Changes to Partner Visas in 2019

Changes to Partner Visas

As of 17 April 2019, new measures have been introduced to partner Visa schemes. These measures are targeted at overhauling the sponsorship framework for partner visa schemes. The previous sponsorship framework was designed primarily for work visa-based sponsors, where there was some distance in the sponsor and applicant relationship. However, the closeness of the partner relationship raised issues of integrity within the sponsorship framework.

In response to this, the Government has decided to reverse how partner visa applications are processed. In the past, the main application could be submitted before the sponsorship application. Now, sponsors must apply for approval before the main visa application is submitted.

The practical effect of this is that partner visas will now effectively take twice as long to process. Applicants will have to wait for the sponsor to be approved, then they must wait for their application to be approved.

The other, more urgent impact is on those who are about to apply for partner visas. As they now have to wait twice as long, their current visas might expire so they will need to lodge another visa in the meantime.

If you need help with applying visas in this case, please contact us at your earliest convenience by our email address info@straitslawyers.com or call us on (08) 8410 9069.