Partner Visa Bridging Visa B: Apply Before You Leave

A partner visa bridging visa B is the visa an onshore partner visa applicant needs to leave Australia and come back while the Subclass 820 application is still waiting for a decision. If your old visa has expired and you are now on a Bridging visa A, you should not board a plane until a partner visa bridging visa B has been granted to you. Leaving without one can leave you outside Australia with no visa to return on.

This article is written only for people who have applied in Australia for the combined Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa and who now need to travel overseas before the temporary visa is granted. It explains when a partner visa bridging visa B is needed, when it is not yet needed, what happens if you leave without one, who is eligible, when and how to apply, what the Department of Home Affairs treats as substantial reasons, and how to check the travel period before you fly. The general mechanics of the visa itself are covered in the firm's guide to the Bridging visa B, and the wider partner visa framework is set out in the complete guide to partner visas in Australia.

What is a partner visa bridging visa B?

A partner visa bridging visa B is a Bridging visa B (Subclass 020) granted to a person whose Subclass 820 partner visa application is still being processed, so that the person can leave Australia and return during a specified travel period. It is not a separate kind of partner visa. It is an ordinary Bridging visa B that is linked to the partner visa application.

The Department describes the Bridging visa B as a visa that lets you leave and return to Australia during a specified travel period while your substantive visa application is processed. For an onshore partner visa applicant, the substantive visa application is the combined application for the Subclass 820 temporary visa and the Subclass 801 permanent visa. The phrase "partner visa bridging visa B" is simply the practical name people use for that arrangement.

Three features matter most. First, you must apply for the partner visa bridging visa B while you are in Australia, and it must be granted while you are in Australia. Second, it gives you a travel period with a fixed end date. Third, if you are still overseas when that travel period ends, the visa ceases and you cannot return to Australia on it. Each of these rules is explained in detail below.

It helps to understand where this Bridging visa B sits among the other bridging visas. The firm's article on bridging visas in Australia explains the differences between the Bridging visa A, B, C and E. In short, the Bridging visa A keeps you lawful in Australia but does not let you travel and come back. The Bridging visa B adds the travel permission. The Bridging visa E is a different visa for people in a different position, and it does not lead to a Bridging visa B at all.

How the Bridging visa A and the partner visa fit together

When you lodge a Subclass 820 application while holding a valid substantive visa, the Department grants you a Bridging visa A. That Bridging visa A does not start straight away. It sits in the background and comes into effect only if your existing substantive visa expires before the partner visa is decided.

A substantive visa is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa. A visitor visa, a student visa, a temporary work visa or a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa are all substantive visas. While you still hold one of them, its conditions apply to you, including any travel rights it gives.

Once that substantive visa expires, the Bridging visa A comes into effect and keeps you lawful in Australia until the partner visa is decided. The firm's article on the Bridging visa A explains its conditions, and the article on work rights while waiting for a Subclass 820 visa explains how work conditions are handled during processing.

The key point for travel is simple. A Bridging visa A lets you stay. It does not let you leave and return. That gap is what the partner visa bridging visa B fills. Many applicants only discover this when a family emergency arises overseas, which is why it is worth understanding the position early in the life of the application.

Partner visa processing can take a long time, and the Department says that processing times for partner visa applications vary. The firm's article on how long a Subclass 820 partner visa takes explains the factors that affect waiting time. Over a long wait, most couples will have at least one reason to travel, and many will need a partner visa bridging visa B more than once.

When do you need a partner visa bridging visa B?

You need a partner visa bridging visa B when your substantive visa has expired, your Bridging visa A is in effect, and you want to leave Australia and come back before the Subclass 820 is decided. In that position, the Bridging visa B is the only practical way to travel without putting your return at risk.

The usual situations look like this:

• You lodged the Subclass 820 application while on a visitor visa, a student visa or a work visa, and that visa has since expired. You are now on a Bridging visa A.
• You already held a Bridging visa B for an earlier trip, and that travel period has ended. You need a new Bridging visa B for the next trip.
• You hold a Bridging visa A and a family emergency has arisen overseas, such as the serious illness or death of a close relative.

In each case, the Bridging visa B application must be made and granted before you leave. The Department states plainly that you must be granted this visa before leaving Australia. A Bridging visa B application that is still being processed on the day you fly does not protect you.

