Partner Visa Priority Processing: Requesting Urgent Review

Partner visa priority processing is the Department of Home Affairs' power to decide a partner visa application ahead of its normal place in the queue. Partner visa priority processing is not an entitlement and it is not something an applicant can choose. It is granted only where the Department accepts that the case involves special circumstances of a compassionate nature and that there are compelling reasons to depart from the order of priority set by the Minister.

Most couples who ask about partner visa priority processing do so because the wait is long and life does not stop while the application is decided. This guide explains how the Department orders partner visa applications, when it will consider a request for urgency, what evidence it needs, what it will not accept, and how to make a request that is taken seriously. It also explains why the most reliable way to be decided sooner is usually a complete, decision-ready application. For a full overview of the partner visa pathways, see our complete guide to partner visas in Australia. If your circumstances are urgent now, our partner visa lawyers can assess whether a request is worth making before anything is sent.

What is partner visa priority processing?

Partner visa priority processing is a decision by a delegate of the Minister to consider a particular partner visa application earlier than the order of priority would otherwise require. It applies to both stages of a partner visa: the temporary stage, such as the Subclass 820 visa, and the permanent stage, such as the Subclass 801 visa.

Three points about partner visa priority processing are often misunderstood.

• It changes timing, not the outcome. Priority only moves the application forward. The applicant must still meet every criterion for the visa. The Department states plainly that priority processing does not mean the visa will be granted.
• It is discretionary. There is no criterion in the Migration Regulations 1994 that an applicant can meet to become entitled to partner visa priority processing. The decision is made case by case.
• It is exceptional. The Department says that most requests for priority processing cannot be approved, because many applicants have difficult circumstances and the request must show why this case stands apart.

Understanding these three points early saves couples from spending energy on requests that cannot succeed. It also helps them focus on what does move an application forward. Our article on how long a Subclass 820 partner visa takes explains the ordinary processing path that partner visa priority processing departs from.

How the Department orders partner visa applications

The Department orders Family visa applications, including partner visas, according to a written direction from the Minister. The current direction is Ministerial Direction No. 117, titled "Order for considering and disposing of Family visa applications under sections 47 and 51 of the Migration Act 1958". According to the Department, Direction 117 replaced Ministerial Direction 102 on 25 July 2026.

Every request for partner visa priority processing is a request to depart from this direction. That is why the direction is the starting point for understanding partner visa priority processing.

Sections 47, 51 and 499 of the Migration Act

Three provisions of the Migration Act 1958 sit behind the order of priority.

• Section 47 requires the Minister to consider a valid visa application. It does not say when.
• Section 51 allows the Minister to consider and dispose of visa applications in the order the Minister considers appropriate.
• Section 499 allows the Minister to give written directions to people exercising powers under the Act about how those powers are performed.

Read together, these provisions allow the Minister to set an order of processing and require delegates to follow it. The Department's processing officers are bound by Direction 117. They cannot simply move an application forward because a couple asks. They can only do so where the direction itself allows a departure, which is where partner visa priority processing comes from.

The order of priority for Family visas

Direction 117 sets out an order for Family visa applications. As published by the Department, the order within each category is:

• family migration applications that have been subject to ministerial intervention;
• applications by a partner or a dependent child;
• applications by an orphan relative;
• applications by a contributory parent or a contributory aged parent;
• applications by a carer;
• applications by a parent, aged parent, remaining relative or aged dependant relative.

Partner applications already sit in the second position. In practical terms, partner visas are processed ahead of most other Family visas. This is one reason the Department sets a high threshold for partner visa priority processing: partner applicants are already given priority over most Family stream applicants, so a further priority must be justified by something more.

Why applications made in Australia sit at the top

The Department states that Direction 117 gives highest priority to Family visa applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted while the applicant is in Australia. For couples on the onshore pathway, this means the combined Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 application is already in the highest priority group.

This is a structural advantage, not partner visa priority processing in the individual sense. It does not mean every onshore application is decided quickly. It means that, within the Family stream, the onshore partner pathway is not competing with applications that the Direction places lower. Our explainer on the Subclass 820 onshore partner visa covers how the onshore application works in more detail, and the Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801 comparison explains the two stages.

