Sponsoring a Partner From Bulgaria

To sponsor partner from Bulgaria, the Australian partner must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and the Bulgarian partner must apply for a partner visa that the Department of Home Affairs grants only if the relationship is genuine and continuing and the sponsorship is approved. Every sponsor partner from Bulgaria application turns on the same three things: who the sponsor is, what kind of relationship the couple has, and what evidence proves it.

The feature that sets many of these matters apart is mobility. A Bulgarian citizen can live and work across the European Union, and many Bulgarian partners have spent years in Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece or the United Kingdom before they ever met their Australian partner. That history shapes the police certificate list, the identity evidence, the relationship timeline and, often, whether the couple applies in Australia or overseas. A sponsor partner from Bulgaria case is rarely just about Bulgaria.

This guide explains each step for Australians who want to sponsor partner from Bulgaria. It covers the visa options, the multiple police certificate problem, the eVisitor and onshore Subclass 820 question, Bulgarian documents and translation, the evidence the Department expects, the sponsor's own obligations and the refusal risks. The firm's partner visa lawyers act for sponsors and applicants in these matters, and the wider complete guide to partner visas in Australia sets out every subclass in the program.

Can an Australian sponsor partner from Bulgaria?

Yes. An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is at least 18 can sponsor partner from Bulgaria if the couple is married, in a de facto relationship, or engaged and intending to marry.

The sponsor must also be approved under Division 1.4B of the Migration Regulations 1994. That means passing the sponsorship limitations, which cap a person at two approved partner sponsorships in a lifetime and stop a new sponsorship within five years of a previous one in most cases. It also means meeting the rules about relevant offences and child-related registrable offences. The firm's guide to who can be a partner visa sponsor explains each requirement, and the detailed partner visa sponsor eligibility guide explains how the Department tests sponsor status at lodgement and at decision.

The sponsor's status matters more than many couples expect. A sponsor who is an Australian citizen sponsoring a partner proves citizenship with a passport or citizenship certificate. A permanent resident sponsor must actually hold a permanent visa, not just have one pending. A New Zealand citizen sponsor must be an eligible New Zealand citizen, which is a narrower group than every New Zealander living in Australia. Where any of these points is uncertain, the sponsor partner from Bulgaria application should not be lodged until it is resolved.

Which visa should a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple choose?

The right visa depends on where the Bulgarian partner will be when the application is lodged and decided, and whether the couple is married, de facto or engaged.

There are three partner pathways:

• Subclass 820 and Subclass 801. The onshore pathway. The applicant lodges in Australia and must be in Australia when the temporary Subclass 820 visa is granted. The firm's Subclass 820 partner visa page explains the criteria.
• Subclass 309 and Subclass 100. The offshore pathway. The applicant lodges outside Australia and must be outside Australia when the Subclass 309 visa is granted. The Subclass 309 partner visa page sets out the requirements.
• Subclass 300. The prospective marriage visa for an engaged couple who will marry after the applicant arrives. The Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa page covers the rules.

The Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 visas are both the first stage of a two-stage partner visa process. The permanent stage is usually assessed once at least two years have passed since the application was made. Where the couple was already in a long-term partner relationship when they applied, meaning at least three years, or at least two years with a dependent child of both of them, the permanent visa can be granted straight after the temporary one. The comparison of Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 explains the practical differences, and the firm's article on onshore versus offshore partner visas explains how couples usually choose.

For a sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter, the decision often comes down to where the Bulgarian partner is living now. A partner who is working in Munich, Madrid or London may prefer to lodge a Subclass 309 application from there and keep working. A partner who is already visiting Australia may want to lodge a Subclass 820 application without leaving. Both are legitimate. The wrong choice can lead to an invalid application or a visa that cannot be granted because the applicant is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sponsor partner from Bulgaria: the eVisitor and onshore Subclass 820 question

A Bulgarian partner who holds an eVisitor visa can generally lodge a Subclass 820 application while in Australia, provided no condition on that visa prevents it and the application is lodged while the visitor visa is still in effect.

Bulgaria is a member state of the European Union, and European Union passport holders are generally eligible for the eVisitor (Subclass 651) visa. The Department describes the eVisitor as free to apply for and as allowing a stay of up to three months on each entry, with multiple visits in a 12-month period. That makes it the usual way a Bulgarian partner comes to Australia to spend time with the sponsor. Couples should confirm eligibility on the Department's eVisitor page before booking travel, because eligibility depends on the passport held.

