ChatGPT
Claude
Perplexity
Google AI
Copilot
GrokHalf of onshore Subclass 820 partner visa applications were processed within 21 months, and 90% within 30 months, in the Department of Home Affairs figures updated on 2 November 2026. Offshore Subclass 309 applications took 21 months at the halfway mark and 35 months at 90%. The permanent stage is measured separately.
Status: the Department’s processing times guide, updated 2 November 2026, with data for the period ending 30 September 2026. Partner visas are processed under Ministerial Direction 117, in force since 25 July 2026.
For many couples, waiting is the hardest part of a partner visa. Plans for work, a home, children, sometimes simply being in the same country, all sit on hold while the application is in the queue. The figures below will not tell you when your own decision will arrive, but they show where the Department is, and which parts of the wait you can influence.
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Onshore temporary (820) | 50% in 21 months, 90% in 30 months |
| Onshore permanent (801) | 50% in 6 months, 90% in 19 months, from eligibility |
| Offshore provisional (309) | 50% in 21 months, 90% in 35 months |
| Offshore permanent (100) | 50% in 9 months, 90% in 18 months, from eligibility |
| Prospective Marriage (300) | 50% in 18 months, 90% in 31 months |
| Data date | Updated 2 November 2026, period ending 30 September 2026 |
| Processing order | Onshore applications first, under Direction 117 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs visa processing times guide, updated 2 November 2026.
Partner visa processing times by subclass
The Department publishes two marks for each visa: how long it took to process 50% of applications, and how long it took to process 90%. Its guide says the estimate “is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications. It does not guarantee that applications will be decided within the timeframe.”
| Visa | 50% processed in | 90% processed in | Measured from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 820 (onshore temporary) | 21 months | 30 months | Lodgement |
| Subclass 801 (onshore permanent) | 6 months | 19 months | Eligibility date |
| Subclass 309 (offshore provisional) | 21 months | 35 months | Lodgement |
| Subclass 100 (offshore permanent) | 9 months | 18 months | Eligibility date |
| Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage) | 18 months | 31 months | Lodgement |
Source: Department of Home Affairs visa processing times guide, updated 2 November 2026, for the period ending 30 September 2026.
For planning, the 90% column is the more useful figure. The 50% mark means half of recently decided applications took longer than that. On the 309, the gap between the two marks is 14 months, which is a long tail for anyone counting the days apart.
The Department also publishes one combined median for the temporary stage. Its visa processing times page shows 22 months for “Partner (Provisional/Temporary)” in September 2026 (page updated 2 November 2026), describing it as “the combined processing times for subclasses 300, 309 and 820.”
Why the permanent stage looks quicker than it is
The 801 and 100 figures do not start from the day you lodged. For both, the Department’s guide says: “The processing time for a permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility. This is 2 years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.”
So a six-month median for the 801 means six months after the two-year mark, not six months after lodgement. The law sets that two-year point. Under the Migration Regulations, an 801 applicant generally meets the time requirement only once “at least 2 years have passed since the application was made”, and the 100 has the same rule. Our guide to the onshore 820 and 801 visas covers both stages.
| Your situation | When the permanent visa can be decided |
|---|---|
| Most couples | From 2 years after lodgement |
| Long-term relationship when you applied | The 2-year wait does not apply |
| Relationship disclosed before sponsor’s humanitarian visa grant (100 only) | The 2-year wait does not apply |
| Sponsor has died, or the relationship ended with family violence or shared children | May be decided before 2 years, if the other criteria are met |
Source: Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 1.03 and Schedule 2 clauses 100.221 and 801.221, in force from 2 October 2026.
The long-term relationship rule is easy to overlook. A “long-term partner relationship” is one that has continued “for not less than 2 years” where there is a dependent child (other than a step-child) of both partners, and “for not less than 3 years” in any other case. If your relationship already met that test when you applied, the permanent visa can be considered without the two-year wait.
Onshore first: Direction 117 in brief
Since 25 July 2026, family visas have been processed under Ministerial Direction 117. Onshore applications now come first. The Department’s Partner visa FAQs say applications are “generally assessed in the order in which they are received, with highest priority given to applications for onshore Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801)”, while the Prospective Marriage visa and the 309 and 100 get lower priority. They add: “Applications with lower priority are likely to experience longer processing times.”
For the 309 and the 300, the Department’s guide adds that it “continues to prioritise aged, and compassionate and compelling applications. This is reflected in current processing times.”
We covered the direction itself, including what it replaced and who sits in each group, in our post on Ministerial Direction 117 and family visa processing.
What else affects how long yours takes
The Department lists the reasons times vary on its visa processing times page. Among them:
- “If applications have all necessary supporting documents.”
- “How quickly responses for further information are provided.”
- “How long it takes to receive information from external agencies, particularly relating to health, character and national security requirements.”
- “For permanent visa applications, the number of places available in the migration program.”
- “Changes to Ministerial Directions.”
On places, the Department’s family visa processing page says that “For the 2026-27 program year, 41,500 Partner visas and 3,500 Child visas are estimated for our planning purposes”, within a Family stream planning level of 52,460 places.
