Living together · Australia
We live together in Australia
Where the applicant is already in Australia, we explain the usual onshore pathway and the issues we assess before an application is prepared.
Home→Partner visas
Partner visas, handled by partner visa lawyers.
Whether you're applying onshore, offshore, or planning to marry — we guide couples through every step of the partner visa process with legal precision and genuine care. You receive a clear pathway, evidence plan and fixed-fee scope before deciding whether to engage us.
Lawyer-ledQualified legal team
Australia-widePhone and video service
Clear planPathway, evidence and fees
Fixed feesNo hidden costs
Australian partner visa lawyers
Lawyer-led help for couples across Australia and overseas.
Salvo Migration is a Brisbane-based legal practice focused on Australian partner visas. We work with couples nationwide and internationally by phone and video, with office appointments available at our Brisbane headquarters.
What a partner visa lawyer can help with
Assess the proposed pathway, identify legal or timing issues, build an evidence plan and prepare the agreed application work around the couple's actual circumstances.
Do you need a lawyer for a partner visa?
No. Home Affairs says you do not have to use a legal practitioner to apply for a visa. A DIY application leaves the couple responsible for selecting the pathway, interpreting the requirements and presenting consistent evidence; paid help must come from an authorised person and cannot guarantee approval or faster processing.
National service, one legal team
Work with the same Brisbane-based team whether you are in Queensland, interstate or overseas. Your location does not change the need for an accurate pathway and coherent supporting evidence.
Complexity identified early
Current visa status, previous refusals, Schedule 3, character issues or a possible Section 48 bar may require individual legal advice before an application is prepared.
Partner visa migration agent Australia
Migration agent, immigration lawyer or consultant: verify the person, not the label.
People often use “partner visa migration agent” as a general search for professional help. Home Affairs distinguishes the people authorised to provide immigration assistance: a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or an exempt person. The title “consultant” by itself does not establish which category applies.
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Registered migration agent
Check the individual's current registration on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority register. A trading name or claim of experience is not a substitute for the named person's registration.
Search the OMARA register →
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Australian legal practitioner
A lawyer holding an Australian practising certificate may provide immigration assistance in connection with legal practice. Check the relevant state or territory professional register and the legal practice behind the engagement.
Verify Salvo's legal team →
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Compare the actual service
Ask who will advise and supervise the matter, what preparation and representation are included, how fees work, and which tasks remain with the applicant and sponsor. No provider can guarantee a visa outcome or fast-track Home Affairs processing.
Review Salvo's published fees →Read the current Home Affairs guidance on who can provide immigration assistance. Salvo Migration is presented here as a lawyer-led legal practice, not as a registered migration-agent business.
Choosing focused partner visa help
Searching for a partner visa specialist? Verify the claim and the practitioner.
“Specialist” and “expert” are not casual labels in legal advertising. Queensland Law Society guidance says those claims must be factually justified and must not create a false or misleading impression of specialist expertise. This page does not represent Salvo Migration or its lawyers as QLS Accredited Specialists.
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Practice focus is a factual description
Salvo Migration's published practice focuses on Australian partner visas, related refusals and review pathways. A focused practice description is not the same as claiming formal specialist accreditation.
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Check the named people
Review the lawyers' current professional records, roles and the legal practice behind the service rather than relying on a generic specialist label.
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Compare the actual scope
Ask who will advise and supervise the matter, what preparation and representation are included, how fees work and which responsibilities remain with the couple.
Read the current Queensland Law Society guidance on specialist and expert advertising.
De facto partner visa Australia
Lawyer-led partner visa help for de facto couples.
A de facto partner visa is not a separate visa subclass. De facto and married couples generally use the same onshore 820/801 pathway or offshore 309/100 pathway, depending on where the applicant is and the couple's circumstances.
The 12-month de facto issue
The usual question is whether the de facto relationship existed for the 12 months immediately before applying. Relationship registration and limited exceptions may be relevant, but they are not automatic substitutes for proving that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
Evidence across the whole relationship
De facto applications should present coherent evidence of the couple's financial arrangements, household, social recognition and mutual commitment. The right evidence depends on how the relationship has actually developed, including any periods living apart.
Timing and visa status still matter
Relationship length is only one part of eligibility. The applicant's location, current visa status, previous applications and the intended application date can affect which pathway is available and when legal advice is most useful.
