Sponsoring a Partner From Antigua and Barbuda

Australians who want to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda can do so through Australia's partner visa programme, provided the sponsor is eligible and the relationship is genuine and continuing. A decision to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda starts with the sponsor, not the visa applicant. The Australian partner must qualify as a sponsor, must sign a sponsorship undertaking, and must pass the Department of Home Affairs sponsorship assessment before any visa can be granted.

This guide is written for the Australian sponsor. It explains which partner visa fits a couple where one partner is from Antigua and Barbuda, which documents from Antigua and Barbuda are needed, how the Antigua and Barbuda police certificate is obtained, how a wedding in Antigua is treated in Australia, and how couples living on opposite sides of the world build evidence that satisfies the Department. The firm's partner visa lawyers page explains how My Migration Lawyers acts on these applications.

Antigua and Barbuda is a small country, and the Department does not apply a special set of rules to its citizens. That is exactly why the sponsor process deserves attention. A sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application succeeds or fails on ordinary partner visa law applied to circumstances that are often unusual: a relationship conducted across a 14 or 15 hour time difference, a partner who may have lived in two or three countries, and a marriage that may have taken place on a holiday.

Can I sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda to Australia?

Yes. An Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen who is at least 18 years old can sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda on a partner visa, as long as the sponsor is not caught by a sponsorship limitation and the Department approves the sponsorship.

The sponsor must also be the partner's spouse, de facto partner or, for the Subclass 300 visa, fiancé. The relationship requirement is the same whatever the applicant's nationality, so the decision to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda turns on the sponsor and the relationship, not the passport. The general rules are set out in the firm's guides on partner visa sponsor eligibility and who can sponsor a partner visa.

Each kind of sponsor proves status in a different way:

• Australian citizen. A citizenship certificate, an Australian passport or an Australian birth certificate where it establishes citizenship. The guide on the Australian citizen partner visa sponsor explains the evidence.
• Permanent resident. A current permanent visa. A sponsor whose own permanent visa was granted as a partner may be caught by the five-year rule. The guide on the permanent resident partner visa sponsor explains this.
• Eligible New Zealand citizen. Only a New Zealand citizen who meets the definition in regulation 1.03 can sponsor. The guide on the eligible New Zealand citizen sponsor explains who qualifies.

Some sponsors who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda hold dual nationality, including sponsors of Caribbean heritage who also hold an Antigua and Barbuda passport. That does not stop them sponsoring, but it can affect which documents they provide and which police checks they may be asked for. The article on the partner visa sponsor who is a dual citizen covers that situation.

Which partner visa applies when you sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda?

The visa depends on where the partner is when the application is lodged and whether the couple is married, in a de facto relationship or engaged. Most couples who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda use the offshore Subclass 309 visa, because the partner is usually outside Australia at lodgement.

There are three pathways:

• Offshore spouse or de facto partner. The Subclass 309 partner visa is lodged while the applicant is outside Australia. It leads to the permanent Subclass 100 visa. The applicant must be outside Australia when the Subclass 309 is granted.
• Onshore spouse or de facto partner. The Subclass 820 partner visa is lodged while the applicant is in Australia. It leads to the permanent Subclass 801 visa, and a bridging visa usually keeps the applicant lawful while it is processed.
• Fiancé. The Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa allows a partner from outside Australia to travel to Australia, marry the sponsor within the visa period, and then apply for the Subclass 820.

The comparison of onshore and offshore partner visas and the answer on the difference between the Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 explain the practical trade-offs. For a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case, the choice usually turns on three questions: where the partner is living now, whether the partner can lawfully come to Australia on a visitor visa without a condition 8503 problem, and whether the couple wants to live together in Australia while the application is processed.

Why the offshore Subclass 309 is the usual choice

For a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application where the partner lives at home, the Subclass 309 avoids the risks that come with lodging in Australia on a visitor visa. The partner can stay at home, work and keep family ties while the application is processed. The sponsor can visit, or the partner can visit Australia on a separate visitor visa. The guide to the offshore partner visa explains the pathway, and the guide on offshore lodgement mistakes explains the errors that delay it.