Some delays can be avoided. Health results and police certificates are each valid for 12 months, and the Department warns: “We may ask you to provide them again if they expire before we decide your visa.” It also says that “As Partner applications can have long visa processing times, you should update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount.”
If you are still budgeting, our breakdown of the partner visa cost in Australia covers the charges and the checks you may need to pay for twice.
Where you stand while you wait
Your status during the wait depends on where you applied and which stage you are at.
| Stage | Your status | Travel |
|---|---|---|
| 820 lodged, held a substantive visa | Current visa, then Bridging visa A | A BVA in effect ends if you leave; a BVB is needed first |
| 820 granted, waiting for 801 | Subclass 820 holder: live, work and study | As often as you want |
| 309 lodged | You applied outside Australia | Any visit needs its own valid visa |
| 309 granted, waiting for 100 | Subclass 309 holder: live, work and study | As often as you want |
| 300 lodged | You applied outside Australia | Can be granted in or outside Australia |
Source: the Department’s Subclass 820 page, Subclass 309 page and Bridging visa A page, and Schedule 2 clauses 300.412 and 309.412 of the Migration Regulations 1994, as at November 2026.
For offshore applicants, the 309 page warns: “If you travel to Australia on a different visa while this visa application is in progress, you are responsible for ensuring that you continue to hold a valid visa for the duration of your stay.” Under clause 309.412, the 309 itself can be granted while you are in or outside Australia.
For onshore applicants, the 820 page explains: “If you held a valid substantive visa when you applied for your partner visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide your application, the BVA will start.” The Department’s Bridging visa A page says “A BVA that is in-effect will cease upon departure from Australia.” Whether you can work depends on the conditions on your BVA: “Your grant letter will tell you about these conditions.”
If you did not hold a substantive visa when you applied, the position is different, and extra criteria apply to the visa itself. Our guides to bridging visas and to Schedule 3 criteria for onshore partner visas explain what changes.
Asking for priority, and when to contact the Department
Priority processing exists, but it is narrow. The Department’s Partner visa FAQs say that under Direction 117 “we may prioritise a Partner visa application if you can show that it involves special circumstances of a compassionate nature, and there are compelling reasons to depart from the order of priority.” They are blunt about the odds: “Most requests for priority processing cannot be approved.”
Two conditions are worth knowing before you ask. The Department “will only consider applications for priority processing if all supporting documents and information is submitted with your application”. And if you already hold a 309 or 820, “two years must have passed since you applied for that visa” for the permanent stage, and until then a priority request cannot be considered. Requests go through the Partner processing enquiry form.
As for chasing an update, the Department says: “Do not contact us if your application is still within the standard processing time. We cannot provide any further updates on your application’s progress.” You can check the status yourself in ImmiAccount.
When it is worth getting legal advice
A long wait is frustrating, but it is not in itself a problem. Advice may be worth getting if the wait is not the only issue, for example if:
- your application is well outside the 90% mark and the Department has asked for information you cannot easily provide in time
- your circumstances may support a priority request, and you want the claims and evidence right the first time, since the Department says most cannot be approved
- your relationship has changed, or your sponsor has died, while the application is pending
- your current visa is about to end and you are unsure which bridging visa you hold, or whether you can travel
- you were in a long-term relationship when you applied and the permanent stage has not been considered
In those situations, our partner visa lawyers can review where your application stands and what your options are.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to process an offshore partner visa application?
In the Department’s figures updated 2 November 2026, half of Subclass 309 applications were processed within 21 months and 90% within 35 months. The permanent Subclass 100 took 9 months at the halfway mark and 18 months at 90%, counted from the two-year eligibility date.
What is the current wait time for a spouse visa in Australia?
For the onshore Subclass 820, 50% of applications were processed within 21 months and 90% within 30 months, in the Department’s update of 2 November 2026. The Department’s combined median for the 300, 309 and 820 was 22 months in September 2026, on its page updated 2 November 2026.
What comes after the 820 visa?
The permanent Subclass 801. You applied for it at the same time as the 820, and it is generally assessed from two years after you lodged. The Department’s figures, updated 2 November 2026, show 50% decided within 6 months and 90% within 19 months of that date.
Can I get the permanent partner visa without waiting two years?
You may be able to, if you were already in a long-term partner relationship when you applied. That means a relationship as spouses or de facto partners of at least three years, or two years if you have a dependent child of you both. The two-year wait also does not apply in some other cases set out in the regulations.
Does applying from overseas make a partner visa slower?
Under Direction 117, onshore 820 and 801 applications get the highest priority, and the 309, 100 and 300 get lower priority. The Department says lower-priority applications “are likely to experience longer processing times.”
Can I ask for my partner visa to be processed faster?
You can request priority processing if there are “special circumstances of a compassionate nature” and “compelling reasons” to depart from the usual order. The Department says most requests cannot be approved, and it only considers requests where all supporting documents were lodged with the application.
A realistic next step
The queue itself is out of your hands, but you can avoid adding months to it. If your application is complete and your checks are current, the wait is the wait. If something in it is uncertain, you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers to work through it.
About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner, and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application. Figures were current as of November 2026; always check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
