When Can I Submit Documents for the Subclass 100 Stage in 2026?

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

You can submit your documents for the permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) stage once two years have passed since the day you lodged your combined subclass 309 and subclass 100 application — and not before. According to the Department of Home Affairs' Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) official page (as of October 2026), you become eligible for consideration of the permanent visa two years after you apply, and the department's instruction is explicit: do not send the permanent-stage documents before that time.

This article is general information only and is not personalised advice for your circumstances, so check the current official wording or get professional help before you rely on any single date.

What exactly is my eligibility date?

Your eligibility date is the second anniversary of your lodgement date — the day you submitted the combined temporary and permanent partner visa application. It is not calculated from the day your subclass 309 visa was granted, and it is not calculated from the day you first entered Australia.

The official page states that two years must have passed since you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas before you can be assessed for the permanent subclass 100 visa. It also confirms the related point on processing: the processing time for the permanent partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is that same two-year anniversary.

How do I find the date I lodged my application?

The department points applicants to ImmiAccount for this. Log in to ImmiAccount, open your 309/100 application record, and read the date it shows as submitted; that is the date you count two years from.

It is also worth confirming which visa you currently hold before you prepare anything. The department says that if it granted you the permanent subclass 100 visa immediately after granting your subclass 309, you do not have to provide these documents or do anything further, and you can check your current visa using VEVO.

What happens if I upload before the two-year mark?

The official instruction appears twice on the subclass 100 page: submit your documents once two years have passed since you first applied, and do not attach them before this time. Sending the permanent-stage package early is therefore not a way to move ahead of the queue — it is the one thing the page tells you not to do.

There is a distinction worth keeping straight. Documents that update your existing application — a new address, a new passport, fresh relationship evidence as time goes on — can be added in ImmiAccount as your situation changes, and the department advises updating relationship evidence regularly because partner applications can have long processing times. The package tied to the two-year eligibility date is the permanent-stage submission, which is a separate step.

Can the subclass 100 be granted in less than two years?

Yes, in the narrow circumstances the department lists. The official page says you might be granted the permanent subclass 100 visa in less than two years if you were in a long-term partner relationship with your sponsor when you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas, or if your sponsor is or was the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa and was in a married or de facto relationship with you before that permanent visa was granted, provided you had informed the department of the relationship before it was granted.

These are grounds the department applies when it assesses a case; they are not an invitation to lodge the stage-two package early. The same page still tells applicants not to attach permanent-stage documents before two years have passed.

What should I have ready before the date arrives?

The department's step-by-step guide sets out the groups of documents normally required for the permanent stage:

Identity — a copy of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and the issue and expiry dates.
Character — a current Australian police certificate, if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application. The department only accepts complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police, not standard disclosure certificates or certificates issued by state or territory police, and it treats police certificates as valid for 12 months from the issue date. 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 your subclass 309 visa was granted.
Relationship evidence — proof that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary partner visa.
Family members — for every family member who currently holds a subclass 309 or 445 visa, copies of their passport, documents showing changes to their situation, and police certificates for dependants aged 16 or over where applicable.

Documents in another language need to be translated into English, with the original and the translation both provided. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters; translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language, in English.

Scan or photograph everything in colour, clearly enough to read, saving any multi-page document as a single file. The department says documents do not need to be certified.

How do I actually submit the permanent-stage documents?

The official page sets out the sequence in ImmiAccount:

Log in to ImmiAccount.
Select 'New application'.
Select 'Family'.
Select 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment'.
Attach your documents.

Attach a document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing, and label your documents clearly. You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the department states this limit cannot be increased; if you reach the limit for one applicant, further documents can be attached to other clients on the application.

The page also lists the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel for cases where documents cannot be uploaded to ImmiAccount.

Does reaching the eligibility date mean I get the visa then?

No. Eligibility opens the assessment; it does not decide it. The department publishes processing times for this visa as a guideline based on how long recently decided applications took, and it states clearly that this is not a guarantee that your application will be decided within that timeframe.

Applications can take longer if they are not filled in correctly, if required documents are missing, if the department needs more information, or if verifying your information takes time. Providing all required information is the factor the page specifically links to faster processing.

Does anything change what I have to show at this stage?

The criteria you must continue to meet are broader than the relationship itself. You must continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the person who sponsored you for the temporary visa, you and any family unit members must continue to meet the health requirement, and you and any family members must have no debts to the Australian Government, or must have arranged to repay them. The department may also refuse to grant the visa if granting it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

If your relationship ends, or your partner dies, before the permanent visa is granted, you might still be eligible; the department directs applicants to its guidance on changed relationships, and to separate provisions that apply where domestic and family violence is involved. Either way, changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and other changes relevant to the application need to be reported.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I apply for subclass 100 two years after 309?

You can submit the permanent-stage documents once two years have passed since the day you lodged your combined subclass 309 and 100 application, which is your eligibility date. The Department of Home Affairs states on the subclass 100 page that applicants should not send these documents before that time. Your eligibility date is confirmed by checking your submission date in ImmiAccount.

Is the two years counted from the grant of my 309 or from my application date?

It is counted from the date you applied for the subclass 309 and 100 visas, not from the date the subclass 309 was granted. The official page phrases the rule as two years having passed "since you applied" for both visas. Your lodgement date in ImmiAccount is the reference point the department directs you to.

What happens if I upload my stage 2 documents a few weeks early?

The department's instruction is that you should not attach the permanent-stage documents before two years have passed since you first applied. Uploading early does not put you ahead, and it runs against the specific guidance on the official page. Preparing documents in advance is fine; attaching them is not, until the anniversary has passed.

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

No. The official page states that you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent partner visas. You may still have to meet other costs connected with health or police checks.

Which police certificates does the permanent stage require?

The department may require a current Australian police certificate if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application, and it only accepts complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. Police certificates are treated as valid for 12 months from the issue date, so a new one may be requested if yours has expired. You also need an overseas police certificate from any country where you spent a total of 12 months or more since your subclass 309 visa was granted.

Can I still add a child at the permanent stage?

You can add a dependent child to your application before the department makes a decision on your permanent visa application, and the child can be in or outside Australia. The child must hold a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), be a member of the family unit, meet the health requirement, and meet the character requirement if aged 16 or over. No family members can be added after the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) is granted.

Will I get the visa grant on my eligibility date?

Not necessarily. The eligibility date is when assessment can begin, and the department says the processing time for the permanent partner visa runs from that date. Published processing times are a guideline based on recently decided applications and are not a guarantee of when your case will be decided.

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