When the onshore Subclass 820 fits

Some couples who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda meet in Australia. The partner may be in Australia as a student, as a skilled worker or as the holder of another temporary visa. In that case the Subclass 820 may be the better path, because the partner can remain in Australia with the sponsor. The partner must hold a substantive visa without a "No Further Stay" condition, or must satisfy Schedule 3 if they are unlawful or hold a bridging visa other than a Bridging A, B or C visa. The firm's Schedule 3 waivers page explains that test.

What does the sponsor have to do?

The sponsor must lodge a sponsorship, give the sponsorship undertaking, provide identity and status documents, consent to the Department disclosing relevant convictions, and respond to any Department request, including a request for police checks.

When an Australian decides to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda, the sponsor's role is not a formality. The sponsor is assessed in their own right. The steps are:

• Lodge the sponsorship. The sponsorship is lodged online through ImmiAccount after the visa application is lodged. The guide on Form 40SP explains the sponsorship form and the guide on sponsorship lodgement explains the timing.
• Give the undertaking. The sponsor undertakes to provide reasonable financial assistance and accommodation for the applicant and any dependants for the first two years in Australia. The guide on the partner visa sponsor undertaking explains what is signed.
• Provide documents. Proof of identity, proof of citizenship or permanent residence, and evidence of the relationship. The guide on partner visa sponsor documents lists them.
• Pass the sponsorship assessment. The Department checks the limitations in regulations 1.20J, 1.20KA, 1.20KB, 1.20KC and 1.20KD. The guide on the partner visa sponsorship assessment explains each one.
• Stay engaged. Requests can be sent directly to the sponsor, sometimes long after lodgement. The guide on what the Australian partner must do explains this ongoing role.

Sponsorship approval is decided at the time of decision, not at lodgement. That means a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case can be refused years after lodgement if the sponsor's circumstances change or a sponsor request is ignored. The guide on when sponsorship approval is decided explains why.

Sponsorship limitations that can stop you sponsoring

Several limitations can prevent an Australian from being approved to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda, even where the relationship is completely genuine.

The main limitations are:

• Regulation 1.20J. A sponsor generally cannot sponsor more than two partners in their lifetime, and cannot sponsor a partner within five years of a previous partner sponsorship or within five years of being granted their own visa as a partner, unless there are compelling circumstances.
• Regulation 1.20KA. Limitations can apply where the sponsor was granted a contributory parent visa.
• Regulation 1.20KB. Where the application includes a child, the sponsorship can be refused if the sponsor has been convicted of, or has an outstanding charge for, an offence against a child, unless compelling circumstances apply.
• Regulations 1.20KC and 1.20KD. For Subclass 300, 309 and 820 applications made from 18 November 2016, the Department can request police checks from the sponsor and must refuse the sponsorship where the sponsor has a conviction for a relevant offence and a significant criminal record, subject to a discretion.

The firm's sponsorship limitations page and the guide on when a sponsor cannot sponsor a partner visa explain each rule in detail. A sponsor who has sponsored before should read the answer on whether you can sponsor more than one partner. A sponsor with any criminal history should read the guide on the partner visa sponsor with a criminal record before lodging anything.

How do couples usually meet before they sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda?

There is no single pattern. Couples who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda include couples who met online, couples who met while the Australian partner was travelling or working in the Caribbean, couples who met while the partner was studying or working in Australia, and couples who met in a third country such as the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States.

The way a couple met matters because it shapes the evidence in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application. The Department does not refuse a relationship because it began online or on holiday. What it looks for is evidence that the relationship developed into a genuine and continuing commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others. Each starting point raises its own questions:

• Met online. The evidence of the early relationship is usually messages, video calls and the first meeting in person. The guide on partner visas after meeting online explains how that history is presented.
• Met while the sponsor was in the Caribbean. Some sponsors work in Antigua and Barbuda for a season or longer, for example in hospitality, marine work or professional roles. If the sponsor lived there for 12 months or more, the sponsor may be asked for an Antigua and Barbuda police certificate.
• Met in Australia. The partner may hold a student visa or a skilled visa. The Subclass 820 may then be available, subject to the partner's visa conditions.
• Met in a third country. Many people from Antigua and Barbuda have lived, studied or worked abroad. The couple's shared history may be in London, Toronto or New York rather than St John's. Police certificates from that third country may be needed.