Ministerial intervention matters

The first category in the order covers family migration applications that have been subject to ministerial intervention. These are cases where the Minister has personally used a power to intervene. They are rare, they follow their own process and they are not something that an ordinary request for partner visa priority processing can trigger.

How long partner visas take without priority

The Department's published visa processing times guide, as at October 2026, shows that 50% of Partner visa (Subclass 820) applications are processed in 22 months and 90% are processed in 30 months. The Department updates this guide regularly, so the figure should be checked at the time of applying.

These figures explain why so many couples look for partner visa priority processing. Twenty-two months is a long time to wait for a decision, and 30 months is longer still. The figures also explain why the Department refuses most requests: almost every couple waiting for a partner visa can describe some hardship caused by the wait.

Three practical points follow from the processing figure.

• The figure is a guide, not a promise. Individual applications can be faster or slower.
• Incomplete applications tend to fall towards the slower end, because the case officer must stop and request information.
• An applicant in Australia on the onshore pathway usually holds a bridging visa while waiting. Our guide to bridging visas in Australia explains how that works, and our article on whether you can work while waiting for a Subclass 820 visa covers work rights.

For a closer look at the ordinary timeline, see our article on how long the 820 onshore partner visa takes. Partner visa priority processing is the exception to that timeline, not a way around it.

When can you ask for partner visa priority processing?

You can ask for partner visa priority processing at any time while the Department is processing your partner visa application, provided every supporting document and piece of information has already been submitted. The Department states that it will only consider applications for priority processing if all supporting documents and information are submitted with the application.

This completeness rule is the first filter. A request made while the application is missing police certificates, health examinations, Form 888 supporting statements or relationship evidence will not be considered on its merits. The Department's position is logical: it cannot decide an application faster if the application is not ready to be decided.

The completeness rule also explains why partner visa priority processing and a well-prepared application are linked. The couples best placed to ask for priority are the couples whose file is already complete. Our partner visa document checklist and our 820 partner visa evidence checklist set out what a complete file usually contains.

The two-part test: compassionate and compelling

The Department applies a two-part test. The application must involve special circumstances of a compassionate nature, and there must be compelling reasons to depart from the order of priority. Both parts must be met.

• Compassionate circumstances are about the human situation. They concern illness, care, safety, children and similar matters that would move a reasonable person.
• Compelling reasons are about why this application, rather than the thousands of others in the queue, should move forward. A compassionate situation that is shared by many applicants will usually not be compelling.

Departmental guidelines released under freedom of information describe the test in this way: if compassionate circumstances do not exist, the compelling reasons need not be considered. In other words, a request for partner visa priority processing fails at the first step if it does not describe a genuinely compassionate situation.

Circumstances the Department has treated as compassionate

The Department's public material does not give a list of circumstances that will qualify. It says only that the circumstances must set the applicant apart from the majority. However, Departmental guidelines on prioritising partner visa applications, released under freedom of information and prepared under the previous direction, give examples of circumstances that may be compassionate. They include:

• the Australian partner needing assistance because they, or a family member they care for, has a serious or terminal illness or disability, supported by medical evidence;
• pregnancy complications that threaten the health of the mother or the baby;
• a genuine risk to the applicant's safety from war, civil unrest or a natural disaster in the place where they live, where their individual circumstances set them apart from others in the same location;
• couples in a same-sex relationship where one or both partners live in a country that does not recognise the relationship;
• claims of family violence;
• a dependent child who will pass the age limit for the visa before a decision is made;
• incorrect information or advice from the Department that has caused an unfair result;
• an application that has already taken longer than the Department's 90th percentile processing time.

These examples are useful, but they are not a checklist. Each still has to be proved, and each still has to meet the compelling reasons part of the test. A request for partner visa priority processing that names one of these categories without evidence is no stronger than a request that names none.

Where family violence is involved, the issue is often far larger than timing. Our family violence partner visa lawyers advise on the separate provisions that apply. Same-sex couples can read more on our LGBTI partner visa page.