Three points control whether the onshore pathway works for a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple:

• Condition 8503. Some visitor visas carry condition 8503, "No Further Stay", which blocks most onshore visa applications. The grant notice will say whether it applies. The firm's guide to condition 8503 and the Subclass 820 visa explains what the condition stops and when a condition 8503 waiver may be requested.
• Timing. Lodging while the eVisitor is still in effect matters because an applicant who is not holding a substantive visa at lodgement faces Schedule 3 criteria. The firm's guide to Schedule 3 criteria for partner visas explains why a late lodgement is a serious risk.
• Genuine visit. The Department expects a visitor to be a genuine visitor. A partner who travels on an eVisitor and later decides, with the sponsor, to apply onshore is not doing anything wrong. A partner who states one purpose on arrival and plans another may face credibility questions later.

After a valid Subclass 820 application, the applicant is usually granted a partner visa bridging visa that comes into effect when the eVisitor ends. Travel during processing then needs a Bridging visa B. The firm's article on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa explains the sequence, and the FAQ on applying for a partner visa while on a tourist visa answers the common questions.

One further point applies to every sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple considering the onshore route. The applicant must be in Australia when the Subclass 820 visa is granted. A Bulgarian partner who leaves on a Bridging visa B for a family event and is overseas on the decision date cannot be granted the Subclass 820 visa at that moment. The FAQ on being in Australia when the Subclass 820 visa is granted explains the rule.

How many police certificates does a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application need?

The applicant usually needs a police certificate from each country, other than Australia, where they have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, and an Australian National Police Check if they have spent 12 months or more in Australia over that period.

This is the step that most often surprises a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple. Free movement within the European Union means a Bulgarian partner may have worked a season in Spain, studied for two years in Germany, lived with family in Greece and spent three years in London. Each of those countries can trigger a separate certificate. The 12 months is counted cumulatively, so several shorter stays in one country can add up. The test turns on where the person lived, not on their citizenship.

A typical list for a well-travelled Bulgarian partner might include:

• a Bulgarian criminal record certificate;
• a certificate from each European Union country where the partner lived for 12 months or more in total in the relevant period;
• a United Kingdom certificate if the partner lived there for 12 months or more in total; and
• an Australian National Police Check if the partner has already spent 12 months or more in Australia since turning 16.

Each country has its own issuing authority, application method and processing time. Some certificates can be requested online from abroad. Others need fingerprints, a local address or an application through an embassy. The Department of Home Affairs publishes country-by-country guidance naming the accepted authority for each country, and that guidance should be checked before any certificate is requested. The firm's detailed guide to overseas police certificates for partner visas explains how to plan the list, and the FAQ on what to do if a police certificate cannot be obtained covers the harder cases.

Validity is the next trap in a sponsor partner from Bulgaria file. The Department generally treats a police certificate as valid for 12 months. A Bulgarian partner who collects five certificates at once may find that the first one has expired before the case officer looks at the file. The FAQ on police certificate and health check validity and the article on expired police checks in partner visa applications explain how to manage timing.

What if the Bulgarian partner has a conviction in another country?

A conviction disclosed on a foreign certificate does not automatically end a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application, but it must be disclosed and assessed against the character requirements.

The applicant must meet the character test. An old minor traffic conviction in one European country is very different from a recent conviction involving violence. Either way, it must be declared honestly in the application forms. The firm's guides to partner visa character requirements and overseas convictions in partner visa applications explain how these matters are assessed and how a submission is prepared. A conviction that was not disclosed, and later appears on a certificate, creates a second and often larger problem about false or misleading information.

Does the Australian sponsor need police checks too?

Yes. The sponsor usually provides an Australian police check, and an overseas certificate for any country where the sponsor lived for 12 months or more in the relevant period, so the Department can assess the sponsorship under regulation 1.20KC.

An Australian sponsor who spent two years working in Europe, perhaps where the couple met, may need a certificate from that country too. The sponsor must also consent to the Department disclosing any conviction for a relevant offence to the applicant. The firm's guide to the partner visa sponsor police check and the guide to relevant offences for partner visa sponsors explain the test.

What Bulgarian documents does a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application need?

A sponsor partner from Bulgaria application needs the applicant's Bulgarian passport, identity and civil status documents, police certificates, relationship evidence and, where relevant, documents about any previous marriage, with full English translations of anything not in English.