In every case the couple's own account of how the relationship developed is central. The partner visa relationship statement guide explains how each partner writes their account in their own words. My Migration Lawyers reviews statements for completeness and consistency, but the account is always the couple's own.

Is a wedding in Antigua and Barbuda recognised in Australia?

Yes, generally. A marriage that was valid under the law of Antigua and Barbuda when it was celebrated is generally recognised in Australia under Part VA of the Marriage Act 1961, unless an exception applies, for example where one party was already married or a party was under the minimum age.

Antigua and Barbuda is a popular place for weddings, and many couples who later sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda marry there, including destination weddings for couples who live elsewhere. The marriage licence is obtained from the Ministry of Legal Affairs in St John's after both parties attend in person, and the marriage is registered with the Registrar General. A certified copy of the marriage certificate can then be obtained. A couple who married in Antigua and Barbuda should obtain a certified copy of the registered marriage certificate, not just the ceremony certificate given on the day.

A sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case based on marriage needs two things:

• A valid marriage. The certified copy of the registered marriage certificate, and evidence that any previous marriage of either party had ended before the wedding. A divorce decree absolute or a death certificate of a former spouse is usually needed where there was an earlier marriage.
• A genuine and continuing relationship. A valid marriage is not enough. The Department still assesses the relationship under regulation 1.15A, and a short courtship followed by a holiday wedding attracts closer scrutiny.

The guides on whether an overseas marriage is recognised in Australia and on which marriage certificates are accepted explain the rules. The answers on what makes a marriage valid for a spouse visa and on whether an overseas marriage is recognised for a partner visa deal with specific questions.

De facto couples

A couple who has not married can still apply as de facto partners, and many couples sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda on that basis. Generally, the couple must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before the application, unless the relationship has been registered in an Australian state or territory or compelling and compassionate circumstances apply. Time living together outside Australia, including in Antigua and Barbuda, counts. The guide on the de facto partner visa and the 12-month rule and the answer on living together overseas explain this.

Engaged couples

A couple who intends to marry can use the Subclass 300. The couple must have met in person and must marry within the visa period. Couples who plan to marry in Antigua and Barbuda rather than in Australia should read the answer on marrying overseas on a Prospective Marriage visa before lodging.

Documents from Antigua and Barbuda for a partner visa

The documents needed to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda are the applicant's passport, birth certificate, police certificates, any marriage or divorce documents, and relationship evidence, together with the sponsor's identity and status documents.

Antigua and Barbuda civil documents are issued in English, which is the official language, and that simplifies the evidence needed to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda. That removes a cost and a source of error that couples from many other countries face. The issue in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application is usually not translation. It is obtaining the right version of a document from abroad, and making sure names and dates match across every document.

The applicant's usual documents are:

• Passport. The bio page of a current passport. Some applicants hold an Antigua and Barbuda passport and another nationality. Every citizenship must be declared.
• Birth certificate. A certified copy of the registered birth entry. Records are held by the civil registry in St John's, and citizens abroad can usually apply through an Antigua and Barbuda High Commission or embassy.
• Marriage and divorce records. The registered marriage certificate for a married couple, and evidence that any earlier marriage has ended.
• Name change evidence. Where the applicant's name differs across documents, for example after marriage, evidence linking the names.
• Police certificates. From Antigua and Barbuda and from every other country where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

Where a document cannot be obtained, the Department expects an explanation and the best available alternative. The answers on what to do if you cannot get a birth or marriage certificate and on documents showing different names or dates explain the options. Where a document is in another language, for example a police certificate from a country where the partner lived later, the guide on partner visa evidence translation applies. The full list is in the partner visa document checklist.

How do you get an Antigua and Barbuda police certificate?

An Antigua and Barbuda police certificate is requested from the Commissioner of Police of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, at Police Headquarters in St John's. An applicant who is in Antigua and Barbuda generally applies in person with a valid passport and pays the fee.