Who decides a request for partner visa priority processing?

A delegate of the Minister in the Department's partner visa processing area decides each request for partner visa priority processing. The released guidelines describe the decision as discretionary and made case by case. The delegate records brief case notes explaining the assessment.

Several features of the decision are worth knowing.

• The delegate can act on their own initiative. A delegate who sees a compassionate and compelling circumstance on the file can prioritise the application without a formal request. In practice, most priority decisions follow a request, because the delegate does not know about the circumstance unless someone raises it.
• The burden is on the person asking. The released guidelines say that officers are not expected to have special skills or to research the matter in depth. They may rely on publicly available information and may ask for more, but the request must make the case.
• Group circumstances are handled in date order. Where many applicants share the same circumstance, such as people affected by the same conflict or disaster, the released guidelines direct that their applications be processed in date order, oldest first. An individual applicant can move ahead of that group only by showing circumstances that set them apart.
• Escalation does not change the test. Requests that come through a member of Parliament, the media or the Ombudsman are passed to a central area of the Department. They are still assessed against the same two-part test.

The practical lesson is that a request for partner visa priority processing is read by an officer who sees many similar requests. The request has to be clear enough to stand out on its own evidence.

Common myths about partner visa priority processing

Several beliefs about partner visa priority processing circulate among applicants. Each one leads couples to make weak requests or to wait for something that will not happen.

Myth: any serious hardship will qualify

No. Hardship is part of the test, but it is not enough by itself. The Department asks whether the circumstances are compassionate and whether they set the case apart from the many other applicants who are waiting. A hardship that most couples share, such as financial strain or time apart, does not meet that standard, however real it is for the couple concerned.

Myth: an onshore application is always decided faster

Not always. Direction 117 gives highest priority to Family visa applications made in Australia for a visa that can be granted in Australia, and that helps applicants on the onshore pathway. But the onshore Subclass 820 processing figures still run to many months. Being in the highest priority group is not the same as partner visa priority processing for an individual case.

Myth: a lawyer or agent can call the Department and speed it up

No. The Department asks everyone, including representatives, not to call or email about progress while an application is within the standard processing time. What an experienced representative can do is make the application complete and, where the facts justify it, prepare a single well-evidenced request through the correct channel. Our guide on the differences between a migration agent and an immigration lawyer explains what each can do.

Myth: a long wait is enough on its own

Usually not. Every applicant waits. The released guidelines do recognise an application that has already taken longer than the Department's 90th percentile processing time as a possible ground, but that is about an application that has fallen well outside the normal range, not about the ordinary wait. A couple whose application is still within the published range should not expect partner visa priority processing on that basis.

What does not qualify for partner visa priority processing?

The Department's factsheet on requests for priority processing lists circumstances that are not considered compelling or compassionate. Couples should read this list carefully before making a request, because most refused requests for partner visa priority processing fall squarely within it.

The circumstances that do not qualify on their own include:

• financial hardship, or personal financial reasons such as a bank loan or a property purchase;
• plans to start a family, or pregnancy;
• emotional pain caused by separation;
• employment reasons;
• pre-arranged wedding plans;
• health assessments, police certificates or passports that are about to expire.

The Department's released guidelines add travel needs and access to English classes or other Commonwealth study support to the same category. The words "on their own" matter. A circumstance on this list will not support partner visa priority processing by itself, but it may form part of a wider picture where another genuinely compassionate factor is present.

Pregnancy alone is not enough

Pregnancy alone does not qualify for partner visa priority processing. This is the point that most general advice gets wrong. Many couples assume that a pregnancy, or a birth expected soon, will move the application forward. The Department's factsheet says the opposite: plans to start a family, or pregnancy, are not considered compelling or compassionate.

The position is different where there are pregnancy complications that threaten the health of the mother or the baby. The Department's released guidelines identify those complications as a possible compassionate circumstance. Even then, the request needs medical evidence from the treating doctor or specialist that describes the complication, the risk and why the applicant's visa status affects care or support.

A couple expecting a child should still tell the Department about the pregnancy and the birth where the change affects the application. Our article on Form 1022 and notifying a change of circumstances explains when that obligation arises. Notifying a change is not the same as asking for partner visa priority processing.

