What is the Subclass 309/100 visa?
The Subclass 309/100 is the offshore equivalent of Australia's partner visa, for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who applies from outside Australia. It shares the same underlying eligibility test as the onshore 820/801 — a genuine and continuing relationship assessed across the same four pillars — but the process, timeline and logistics around where you need to be at key points are meaningfully different. For the full breakdown of the genuine relationship test and evidence checklist that applies to both streams, see our Subclass 820/801 partner visa guide; this page focuses on what's unique to the offshore process.
Who is eligible?
- You are legally married to your sponsoring partner, or in a de facto relationship that has been genuine and continuing for at least 12 months (with limited exceptions).
- Your sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and meets sponsor eligibility requirements.
- You are outside Australia when the Subclass 309 visa is decided and granted.
- You meet standard health and character requirements.
Onshore vs offshore: which stream applies to you?
The stream that applies depends on your location and visa status, not personal preference. If you are lawfully in Australia and intend to stay there while your application is assessed, the onshore 820/801 stream generally applies. If you are outside Australia, or need to leave before a decision is made, the offshore 309/100 stream applies instead. The critical rule for the 309 is that you must be outside Australia when the temporary visa itself is decided and granted — where you were when you first lodged the application matters less than where you are at the point of decision.
The offshore timeline, step by step
- Lodge the application — this can generally be done from onshore or offshore, but plan to be outside Australia as the likely decision date approaches.
- Assessment — the Department assesses your relationship evidence and your sponsor's eligibility, which can include requests for further documents or an interview.
- Subclass 309 decision — granted while you are outside Australia, allowing you to then travel to Australia to live with your partner.
- Waiting period — generally at least two years from when you first applied before the permanent stage is assessed (shorter in some long-term relationship circumstances).
- Subclass 100 decision — your relationship is reassessed, this time with no requirement to be outside Australia, before the permanent visa is granted.
Travelling to Australia while your application is on foot
You can generally visit Australia on an appropriate visa while your 309 application is being processed, provided you leave again before a decision is likely to be made and comply with the conditions of whatever visa you're travelling on. Getting the timing wrong — being onshore when a decision is issued, or overstaying a visitor visa — can create real complications for an otherwise straightforward application, so travel plans during this period should be run past your migration agent first.
Documents you'll typically need
- Identity documents for both partners.
- Relationship evidence across the four pillars (financial, household, social, commitment) — see our 820/801 guide for the full breakdown.
- Marriage certificate or evidence of a qualifying de facto relationship.
- Sponsor eligibility documents confirming your partner's citizenship, permanent residency or eligible New Zealand citizen status.
- Health examinations, generally completed in your country of residence through an approved panel physician.
- Police clearance certificates from every country you've lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
Because health and character checks often need to be arranged in your country of residence rather than in Australia, it's worth starting these early — appointment availability with approved panel physicians can vary considerably by location.
Processing times
Offshore partner visa applications are processed by posts assigned to your country of residence, and published processing times differ from the onshore stream and between countries. As with the onshore process, a complete and well-organised application at lodgement — rather than one that trickles in evidence over time — generally moves through the queue more smoothly.
What does it cost?
The 309/100 carries the same visa application charge structure as the onshore 820/801, since it's the same underlying partner visa fee covering both stages. On top of that, budget for health examinations arranged in your country of residence, police clearance certificates (potentially from multiple countries), certified translations of any non-English documents, and relocation costs once the 309 is granted. Government charges are indexed and reviewed periodically, so we provide a current, itemised estimate rather than a fixed figure. Budgeting for these costs early, alongside any professional fees, is worth doing before you commit to a lodgement date.
Common issues specific to offshore applicants
- Being onshore in Australia when a decision would otherwise be made, requiring careful timing of travel.
- Health examinations or police checks arranged in the wrong country or format for your location.
- Underestimating the logistics of relocating once the 309 is granted, including packing up life in another country on a timeline you don't fully control.
- Thin evidence for a relationship conducted partly or wholly across two countries — long-distance relationship evidence needs particular care.
Why work with a MARA registered migration agent
Offshore partner applications add genuine logistical complexity on top of the same evidentiary demands as the onshore stream — timing your travel, coordinating health and character checks across countries, and building a relationship case that accounts for time spent apart. As your registered agent, we manage both the evidence strategy and the practical timeline from application through to your move to Australia, so nothing falls through the cracks between two countries.