If you are not sure which visa is in effect today, check before you plan anything. Your visa grant notices and your entitlement record in VEVO will show which visa you currently hold. The firm's guide on how to create an ImmiAccount explains how to access your application and correspondence online, which is where the Bridging visa B application is also made.

A generic example

Consider a generic example. A person came to Australia on a student visa, met their partner, and lodged a Subclass 820 application while the student visa was still valid. The student visa then expired, and the Bridging visa A came into effect. A year later, a parent overseas becomes seriously ill. That person needs a partner visa bridging visa B before travelling. If they leave without one, the Bridging visa A ceases on departure and they will need another visa to return.

When you do not need a partner visa bridging visa B yet

You may not need a partner visa bridging visa B yet if you still hold a valid substantive visa that allows you to leave and re-enter Australia. While that substantive visa is held, your Bridging visa A is not in effect, and the substantive visa's own conditions govern your travel.

For example, a person who lodged the Subclass 820 application while holding a multiple entry visitor visa or a student visa that permits travel may be able to travel on that substantive visa, provided it is still valid on the day they return and its conditions allow re-entry. The firm's article on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa in Australia explains some of the issues that arise for visitors who apply onshore.

This situation needs careful checking for three reasons:

• The substantive visa must still be valid when you come back. If it expires while you are overseas, you cannot return on it. In that case, a Bridging visa B obtained before you leave is the safer path.
• The substantive visa must permit re-entry. Some visas are single entry, and some have conditions that affect travel. Read the grant notice and check VEVO.
• The effect of travel on the Bridging visa A should be confirmed before you leave. Whether the Bridging visa A survives your departure, and whether you will need a new bridging visa after you return, depends on the visas involved and should be checked before you book.

If your substantive visa will expire within the period you plan to be away, do not rely on it. Apply for a partner visa bridging visa B instead, inside the timing window explained later in this article. A short gap between the expiry of one visa and the start of travel can create a problem that is very difficult to fix from overseas.

People who hold a visa with a no further stay condition 8503 face separate issues at the lodgement stage, because that condition prevents a valid partner visa application unless a waiver is granted first. Those issues must be resolved before any question of travel arises.

Why you do not need a bridging visa B after the Subclass 820 is granted

You do not need a partner visa bridging visa B once the Subclass 820 temporary visa has been granted, because the Subclass 820 itself lets you travel to and from Australia as many times as you want. From the date of grant, the Subclass 820 is your substantive visa, and the bridging visa is no longer relevant.

The Department lists the main benefits of the Subclass 820 as the right to live, work and study in Australia, to travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, to attend English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible, and to apply for access to Medicare. The firm's article on the Subclass 820 visa explains these rights in more detail.

This is why the partner visa bridging visa B is a waiting-period tool. It covers the time between lodgement and the grant of the Subclass 820. It does not cover the permanent stage, because by then the applicant already holds a visa with travel rights. Travel during the permanent stage raises different issues, which are discussed later in this article.

The difference between the temporary and permanent stages is explained in the firm's article on Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801. In short, the Subclass 820 is granted first, and the Subclass 801 is assessed later. A partner visa bridging visa B is only relevant before the first of those two grants.

Can the Subclass 820 be granted while you are overseas?

Yes. The Department states that you can be in or outside Australia when it decides your temporary visa application. This means that a person who travels on a Bridging visa B may be granted the Subclass 820 while overseas, and may then return to Australia on the Subclass 820 itself.

This is helpful, but it is not a reason to travel without a partner visa bridging visa B. You cannot know when the Department will decide the application. If the decision does not come while you are overseas, you will need a valid visa to return, and only a Bridging visa B with a current travel period provides that.

Who this article is for, and who it is not for

This article is for onshore Subclass 820 applicants who have a pending application and a valid Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B. It is not a general guide to every visa that a Bridging visa B can be linked to, and it is not written for offshore applicants.

People applying from outside Australia for the Subclass 309 partner visa are not in the same position, because they apply from outside Australia and do not rely on a Bridging visa A in Australia. Same-sex couples follow exactly the same Bridging visa B rules as any other couple, and the firm's page on LGBTI partner visas explains how the partner visa itself applies to them.

If you are unsure whether your circumstances fit the usual pattern, the safest step is to obtain advice before booking travel. The firm's partner visa lawyers can check which visa is in effect, whether a partner visa bridging visa B is needed, and whether there is any other risk in the file that travel might expose.

What happens if you leave Australia on a Bridging visa A without a bridging visa B?