The core Bulgarian documents usually include:

• Passport and national identity card. The Bulgarian passport is the travel document for the visa. The identity card helps confirm identity and the personal identification number used across Bulgarian records.
• Birth certificate. Bulgarian civil status documents such as birth certificates are issued by the municipality that holds the civil status record.
• Marriage certificate. If the couple married in Bulgaria, the marriage certificate comes from the municipal civil status records. If they married elsewhere, the foreign marriage certificate is used.
• Divorce or death records. If either partner was previously married, evidence that the earlier marriage ended is essential. A sponsor partner from Bulgaria case can fail on this point alone if the Department is not satisfied that both people were free to marry.
• Change of name evidence. Where a name changed on marriage, the link between the old and new names must be documented.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that a Bulgarian citizen living abroad who marries under foreign law should register that civil marriage in Bulgaria within six months after the local civil registry draws up the marriage certificate. That is a Bulgarian legal obligation, not an Australian visa criterion. It still matters, because a marriage that has not been registered in Bulgaria can lead to Bulgarian records that show the applicant as unmarried, and inconsistent records attract questions. The firm's guide to whether an overseas marriage is recognised in Australia explains the Australian test, and the FAQ on overseas marriage recognition for partner visas answers the common questions.

The firm's partner visa document checklist sets out the general list, and the partner visa sponsor documents guide covers what the Australian partner provides.

How must Bulgarian documents be translated for a partner visa?

Every document that is not in English must be translated into English in full, and the translation must identify the translator.

Bulgarian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, and that creates a specific risk. The same name can be transliterated into Latin script in more than one way. A surname may appear one way in the passport, another way in a German employment contract and a third way in an Australian bank record. A sponsor partner from Bulgaria application should use the passport spelling as the reference point and explain any variation. The FAQ on different names and dates across documents explains how inconsistencies are handled.

Translation rules for a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application are practical:

• Translations made in Australia should be done by a translator certified by NAATI, the national body that certifies translators and interpreters, and should show the translator's NAATI practitioner number.
• Translations made outside Australia do not need a NAATI translator, but they must identify a qualified translator, including the translator's full name, address, phone number and qualifications in the language.
• The whole document is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes, not just the parts that look relevant.

The firm's guide to partner visa evidence translation explains these rules in more detail, and the FAQ on translating a marriage certificate deals with the most common document. Police certificates from other European countries may be in German, Spanish, Greek, Italian or another language, so a sponsor partner from Bulgaria file can need translations from several languages, not only Bulgarian.

Messages between the couple are a separate question. Many Bulgarian and Australian couples write to each other in English, Bulgarian or a mix. The Department does not need every message translated. A sample of translated messages that shows the relationship over time is usually more useful than a large volume of untranslated chat logs. The FAQ on translating messages for a partner visa explains the approach.

What relationship evidence does the Department expect from a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple?

The Department assesses a sponsor partner from Bulgaria relationship under the same four headings as every partner visa: the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the couple's commitment to each other.

The firm's guide to the four pillars of a partner visa explains each heading. In practice, a sponsor partner from Bulgaria file often looks like this:

• Financial aspects. Joint accounts, shared bills, money sent between Australia and Bulgaria or a third country, and shared travel costs. The partner visa financial aspects guide explains what carries weight.
• Household. A shared lease or home in Australia, Bulgaria or elsewhere in Europe, and how the couple shares domestic life. The partner visa household evidence guide covers the options.
• Social aspects. Whether families and friends in Australia and Bulgaria know the couple as a couple. The partner visa social evidence guide explains how social recognition is shown.
• Commitment. Plans for the future, contact while apart, knowledge of each other's lives, and the decision to live together in Australia. The guide to nature of commitment evidence explains this heading.

Form 888 statements from friends and family who know the relationship are a standard part of the file. The firm's guide to Form 888 for partner visas explains who can sign and what a useful statement contains. Each partner also gives a personal account. The guide to writing a partner visa relationship statement explains how the couple's own account should be presented, in their own words, and checked carefully against the documents.

Sponsor partner from Bulgaria: proving a relationship that moved across Europe

Where the couple's relationship developed across several countries, the evidence should follow the same route, so the Department can see one continuous story rather than isolated fragments.

Picture a common sponsor partner from Bulgaria scenario. An Australian sponsor working in Berlin meets a Bulgarian partner who is also working there. They live together in Germany for 14 months. The sponsor's contract ends and the sponsor returns to Australia. The Bulgarian partner moves back to Sofia. They visit each other twice in the next year. They then decide to apply.

