Partner visa sponsorship limits: the third-sponsorship and 5-year rules and when they may not apply

Updated 2026-10-14 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

Yes. The partner visa pages say a sponsor may be refused for having sponsored a partner before, or for having been sponsored as a partner. The subclass 820 page says it may refuse your sponsorship and your partner's visa application if this is your third time sponsoring someone for a Partner visa or Prospective Marriage visa, if you have sponsored another partner within the last 5 years, or if you were sponsored as a partner within the last 5 years. The same three situations appear on the subclass 309 page and the subclass 300 page.

Sponsorship is not something you do simply by being in a relationship: the subclass 820 page says "We must approve your sponsorship."

The three situations that can lead to refusal

Under the sponsorship limitations section, the subclass 820 page says it may refuse your sponsorship and your partner's visa application if:

  • this is your third time sponsoring someone for a Partner visa or Prospective Marriage visa
  • you have sponsored another partner within the last 5 years
  • you were sponsored as a partner within the last 5 years

The subclass 309 page and the subclass 300 page list the same three situations. On each page the sentence begins with "We may refuse" — the wording is may, not will.

The four circumstances in which you might still be able to sponsor

The subclass 820 page says you might still be able to sponsor someone for this visa in circumstances where:

  • you and your partner (the applicant) have a dependent child who is dependent on each of you, or
  • your previous partner died, or
  • your previous partner left the relationship and there are children dependent on you for care and support, or
  • your relationship with your partner (the applicant) is longstanding

The subclass 309 page and the subclass 300 page list the same four circumstances, using the same "might still be able" wording.

Contributory Parent visa holders

The subclass 820 page says it may refuse your sponsorship and your partner's visa application if your partner was your spouse or de facto partner before it granted you that visa, and if it has been less than 5 years since it granted you that visa.

The subclass 309 page and the subclass 300 page state the same two conditions.

Woman at Risk (subclass 204) visa holders

The subclass 820 page says it may refuse your sponsorship and your partner's visa application if you were granted a subclass 204 visa in the 5 years before your partner applied, and on the date that you were granted that visa you were divorced or permanently separated from the applicant, or the applicant was your spouse or de facto partner but you did not tell the department about them at the time.

The subclass 309 page states the same test. The subclass 300 page states the same test, with the two alternatives listed separately.

Do the 820, 309 and 300 lists match?

For the items checked on each page — the three sponsorship situations, the four circumstances, the Contributory Parent visa conditions and the Woman at Risk (subclass 204) conditions — the substance is the same on all three pages.

One line differs. The subclass 820 page and the subclass 309 page say the department may refuse your partner's visa application if you and your partner are found to be in a forced marriage. The subclass 300 page says it may refuse your partner's visa application if you and your partner are found to be at risk of forced marriage.

Each page opens its sponsorship limitations section by saying it may refuse your sponsorship application and the visa application if the sponsorship limitations below apply to you.

Questions people ask

Can I be refused only because I sponsored someone before?

The subclass 820 page says it may refuse your sponsorship and your partner's visa application if the listed limitations apply to you, and those include the third-sponsorship situation and the two 5-year situations. The same page says you might still be able to sponsor in the four circumstances it lists, including the death of your previous partner and a longstanding relationship with the applicant.

Do the same sponsorship limits apply to the Prospective Marriage visa?

For the parts checked here, yes: the subclass 300 page lists the same three situations, the same four circumstances, the same Contributory Parent visa conditions and the same Woman at Risk (subclass 204) conditions as the subclass 820 and subclass 309 pages.

What happens if my previous partner died?

The subclass 820 page, the subclass 309 page and the subclass 300 page each list the death of your previous partner as one of the circumstances in which you might still be able to sponsor someone for this visa.

Is the 5-year period counted from the sponsorship or from the visa grant?

For the sponsorship situations, the pages say "within the last 5 years" in relation to sponsoring another partner or being sponsored as a partner. For Contributory Parent visa holders, the subclass 820 page refers to it being less than 5 years since it granted you that visa. For Woman at Risk visa holders, the subclass 820 page refers to the 5 years before your partner applied.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary published by PartnerVisa.help, is not published by the Department of Home Affairs, and the department's current pages prevail if they differ.