If you leave Australia while your Bridging visa A is in effect and you do not hold a partner visa bridging visa B, the Bridging visa A ceases when you depart, and you will need another visa to return to Australia. Your Subclass 820 application does not automatically end, but you have no visa that lets you come back.

This is the single most common and most damaging travel mistake made by onshore partner visa applicants. It usually happens in one of three ways. The applicant does not realise their old visa has expired. The applicant assumes that a pending partner visa application gives them travel rights. Or the applicant applies for a partner visa bridging visa B at the last minute and flies before it is granted.

The partner visa application itself

The Department states that the Subclass 820 can be decided while the applicant is in or outside Australia. Leaving Australia does not, by itself, withdraw the application or make it invalid. The case officer can continue to assess the relationship, request further information and make a decision.

However, the applicant is now overseas with no visa to return on. If the Subclass 820 is granted while they are outside Australia, they can return on it. If it is not, they may wait overseas for an unknown period, separated from their partner, with no way to predict when the decision will be made.

Getting back into Australia

Getting back into Australia is the real risk. Without a partner visa bridging visa B, the applicant must obtain some other visa to travel back. Whether any other visa is available, how long it takes and whether it creates other problems for the partner visa depends on the person's nationality, immigration history and circumstances. None of those questions can be answered safely after the person has already left.

Couples sometimes assume that the sponsor's Australian citizenship or permanent residence gives the applicant a right to return. It does not. The applicant needs their own visa to enter Australia. A sponsor's status helps the partner visa application. It does not create travel rights for the applicant.

Effects on the rest of the file

Leaving Australia without a partner visa bridging visa B can also affect the rest of the case. Periods of separation must be explained in the relationship evidence. Contact during the time apart becomes important. If the person's circumstances change, the Department must be told, usually through Form 1022 notification of changes in circumstances. A long and unplanned separation can also raise questions in an assessment of the relationship.

If you have already left Australia without a Bridging visa B, obtain advice promptly about the options for returning and about protecting the partner visa application. The firm's article on urgent immigration lawyer advice explains what to have ready when you seek advice in a hurry.

Who is eligible for a partner visa bridging visa B?

You are eligible for a partner visa bridging visa B if you hold a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B, you have held a substantive visa, your partner visa application is valid and not finally determined, you have substantial reasons to travel supported by documents, and you meet the character requirement. You must also be in Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted.

Each element is worth looking at separately, because each one can cause a refusal.

You must hold a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B

The Department requires the applicant to hold a Bridging visa A or a Bridging visa B. For an onshore partner visa applicant, that will usually be the Bridging visa A granted when the Subclass 820 was lodged, or a partner visa bridging visa B granted for an earlier trip. A person who holds only a Bridging visa E or a Bridging visa C is not in this group, and the consequences of that are explained later in this article.

You must have held a substantive visa

The applicant must have held a substantive visa. This is why the onshore partner visa applicant who lodged while holding a valid visitor, student or work visa is usually in a good position to obtain a Bridging visa B. The substantive visa they held at lodgement satisfies this element.

The partner visa application must not be finally determined

The partner visa application must be valid and must not be finally determined. A Bridging visa B is linked to a pending application. If the application has been decided, withdrawn or found invalid, the basis for the Bridging visa B is gone. Where a refusal is under review, the position becomes more complex, and advice is needed before any travel is planned. The firm's article on partner visa refusal appeal options sets out what happens after a decision, and the firm's page on partner visa refusals explains the review process.

You must give substantial reasons, with documents

The applicant must give substantial reasons for wanting to travel, together with documents that support those reasons. A holiday, a general wish to visit home or a desire to see friends is unlikely to be enough on its own. The reasons that commonly support a partner visa bridging visa B are discussed in detail below.

You must meet the character requirement

The applicant must meet the character requirement. A person with criminal history or other character concerns should obtain advice before applying, because a character issue raised in the Bridging visa B application may also be relevant to the partner visa itself. The firm's guide to Form 80 personal particulars explains why consistent and complete disclosure across all forms matters.

When should you apply for a partner visa bridging visa B?

You should apply for a partner visa bridging visa B no more than 3 months and not less than 2 weeks before your planned travel date. The Department sets this window and warns that if you leave the application to the last minute, you risk it not being granted before you leave.

Both ends of the window matter.

No more than 3 months before travel. An application made too early may not fit the Department's guidance. Your reasons for travel also need to be current. A family event that is many months away may change before the travel date.

