Partner visa processing times are one of the most common questions lodging applicants have. The Department of Home Affairs publishes processing time estimates on its website, and this page is a structured relay of those figures alongside practical notes on managing your document folders during a multi-year wait.
This page does not provide legal or immigration advice. All figures are sourced from publicly available Department of Home Affairs data. Processing time estimates can change and are not guarantees of individual case timelines.
What Are the Current Published Processing Times?
The Department publishes median processing times by visa subclass. These figures represent the time from lodgement to a decision for a proportion of recently decided applications — they are not commitments.
Partner Visa Processing Time Estimates (2026)
| Subclass | Stage | 50% of Applications | 90% of Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 820 | Temporary (onshore) | 17 months | 33 months |
| 801 | Permanent (onshore) | 22 months | 37 months |
| 309 | Temporary (offshore) | 16 months | 29 months |
| 100 | Permanent (offshore) | 23 months | 37 months |
Source: Department of Home Affairs — processing times page. Figures reflect the most recently published estimates. Check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current data.
The 90th percentile figures mean that a substantial minority of applications take longer than the headline estimate.
Why Processing Times Vary
The Department's own published guidance lists several factors that affect individual processing times:
- Complexity of the relationship evidence — applications with extensive relationship histories across multiple countries can require more assessment time
- Completeness of the submission — incomplete applications may require requests for further information (RFI), which pause the processing clock until the Department receives the requested documents
- Health and character clearance timelines — the Department cannot finalise a decision until mandatory health examinations and police clearances are received
- Caseload and officer availability — the Department processes applications in the order received, but caseload fluctuates
The above is a relay of the Department's own stated reasons, not VisaPrep's interpretation or advice.
The Practical Challenge of a Multi-Year Wait
A 17–36 month processing window creates a specific logistical challenge: the documents you submitted at lodgement can become outdated or incomplete well before a decision is made.
Common scenarios during a long wait include:
- Change of address or living arrangements — household documents filed at lodgement may no longer reflect the current situation
- New joint financial accounts or assets — financial evidence accumulates after lodgement and applicants often need to supplement their file
- Employment changes — new payslips, tax returns, or employer letters may become relevant
- Additional evidence of the relationship — photos, travel records, and communications continue to accumulate during the wait period
The Department may issue a Request for Further Information (RFI) at any point during processing. Having a clear map of which document categories you have covered — and which you have not — makes responding to an RFI more efficient.
Onshore vs. Offshore Processing: What the Figures Mean
The 820/801 pathway is for applicants who are already in Australia on another visa at the time of lodgement. The 820 (temporary) stage allows the applicant to remain in Australia lawfully while the permanent stage (801) is assessed.
The 309/100 pathway is for applicants lodging from outside Australia. The 309 (temporary) stage may allow the applicant to travel to Australia once the temporary visa is granted. The 100 (permanent) stage is assessed after the minimum relationship period has been satisfied.
Both pipelines have similar published processing time ranges. The practical difference is the applicant's location and work rights during the wait.
Keeping Document Folders Current Across a Multi-Year Period
The Department assesses partner visa applications against four official relationship categories:
- Financial aspects of the relationship
- Nature of the household
- Social aspects of the relationship
- Nature of the commitment
During a 17–36 month wait, evidence across all four categories continues to develop. A structured folder system — mapped to these four official categories — makes it easier to identify which slots have been filled and which categories need supplementary documents if an RFI arrives.
VisaPrep's free interactive checklist maps each of the four categories and their standard document subcategories. It is a formatting and clerical organisation utility — it does not assess the legal sufficiency of your documents or predict processing outcomes.
Open the free document checklist →
For documents that need to be uploaded to ImmiAccount, the free file compressor ensures each file is under the strict 5 MB per-file ceiling without uploading anything to a server.
Administrative Disclaimer: VisaPrep is a clerical file organisation and formatting software utility. It does not provide immigration assistance, legal advice, or eligibility assessments under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). All information on this page is a passive relay of publicly available third-party data sourced from the Department of Home Affairs. Processing time estimates change frequently and are not guarantees of individual outcomes. Users are entirely responsible for the legal accuracy and sufficiency of their own applications.