Partner visa offshore subclass 309 and 100
Applied for from outside Australia, in the same two stages as the onshore route. The evidence standard is identical — but you are doing it across a distance, and offshore applications sit lower in the Department’s processing priorities.
At a glance
- Stage one
- Subclass 309, provisionalApplied for and generally granted while outside Australia
- Stage two
- Subclass 100, permanentAssessed after two years from the original application
- Assessed on
- The same four aspects as onshoreFinancial, household, social, commitment
- Priority
- Lower than onshore partner applicationsPer the Department's published priorities
- Consultation
- AUD 150 for 60 minutesCredited towards your professional fee
Subclass 309 and 100
The same test, harder to evidence
Couples who have spent time apart, or who have never lived in the same country, face the same four-part assessment as everyone else. It is entirely doable — but it needs the relationship documented deliberately as it happens, not reconstructed afterwards.
Couples living apart
Where cohabitation evidence is thin, the other three aspects have to carry more weight, and periods apart need explaining rather than glossing over.
Married couples overseas
A marriage certificate establishes the relationship type; it does not by itself establish that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
De facto partners offshore
Generally need to show a period of living together, which is exactly what long-distance couples struggle to evidence. Get advice on this before lodging.
Applicants who will travel meanwhile
A 309 is granted while you are outside Australia. Plan travel around the decision rather than assume flexibility.
Eligibility
What is required
Substantively the same as the onshore pathway, with the important difference of where you must be when you apply and when the visa is decided.
- 01
A sponsor
An Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen partner.
- 02
A genuine, continuing relationship
Married or de facto, evidenced across the four assessed areas.
- 03
Offshore lodgement
You apply from outside Australia and are generally outside Australia when the 309 is granted.
- 04
Two years before the permanent stage
Two years must have passed since you applied for the provisional visa before the 100 is assessed, with earlier permanent grant available to some applicants.
- 05
Evidence of the relationship across distance
Communication records, visits, financial support and shared plans, presented coherently.
- 06
Health and character
Examinations and police certificates, including for time spent in other countries.
How we work
What we actually do for you
You should know whether an application is viable before you spend money on it. If it is not yet, we say so and set out what would change that.
- 01
Test the relationship evidence early
Especially the cohabitation question for de facto couples. This determines whether to lodge now or build first.
- 02
Document the relationship as it happens
Visits, communication, financial support. Contemporaneous records are far stronger than a retrospective bundle.
- 03
Lodge the 309 with the sponsorship
And plan travel around the fact that the grant generally happens while you are offshore.
- 04
Keep building for the 100
The permanent stage examines the period since lodgement, including any time you have since spent together in Australia.
- 05
Through to the decision
Responding to requests at both stages, across time zones.
Where it goes wrong
Why these applications fail
Refusals are rarely a surprise in hindsight. These are the patterns we see most, and all four are avoidable with advice before lodgement rather than after a decision.
Thin cohabitation evidence for a de facto claim
The most common offshore problem. There are limited exceptions, and they need to be argued rather than assumed.
Unexplained gaps in the relationship
Long periods with little contact need context. Silence invites the least generous interpretation.
Being in Australia when the 309 is decided
The grant generally requires you to be outside Australia. Unplanned travel can cause real problems.
Treating the 100 as automatic
It is a separate assessment on fresh evidence, exactly as with the onshore 801.
Fees
What we charge
General information, not personal advice. This page explains how the visa works in general terms. It is not immigration assistance for your circumstances, and reading it does not create a client relationship.
Requirements, thresholds, charges and processing priorities change. The Department of Home Affairs is the authority on current settings, and we confirm them against your case in a consultation. Reviewed August 2026.
Advice on this page is provided by a MARA-registered migration agent, MARN 1793706. In Australia only registered agents may lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee.
Migration agent consultation
60 minutes, in person or online
Full assessment of your options with customised advice. Credited towards your visa professional fee if you proceed.
AUD 150Free for Scholar Hub students
Partner Visa Offshore (Subclass 309 and 100)
Our professional fee
Document preparation, drafting and lodgement, and responses to the Department through to a decision.
On quoteAfter a consultation, fixed in writing
Our professional fees only. They exclude Department of Home Affairs visa application charges, skills assessment fees, English test fees and medical examinations.
See the full pricing page for other services.
Related pathways
Other visas we advise on
Most people are choosing between two or three of these. The immigration services page compares them side by side.
Partner onshore
820/801Applied for in Australia, decided in two stages. The 801 is not automatic.
Skilled Independent
189Points-tested permanent residence with no employer and no state involved.
Visitor visa
600Tourism, business or family visits for 3, 6 or 12 months. No work permitted.
Partner consultation
ServiceOur partner visa consultation, with a customised document checklist.
Questions
What people ask
General guidance only, and policy changes. Your own circumstances are assessed in a consultation.