Submitting a Partner visa application is a major milestone.
But lodging the application is not necessarily the end of the process.
Depending on your circumstances and the visa pathway, you may spend a significant amount of time waiting for the Department of Home Affairs to assess your application.
So what should you do during that time?
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Keep your relationship evidence current
A Partner visa application is based on your relationship.
That means your circumstances can continue to matter after lodgement.
Keep appropriate records of your ongoing relationship, including evidence that may demonstrate your shared life and commitments where relevant.
Do not manufacture evidence simply to strengthen an application. Genuine, consistent evidence is what matters.
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Update the Department when your circumstances change
If something significant changes after you lodge, consider whether the Department needs to be informed.
This could include changes to:
- your address
- contact details
- passport
- relationship circumstances
- family circumstances
- other information relevant to your application.
Keep your ImmiAccount details and correspondence monitored.
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Understand your current visa position
If you are applying onshore, your existing visa status and conditions remain important while the Partner visa application is being processed.
Do not assume that lodging a Partner visa automatically gives you unlimited work or travel rights.
Check the visa you currently hold and any subsequent visa granted in connection with your application.
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Be careful with international travel
Travel can have important consequences depending on your visa circumstances.
Before leaving Australia, check whether you have a visa that allows you to return and whether travel could affect the visa application you have lodged.
This is particularly important for applicants relying on an onshore pathway.
If you are unsure, obtain professional advice before making travel arrangements.
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Keep an eye on processing information
Partner visa processing can take time.
As of June 2026, the Department reported a median processing time of 17 months for Partner provisional/temporary applications across the relevant category. However, this is a median and is not a guarantee of how long an individual application will take.
The Department also states that Partner applications are processed according to Ministerial Direction 117.
Under the current arrangements, onshore Partner visa applications for subclasses 820 and 801 receive the highest priority among Partner visa applications.
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Don’t assume you can request priority processing
Priority processing is not automatically available simply because you have been waiting for a long time.
The Department states that priority may be considered where there are special circumstances of a compassionate nature and compelling reasons to depart from the usual processing order.
There is no guarantee that a request will be approved.
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Prepare for the next stage
For temporary Partner visas such as subclasses 820 and 309, the permanent stage is a separate part of the pathway.
The Department states that generally two years must have passed since the temporary Partner visa application before the applicant becomes eligible for assessment of the permanent Partner visa stage.
That makes it worthwhile to understand the pathway beyond the first visa.
Waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing
While you cannot control how quickly a visa application is finalised, you can control how organised you remain.
Keep your information current, maintain appropriate records, monitor your visa conditions and understand what happens next.
If your circumstances change or you are unsure about your rights while waiting, professional advice can help you make informed decisions.