Applying for an Australian De Facto Visa

If you are married to an Australian citizen or someone with a permanent resident visa Australia, or you are in a serious relationship with them,  and you want to come to the country and stay in it with them, there is a pathway to follow to do legally. 

There are different stages though for the process of spouse or partner immigration and it helps to have an expert in Australian immigration when you are going through this, to make sure you get it right.

First of all, you should know that when you apply for the partner visa, you are applying for two visas. The first is a temporary partner visa and then the second that comes later is the permanent partner visa.

There are different terminologies for the different subtypes of visa and that changes based on where you are applying for the visa from. This one though lets you into the country temporarily, you can work, even study though you cannot apply or assistance from the Australian government, and you can use Australia’s health care. 

The permanent partner visa is basically another route to a permanent resident visa Australia. There is no limit to the time allowed in the country, but you can now apply for government aide and you can also now apply to become an Australian citizen if you want to. A successful application is not guaranteed, there are of course requirements that you would need to meet at that stage too.

If you are starting the process of applying for a partner visa in Australia you should definitely take a look at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s information book called ‘partner migration booklet’. Read it several times so you understand the information, it is not super long but everything you need to know and do is all there written down for you.

When you have given yourself the information you need, you can take a look at the two forms you need to fill in. The applicant’s form is the 47SP, and the sponsor’s form (the Australian citizen or resident) is the 40SP. Even if you are thinking about trying a different option for a visa, it is almost probable you will still be required to fill in these two so you might as well start now. 

There are two ways to get a hold of them. First of all, you should already be familiar with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s website. On there are PDF files of visa applications and you can find these there too. Alternatively, the partner living in Australia could get a physical version of them from their nearest Department of Immigration office. 

Once you have the forms you will then need to arrange any supporting documents required for each of the applications. Check the booklet mentioned to find them. There is also a very handy checklist on their website that you can use and tick off as you get your paperwork sorted. Just make sure you follow the right checklist for where you are applying from!

The following two tabs change content below.

Guest Author

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. Mediatimes is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Mediatimes and Mediatimes does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.