National help from a legal team
Couples searching for a de facto visa lawyer in Australia can work with our Brisbane-based partner visa team by phone or video, whether they live interstate or overseas.
Spouse and marriage visa lawyers
Already married and planning to marry are different starting points.
“Spouse visa” and “marriage visa” are common search terms, but the correct Australian partner visa pathway depends on whether the couple is already married, where the applicant is, and whether the couple intends to marry before or after arrival.
Already married
A spouse does not apply through a separate spouse visa subclass. Married applicants generally consider the onshore 820/801 or offshore 309/100 partner pathway, depending on location and eligibility.
Engaged and planning to marry
The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) may be relevant for an eligible applicant outside Australia who intends to travel to Australia and marry within the visa period. It is not the default pathway for every engaged couple.
Marriage is not the whole evidence case
A marriage certificate establishes the legal marriage, but partner visa assessment also considers whether the relationship is genuine and continuing. The evidence should explain the couple's financial, household, social and commitment circumstances.
Partner visa options we handle
Three pathways. One goal: together in Australia.
Every relationship is unique — we recommend the right subclass for your circumstances on your free call.
Onshore · two-stage
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Partner Visa 820/801
For couples already in Australia. The temporary 820 lets you stay (and work and study) while the permanent 801 is processed.
820/801 in detail → Offshore · two-stage ✈️Partner Visa 309/100
For partners applying from outside Australia. The temporary 309 brings your partner here while the permanent 100 is processed.
309/100 in detail → Engaged couples 💍Prospective Marriage 300
For engaged couples. Travel to Australia and marry within the visa period — then move onto the 820/801 pathway if the later application requirements are met.
Subclass 300 in detail →
Australia-wide partner visa help
Guidance for your location and relationship.
We assist couples throughout Australia and overseas by phone and video. Explore the partner visa information most relevant to where you live or your partner's country.
Partner visa lawyers by city
Partner visa guidance by country
Partner visa application guides
Plan the pathway, evidence and next steps.
Use our lawyer-led resources to understand the issues that commonly shape an Australian partner visa application before deciding whether you want professional help.
Partner visa requirements
Review sponsor status, relationship criteria, applicant location, visa status, health, character and continuing evidence.
Read the requirements guide →Document and evidence checklist
Understand the identity, relationship, sponsorship, police, health and supporting-statement material commonly considered.
Build an evidence plan →Onshore or offshore?
Compare the 820/801 and 309/100 starting points without assuming that travel plans alone decide the pathway.
Compare the pathways →Form 888 supporting statements
See who can complete the current form and how first-hand observations can support the broader relationship evidence.
Read the Form 888 guide →Partner visa interview preparation
Learn how to review the application record, answer truthfully and prepare for questions without scripting identical responses.
Prepare for an interview →Current processing-time guidance
Read the official figures carefully, understand their limits and separate queue estimates from individual-case predictions.
Check processing-time guidance →
Common partner visa situations
Start with the situation that sounds most like yours.
Martin explains the partner visa pathways and practical approach we commonly consider for couples living together in Australia, living together overseas, or currently living apart.
Living together · Overseas
We live together overseas
For couples sharing a life outside Australia, we discuss offshore and other possible pathways, timing, and the evidence that may matter.
Living apart · Different countries
We are living apart
When distance is part of the relationship, we explain the pathways we may consider and how couples can present the reality of their relationship.
These videos provide general information only. The suitable visa pathway depends on your circumstances and the law and policy applying at the time of application.
How we help you
Precision at every step.
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Eligibility assessment
We determine your visa options based on your relationship and circumstances — before you spend a dollar on the wrong pathway.
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Document preparation
Your evidence pack built to Home Affairs policy: relationship evidence, statements, Form 888s, and every supporting document checked by a lawyer.
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Application submission
We prepare and check the application against the agreed strategy before lodgement. Home Affairs may still request further information or make its own assessment of any issue.
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Ongoing support
We handle any follow-ups or additional requirements from the Department of Home Affairs, and keep you updated at every stage.
After your partner visa is lodged
Lodgement is a milestone, not the end of the process.
A partner visa application can remain active for a long time. During that period, couples may need to keep information current, respond to Home Affairs and prepare for the permanent 801 or 100 stage.
