Partner Visa When You Live in Different Countries

First: confirm the facts

Before you spend months gathering evidence, check the basics.

Log in to VEVO. If you hold any current Australian visa, check its conditions at VEVO. Look for condition 8503 (no further stay) — this matters if you plan to apply onshore later.

Check your partner's status. Your Australian partner (the sponsor) needs to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. They also need to meet sponsorship requirements. Home Affairs says it may refuse a sponsorship if it is the sponsor's third time sponsoring a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa applicant, if they have sponsored another partner within the last 5 years, or if they were sponsored as a partner within the last 5 years. Some exceptions exist, for example where the couple has a dependent child.

The in-person meeting. For the Prospective Marriage visa, Home Affairs requires that you and your prospective spouse have met in person as adults since turning 18 and are known to each other personally when you apply. The Partner visa (309/100) page lists a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner as the requirement and doesn't state a separate in-person rule, but a relationship with no in-person contact is hard to evidence across the four pillars.

Your two main options

Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)

This visa is for couples who plan to marry but haven't yet. It lets the overseas partner come to Australia and marry their sponsor before the visa ends.

Key features:

• You must intend to marry (not just be in a de facto relationship)
• You can stay in Australia for 9 to 15 months from the grant date, and Home Affairs asks for evidence that you will marry within 9 months of being granted the visa
• You must be outside Australia when you apply
• The marriage can take place in any country, but it must be valid under Australian law
• After marrying, you apply for the Partner visa (subclass 820/801) before the 300 ends
• You can live, work and study in Australia and travel in and out as many times as you want while the visa is valid

Best for: Couples who are engaged or plan to marry and want the overseas partner to move to Australia before the wedding.

Offshore Partner visa (subclass 309/100)

This visa is for couples who are already married or in a de facto relationship. It has two stages — temporary (309) then permanent (100).

Key features:

• Must be outside Australia when you apply; you can be in or outside Australia when the temporary visa is decided
• The temporary visa lets you live, work and study in Australia and travel in and out as many times as you want
• You are eligible for the permanent stage (subclass 100) to be assessed 2 years after you applied for the 309 and 100 visas
• No requirement to marry — de facto relationships accepted

Best for: Couples who are already married or have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before applying. Home Affairs says the 12 months doesn't apply if you register the relationship with an Australian state or territory births, deaths and marriages agency, or you show compelling and compassionate circumstances.

Which one should you pick?

Charges are for the main applicant, from Home Affairs' schedule of visa application charges; additional applicants cost extra. The 300 route has two charges ($13,665 in total for the main applicant), and the 309/100 route has one ($11,710). Home Affairs' processing time guide for applications decided in the period to 30 June 2026 shows the 300 with 50% decided within 14 months (75% within 22) and the 309 with 50% decided within 17 months (75% within 24). It is a guide only.

Building evidence across the distance

The Department assesses your relationship against four pillars. Here's how each works when you live apart.

Financial aspects

Long-distance couples often struggle here. You may not have joint bank accounts or shared expenses. Focus on what you do have:

• Money transfers between you (bank statements showing regular transfers)
• Splitting costs for visits (flight bookings, accommodation receipts)
• Contributing to each other's expenses (paying for each other's bills, subscriptions)
• Sending gifts with receipts and tracking numbers
• Joint savings plans or investment accounts opened together

Social aspects

This is where long-distance couples can build strong evidence:

• Visit records. Flight itineraries, boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel bookings. Keep everything.
• Communication logs. Call history showing frequency and duration. WhatsApp, iMessage, or Telegram chat exports. Video call logs from FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype.
• Photos together. Date-stamped photos from visits. Photos with each other's families and friends.
• Social media. Posts tagging each other, relationship status, comments, shared photos.
• Statements from family and friends. Home Affairs asks for Form 888 statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 or older, know both of you and know about your relationship.

Household aspects

This pillar is the hardest for long-distance couples. The Department understands you cannot share a household while living in different countries. Instead, show:

• How you lived together during visits (staying at each other's homes)
• Plans for living together once the visa is granted
• Evidence of shared domestic life during visits (grocery receipts, cooking together, photos at home)
• If you have ever lived together previously, provide that evidence

Commitment

Show the Department your relationship has a future:

• Marriage certificate or evidence of engagement
• Plans for the wedding (venue booking, invitations)
• Evidence of meeting each other's families
• Correspondence about future plans (moving, housing, career plans)
• Wills or superannuation beneficiary nominations naming each other
• Joint travel bookings for future trips

Video call evidence — what actually works

Home Affairs doesn't publish a number of calls, messages or screenshots. Ways to show an ongoing pattern:

Call logs. A phone bill or app export shows dates, frequency and duration across the whole relationship, which a handful of screenshots can't.