Not less than 2 weeks before travel. This is the end that causes most of the trouble. Applicants who apply a few days before a flight often find themselves with a pending application and a non-refundable ticket. If the partner visa bridging visa B has not been granted by the day of travel, you should not fly. The Department is clear that you may then not hold a visa to return to Australia.

What about genuine emergencies?

Genuine emergencies do not always respect timing windows. A relative may become critically ill without warning, or may pass away suddenly. In that situation, apply for the partner visa bridging visa B as soon as possible, with the strongest documents you can obtain, and do not travel until the grant has been received.

It is better to delay a trip by a few days than to leave Australia without a valid return visa. A short delay is painful. Being stranded overseas while the partner visa is still pending can be far worse, both for the applicant and for the sponsor.

Plan ahead for known events

Many reasons for travel are known well in advance: a family wedding, a planned surgery for a relative, a court date or a property settlement. For these events, plan the partner visa bridging visa B application in the calendar as soon as the date is fixed. Apply inside the window, with full documents, and wait for the grant before you book non-refundable travel where possible.

How do you apply for a partner visa bridging visa B in ImmiAccount?

You apply for a partner visa bridging visa B online through ImmiAccount if your partner visa application was lodged online, which is the usual position for Subclass 820 applicants. You must be in Australia when you lodge the Bridging visa B application and when it is granted.

The practical steps are straightforward, but each one should be done carefully:

• Confirm which visa is in effect. Check your grant notices and VEVO. If your substantive visa is still valid and allows re-entry, you may not need a Bridging visa B yet.
• Confirm the partner visa application is still pending. The Bridging visa B depends on an application that is not finally determined.
• Fix your travel dates. Work out when you will leave and when you will return. The travel period you request should cover the whole trip with sensible margin.
• Gather the documents that support your substantial reasons. These are explained below. Keep copies of everything you upload.
• Lodge the Bridging visa B application in ImmiAccount. Use the same account that holds the partner visa application where possible, so the link between the two applications is clear. The how to create an ImmiAccount guide covers account access.
• Pay the application charge. There is a charge for the Bridging visa B. The amount is set by the Department and can change, so check the Department's current fee before you apply.
• Wait for the grant before travelling. Read the grant notice. Note the travel period end date and whether travel is single or multiple.

If a representative acts for you, they will usually be appointed through Form 956, so that the Department can deal with them on your behalf. The firm's article on hiring an immigration lawyer after visa lodgement explains how a lawyer can take over an application you lodged yourself, including the partner visa bridging visa B stage.

Answering the questions accurately

Answer every question in the partner visa bridging visa B application accurately and consistently with the partner visa application. Your address, relationship details, travel history and character answers should match what the Department already holds. Inconsistencies between applications can raise questions in the partner visa assessment. If something in the partner visa file was wrong, it should be corrected properly rather than repeated or contradicted in the Bridging visa B application.

What counts as substantial reasons for a partner visa bridging visa B?

Substantial reasons are serious, specific reasons for travel that are supported by documents, such as the serious illness or death of a close family member, a family wedding or ceremony, a work commitment, or a legal or property matter that requires you to be present. A general wish to have a holiday is unlikely to qualify on its own.

The Department does not publish a closed list, and each partner visa bridging visa B application is assessed on its facts. The categories below are the ones that most often arise for onshore partner visa applicants. For each one, the evidence is as important as the reason itself.

Serious illness or death in the family

The illness or death of a parent, child, sibling or other close relative overseas is one of the most common reasons for a partner visa bridging visa B. Useful documents include a letter from the treating doctor or hospital describing the condition and its seriousness, a death certificate or funeral notice, and evidence showing your relationship to the person, such as a birth certificate. Where documents are not in English, provide translations.

A wedding, funeral or significant family ceremony

A wedding, funeral, memorial or other significant family or cultural ceremony can be a substantial reason. Documents may include the invitation, a letter from the family or the organiser confirming the date and your role, and evidence of the family relationship. Couples sometimes travel together to the applicant's home country for their own wedding ceremony after a civil marriage in Australia. If so, the ceremony documents can also become useful relationship evidence later.

Work commitments

A work commitment overseas, such as a short business trip required by an Australian employer, can be a substantial reason. A letter from the employer on letterhead, describing the purpose of the trip, its dates and why your attendance is needed, is the most useful document.

