Convert Visitor Visa to Partner Visa in 2024 with 7 Easy Steps

Seven Steps on Converting Your Australian Visitor Visa to a Partner Visa

Sometimes things happen out of our plan or expectation. It happens to most of my clients when they enjoy their short holiday in Australia with their partner on a Visitor Visa, and out of their expectation, their partner pops the question. They are absolutely happy and excited to begin their journey as a married couple, but a long-distance marriage does not sound good. With this situation, they come to me asking for the best way they can live happily together in Australia, like converting a Visitor Visa to a Partner Visa in Australia.

You can convert your Tourist Visa to Partner Visa Australia, but you have to pass some steps. It includes checking your eligibility, gathering all required documents, translating your documents, etc. I have provided the seven easy steps to convert your visitor visa to a partner visa below.

Check Your Eligibility for Partner Visa AustraliaCheck If You Have a ‘No Further Stay’ Condition and Extend Your Visitor VisaHave a Wonderful Wedding or Register Your RelationshipGet Ready and Gather All Documents to Apply for Your Partner VisaGet Your Documents Translated into EnglishApply for Your Temporary Partner VisaWait for Your Partner's Visa to be Approved

Step One: Check Your Eligibility for Partner Visa Australia

The very first step to do is check whether you are eligible for the Partner Visa or not. The eligibility criterias for the Partner Visa Australia application are:

Be above 18 years old;Be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen;You have not had an Australian visa canceled or an application refused;You and your partner must both be committed to a shared life together to the exclusion of all others;Your relationship with your partner must be genuine and continuing;You must live with your partner or not live apart on a permanent basis;Your partner must be approved by the Department of Home Affairs as your sponsor;You must meet the health and character requirements.

Step Two: Check If You Have a ‘No Further Stay’ Condition and Extend Your Visitor Visa

Moving to the second step, I assume that you have met the eligibility criteria for the Australian Partner Visa.

Next, you have to understand the condition 8503 or No Further Stay Conditions. Australian visitor visas can be issued for up to 12 months but in most cases, they’re granted for three months, and in many cases, there’s a ‘no further stay’ condition included. So be sure to check whether your current visitor visa has this condition. If it does, don’t worry because you can apply for a waiver, or if you would prefer to have me do it for you, it’s no problem at all.

Another thing to note is that you have to make sure that you have enough time with your visa validity period. If you’re not confident to lodge the Partner Visa within the validity period left, you can consider extending your Visitor Visa first.

You can’t state that you intend to apply for a partner visa. That means you are not meeting genuine temporary entrance requirements. If you still have enough time to get married before your visitor visa expires, you can do this and register your marriage as soon as possible.

Step Three: Have a Wonderful Wedding or Register Your Relationship

With your visitor visa extension done, you can focus on what really matters – planning your special day! I hear so many wonderful stories from my clients about their weddings, I’m sure your stories will be amazing too!

At this point I should probably answer a common question: “Can I get a partner visa without getting married?”. The answer is yes, but you have to be in a de facto relationship, which means you must have been living with your partner for a year. However, considering that you’ve been in a long-distance relationship this far, I’m afraid the chance of meeting the criterion for a de facto relationship is very low.

If you and your partner prefer to lodge the Partner Visa application as a de facto partner, you can consider registering your relationship with the state government. It can be done in most Australian states and territories, except for Western Australia.