Financial hardship and employment

Financial pressure is one of the most common reasons couples give, and one of the least effective. Almost every applicant waiting for a partner visa faces some cost from the wait. A request built on rent, a mortgage, a loan or a lost job offer does not set the applicant apart from the majority.

The same applies to employment. An employer who wants the applicant to start a role, or to travel for work, does not create a compassionate circumstance. A rare exception exists in the released guidelines where expediting a case serves the national interest, for example a person with specialised skills needed in recovery from a crisis. Those cases are uncommon and the Department does not look for them.

Separation, wedding plans and travel

The pain of being apart is real, but the Department treats it as the ordinary consequence of waiting for a partner visa. It is not, by itself, a reason for partner visa priority processing. The same applies to a wedding that has been booked and to holidays or family visits that the couple wants to make.

An applicant in Australia who wants to travel while the application is processed should look at the bridging visa position instead. Our guides to the Bridging Visa A and the Bridging Visa B for travel explain the options. Travel is a bridging visa question, not a priority question.

Expiring documents

An expiring passport, police certificate or health examination does not justify partner visa priority processing. If a document expires, the applicant renews it and provides the new one. The released guidelines recognise a narrow exception where the Department itself has requested medical clearances and they are about to expire and cannot be extended.

Wanting permanent residence sooner

Wanting permanent residence sooner is not a compassionate circumstance. Many applicants want the security of permanent residence, access to particular services, or the ability to plan their lives. These are understandable goals, but they are shared by every applicant in the queue. A request for partner visa priority processing that rests on them will be declined.

How to request partner visa priority processing

A request for partner visa priority processing is made through the Department's Partner processing enquiry form, with a signed statement and supporting evidence. The steps below follow the Department's published factsheet.

Step 1: Make sure the application is complete

Upload every document the application needs to ImmiAccount before making the request. This includes identity documents, the relationship statement, Form 888 supporting statements, relationship evidence, police certificates and health examinations where they have been requested. If the application has gaps, fill them first.

Couples who need help with ImmiAccount can read our guide on how to create an ImmiAccount. For the evidence, our article on proving the relationship is genuine explains what the Department looks for across the four aspects of the relationship.

Step 2: Use the Partner processing enquiry form

The Department directs applicants to the Partner processing enquiry form on its website. The form is only for applicants whose partner visa application is currently being processed. When completing it, the applicant selects the option to request priority processing.

The form is not a general enquiry channel. The Department asks applicants not to contact it about progress while the application is within the standard processing time. A request for partner visa priority processing is a specific request with a specific purpose, and it should be made only when there is something genuine to put forward.

Step 3: Attach a signed statement

The Department requires a signed statement setting out the reasons for the request. This statement is separate from the relationship statement. It is about the urgent circumstances, not about the history of the relationship. Guidance on writing it appears below.

Step 4: Upload the supporting evidence to ImmiAccount

The evidence that supports the request is uploaded to the application in ImmiAccount. The request itself should identify the documents, so that the officer can find them quickly. A statement that refers to "medical reports attached" without saying which reports, from whom and of what date makes the officer's job harder.

Who can make the request

The applicant, the Australian partner or an authorised representative can make the request. Where a registered migration agent or lawyer acts, they should be appointed with Form 956 so that the Department will deal with them. Our guide to Form 956 and Form 956A explains the difference. The released guidelines also note that requests can come through members of Parliament or community organisations, but a request is assessed on its evidence, not on who sends it.

What evidence supports a partner visa priority processing request?

Strong evidence for partner visa priority processing is independent, current, specific and directly connected to the reason for urgency. The Department's released guidelines say that the burden is on the applicant, the sponsor or the person making the request to provide the information. Officers are not expected to research the case themselves.

Medical evidence

Medical evidence is the backbone of most successful requests. A useful medical letter:

• comes from the treating doctor or specialist, on letterhead, signed and dated;
• states the diagnosis or condition and its seriousness in plain terms;
• describes the prognosis, including any expected timeframe where the condition is terminal or deteriorating;
• explains the care or support the person needs and why it is needed now;
• where relevant, explains why the applicant's presence or visa status affects that care.

