Partner Visa Update - March 2017
A recent partner visa scam in Brisbane has reportedly induced an increased scrutiny of the partner visa program which accounts for almost a quarter of the total migrant intake in Australia. Besides capping the number of visas to be granted each year, the Federal Government is looking at reviewing the entire program to close the existing loopholes and prevent the abuse of the visa category. This would directly impact the already long processing times for the visa resulting from increased number of integrity checks on the applications. As published on the DIBP website, the average processing times for onshore partner visas are as follows:
Temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) - 12 to 18 months.
Permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) - 12 to 18 months from the date of eligibility.
Two important criteria to be eligible for the first stage temporary partner visa (subclass 820) are:
The applicant is in a genuine relationship with his/her Australian partner. The applicant is required to produce evidence based on various factors such as financial interdependence, cohabitation and social aspects of the relationship.
The applicant must be able to evidence they can meet the requirements for a defacto relationship or be legally married.
A lack of understanding of the complex visa process may easily result in a refusal. Our team of registered migration agents with an expertise in handling partner visas can provide you with a simplified visa solution to achieve a positive outcome.
The link to the full article is here.
