Understanding The Pathway
The Subclass 100 Partner Visa is the second and final stage of the offshore partner visa process, and it cannot be applied for on its own. Applicants generally lodge one combined application at the outset covering both the Subclass 309 temporary visa and the Subclass 100 permanent visa, and the Department of Home Affairs works through the two stages in sequence rather than assessing them together. The temporary Subclass 309 visa is considered first, and once granted, it allows the applicant to travel to Australia, live with their partner, and begin working and studying while the permanent stage is still pending. The Subclass 100 is then only assessed once the department is satisfied the relationship has genuinely continued through this period.
When the permanent stage is assessed, the department is not starting from scratch; it is looking at whether everything shown at the Subclass 309 stage has held true and deepened over time. Once the Subclass 100 is granted, the applicant moves into full permanent residency, gaining unrestricted work and study rights, access to Medicare, and a pathway toward Australian citizenship, along with the ability to sponsor eligible family members in future.
Eligibility At A Glance
The Subclass 100 is not a standalone application; it is assessed as the second half of the same offshore partner visa lodgement that begins with the Subclass 309, so your case history and sponsor carry through both stages.
Your relationship with your sponsoring partner must remain genuine and continuing right up to the permanent stage assessment, not just at the point the original Subclass 309 application was lodged.
Your partner must generally continue to hold their status as an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen for the full duration of the application.
The Path To Permanent Residency
Every Subclass 100 case begins with a single combined application covering both the Subclass 309 temporary visa and the Subclass 100 permanent visa, lodged from outside Australia at the same time. The Department of Home Affairs works through this one application in two parts, assessing the temporary stage first while holding the permanent stage on file. What is submitted at this point, from the sponsor’s eligibility to the earliest relationship evidence, becomes the foundation the department returns to when the permanent stage is later assessed.
Once the Subclass 309 is granted and the applicant has moved to Australia, the relationship does not stop being assessed; it enters a longer period of scrutiny that culminates in the Subclass 100 decision. This is often the stage couples underestimate, because the department is not just confirming the relationship still exists; it is looking for signs the relationship has continued to grow across every part of shared life. A relationship that looks static or thinly documented compared to the original application can raise questions even where nothing has gone wrong, which is why the categories below need attention throughout the waiting period, not just when the permanent stage is finally called for.
When the permanent stage is progressed, applicants are generally expected to provide updated evidence across four broad categories, refreshed to reflect the period since the Subclass 309 was granted rather than simply resubmitting what was given the first time. Each category tells a different part of the same story, and a case tends to read more strongly when all four are represented consistently rather than one where a couple has leaned heavily on a single type of evidence, such as photographs, while leaving financial or household evidence thin.
Once the department is satisfied the relationship has genuinely continued, the updated evidence supports the case, and the sponsor still meets their own eligibility, the application moves into the final permanent stage assessment, where the Subclass 309 decision and everything gathered since are reviewed together.
Your Next Step
Every couple sits at a different point in the Subclass 309 to Subclass 100 timeline, some newly arrived on the temporary visa, others approaching the point where the department may call for updated evidence. Speak with our team to find out where your application stands and what to start preparing now.
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Reaching the Subclass 100 grant is the final milestone in your offshore partner visa journey, closing out what began with your Subclass 309 application. Let us help you get there with a well-prepared case.
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