A short note saying that a person "is unwell" or "would benefit from support" will rarely be enough. The officer needs to understand why this case is different from the many cases in which a family member is ill.

Evidence about care needs

Where the request rests on the Australian partner or a family member needing care, the evidence should show why that care cannot reasonably be provided by others. The released guidelines refer to health and welfare needs that cannot be met by family, friends or service providers. Useful evidence can include letters from treating health professionals, care plans, evidence of the family's circumstances, and Form 888 supporting statements from people who know the situation.

Form 888 supporting statements are witness statements in support of the application. Our guide to who can make a Form 888 and what it should say and our Form 888 examples and common mistakes explain how they work. Where a Form 888 is used for a priority request, it should describe what the witness has seen, not repeat what the couple has told them.

Evidence of a safety risk

Where the request rests on a safety risk, general country information is rarely enough. The released guidelines say the applicant's individual circumstances must set them apart from others living in the same place. Evidence should show the specific risk to this person, such as the location, the events and how they affect the applicant directly.

Evidence of Department error or delay

Where the request rests on incorrect advice from the Department or on the application exceeding the 90th percentile processing time, the evidence is usually the Department's own correspondence and the lodgement record. The request should set out the dates clearly and attach the relevant documents.

Evidence for a dependent child

Where a dependent child included in the application is close to an age limit that affects eligibility, the request should include the child's identity documents, the lodgement date and a clear statement of the date on which the child's position changes. This is one of the clearer examples of a timing problem that partner visa priority processing is designed to address.

How to write the statement for partner visa priority processing

The signed statement for partner visa priority processing should be short, factual and organised around the two-part test. The officer reading it is assessing many requests. A clear statement makes it easy to see why this one is different.

A strong statement usually covers:

• Who is making the request and the application it relates to, including the transaction reference number.
• The compassionate circumstance, stated in one or two sentences at the start.
• The facts, set out in date order, with each fact linked to a document in ImmiAccount.
• Why the circumstance is compelling, meaning why it sets the case apart from the many other applicants who are waiting.
• What the applicant is asking for, which is consideration of the application ahead of the usual order.
• Confirmation that the application is complete, so the officer knows the file can be decided.

The statement should not exaggerate. Overstated claims damage credibility, and everything in the statement may be compared with the rest of the file. It should not argue the merits of the relationship either. The genuineness of the relationship is assessed under the normal criteria. Our guide to the partner visa relationship statement explains that separate document.

The statement must also be consistent with everything else on the file. A request for partner visa priority processing that describes facts inconsistent with earlier forms, such as Form 80 personal particulars, can raise questions the couple did not expect.

Examples of strong and weak partner visa priority processing requests

The difference between a strong and a weak request for partner visa priority processing is usually the evidence, not the story. The illustrations below are general examples, not real cases.

A weak request

For example, a couple writes that they have been waiting a long time, that the applicant cannot plan their career, that the Australian partner is stressed and that they would like to buy a home. Each point is true and each is understandable. None sets the couple apart. Each falls within the list of circumstances the Department does not accept on their own. This request for partner visa priority processing will almost certainly be declined, and a later request will not be considered unless circumstances change significantly.

A stronger request

For example, a couple writes that the Australian partner has been diagnosed with a serious illness and is undergoing treatment, that the treating specialist has explained in a signed letter the care the partner needs during treatment, and that the couple's family is unable to provide that care for reasons set out in Form 888 supporting statements. The application has been complete for months. The statement is short, links every fact to a document and explains why the case is different from the many others in the queue.

Even this stronger request carries no assurance of success. But it meets the Department's two-part test on its face, and it gives the delegate what the delegate needs to decide. That is the standard every request for partner visa priority processing should aim for.

A request that needs more than priority

For example, an applicant whose circumstances involve family violence may need advice on the separate family violence provisions as well as, or instead of, a request for partner visa priority processing. A couple facing an imminent refusal may need to respond to the Department's concerns first. Priority is a tool for timing. It does not fix a problem with the application itself. Where a refusal has already happened, our visa refusals service and our guide to choosing a visa appeal lawyer explain the next steps.

