COVID-19 waiver for offshore Partner visa grant requirement

Update: COVID-19 concession period ending

The Department has announced that it will waive the requirement for certain family visa (including the Prospective Marriage- sc300 and Partner visa -sc309) visa applicants to be offshore (outside Australia) for the grant of their visa from early 2021. Some categories of visa require applicants to be outside of Australia at the time the visa is granted. The Department is aware that the travel restrictions and limitations associated with COVID-19 are affecting visa applicants, particularly applicants for family visas who have come to Australia.

It is intended that changes will be implemented in early 2021 that would allow certain family visas, which have been applied for outside Australia, to be granted while the visa applicant is in Australia.  This temporary concession will be for people who are in Australia and are not able to travel offshore to be granted the visa due to COVID-19 related border closures.

The concession will apply to certain applicants for the following Family visa subclasses including the below partner visas:

• Child (subclass 101) visa
•  Adoption (subclass 102) visa
•  Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa
•  Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa
• Partner (subclass 309) visa

Further information will be available in early 2021.

If your visa has expired, or is about to expire, book a consultation to discuss your options to remain in Australia lawfully.