Legal, property or official matters

A court hearing, a property settlement, the sale or transfer of property, the renewal of identity documents that can only be done in person, or a similar official matter can be a substantial reason. Useful documents include court notices, letters from lawyers or notaries, property documents and official letters confirming that personal attendance is required.

How to present the reasons

Present your reasons briefly and clearly. Explain what the event is, why you need to attend, when it occurs and how long you need to be away. Attach the documents and label them clearly. The aim is to let the case officer understand the request quickly. A partner visa bridging visa B application with a clear reason and strong documents is far easier to decide than one with vague reasons and no evidence.

Keeping the relationship evidence strong while you are apart

Time apart during a trip does not end a genuine relationship, but it should be explained, and the couple's contact during that time can be useful evidence. The Department lists staying in touch when apart as evidence of the nature of the commitment, one of the four matters it assesses in every partner visa.

Keep simple records of contact during the trip, such as call logs and messages, and keep evidence of continued shared finances and household responsibilities in Australia. If the trip is for a family event, photographs and documents from the event can show the relationship being recognised by family. The firm's guides to partner visa relationship evidence and to preparing evidence of a genuine relationship explain how this material fits the wider case.

Two Tribunal decisions from the partner visa review list illustrate how periods of living apart are assessed. In Ryu (Migration) [2026] ARTA 840, the recorded issues were a registered relationship and a couple who resided together, then lived separately, with time spent at both homes. In Summerhill (Migration) [2024] AATA 3952, the recorded issues were limited joint finances and shared households and activities when visiting. In both decisions, the Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The practical lesson is that separation is not automatically fatal, but it must be explained honestly and supported by evidence of how the relationship continued during the time apart.

If the trip leads to a longer separation than planned, update the Department and your relationship evidence. The relationship statement can be updated to explain the separation, and the partner visa document checklist helps couples keep their evidence current. The Department itself says that because partner applications can have long processing times, applicants should update their documents and evidence regularly through ImmiAccount.

Single or multiple travel, and the travel period end date

A partner visa bridging visa B is granted with either a single travel facility or a multiple travel facility, and it is valid for travel only until a specified date. Once that date passes, the travel permission is finished, and you need a new Bridging visa B for any further trip.

Single travel allows one departure from Australia and one return within the travel period. Multiple travel allows more than one departure and return within the travel period. The grant notice will state which applies. Do not assume you have multiple travel because you asked for it. Read the grant notice.

The rule that catches people out

The most important rule is this: if you are outside Australia when the travel period on your partner visa bridging visa B ends, the visa ceases, and you cannot return to Australia with a ceased Bridging visa B. The Department states this rule in plain terms.

This means a flight delay, a missed connection, an extended stay for a family funeral or a decision to stay a few extra days can leave you outside Australia with no visa. Plan your return to land in Australia well before the travel period ends. Leave a margin for delays. If circumstances change while you are overseas and you may not be back in time, obtain advice immediately, before the end date passes.

When you need a new Bridging visa B

You need a new partner visa bridging visa B if the travel period on your previous one has ended, or if your previous Bridging visa B allowed single travel and you have already used it. The Department states that if the travel period has ended, you need a new Bridging visa B. The same eligibility rules, timing window and substantial reasons requirement apply each time. The firm's guide to the Subclass 820 partner visa explains how the visa process fits around these bridging arrangements over a long wait.

Checking your partner visa bridging visa B in VEVO

You should check your partner visa bridging visa B in VEVO, the Department's Visa Entitlement Verification Online service, after it is granted and again before you travel. VEVO shows which visa is currently in effect, its conditions and, for a Bridging visa B, the date by which you must be back in Australia.

Check three things in particular:

• The visa in effect. Confirm that the Bridging visa B is recorded and that it is linked to your partner visa application.
• The travel period end date. Compare it with your return flight. Your return must be well before this date.
• Single or multiple travel. Confirm how many trips the visa allows, especially if you plan more than one.

If anything in VEVO does not match the grant notice, resolve it before you fly. A discrepancy found at the airport cannot easily be fixed. Keep a copy of the grant notice and a VEVO printout with your travel documents.

Family members on the same partner visa application

Family members included in the same partner visa application can be included in the partner visa bridging visa B application, but only those who have substantial reasons to travel. A dependent child included in the Subclass 820 application who will travel with the applicant needs to be covered, and the reasons for that child's travel should be explained.

In most families, the reasons are straightforward. A child travelling with a parent to see a seriously ill grandparent, or to attend a family wedding, has a reason linked to the parent's reason. Explain the link clearly and provide the supporting documents, such as birth certificates showing the family relationships.

