There is no single guaranteed Australian partner visa processing time. Home Affairs publishes a live guide based on recently decided applications, and the result depends on the visa stream and date entered. It is a historical indicator—not a deadline for your application.
What the current 20-month partner visa figure means.
Home Affairs reports a 20-month median for the combined Partner (Provisional/Temporary) category in its May 2026 key-program data. A median means half of the applications measured were decided sooner and half later.
It is not a guaranteed timeframe for a subclass 820, 309 or 300 application, and it is not a Philippines-specific estimate. Home Affairs says the figure can change as newer, older and complex applications are decided.
View the current official processing-time table →Use the official visa processing times guide for a current subclass indication. Home Affairs states that the tool does not assess the circumstances of an individual application and does not guarantee a decision within the displayed timeframe.
Jump to a pathway: 820/801 onshore, 309/100 offshore or subclass 300.
If you are planning the whole application, use the partner visa cost and fees guide to separate the government charge, legal fee and possible third-party expenses.
What Salvo’s partner visa case data shows.
Our privacy-safe case register contains 553 de-identified partner visa applications. Current waiting time and completed processing time are calculated separately so an open application is never presented as a Department decision time.
Current elapsed time
Open applications only. “Median” is the middle observed waiting age on 3 August 2026.
- Subclass 820n=129332-day median
- Subclass 309n=37171-day median
- Subclass 300n=11227-day median
- Subclass 801n=2415-day median
Completed application periods
Only records with a comparable application-specific start and grant point. Sequential stages are not added together.
- Subclass 820n=157250-day median
- Subclass 801n=49160-day median
- Subclass 309n=20286-day median
- Subclass 100n=5151-day median
- Subclass 300n=13178-day median
These are historical Salvo case records, not the Department’s published processing-time range, a service standard, a success rate or a prediction for another application. The 244-record completed timing set excludes 130 records where the relevant application stage cannot yet be compared safely, including multi-stage histories without separately verified temporary and permanent-stage lodgement dates.
Why online processing-time figures differ
Articles may quote different numbers because they were checked in different months, use a median instead of a percentile, combine categories or refer to different stages. A figure for the temporary/provisional partner category is not automatically the processing time for every 820, 309 or 300 applicant.
Annual application demand and the number of files on hand are also different from an individual processing-time estimate. Our source-linked Australian partner visa statistics briefing separates lodgements, first-stage caseload and Migration Program outcomes without turning those figures into a promised wait time.
For a transparent example of practice-level historical data, see our Philippines partner visa processing-time case page. It keeps currently elapsed time separate from completed application periods and does not replace the official Home Affairs guide. For pathway and document planning beyond timing, use our Australian partner visa from the Philippines guide.
When comparing a number, check:
- the subclass or category selected;
- whether it relates to the temporary or permanent stage;
- the date the source was updated;
- whether it is a median, range or percentile; and
- whether the figure came from Home Affairs or a third-party estimate.
Partner Visa 820 processing time: onshore pathway
The 820/801 pathway starts with a combined application for the temporary 820 and permanent 801 visas. The temporary application is assessed first. The later permanent stage has its own eligibility and evidence process.
Home Affairs says applicants are generally eligible for consideration of the permanent partner stage two years after the original combined application, but that does not mean the permanent visa is automatically granted on the two-year date.
Partner Visa 309 processing time: offshore pathway
The 309/100 pathway also begins as a combined application. The subclass 309 is the provisional stage and the subclass 100 is the permanent stage.
Home Affairs explains that processing time for the subclass 100 permanent visa starts from the date of eligibility—generally two years after the combined temporary and permanent applications were made. The actual assessment and decision can occur later.
Prospective Marriage Visa 300 processing time
The subclass 300 has a separate processing-time entry. A person granted this visa must then satisfy its conditions and make a later partner visa application if they wish to pursue the onshore partner pathway after marriage. The time for that later process is separate from the subclass 300 assessment.
Partner visa application timeline: what happens after lodgement?
A processing-time figure does not describe every step an individual application will follow. After lodgement, the sequence can include sponsorship submission, health and character requirements, evidence updates, a request for more information and a temporary or provisional decision. The order varies, and not every application has every step.
For combined 820/801 and 309/100 applications, the later permanent stage is a separate assessment with its own eligibility and evidence requirements. Keep ImmiAccount details and relationship evidence current while waiting. For the pathway from preparation through the later permanent stage, use our Australian Partner Visa Guide.
What can make an application take longer?
Home Affairs identifies factors such as an incomplete application, missing documents, the need for more information, complexity and the time required to verify information. Other practical factors may include health or character processing and changes in the applicant's circumstances.
A well-organised application cannot control the Department's queue or guarantee a faster result. It can reduce avoidable gaps and make it easier to understand what was provided. Start with the partner visa document checklist and keep records current while the application is pending.
Can you request priority processing?
Home Affairs says partner applications are generally assessed in the order received so that an applicant is not given an unfair advantage without a valid reason. Requests for priority processing are considered against the Department's current criteria and evidence; asking does not guarantee priority or a particular decision date.
Separate processing-priority directions can change the relative order of covered applications without creating an individual timeframe. Read our sourced update on Australia's new visa processing priorities from 25 July 2026.
How to monitor your own application
- Use ImmiAccount for application messages and status information.
- Keep contact, passport and relationship information current.
- Respond carefully to any request by its stated deadline.
- Check the official processing guide again rather than relying on an old screenshot.
- Do not make travel, employment or visa-expiry decisions from a generic online estimate.