An applicant who is outside Antigua and Barbuda generally has to provide more. Official government guidance indicates that an applicant applying from abroad is asked to supply a copy of their birth certificate, details of where and when they lived in Antigua and Barbuda, passport-style photographs and a full set of fingerprints taken by a recognised police authority. The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission also refers applicants to the Office of the Commissioner of Police for police records.

The fingerprint step is where most delays occur when couples sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda. An applicant who lives in Australia, the United Kingdom or Canada must first arrange fingerprints with a local police service or an accredited provider, then send the application to Antigua and Barbuda, then wait for the certificate to come back. In a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application, that sequence should start early, ideally before lodgement, so the certificate is ready when the Department asks for it. The guide on partner visa overseas police certificates explains how foreign certificates are usually handled.

Key points for police certificates:

• Which countries. A certificate is needed from each country where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more in total in the last 10 years since turning 16. For many applicants from Antigua and Barbuda, that includes a second country.
• Validity. Police certificates are generally treated as current for 12 months from issue. The answer on how long police certificates and health checks are valid explains this, and the guide on expired police checks explains when to update them.
• Cannot be obtained. If a certificate cannot be obtained, the Department may accept an explanation and a statutory declaration in limited circumstances. The answer on what to do if you cannot get a police certificate explains the process.
• Australian check. An applicant who has been in Australia for 12 months or more in the period also needs an Australian Federal Police check. The guide on the partner visa AFP police check explains how to apply.

The broader rules are in the guide on partner visa character requirements and the answer on whether you need a police check for a partner visa.

Does the sponsor need a police check from Antigua and Barbuda?

Only if the sponsor has lived in Antigua and Barbuda for 12 months or more. For Subclass 300, 309 and 820 applications, the Department can ask the sponsor for an Australian police check and a police check from each country where the sponsor has lived for 12 months or more, in total, in the relevant period since turning 16.

This point catches sponsors who worked in the Caribbean before deciding to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda. A sponsor who spent two seasons in Antigua and Barbuda, or who moved there to live with the applicant, may have passed 12 months in total without realising it. If the Department asks, the sponsor must apply to the same Commissioner of Police, with the same fingerprint step if the sponsor is applying from Australia.

The request is sent to the sponsor, not to the applicant. Department policy treats 28 days as a reasonable time to respond, at least with evidence that the checks have been requested. A sponsor who ignores the request risks refusal of the sponsorship, and with it the visa. The guides on partner visa sponsor police check requirements and on what happens when a sponsor police check is not provided explain the rules. Department policy says female sponsors are not usually asked for checks unless there is a character concern, as explained in the guide on police checks for female sponsors.

Citizenship by investment and the Antigua and Barbuda passport

Antigua and Barbuda grants citizenship to some investors who may have spent little time in the country. For a partner visa, what matters is the applicant's real residence history, not only the passport they hold.

Some people who hold an Antigua and Barbuda passport were not born there and have never lived there for long. If the applicant is such a person, the sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application must still declare every citizenship and every country of residence. Police certificates follow residence. An applicant who holds an Antigua and Barbuda passport but has lived in another country for the last decade needs a police certificate from that other country, and may not need one from Antigua and Barbuda at all.

Accuracy matters here. To sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda safely, every citizenship, every previous passport and every country of residence must be declared correctly in the application and in Form 80 if it is requested. The guide on Form 80 for partner visas explains the personal particulars form, and the guide on a change of passport explains what happens if the applicant renews or changes passports during processing.

Can my partner visit Australia while the application is processed?

Yes, usually, if the partner is granted a visitor visa. Holders of an Antigua and Barbuda passport generally need to apply for a Visitor visa before travelling to Australia. A pending Subclass 309 application does not stop a visitor visa being granted, but the visitor visa is assessed on its own merits.

The Department must be satisfied that the visitor genuinely intends a temporary stay, even when the couple has lodged to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda. A partner with a pending Subclass 309 can show that intention by explaining that they will return home and wait for the decision offshore. The answers on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 is processed, on bringing a spouse to Australia on a visitor visa and on whether to mention your partner on a visitor visa application deal with the practical questions. The guide on visiting Australia during partner visa processing explains the wider position.