Varied screenshots. A selection that shows different dates, settings and contexts (holidays, birthdays, meeting family, everyday moments) shows more than many near-identical images.

Chat history. WhatsApp and Telegram let you export full chat histories. A long run of messages shows how the relationship has continued over time.

Genuine records. Evidence that reflects how you actually communicate, collected over time, is more consistent than material produced just before lodgement.

How often should you visit?

There is no magic number. But the Department expects to see that you make genuine efforts to be together.

What helps:

• Visits of meaningful duration (a weekend trip is less convincing than a two-week stay)
• Visits in both directions (not just one person always travelling)
• Regular pattern of visits (every few months rather than one visit per year)
• Staying at each other's homes rather than hotels

What raises questions:

• Very few visits over a long relationship
• Only short visits
• Only one person ever travelling
• Large gaps between visits with no clear reason

If travel is expensive or visas to visit each other's countries are hard to get, explain this in your relationship statement. The Department considers your circumstances.

Common mistakes in long-distance partner applications

Weak relationship timeline. Write a detailed chronological statement. Include when you met, how the relationship developed, every visit, key milestones, and your plans. This is your chance to tell your story.

Ignoring the sponsor's obligations. The Australian partner has their own form and requirements. A sponsorship limitation (they've sponsored a partner before) can prevent the application entirely. Check the sponsorship rules before applying.

Not enough third-party evidence. Home Affairs requires statements from 2 witnesses (Form 888). Choose people who know both of you and can describe your relationship, in either country.

Poor document organisation. Label every document clearly. Create a chronological index. A clear index makes your evidence easier to follow.

Applying for the wrong visa. The 300 is for couples who intend to marry and haven't yet; the 309/100 is for couples who are already married or in a de facto relationship. Each has its own requirements and a separate application charge.

When to talk to an agent

Consider getting help from a MARA-registered migration agent if:

• Your relationship history is complicated (previous marriages, children from other relationships, short relationship duration)
• Either of you has a character or health concern
• The sponsor has previously sponsored a partner
• You need to build a case around limited in-person contact
• You've had a previous visa refusal for any Australian visa
• You're unsure whether to apply for the 300 or 309/100

A migration agent can review your evidence before lodgement and identify gaps you may have missed.

Next steps

1. Check your situation. Confirm your partner's Australian status and sponsorship eligibility.
2. Decide on your visa subclass. Use the comparison table above or talk to an agent.
3. Start gathering evidence now. Don't wait until you're ready to lodge. Start saving communication logs, photos, and financial records today.
4. Read the evidence checklist. Our partner visa evidence guide breaks down exactly what to collect for each of the four pillars.
5. Get professional advice. A MARA-registered migration agent can review your specific situation and tell you the strongest approach.

Related resources

• Partner Visa Evidence Checklist 2026
• Visitor Visa While Waiting for Partner Visa
• Partner Visa Refusal Recovery
• Bridging Visas Explained
• Visa Application Taking Too Long?
• Visa Refused — Appeal or Reapply?

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Can I get a partner visa if we've never met in person?

For the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), Home Affairs requires that you and your prospective spouse have met in person as adults since turning 18 and are known to each other personally when you apply. The Partner visa (subclass 309/100) page doesn't state a separate in-person rule: the requirement is a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner, and the department assesses the financial, household, social and commitment aspects of it. Video calls are evidence of contact, not a substitute for those aspects.

How many times do we need to visit each other for a partner visa?

There is no minimum number of visits. However, multiple visits strengthen your case. The Department looks at the overall picture of your relationship, including frequency and length of visits, communication between visits, and future plans to live together.

Can my partner visit Australia on a visitor visa while the partner visa is processing?

A visitor visa (subclass 600) is a separate application with its own requirements, including that the applicant genuinely intends a temporary stay. Check the conditions on any visa you hold in VEVO: condition 8503 (no further stay) can stop you applying for another visa while you are in Australia. See our visitor visa while waiting for a partner visa guide for more detail.

How long does a long-distance partner visa take?

Home Affairs' processing time guide for applications decided in the period to 30 June 2026 shows: Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), 25% decided within 11 months, 50% within 14, 75% within 22 and 90% within 29. Partner visa (subclass 309), 25% within 13 months, 50% within 17, 75% within 24 and 90% within 30. The permanent stage (subclass 100) is assessed from 2 years after you applied. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.