Partner Visa Stage 2 in 2026: From 820/309 to PR Assessment

How the two-year threshold, the Stage 2 entry point and post-submission expectations fit together for holders of a Subclass 820 or 309 visa.

Published: 10 October 2026

If you hold a temporary Partner visa — Subclass 820 (onshore) or Subclass 309 (offshore) — Stage 2 is the assessment of the permanent subclass already attached to your application: Subclass 801 for onshore applicants, Subclass 100 for offshore applicants. You become eligible to be assessed once two years have passed since you applied for that temporary visa, and you start the process yourself in ImmiAccount rather than waiting to be asked. This reflects the Department of Home Affairs' Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions page as published as at October 2026, read together with the Subclass 801 and Subclass 100 visa pages it directs applicants to. It is general information about how the two-stage structure is administered, not an assessment of your circumstances; where your own status is at stake, rely on the current official pages and, if needed, advice from a registered professional.

What Stage 2 actually is — and what it is not

Stage 2 is not a second relationship application built from scratch. The Department treats a Partner visa application as covering both subclasses at once: the FAQs state that you must withdraw both visa subclasses if your application is for a Partner visa (subclass 309 and 100) or (subclass 820 and 801). The temporary visa is decided first; the permanent one stays open for assessment later, provided the two-year point is reached and you still meet the requirements.

Two consequences follow. First, the assessment is keyed to the original application — you submit Stage 2 documents using your existing Application ID, not a new file. Second, sponsorship remains live across the gap. The FAQs allow a sponsor to withdraw sponsorship at any time before the Department decides the permanent Partner visa application, which means the temporary grant does not settle the sponsorship question.

When does the two-year point arrive?

The threshold is measured from the date you applied for the temporary visa, not from the date it was granted and not from the date you arrived in Australia. The FAQs put it directly: if you hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820), two years must have passed since you applied for that visa to be eligible for assessment of the permanent visa.

Reaching the two-year point makes you eligible to be assessed. It is not a grant, and it does not shortcut anything else. The same FAQ page draws the line plainly in another context: if you are not yet eligible for the permanent visa, the Department cannot even consider a request for priority processing. Practically, the two-year date is the gate on every downstream action, and the exact eligibility criteria sit in 'Visa Requirements' on the Subclass 100 and Subclass 801 pages referenced in the FAQs.

Does the wait differ between the 820/801 and 309/100 streams?

Yes, and the reason is formal rather than anecdotal. Partner visa applications are processed according to Ministerial Direction 117. Under that direction, applications are generally assessed in the order received, with highest priority given to applications for the onshore Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801). Lower priority is given to offshore applications for the Partner visa (subclass 309 and 100) and the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), and the Department states that lower-priority applications are likely to experience longer processing times.

None of this tells you how long your own Stage 2 will take, and the Department's published guidance gives no figure specific to your application. The Department's position is that Partner visa applicants may experience longer processing times than expected, and that the Visa processing time guide tool shows processing times for recently decided applications only — a guide, not specific to your application.

How do you start the Stage 2 assessment?

The submission runs through ImmiAccount. Per the FAQs, the path is short:

Log in to ImmiAccount.
Select 'New application'.
Select 'Family'.
Select 'Stage 2 - Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)'.
Complete the online form using your Application ID.

If you did not use ImmiAccount for your original Partner visa application, you need to create an ImmiAccount first. Not every application can be imported into an account; where that fails, assistance can be requested through the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, selecting 'Enquiry/Issue – Unable to import application'.

Where do you find your Application ID?

Your Application ID appears in correspondence the Department has already sent you about your application. The FAQs identify three places to look: your acknowledgement of application received letter, your notification of visa grant letter, and the subject line of the Department's emails. Checking those three sources before you open the Stage 2 form avoids the most common stall — starting the assessment and then being unable to complete it because the identifier is missing.

Which documents does the assessment rely on?

The Department does not publish a single Stage 2 list on the FAQ page. Instead, it directs applicants to the checklist provided in ImmiAccount and to the step-by-step tab on the page for the visa being assessed — Subclass 801 or Subclass 100. Those are the authoritative lists for your own lodgement, and they change; use them rather than a generic list circulating elsewhere.