Condition 8503 and lodging onshore

Some visitor visas carry condition 8503, "No Further Stay". A partner whose visitor visa has that condition generally cannot lodge a Subclass 820 in Australia unless the condition is waived. The guide on Subclass 820 and condition 8503 and the answer on what condition 8503 means for a partner visa explain the rule. Couples who arrive on a visitor visa intending to apply onshore should read the guide on applying for a partner visa while on a tourist visa before making plans. A sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda strategy built on a visitor visa without checking its conditions is a common source of avoidable problems.

The Subclass 309 grant

The Subclass 309 must be granted while the applicant is outside Australia. A partner who is visiting Australia when the Department is ready to decide may need to leave. The answer on whether you need to be outside Australia when the Subclass 309 is granted explains the timing, and the guide on the first entry deadline explains what happens after grant.

How do you prove the relationship across the distance?

Couples who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda prove the relationship in the same way as every other couple, under the four aspects in regulation 1.15A: financial aspects, the nature of the household, social aspects and the nature of the commitment. Distance changes the kind of evidence available, not the test.

Antigua and Barbuda is roughly 14 to 15 hours behind eastern Australia, depending on daylight saving. Flights usually involve several connections. Couples often spend long periods apart between visits. That is understood by the Department in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case. The Department looks at whether the couple has maintained the relationship during separation and whether the time apart is explained. The guide on the partner visa long-distance relationship and the answer on whether a long-distance relationship can qualify explain the approach.

Evidence that usually carries weight in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case includes:

• Travel records. Boarding passes, itineraries and passport stamps for every visit, in either direction. The guide on partner visa travel evidence explains how to present them.
• Communication. A representative sample of messages and call logs across the whole relationship, not every message. The guide on partner visa chat evidence explains what to include.
• Money transfers. Regular transfers between the partners, for example to help with travel costs or living expenses, can show financial interdependence. The answer on whether money transfers count as relationship evidence explains how they are read, and the guide on partner visa financial evidence covers the wider category.
• Time living together. Leases, shared bills or letters at a shared address in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia or a third country.
• Social evidence. Photographs with family and friends, invitations, and Form 888 statements from people who know the couple.
• Future plans. Evidence of plans to live together in Australia, such as job searches, accommodation plans and the sponsor's preparations.

Form 888 statements from people in Antigua and Barbuda

Supporting statements must be on Form 888 and made by Australian citizens or permanent residents who know the couple. Friends and family in Antigua and Barbuda cannot make a Form 888, but their letters, together with photographs and messages, can still be useful social evidence. The guide on Form 888 for partner visas and the answer on whether overseas friends can write statements explain the rules.

The legal test itself is explained in the guide on the genuine and continuing relationship. A sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application should tell one consistent story across the relationship statements, the application forms and the evidence.

What does it cost to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda?

At the time of writing, the Partner visa application charge for the main applicant is AUD 11,710. That one charge covers both stages of the offshore or onshore pathway. Other costs, such as police certificates, medical examinations and travel, are separate.

The application charge to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda is paid when the visa application is lodged. It is not refunded if the application is refused. The guide on partner visa cost and the answer on how much a partner visa costs in Australia explain the government charges. Further practical costs in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case include fingerprinting and courier costs for the Antigua and Barbuda police certificate, certified copies of civil documents, and the health examination, which is explained in the guide on the partner visa medical examination. Biometrics may also be requested, as the guide on partner visa biometrics explains.

What happens after you lodge?

After lodgement, the Department assesses the visa application and the sponsorship together. It may send a request for more information under section 56, invite comment on adverse information under section 57, or decide the application on the material provided.

Processing for the first stage of a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application can take a long time. During that period the couple should keep evidence up to date. The second stage is generally assessed about two years after the original application was lodged, when the couple provides updated evidence that the relationship is continuing. The guide on the two-stage partner visa process explains this, and the guide on the partner visa sponsor at the second stage explains the sponsor's role.

Section 56 requests

A section 56 request asks for specific information by a deadline. In a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case, typical requests include an updated police certificate, evidence of a previous divorce, or more evidence of time spent together. The guide on responding to a section 56 request explains how to respond.

