Offshore Partner Visa Options to Australia

Great partner visa options for applicants from Philippines to Australia, Thailand to Australia, Vietnam to Australia and Cambodia to Australia

At Down Under Visa we aim to please! If you want an Onshore Partner Visa (Subclass 820) then we’re happy to do it. We do about the same number of Onshore as Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309) and Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) applications normally. We do partner visa applications from the Philippines to Australia, Thailand to Australia, Vietnam to Australia and Cambodia to Australia. We’re THEY Registered Migration Agents for partner visas to Australia from these South East Asian countries!

But I want to do is to highlight some of the plus-sides to the Offshore Partner Visa options to consider before following what the amateur Facebook groups tell you!

Oh, and to those worried to take the partner visa step who say “I just want to see if she likes Australia!”? 

I get the concern, but note we have a LOT of experience in this area. We’ve dealt with thousands of clients with South East Asian ladies…..mostly Filipinas, but Thais, Vietnamese and Cambodian ladies too (and gentlemen). We have not even ONCE had a lady say “Hey Steve! You are the man of my dreams! I love you with all my heart, but I miss Pasay City too much and I find Strathfield to be really awful! Goodbye forever!” It DOESN’T happen!

Just make sure you’ve met in person, and that you’re both committed to a lifelong marriage and all will be fine!

Why an Offshore Partner Visa?

In short? A whole lot simpler, and a reasonable waiting-time (processing-time) these days!

Shorter and simpler partner visa processes

Offshore Partner Visa (Subclass 309)

This visa is applied-for offshore, ie in the country where the visa applicant is a resident ie Filipina visa applicant has visa processed in Manila. It also means if she is a Filipina but lives and works in Hong Kong or Singapore, it’s processed there. Same with Thais in Bangkok, Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodians in Phnom Penh.

And that means waiting there for the visa to be granted. At this time (mid 2024) it’s been taking 2 – 4 months processing time on average for our clients. No, I can’t speak for the averages on the Department website, but note these are WORLD averages and include slower processing countries. What I quoted? It comes from our own clients, and we do get a LOT of partner visa applications processed!

The other issue?

Tourist Visa Refusals!

Many of you have had Australian Tourist Visa (Subclass 600) applications refused! If that is you? I know it’s a lot of you!

Problem with Tourist Visa refusals since 2023 is that once they refuse an application (primarily due to Regulation 600.211…..yes, read the refusal notice!) they will usually refuse again. Sure, if she can prove that since applying she won the lottery and has a flash house in Makati and an overflowing bank account, maybe! But if the situation is much the same (even if she has a new job in SM) then it will make no difference. And hey, it’s one thing to get a refused tourist visa application. It’s quite another to see your Partner Visa plans go up in smoke because they refused the Tourist Visa part of it!

More information on refused tourist visas click here https://www.downundervisa.com/2023/11/had-an-australian-tourist-visa-refusal-from-the-philippines-since-2023/

So if you had a refusal of an Australian Tourist Visa application, strongly suggest you look at an OFFSHORE Partner Visa application if you are ready to take that next (permanent) step!

What it means is you apply for ONE visa, and she arrives in Australia with all those advantages!

• No risk of tourist visas not being granted and destroying your plans
• No repercussions from previous tourist visa refusals
• She can work
• She can study
• She can apply for Medicare
• She can give birth in an Australian hospital (as long as she doesn’t leave it too late and they don’t allow her on a plane!)
• She can leave and re-enter Australia freely (ie multiple entry)
• And NO ticking clock! No waiting for a tourist visa to expire and having to lodge a partner visa application in that tight window of time!

Do you have children included as secondary applicants? Especially school-age kids?

Very easy to include kids in an Offshore Partner Visa application! As long as you have no custody issues and no issues with dodgy documents or pain-in-bum document errors, it’s fairly easy to add kids to an Offshore Partner Visa application. 

Plus? Kids who are secondary applicants (which means THEY are granted Subclass 309 Partner Visas too) can arrive in Australia and enroll in school just like any other Aussie kid! No having to pay oversea student rates, which are REALLY high!

Do we see how this is certainly an option you should consider?

Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)

This used to be known as a Fiancee Visa (of Fiance Visa if it’s a male applicant).  Everything I said about:

• Tourist visa refusals no barrier
• No risk of any tourist visa being refused
• Short processing time
• Study
• Leave Australia and re-enter with ease
• No ticking clock
• Advantages for school kids

Mostly all the same!

Differences between Prospective Marriage Visas and Offshore Partner Visas?

You need to apply for a (MUCH simplified and MUCH cheaper) Onshore Partner Visa (still a Subclass 820) (a) after marrying and (b) before 12 months after the visa grant.

So what that means is that you have just short of 12 months from the visa grant (NOTE from the date she arrives in Australia) to get married and to lodge another application. Not a huge deal, and it means you can:

• Marry in Australia
• NOT have to marry in a rush!

The other difference is that she does not get Medicare until the Subclass 820 Onshore Partner Visa is LODGED. She can get it immediately when the application is lodged.

So both mean you can have either of these Offshore Partner Visas can be processed fairly quickly, and she can be in Australia (even with her kids) in a few short months. And she can work, study and remain without having to leave.  

As they say? Please consider!

Jeff Harvie is a Registered Migration Agent from Australia, but resident in Philippines since 2010 with his Filipina wife Mila and large extended family. Experienced with the Philippines culture, cross-cultural relationships and bureaucracy as well as Australian visas and Australian Migration Law, he writes with authority and fortunately with enough informality and humour that the average Aussie gets it! Down Under Visa specialises in visas for Australians in relationships with ladies and gents from Philippines, Thailand, China and Vietnam. Read MORE