Partner visa priority processing for children included in the application

Partner visa priority processing can be relevant where a dependent child is included in the application and the child's position will change before a decision is made. The released guidelines identify a dependent child who will pass the age limit for the visa before the decision as a possible compassionate circumstance, where the application has been waiting for some time.

Couples with children included in the application should also make sure the child's documents are complete and current, because the completeness rule applies to every applicant in the application. Where the circumstance relates to a child, the request should set out the child's date of birth, the date the application was lodged and the date on which the child's position changes, with the documents attached. A clear timeline is the best evidence in these requests.

Partner visa priority processing at the permanent stage

Partner visa priority processing at the permanent stage is subject to an extra limit: the Department cannot consider a priority request for the permanent visa until the applicant is eligible to be assessed for it. The Department states that a holder of a temporary partner visa, such as a Subclass 820 visa, must wait until two years have passed since the combined application was made before they are eligible for assessment of the permanent visa. Until then, a request for priority processing of the permanent stage cannot be considered.

This rule surprises many couples. A couple granted the Subclass 820 visa may face an illness or other serious event in the following year and want the Subclass 801 decision brought forward. The Department's position is that the permanent stage is not yet open, so there is nothing to prioritise. Once the eligibility point is reached, a request for partner visa priority processing can be made on the same two-part test.

Couples approaching the permanent stage should also check whether the long-term relationship provisions apply to them. Our explainer on the difference between Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 and our Subclass 820 partner visa guide cover the stages.

Why a decision-ready application is the most reliable path

A decision-ready application is the most reliable way to have a partner visa decided sooner, because the officer can decide it as soon as it is allocated. Partner visa priority processing helps only a small number of applicants. A complete file helps every applicant.

When an officer opens an application and finds a missing police certificate, an unexplained gap in the evidence or an inconsistency between forms, the officer must stop and ask for more. A request for information under section 56 of the Migration Act gives the applicant time to respond, and the application waits. Our guide to responding to a section 56 request for more information explains this step.

A decision-ready partner visa application usually has:

• a clear, consistent relationship statement in the couple's own words;
• evidence across all four aspects of the relationship: the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment;
• Form 888 supporting statements from appropriate witnesses;
• police certificates and health examinations arranged at the right time;
• a careful explanation of anything unusual, such as previous visa refusals, a gap in lawful status or an earlier relationship.

Each of these reduces the chance that the officer must pause. In practice, that is the closest thing to partner visa priority processing that most couples can control. Our guide on preparing evidence of a genuine relationship and our Subclass 820 visa requirements and documents guide explain the detail.

Applications with complications

Some applications need more care before they are decision-ready. An applicant who is in Australia without a substantive visa may need to address the Schedule 3 criteria, and our Schedule 3 waiver service deals with those cases. An applicant whose visa carries condition 8503 should read our article on applying for a Subclass 820 visa with a No Further Stay condition. An applicant with a previous refusal should read our guide to applying for a partner visa after a visa refusal. A complicated history does not prevent a request for partner visa priority processing, but it makes completeness even more important.

Risks of repeated partner visa priority processing requests

Repeated requests for partner visa priority processing do not speed up an application and can work against the couple. The Department's factsheet asks applicants not to submit multiple requests, call or email the Department, because this will not speed up processing.

The Department also states that if a request is declined, further requests will not be considered or responded to unless there has been a significant change in circumstances and new evidence is provided. A second request that repeats the first will simply not be answered.

There are further practical risks.

• Credibility. A pattern of requests that each describe a different emergency can make later, genuine requests harder to accept.
• Inconsistency. Each request adds statements to the file. If the facts in one request differ from another, or from the relationship evidence, the officer may ask why.
• Lost opportunity. A weak first request may use up the couple's best chance of a hearing before the circumstance becomes truly serious.

The better course is to make one well-prepared request for partner visa priority processing when the circumstances genuinely meet the test, and to return only if there is a significant change backed by new evidence.

