What Happens If Your Partner Visa 100 Is Refused in 2026?
If your Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) is refused, the Department of Home Affairs gives you the outcome in writing, tells you why the visa was refused, tells you whether you have a right to a review of that decision, and does not refund the application fee. That is what the Department of Home Affairs official page for the Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) sets out in its visa outcome step, as at the October 2026 version of that page. This article is general information only and is not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances, so read it alongside your decision letter and the official pages.
What exactly does the refusal letter tell you?
Everything that matters at this point sits in one document. The Department's page describes four things about a refusal:
- The decision is given to you in writing.
- The letter sets out why the visa was refused.
- The letter states whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
- The application fee is not refunded.
Keep the letter itself. Had the permanent visa been granted instead, the same step of the process would have given you a visa grant number, the date the visa starts and any visa conditions, and the page advises keeping a copy of that decision; either way, the written outcome is the record you will need for whatever you do next.
Do you have a right to have the refusal reviewed?
Only if the letter says so, and the letter is the place where you check. A review right is not something every partner visa applicant carries automatically — the Department says it will tell you whether you have one, which means the answer depends on the decision and the reasons behind it.
If the letter says you do have review rights, that document is also what identifies the review pathway open to you, so read that section first and note anything it says about how and when to apply. If the letter says you do not, a review is not available, and what remains is a fresh application, which is a new application rather than a continuation of the one that was refused.
Will you get the application fee back?
No. The Department states plainly that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. The fee covers the assessment of the application, not the outcome of it, so a refusal does not release it.
What does the permanent stage actually ask you to prove?
Most refusal reasons point back to the evidence the second stage was asking for. The Department's page describes the permanent stage of the Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) as requiring:
- Identity — copies of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and the passport issue and expiry dates.
- Accurate information — as a visa applicant, you must prove your identity and provide true information with your application.
- Character — a current Australian police certificate if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, and only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted. You also need an overseas police certificate from any country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more since the grant of your 309 visa.
- The continuing relationship — evidence that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa.
Timing matters too: you become eligible for consideration of the permanent visa two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together, and the Department asks you not to send permanent-stage documents before that point.
Suppose, purely as a hypothetical, that an applicant's letter points to police certificates that were issued more than 12 months before the decision was made. That applicant's next step — whether a review or a fresh application — would be assessed against the same character requirements the page sets out, with the expiry rule doing the work.
What if your circumstances have changed since you applied?
The Department expects to be told about changes that happen after you lodge but before a decision is made. These include changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, any other changes relevant to your application, and a request to withdraw it.
If your relationship has ended, the page says you may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. It also notes that you might still be eligible for the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies, that information you provide is confidential, and that there are family violence provisions for people experiencing domestic and family violence. For applicants who cannot reach ImmiAccount, the page names the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel for notifying the Department.
How do you keep your options open while you decide?
Start by working out which door the letter leaves open: review, a fresh application, or neither. That single fact determines what kind of preparation is worth your time.
Then look at the state of your evidence. Partner applications can have long processing times, and the Department advises updating your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount, which is also where you would manage any further application. If you are unsure which visa you currently hold, VEVO is the service the page points to for checking your visa details and conditions.
Protect the basics of your file: keep your contact details current, and keep your ImmiAccount and email credentials to yourself. When it comes to help, the page is specific — a person giving you immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, appointed using Form 956, while Form 956A covers appointing someone to receive correspondence. Anything such a person sends is treated as if it came from you.
On timing, the Department publishes current estimates on its Global processing times page. That estimate is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications, and it does not guarantee that an application will be decided within it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Department tell me why my subclass 100 was refused?
Yes. The Department gives you the decision in writing and tells you why the visa was refused. The same letter states whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
Does every partner visa refusal come with review rights?
No. The Department tells you in the decision letter whether you have a right to a review, which means the right is not automatic for every refusal. If the letter says you do not have one, the alternative is a fresh application.
Is the application fee refunded if the permanent Partner visa is refused?
No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. The fee covers the assessment of the application rather than its outcome.
Can I be outside Australia when the permanent stage is decided?
Yes. The Department can decide the permanent Partner visa while you are in or outside Australia. The decision is communicated to you in writing either way.
Do I need new police certificates for the permanent stage?
You usually need a current Australian police certificate if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application, and the Department may ask for a new one if the previous certificate has expired. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, and overseas certificates are needed for any country where you spent 12 months or more since your 309 was granted.
Does the end of my relationship mean the permanent visa is automatically refused?
Not automatically. The Department notes that you might still be eligible for the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies, and there are family violence provisions for people experiencing domestic and family violence. You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount.
Where can I check which visa I am currently on?
Use VEVO, the service the Department refers to for checking visa details and conditions. Your decision letter records what was decided on the permanent stage.
References
Department of Home Affairs — Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100)