How Does the 309 to 100 Partner Visa Two-Stage Process Work in 2026?

Updated 2026-10-11 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

Subclass 309 and subclass 100 are the temporary and permanent halves of one decision, not two separate applications. If you applied outside Australia and have just been granted a Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309), the Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) is the second assessment of the same case: the Department checks whether the relationship and the other criteria still hold before it grants permanent residence. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) page, information current as at October 2026, you must hold a subclass 309 visa or a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), and in most cases continue to be in a genuine and ongoing relationship with your sponsor.

What is the difference between subclass 309 and subclass 100?

The difference is the stage, not the relationship. The subclass 309 is the provisional visa that lets you travel to and live in Australia while the Department holds the permanent part of your case open. The subclass 100 is the permanent visa that closes the case.

The subclass 100 is described on the Department's page as a permanent visa, and it states that you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. That grant day matters more than any later travel: permanent residence starts on the grant date, not on the day you first arrive.

What can you do on the 100 that the 309 did not already allow?

The Department frames the permanent stage as additive to the provisional one. In addition to what the subclass 309 allows, the subclass 100 lets you live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia, and apply for Australian citizenship if you are eligible.

The published list of what the visa allows also includes access to Medicare, travel to and from Australia for five years, and free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if you are eligible.

Travel works differently from residence. You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for five years from the date the visa is granted, as long as the travel facility is valid. After that five-year travel facility ends, you must apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to travel to Australia as a permanent resident. You can see when your travel facility ends using VEVO.

Two other practical points come from the same page. If you are outside Australia when the visa is granted, you must enter Australia before the first entry arrival date specified in your grant letter. And you will not get a label in your passport; the visa is digitally linked to your passport instead.

Did you already apply for the 100 when you applied for the 309?

Yes. The Department's own wording treats them as one lodging event: it refers to "the date you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas," and it says on the cost section that you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.

That is the clearest answer to the most common worry. There is no second visa application charge to pay at the permanent stage, because it was covered when you applied for both stages together. You might still have to pay other costs for health or police checks.

When does the Department start assessing the permanent stage?

Two years must have passed since you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas before you are eligible to be assessed for the permanent subclass 100 visa. You can check the date you submitted your application in ImmiAccount.

The Department states that the processing time for a permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. Published processing times are updated regularly and are a guideline only, because every application is assessed on a case-by-case basis and complex cases may take longer.

The Department also lists what commonly slows an application down: an incorrectly filled-in form, missing required documents, requests for more information, and time spent verifying what you have provided.

Can the two-year wait be shortened?

It can be, in narrow circumstances. The Department says it might grant the permanent subclass 100 visa in less than two years if either:

you were in a long-term partner relationship with your sponsor when you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas, or
your sponsor is, or was, the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa and, before that permanent visa was granted, was in a married or de facto relationship with you — and you must have informed the Department about your relationship before that permanent visa was granted.

What still has to be true while you hold the 309?

You must continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa. The Department may still grant the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies before a decision is made, and it points to its guidance on relationships that have changed. If you are experiencing domestic and family violence, the Department's family violence provisions may mean you are still eligible for the grant of the permanent visa.

Three other criteria continue to apply at the permanent stage. You and any members of the family unit, including dependent children who apply with you, must continue to meet the health requirement — and family members who do not come with you to Australia might also need to meet it. If you had health examinations for your subclass 309 visa, the Department will let you know whether you need to do them again or whether more checks are needed. You and any family members must also have no debts to the Australian Government, or have paid them back or arranged to pay them back. And the Department might not grant the visa if doing so would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

This article is general information about how the published process works rather than personalised migration or legal advice, so check your own circumstances against the Department's current pages or a registered practitioner before you rely on any of it.

What should you do while you wait, in order?

Sign in to ImmiAccount. Find the date you submitted your 309 and 100 application. Write down the date two years after that submission. That is the earliest date you become eligible to be assessed. Keep collecting relationship evidence from the day your 309 is granted. Keep records that show a shared household, finances and commitments. Respond quickly if the Department asks for more information. Tell the Department if you have a baby after you applied. Wait to be told if you need health examinations again. Check VEVO after any grant to see when your travel facility ends.

Can you add a child or family member at the permanent stage?

Only through a specific route. Members of the family unit are included when you apply for the temporary Partner visa (subclass 309), and members of the family unit who apply with you must also be outside Australia. To include a dependent child in your permanent subclass 100 application after the subclass 309 has been granted, your child must first apply for a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), and the Department can grant your child the subclass 100 visa if they are a member of the family unit and meet all other criteria.

If your dependent child holds a subclass 445 visa rather than a subclass 309 visa, you can add them to your permanent Partner visa application before the Department makes a decision on it, whether the child is in or outside Australia. Complete and attach Form 1002 — Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa — to your ImmiAccount, then let the Department know using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.

Two limits are worth noting. You cannot add any family members after the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) has been granted. And if you have a baby after you have applied for this visa, you need to let the Department know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is subclass 100 a separate application I need to lodge?

No. The subclass 100 is the permanent stage of the same application you lodged for the subclass 309, and the Department refers to the single date you applied for both visas. What happens after two years is an assessment of that existing case, not a fresh lodgement.

Do I have to pay the visa application charge again for the 100 stage?

The Department's cost section states that you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. You might still have to pay other costs for health or police checks.

When will the Department start assessing me for the permanent visa?

Two years must have passed since you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas before you are eligible to be assessed. The Department also says the processing time for the permanent visa starts from that date of eligibility.

Can the 100 be granted in under two years?

Possibly, in two situations: you were in a long-term partner relationship with your sponsor when you applied, or your sponsor holds or held a permanent humanitarian visa and was in a married or de facto relationship with you before it was granted, provided you had told the Department about the relationship beforehand. Otherwise the two-year eligibility point applies.

What happens if my relationship ends before the 100 is granted?

You might still be eligible for the permanent visa. The Department publishes separate guidance for relationships that have ended and for situations involving domestic and family violence, including provisions under which the permanent visa may still be granted.

Can I add my child after my 309 has been granted?

Not directly to the 100 application. Your child must first apply for a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), and if they hold a 445 visa you then complete and attach Form 1002 to your ImmiAccount and notify the Department through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form before a decision is made.

How long can I travel once the 100 is granted?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for five years from the date the visa is granted, as long as the travel facility is valid. To travel after that, you need to be granted a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).

When do I actually become a permanent resident?

On the day the subclass 100 visa is granted, according to the Department's page. If you are outside Australia at that time, you must still enter before the first entry arrival date shown in your grant letter.