Australia · visa
Home Affairs reminds 820 and 309 holders: the permanent stage opens at two years
A July 17, 2026 Home Affairs update tells provisional partner visa holders on subclass 309 and temporary 820 holders they can submit their permanent-stage information once two years have passed since applying. Here is what the second stage involves and who can move now.
The useful takeaway
If you applied for your partner visa two or more years ago and hold the temporary 820 or provisional 309, you can act now: submit your permanent-stage information rather than waiting to be asked. The two years count from your original application date, not from the grant of the temporary visa.
Who should read this visa update
Subclass 820 holders in Australia and subclass 309 holders, together with their sponsoring partners, especially couples whose original application passed the two-year mark while they were waiting.
What the official update says
- The July 17, 2026 update confirms permanent-stage information can be submitted once two years have passed since the original partner visa application.
- Eligibility timing runs from the application date of the combined application, not from when the temporary visa was granted.
- There is no additional visa application charge for the permanent stage; it was covered by the original application fee.
Details from Department of Home Affairs partner visa update
The pathway runs 820 to 801 onshore and 309 to 100 offshore, with the permanent stage assessed on updated evidence that the relationship continues.
Updated evidence typically covers the same four aspects as the original application: financial, household, social, and commitment.
Submission is made through ImmiAccount using the permanent-stage process Home Affairs describes on the partner visa pages.
Common worries, answered plainly
We passed two years months ago and heard nothing. Did we lose our place?
No. The permanent stage generally waits for your submission once you are eligible, which is exactly why this reminder matters: submit your information now and your assessment can begin. Nothing is lost, but nothing starts until the submission is in.
Is there another fee for the permanent stage?
No. The original partner visa application charge covered both stages. Costs at this stage are practical ones, such as certified copies or translations for updated evidence.
What if we separated but share children?
Specific provisions can still lead to a permanent visa where there are children of the relationship, where the sponsor has died, or where family violence occurred. Tell Home Affairs about the change and get advice on the correct pathway; concealing a separation is the one clearly wrong move.
What this means for Australian partner visa applicants
Couples who hit the two-year mark during long temporary-stage waits can move immediately instead of losing more months waiting to be contacted.
The permanent stage has its own assessment queue, so submitting promptly is the lever applicants control.
Long-standing relationships, and couples with children of the relationship, can in some cases be granted the permanent stage quickly or together with the first stage.
Useful next steps
- Find your original application date and count two years; if you are past it, start assembling updated relationship evidence now.
- Refresh the four evidence aspects with recent material: current joint finances, living arrangements, statements, and plans.
- Update Home Affairs about any changes since the first stage, including children, addresses, and passports.
- Submit through ImmiAccount and keep the confirmation; the permanent stage has its own queue and its own published percentiles.
How to read this without overreacting
Official percentiles for the permanent stage describe lodged, complete submissions; time spent not submitting is invisible to those numbers.
Waits shared by readers on the partner visa page are most useful when they name the stage they cover, so note yours when sharing.
What this update cannot tell you
- This update cannot say how long any individual permanent-stage assessment will take, and evidence expectations vary with each couple's circumstances.
- Couples whose relationship has changed since applying face different rules and should get advice rather than submitting as if nothing changed.
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Official citation
Published July 18, 2026. Original source: Department of Home Affairs partner visa update.