assessed.

Processing Times

Subclass 309 (Temporary)

• 25th percentile: 7 months
• 50th percentile: 12 months
• 75th percentile: 18 months
• 90th percentile: 22 months

Subclass 100 (Permanent)

Assessed approximately two years from the date of your original application. Updated evidence is requested before the assessment.

Offshore vs Onshore: Key Differences

The critical practical difference: with the onshore visa, you can live, work, and access Medicare in Australia while your application is processed. With the offshore visa, you wait in your home country until the 309 is granted.

Read our detailed onshore vs offshore partner visa comparison for help deciding which pathway suits your situation.

Application Process Step by Step

1. Create ImmiAccount accounts: Both applicant and sponsor
2. Sponsor lodges sponsorship: Can be done simultaneously with the visa application
3. Gather evidence: Documents across all four relationship categories
4. Complete application forms: Form 47SP (applicant) and Form 40SP (sponsor)
5. Upload documents: Through ImmiAccount
6. Pay the fee: $9,095 plus any additional applicant charges
7. Health examination: At a Bupa panel clinic in your country
8. Police clearances: From every country you've lived in for 12+ months since age 16
9. Wait for 309 assessment: You remain outside Australia during this period
10. 309 granted: Travel to Australia and begin living, working, and studying
11. Two-year mark: Department requests updated evidence
12. Provide fresh evidence: Updated relationship evidence, new police clearances
13. 100 assessed and granted: Permanent residency

Challenges Specific to Offshore Applications

The Distance Problem

The biggest challenge with offshore partner visas is proving your relationship while living in different countries. The Department understands that international couples face this reality, but you still need to provide convincing evidence.

Tips for long-distance couples:

• Document everything: Save screenshots of regular communication (you don't need every message, but a pattern of daily contact is powerful)
• Travel records: Keep all evidence of visits — boarding passes, stamps, photos with date stamps
• Financial transfers: If you send money to each other, keep records
• Future planning: Evidence of concrete plans to live together (job applications in Australia, resignation letters, shipping arrangements for belongings)

The Waiting Period

Being separated from your partner for 12-22 months while the 309 is processed is genuinely difficult. Unlike the onshore pathway, there's no bridging visa that lets you enter Australia to wait.

Some couples manage this by:

• The applicant visiting Australia on a tourist visa while waiting (the 309 application isn't affected by tourist visits)
• The sponsor visiting the applicant's country
• Planning regular video calls and maintaining strong communication

Note: If you visit Australia on a tourist visa while your 309 is being processed, make sure you leave before the 309 is decided — you must be outside Australia when the 309 is granted.

Country-Specific Processing

Processing times can vary depending on your country of origin. Applications from countries with more complex security environments may take longer due to additional background checks.

Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)

If you're not yet married but plan to marry your Australian partner, the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) might be relevant. This visa allows you to enter Australia and gives you 9 months to marry your partner. After marriage, you apply for the onshore partner visa (820/801).

The 300 costs AUD $9,095 — the same as the partner visa itself. This means the total cost of the Prospective Marriage → Partner Visa pathway is approximately $18,190. For this reason, many couples choose to marry first (in either country) and apply directly for the 309/100.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I visit Australia while my 309 is being processed?

Yes. You can visit Australia on a tourist visa (ETA, eVisitor, or subclass 600, depending on your nationality) while your partner visa is pending. However, you must be outside Australia when the 309 is granted. If the Department is about to make a decision, they may contact you — make sure you're not in Australia at that point.

What if I'm in Australia — can I apply for the offshore visa?

No. If you're in Australia, you should apply for the onshore partner visa (820/801) instead. The 309/100 is specifically for applicants outside Australia.

Can I work in Australia on a 309 visa?

Yes. Once the 309 is granted and you enter Australia, you have full work rights — any employer, any occupation, no restrictions. You also gain Medicare eligibility.

What happens if we separate before the 100 is granted?

If your relationship ends before the 309 is granted, the application will generally be refused. If it ends between the 309 and 100, the 100 will generally be refused. Exceptions apply in cases of family violence by the sponsor.

Is the offshore partner visa cheaper than the onshore?

No. Both cost $9,095 for the base application. Additional applicant charges and the second instalment (for non-English speakers) are also identical.

Can I include my children in the application?

Yes. Dependent children (under 18, or over 18 if dependent) can be included. Additional applicant charges apply: $4,545 for applicants 18 and over, $2,275 for applicants under 18.

How long until I get permanent residency through the offshore visa?

Typically about 2-3 years from your application date. The 309 takes 12-22 months, and the 100 is assessed around the two-year mark from application. For long-term relationships (3+ years de facto or 2+ years with a child), you may be assessed directly for permanent residency, which can significantly shorten the timeline.