A family member who is not travelling does not need to be included. The sponsor, who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, does not need a partner visa bridging visa B at all, because the sponsor does not depend on the partner visa application to enter Australia.

Bridging visa E holders and applicants without a substantive visa

A person who holds only a Bridging visa E cannot obtain a partner visa bridging visa B, because the Department requires the applicant to hold a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B and to have held a substantive visa. In practice, a person on a Bridging visa E should assume that leaving Australia will leave them with no bridging visa to return on.

This group usually includes people who lodged the partner visa after their last substantive visa had already expired. Those applicants did not hold a substantive visa when they applied, so they must satisfy the additional criteria in Schedule 3 of the Migration Regulations 1994, unless the Department is satisfied that there are compelling reasons not to apply them. The firm's articles on Schedule 3 criteria for a partner visa and the Schedule 3 partner visa waiver explain those requirements, and the firm's Schedule 3 waiver service explains how the firm prepares those cases.

One of the Schedule 3 criteria sets a time limit, counted from when the last substantive visa ceased, within which the partner visa application must be made. In Naiyaga (Migration) [2024] AATA 2786, the recorded issues were Schedule 3 criteria, an application lodged outside the relevant timeframe, and waiver. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The practical lesson is that Schedule 3 cases depend heavily on the applicant's own history, and an applicant in that position has a strong reason not to complicate the file with travel.

Some applicants hold a Bridging visa that is linked to an earlier application, or have a past refusal or cancellation. The firm's articles on a partner visa after a visa refusal and its pages on visa refusals and visa cancellations explain the extra limits that may apply. Anyone in these positions should obtain advice before making any travel plans at all.

Conditions and work rights on a partner visa bridging visa B

You cannot change the conditions on a partner visa bridging visa B. If you need different conditions, such as permission to work, the Department's position is that you should apply for a Bridging visa A instead. Work rights on a Bridging visa B depend on the substantive visa you held or the substantive visa you have applied for.

The Bridging visa B comes into effect when your substantive visa ceases, or on grant if it is more beneficial to you. While you still hold a substantive visa, that substantive visa's conditions continue to apply. This matters for people who obtain a partner visa bridging visa B while still on a visitor or student visa, because the conditions of that visa continue to govern their stay until it expires.

Before you apply, compare the conditions of your current Bridging visa A with those likely to apply on the Bridging visa B. The firm's article on Subclass 820 work rights and the Bridging visa A explains how work conditions operate while the partner visa is pending, and the 820 visa requirements guide sets out the wider requirements of the onshore partner visa.

Other issues to check before you travel

Before you travel on a partner visa bridging visa B, check that nothing else in the partner visa file is waiting for you. Travel does not stop the Department's processing. Requests and deadlines continue while you are overseas.

• Requests for information. If the Department sends a section 56 request for more information or a section 57 natural justice letter while you are away, the response time still runs. Make sure you can read your email and respond.
• Health examinations and police certificates. If the Department has asked for health examinations or police certificates, arrange them before you leave or confirm how they will be done.
• Changes in circumstances. If your address, contact details or circumstances change, tell the Department through Form 1022.
• Relationship evidence. Keep collecting evidence while apart, as explained earlier, and keep Form 888 statements and the 820 partner visa evidence checklist in mind for later updates.

If the relationship itself is under strain, travel can raise further issues. The firm's articles on what happens if the relationship breaks down during a Subclass 820 application and its family violence partner visa page explain the limited circumstances in which a partner visa may still be granted after a relationship ends.

Travel during the permanent stage on the Subclass 820

Once the Subclass 820 has been granted, you do not need a partner visa bridging visa B, because the Subclass 820 lets you travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the Subclass 801 is assessed. There are, however, several points to manage during this stage.

• Do not get another visa while on the Subclass 820. The Department warns that getting any other visa while on the Subclass 820 ends eligibility for the Subclass 801.
• Police certificates. For the permanent stage, an overseas police certificate is needed for any country where you have spent 12 months or more since the Subclass 820 was granted. Long periods overseas can therefore add requirements.
• Health examinations. Health examinations may be required again at the permanent stage.
• Relationship evidence. The sponsor completes a statutory declaration about the relationship for the permanent stage, and the relationship must still be genuine and continuing. Long separations should be explained and supported by evidence of continuing contact.

