Persons applying overseas for migration make a joint application for:

• Class UF Partner provisional (subclass 309 (spouse)/subclass 826 (interdependency).) and a class BC Partner migrant (subclass 100 (spouse)/subclass110 (interdependency)) visas.

Persons applying in Australia for migrant make a joint application for:

• Class UK Partner temporary (subclass 820 (spouse)/subclass 826 (interdependency)) and a class BS Partner residence (subclass 801 (spouse)/subclass 814 (interdependency)).

Click on the followings for more information:

• Basic requirement
• Sponsorship/nomination
• Assurance of support

Spouse

You must be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and intend to marry that person before entering Australia, you can apply for a spouse visa but you must marry that person before a spouse visa can be granted.
You must be able to prove the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) that your relationship is genuine and continuing.
Depending on whether you apply outside Australia or in Australia, your partner must sponsor or nominate you.

Fiance

You must be living outside Australia and be engaged to be married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and wish to marry that person in Australia.
You cannot apply if you are in Australia.
You must be able to prove to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) that you genuinely intend to marry your fiance and live together as spouse.
Your partner must sponsor you.

Interdependent partner

You must be in an interdependent relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
Interdependent relationships include, but are not restricted to, same sex couples.
You can apply outside Australia or in Australia.
You must be able to prove to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) that your relationship is genuine and continuing.
Depending on whether you apply outside Australia or in Australia, your partner must sponsor or nominate you.

If you apply outside Australia, your partner must sponsor you and any dependants included in the application. As the sponsor, your partner must give a written undertaking to provide support for you during your first two years in Australia, including accommodation and financial assistance as required to meet you and your family’s reasonable living needs.

If you apply in Australia, your partner must nominate you and any dependants included in the application. As the nominator, your partner does not have to give a written undertaking, but is still expected to provide assistance to you and your family during your first two years in Australia.

The sponsor/nominator must be 18 years olds or over.

If your spouse/nominator is an eligible New Zealand citizen, they will have to meet health and character requirements.

After your application is lodged, DIMIA will inform you if you need to obtain an assurance of support.

An assurance of support is a commitment to provide financial support to the person applying to migrate so that migrant will not have to rely on any Government forms of support.

It is also a legal commitment by a person to repay to the Commonwealth of Australia certain recoverable social security payments made by Centrelink to those covered by the assurance. The assurance is in force for two years from the assuree’s arrival in Australia, or for those applying within Australia, the date of grant of permanent residence.

Assurances cover the main applicant and the family included in the application.
Your sponsor and assurer do not have to be the same person.
The person giving an assurance of support must be:

• An adult (over 18) Australian citizen, Australian permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizen
• Usually resident in Australia
• Financially able to support the sponsored person/s and repay certain social security payments should they be made to the people covered by the assurance.

It is unlikely that your assurer could provide an acceptable assurance of support if they have received the full rate of any pensions, benefits or allowances (other than family payments) from Centrelink during the past year.
This is to ensure that people proposing to give and assurance of support have the financial capacity to do so.