Keep the application current
Changes to passports, contact details, address, family composition or relationship circumstances may need to be reported. Do not assume the information provided at lodgement will remain enough until decision.
Continue building relationship evidence
Keep orderly records of the relationship after lodgement. Updated financial, household, social and commitment evidence may be relevant if Home Affairs requests more information or when the permanent stage is assessed.
Respond carefully to Department requests
A request for information can have a deadline and may raise an issue that needs more than uploading another document. We assess the request, explain the response strategy and prepare the agreed work.
Prepare for the permanent stage
The 820/801 and 309/100 pathways begin as combined applications, but the later permanent assessment has its own information and evidence process. We help clients plan for that stage rather than rediscover it at the last minute.
Understand partner visa processing times
Read about the 820/801 pathway
Read about the 309/100 pathway
General information only. Reporting obligations and the appropriate response depend on what changed, the application stage and the correspondence received.
Transparent, checkable proof
Evidence you can inspect
Review published visa approvals and, when you choose, load current Google reviews before deciding whether Salvo Migration is right for you.
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Published approval examples
See recent published outcomes with pathway and grant-date context. Personal details are redacted.
Inspect published approvals →
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Current Google reviews
Load the review source when you want to inspect recent client feedback.
Past outcomes and client reviews do not predict or guarantee the outcome of another application. Every matter is assessed on its own facts and decided by the Department of Home Affairs.
Our confidence, in writing
No Visa, No Fee — for eligible matters.*
If your partner visa application is not approved and the guarantee conditions are met, our professional fees are refunded. Eligibility, scope and conditions are confirmed before engagement.
How the guarantee works →*Applies to eligible partner visa applications where guarantee conditions are met. Full terms in your engagement agreement.
Partner visa FAQs
Common questions, answered by lawyers.
Do I need a lawyer for an Australian partner visa?
No. You can prepare and lodge a partner visa application yourself, and Home Affairs expressly says a legal practitioner is not required. Professional help may be worth considering where you want someone to assess the pathway and evidence plan, where visa status, prior refusals, sponsor limits, character or timing create legal issues, or where the time and responsibility of preparing the application outweigh the quoted fee for you. Compare the named practitioner, written scope, fixed professional fee and responsibilities that remain with the couple. A lawyer cannot guarantee a visa or fast-track Home Affairs. Read the official Home Affairs guidance and our DIY partner visa guide before deciding.
How do I find a reliable migration lawyer for a partner visa application?
Start with facts you can verify independently. Confirm that the named adviser is an Australian legal practitioner on the relevant state or territory register; check who will advise and supervise your matter; obtain the service scope and fees in writing; and avoid anyone promising a guaranteed visa or faster Home Affairs processing. Home Affairs confirms that legal practitioners must hold an Australian practising certificate and cannot guarantee a visa or fast-track processing. Review its legal-practitioner guidance, then verify Salvo's named lawyers and professional records.
How long does the partner visa process take?
Processing times vary depending on the type of visa and the complexity of your case. Current processing times change and depend on the pathway, application and Department caseload. Check the Home Affairs processing-time guidance before relying on an estimate.
Can I apply if we're in a de facto relationship?
The 12-month rule generally concerns the duration of the de facto relationship immediately before application, not simply a lease period. Registered relationships and other exceptions can apply, so the facts should be assessed before you rely on an exception.
What's the difference between the temporary and permanent visa?
A temporary partner visa (subclass 820 or 309) allows you to stay in Australia while your permanent partner visa (subclass 801 or 100) is processed. The permanent visa is granted after meeting additional criteria.
What evidence do we need?
Evidence of your relationship — such as joint financial accounts, shared living arrangements, and photos together — is crucial. Our free checklist covers the documents that matter most.
What if my application is refused?
You may have review rights, but the decision letter and deadline must be checked immediately. Read our partner visa refusal and ART review guide. If a previous refusal may restrict a new onshore application, see our section 48 bar overview.
Can I include my children in the application?
Yes, dependent children can be included. You'll need to provide evidence of their dependency and meet specific requirements.
Ready when you are
Which partner visa fits your relationship?
One free call with our team: your eligibility, the right subclass, fees and next steps — all mapped out.
Prefer to talk now? 1300 644 788