Three timing points in the FAQs are worth folding into your planning:

Health examinations can be completed after you apply. Results are valid for 12 months from the time you complete the examinations, and any health undertaking you are asked to sign is valid for 6 months. If they expire before a decision is made, the Department may ask for them again — which is why it advises checking processing times before you book them.
Sponsor police certificates are provided when the sponsorship is submitted, or as soon as possible after you apply, not deferred to Stage 2.
Deadlines can be extended only by request, and only before they expire. A request for more time goes through the Partner processing enquiry form and must include evidence of the steps you have taken, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation. There is no guarantee additional time will be given.

What if your circumstances change before Stage 2 is decided?

Change must be reported, and the mechanism depends on the type of change.

If your relationship with your sponsor has ended or changed, the FAQs direct you to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab in ImmiAccount. If you do not have ImmiAccount access, the change can be reported using the Partner processing enquiry form with a signed and completed Form 1022 (Notification of changes in circumstances). Reconciliation is also notified, through the Partner processing enquiry form, supported by statutory declarations from you and your sponsor plus identity evidence for both.

Family violence does not automatically end the pathway. The FAQs state that you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa, and refer applicants to the family violence provisions. Separately, if you withdraw a Partner visa application, both subclasses must be withdrawn together, and every included applicant aged 18 or over must provide consent through a signed statement.

Children are handled on their own track: while you hold a Subclass 820 or 309, your child can apply for a Dependent child visa (subclass 445), and once that visa is held, instructions for adding them to your Partner application are set out under 'When you have this visa' for that subclass.

After you lodge: what can you realistically expect?

Expect an ImmiAccount-based process. The FAQs treat ImmiAccount as the channel for checking application status, confirming whether all supporting documents have been provided, and attaching further information when requested. The Department's instruction is explicit: do not contact it if your application is still within the standard processing time, because no further progress updates can be provided.

Two end states matter for planning. If the permanent visa is refused, you no longer hold a temporary Partner visa — the FAQs direct such applicants to VEVO to check visa details and conditions. Your refusal notification letter will state whether you have the right to seek review of the decision with the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART); the ART's own website sets out its fees and charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request priority processing before the two years have passed?

No. The FAQs state that if you are not yet eligible for the permanent visa — which requires two years to have passed since you applied for the temporary visa — the Department cannot consider your priority processing request. Even once eligible, priority is discretionary: the Department will only consider a request if all supporting documents and information are submitted with your application, it requires special circumstances of a compassionate nature and compelling reasons to depart from the usual order, and most requests are not approved.

Where exactly do I find my Application ID?

Look in correspondence already sent to you about your application. The FAQs name the acknowledgement of application received letter, the notification of visa grant letter, and the subject line of the Department's emails. If you applied without ImmiAccount, look in the paper correspondence first, then create your ImmiAccount.

Do I need to redo my health examinations for Stage 2?

Only if they have expired. Health assessment results are valid for 12 months from completion, and a health undertaking is valid for 6 months. The Department may ask you to provide them again if they expire before it decides your visa, so checking processing times before you book examinations can avoid paying twice.

Can I add my child to my Stage 2 assessment?

Not directly. While you hold a temporary Subclass 820 or 309, your child can apply for a Dependent child visa (subclass 445). Once your child holds that visa, the instructions for adding them to your Partner application are published under 'When you have this visa' for Subclass 445.

What happens to my temporary visa if the permanent visa is refused?

You no longer hold a temporary Partner visa. The FAQs advise checking your visa details and conditions through VEVO so you know your status. Your refusal notification letter will tell you whether you have a right to seek review of the decision with the Administrative Review Tribunal.

My relationship has ended — is the permanent application automatically refused?

Not automatically, but you must notify the Department. Complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab in ImmiAccount, or use the Partner processing enquiry form with Form 1022 if you lack account access. The FAQs also note that people experiencing domestic and family violence may still be eligible for the grant of the permanent visa under the family violence provisions.