What to do if a priority request is declined

If a request for partner visa priority processing is declined, the application stays in the queue in its normal place. A declined request is not a refusal of the visa and it does not count against the applicant on the visa criteria.

The couple should:

• keep the application complete and current, including updating evidence as the relationship continues;
• notify any relevant change of circumstances through the correct channel;
• watch for any significant change, such as a serious deterioration in health, that would justify a new request with new evidence;
• respond promptly and fully to any request from the Department.

If the Department later raises concerns about the application itself, the couple will face a different problem. Our guide to responding to a section 57 natural justice letter for a partner visa explains that process. If an application is refused, review deadlines are short and strictly applied. Our partner visa refusals service, our article on partner visa refused appeal options and our guide to what to expect in an ART review explain the next steps. Our analysis of why partner visas get refused and the most common reasons Subclass 820 visas are refused show which problems to fix before the officer finds them.

If the relationship changes while the application is waiting, the position changes entirely. Our article on what happens to a Subclass 820 application if the relationship breaks down explains the options.

Getting advice on partner visa priority processing

Advice on partner visa priority processing is most useful before the request is made, because the Department generally gives a couple one real chance to put the case. An experienced adviser can test whether the circumstances meet the two-part test, identify the evidence that is missing and check that the application itself is complete.

Some couples come to us after they have already lodged their own application and want it checked before asking for priority. Our article on hiring an immigration lawyer after lodging your own visa application explains how that works, and our guide to getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer covers a review of the existing file. Where circumstances are urgent today, our guide to urgent immigration lawyer advice sets out what to prepare.

Couples choosing help can compare the options in our articles on whether to use a migration agent or a lawyer for a partner visa, using a partner visa lawyer or doing it yourself, when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa and what a partner visa lawyer in Australia does. Our guide on how to choose a partner visa lawyer in Australia and our article on booking an immigration lawyer consultation explain what to expect.

Where we act

My Migration Lawyers acts for couples across Australia, with consultations by video. Couples can read about our partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Parramatta. City guides on choosing help include choosing a partner visa lawyer in Sydney, choosing a partner visa lawyer in Melbourne and choosing a partner visa lawyer in Brisbane. Where a partner visa matter sits alongside other immigration issues, our immigration lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth advise on the wider position.

For general background on legal help with immigration matters, our guides on what an immigration lawyer does in Australia, how to find and check an Australian migration lawyer and how immigration lawyers across Australia approach visa matters explain what to look for. Couples who are reviewing the whole partner visa process, not only partner visa priority processing, can start with our partner visa lawyers overview.

How My Migration Lawyers helps with partner visa priority processing

My Migration Lawyers regularly deals with complex partner visa matters, including urgent cases where a serious illness, a care crisis or a safety risk makes the wait for a decision genuinely harmful. We act in many matters where partner visa priority processing is being considered, and we are capable of handling them from first assessment to final decision.

Our work on a request for partner visa priority processing is specific and practical:

• We check whether the request can succeed. We test the couple's circumstances against Ministerial Direction 117 and the Department's published approach, and we tell the couple plainly if the circumstances fall within the list the Department does not accept.
• We make the application decision-ready first. We review every document already lodged, identify gaps and inconsistencies and arrange for them to be fixed, because the Department will not consider a request on an incomplete file.
• We identify the evidence that matters. We tell the couple which medical, care, safety or other evidence will carry weight, and what the treating professionals should address in their letters.
• We present the couple's own account. The signed statement sets out the couple's own facts, in their own words, organised around the two-part test. The couple reviews and corrects it before it is signed.
• We lodge the request once, properly. We submit the request through the Department's channel, link each fact to the evidence in ImmiAccount and confirm that the file is complete.
• We manage what comes next. We monitor for any request from the Department and advise on whether a significant change justifies a further request.

This work is led by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers, see how our immigration lawyers across Australia work, and visit our Subclass 820 visa service page for the full onshore service.

If a serious change in your circumstances means the wait for a decision is causing real harm, talk to us before you send anything to the Department. A request for partner visa priority processing is usually a one-time opportunity, and it should be made with the right evidence. Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.