Section 57 letters

A section 57 letter sets out information that could lead to refusal and invites comment. It is a final opportunity before decision. The guide on the section 57 natural justice letter explains how a response is prepared.

Sponsor obligations after grant

The sponsor's undertaking continues for the first two years after the applicant arrives in Australia. The guide on partner visa sponsor obligations after grant explains what that means in practice.

What if the sponsor lives overseas?

An Australian citizen who lives overseas can still sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda on a Subclass 309 or Subclass 300, but the sponsor must show an intention to live in Australia with the partner. A permanent resident sponsor must usually be resident in Australia.

Some Australians who sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda live with their partner there, or in another country, at the time of application. That is common for Subclass 309 couples. The Department will look at whether the couple genuinely intends to make Australia their home. The guides on the partner visa sponsor living overseas and the sponsor returning to live in Australia, and the answer on an Australian living overseas sponsoring a partner, explain the rules. Couples who live apart because of work should also read the guide on living apart for work.

What if the application to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda is refused?

A refused partner visa can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal. The application for review must be made within 28 days after the decision is notified. For a Subclass 820 refusal and for a Subclass 309 refusal, the visa applicant applies for review.

For Subclass 309 refusals, the visa applicant applies in their own name, under section 338(9) and regulations 4.02(4)(saa) and 4.02(5)(raa), inserted in 2023. The answer on who applies for review of an offshore spouse visa refusal explains this. At the time of writing, the Tribunal fee for a partner visa review is AUD 3,727.

The deadline is strict and short. A refused applicant should read the guide on the partner visa appeal deadline immediately and obtain advice. The guide on the partner visa ART review process explains the steps, and the guide on partner visa refusal reasons explains the most common grounds. The firm's partner visa refusals page explains how My Migration Lawyers acts on review.

Common refusal grounds in a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda case include a sponsorship that was not approved, insufficient evidence of the relationship, a short relationship before a destination wedding, missing police certificates and inconsistent information across forms. Most of these can be prevented. A pre-lodgement partner visa application review and a sponsor risk assessment are designed to find them before the Department does.

How My Migration Lawyers helps you sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda

My Migration Lawyers acts for Australian sponsors and their partners in partner visa matters, including matters where the applicant is from a small Caribbean state and the couple's documents, police certificates and relationship history span several countries. The firm deals with complex partner visa cases, acts in many matters of this type and is capable of handling a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application from first advice through to Tribunal review.

On a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda matter, the firm's work typically includes:

• Assessing the sponsor first: status, previous sponsorships, the five-year rule and any history that could engage regulations 1.20J, 1.20KB, 1.20KC or 1.20KD.
• Choosing between the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 and Subclass 300, having regard to where the partner lives and any visitor visa conditions.
• Mapping every country in which the applicant and the sponsor have lived for 12 months or more, and planning the Antigua and Barbuda police certificate, including the fingerprint step, before lodgement.
• Checking the Antigua and Barbuda marriage certificate, any earlier divorce and every name and date across the documents.
• Reviewing the couple's evidence of the relationship across distance and advising on gaps, with the relationship statements remaining the couple's own accounts, reviewed and corrected by them.
• Preparing and lodging the application and the sponsorship, and responding to section 56 requests and section 57 letters.
• Acting on Administrative Review Tribunal review after a refusal.

The firm works with clients across Australia, including through its Sydney partner visa lawyers, Melbourne partner visa lawyers, Brisbane partner visa lawyers, Perth partner visa lawyers and Adelaide partner visa lawyers pages, and with sponsors and partners overseas. Consultations are by video, which suits couples split between Australia and the Caribbean, as the guide on working with a partner visa lawyer online and the answer on getting help while living overseas explain. The guides on the offshore partner visa lawyer and the complex partner visa lawyer, and the answers on help with an offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 and on a partner visa lawyer who handles complex cases, describe the approach. Where a deadline is close, the urgent partner visa lodgement page explains how urgent matters are handled. Partner visa matters are supervised by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. Further answers are in the firm's partner visa questions centre, and general enquiries can be made through the contact page.

If you want to sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda, or a sponsor partner from Antigua and Barbuda application has run into a request, a section 57 letter or a refusal, Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.