The firm's article on how long the Subclass 820 onshore partner visa takes explains the timing of the two stages. The firm's article on Subclass 820 visa costs explains the government charges paid at lodgement, which cover both stages.

New Zealand citizens and the Subclass 444 trap

New Zealand citizens who hold a Subclass 820 must take care when they return to Australia, because a Special Category visa (Subclass 444) can be granted at the border and the Department warns that the grant of a Subclass 444 overrides the Subclass 820 and ends eligibility for the Subclass 801. The Department's advice is to tell the border officer that you do not want a Special Category visa.

This is a trap that many New Zealand citizens do not see coming, because the Subclass 444 is usually granted automatically when a New Zealand citizen arrives in Australia. Before travelling, a New Zealand citizen on a Subclass 820 should plan exactly what to say at the border and keep the Subclass 820 grant notice with their passport.

New Zealand citizens whose partner visa application is still pending, and who have not yet been granted the Subclass 820, should obtain advice before any travel. The interaction between the Subclass 444 granted at the border, the bridging visa linked to the application and the partner visa bridging visa B question needs to be checked against their own visa history. Family members of New Zealand citizens who are not themselves New Zealand citizens are in a different position again, and the firm's page on the Subclass 461 visa explains that pathway.

Common partner visa bridging visa B mistakes

Most problems with a partner visa bridging visa B come from a small number of avoidable mistakes:

• Assuming that a pending partner visa application gives travel rights.
• Not realising that the substantive visa has expired and the Bridging visa A is now in effect.
• Applying a few days before the flight and travelling before the grant.
• Giving vague reasons for travel with no supporting documents.
• Returning after the travel period end date.
• Leaving Australia while holding only a Bridging visa E.
• Accepting a Subclass 444 at the border as a New Zealand citizen on a Subclass 820.
• Letting a request from the Department go unanswered while overseas.

Each of these mistakes can affect the partner visa itself, not only the trip. Refusals can follow from missed deadlines, inconsistent evidence or long unexplained separations, and the firm's articles on why Subclass 820 visas are refused and why partner visas get refused explain the common reasons. If a refusal does occur, the time limit to apply for review is short and strictly applied, and the firm's guides to ART review after a visa refusal and to visa appeal lawyers explain the process.

How My Migration Lawyers manages travel and partner visa bridging visa B applications

My Migration Lawyers manages travel for onshore partner visa applicants from start to finish: it confirms which visa is in effect, advises on the risks before flights are booked, times and prepares the partner visa bridging visa B application with the client's own reasons and documents, and checks the grant before the client leaves. The firm acts in many partner visa matters of this exact type, including complex files, and is capable of handling the travel questions that arise during a long wait.

On a partner visa bridging visa B matter, the firm's work usually follows these steps:

• Checking which visa is in effect. The firm reviews the client's grant notices and runs a VEVO check to confirm whether a substantive visa, a Bridging visa A or an earlier Bridging visa B is in effect, and whether the partner visa application is still pending.
• Advising on risk before booking. Before the client books flights, the firm advises whether a partner visa bridging visa B is needed, whether travel on a current substantive visa is safe, and whether anything in the file, such as Schedule 3, a past refusal, a character issue or a New Zealand citizenship question, makes travel unwise.
• Planning the timing. The firm plans the application inside the window of no more than 3 months and not less than 2 weeks before travel, and sets a return date that sits safely within the travel period.
• Preparing the application and reasons. The firm prepares the partner visa bridging visa B application in ImmiAccount and presents the client's own reasons for travel, supported by the client's documents, in a clear and organised form. The reasons are the client's own, reviewed and confirmed by the client.
• Checking the grant and protecting the partner visa. The firm checks the grant notice and the travel period, and makes sure that requests from the Department, changes in circumstances and relationship evidence are managed while the client is away.

The partner visa practice is overseen by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers, about the firm's partner visa lawyer services, and about when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa. Couples weighing their options can also read the firm's articles on partner visa lawyers, on a partner visa lawyer compared with doing it yourself, on choosing a partner visa lawyer in Australia, on getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer and on what happens at an immigration lawyer consultation.

The firm advises partner visa applicants wherever they live in Australia, with consultations by video. That includes clients who search for partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Parramatta, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart.

If you need to travel while your partner visa is pending, do not book flights first. Obtain advice on the partner visa bridging visa B before you commit to a date. Book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers to have the firm check your visa position and plan your travel. You can also call 1300 040 300.