The evidence for that couple sits in at least three countries. A German lease, German utility bills and a German bank account show the cohabitation. Flight bookings and passport stamps or entry records show the visits. Messages, calls and money transfers show the period apart. Statements from friends in Berlin, family in Bulgaria and family in Australia show social recognition. The guide to long-distance relationships and partner visas and the guide to partner visa travel evidence explain how separated periods are presented.

Married or de facto?

A married couple must show a valid marriage and a genuine and continuing relationship. A de facto couple must usually show that they lived together, or did not live separately and apart on a permanent basis, for at least 12 months immediately before the application.

The 12-month requirement does not apply in some situations, including where the relationship is registered under the law of an Australian State or Territory. The firm's guide to the Subclass 820 de facto 12-month requirement explains the rule, and the FAQ on registering a de facto relationship for a partner visa explains when registration helps. The FAQ on living together overseas for 12 months confirms that cohabitation in Europe counts. The wider de facto partner visa guide explains the definition in section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958.

A sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple who married quickly, perhaps in a civil ceremony at a municipality in Bulgaria, still needs to show the relationship behind the certificate. A marriage certificate proves the marriage. It does not, on its own, prove a genuine and continuing relationship. The firm's article on the partner visa marriage certificate explains what else the Department looks for.

Can an engaged couple sponsor partner from Bulgaria on a Subclass 300 visa?

Yes. An engaged couple can sponsor partner from Bulgaria on a Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa if they have met in person, genuinely intend to marry and live together as spouses, and the Bulgarian partner applies from outside Australia.

The Subclass 300 visa suits a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple who want to hold the wedding in Australia. The applicant enters Australia, the couple marries within the visa period, and the applicant then applies for the Subclass 820 visa onshore. The Department expects evidence of the plan to marry, such as a Notice of Intended Marriage lodged with an authorised celebrant. The FAQ on the Notice of Intended Marriage explains that document, and the firm's comparison of the fiancé visa and the partner visa helps couples decide whether to marry first.

Both partners must be free to marry under Australian law. If either partner was married before, the divorce must be final before the wedding takes place. A Bulgarian partner whose divorce is still going through the courts should not set a wedding date that depends on an uncertain timetable. The guide to why prospective marriage visas are refused explains the common pitfalls for this sponsor partner from Bulgaria option.

What does it cost to sponsor partner from Bulgaria?

The Department's application charge for the combined Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 application, and for the combined Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 application, is AUD 11,710 from 1 July 2026.

The charge is paid when the application is lodged. Other costs depend on the case. They include police certificates from each relevant country, translations, health examinations and biometrics where requested, and travel. A sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple with a long European history should budget for several certificates and several translations. The firm's guide to partner visa costs explains the main items, and the FAQ on who pays the partner visa fee answers a frequent question from sponsors.

The practical point is simple. The charge is not refunded because an application is refused. Every sponsor partner from Bulgaria application should be complete, consistent and correct before the charge is paid.

What health and biometric steps apply to a Bulgarian partner?

The Bulgarian partner will usually be asked to complete health examinations, and may be asked to provide biometrics, after the application is lodged.

For a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application, health examinations are arranged through the Department's approved panel arrangements, and the applicant follows the instructions issued after lodgement. The firm's guide to the partner visa medical examination explains the process, and the guide to partner visa health requirements explains what happens if a condition is identified. Where biometrics are requested, the request letter states where and how to provide them. The firm's partner visa biometrics guide explains the step. A Bulgarian partner living in another European country should read each request carefully, because the location will depend on where the partner is when the request is made.

Sponsor partner from Bulgaria: what are the sponsor's own obligations?

The sponsor's obligations are to be eligible, to be approved, to provide accurate information and, for a partner visa, to give the sponsorship undertakings set out in the sponsorship form.

In every sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter, the sponsorship is a separate application that sits beside the visa application. The Department must approve it, and it must still be approved and in force at the time of decision. The sponsor must not exceed the sponsorship limitations, which include the two-sponsorship limit and the five-year rule in regulation 1.20J. The firm's guide to when a sponsor cannot sponsor a partner visa explains the limits and when compelling circumstances may allow them to be waived. The guide to partner visa sponsor obligations explains what the sponsor is promising.

Several sponsor situations come up often in a sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter:

• The sponsor has been living in Europe. An Australian citizen can sponsor while living overseas, but the couple must still meet the visa criteria, and the Department looks closely at the couple's plans to live together in Australia. The guide for a partner visa sponsor living overseas explains the issues.
• The sponsor holds two citizenships. An Australian sponsor who is also a Bulgarian or other European citizen can still sponsor. The guide for a dual citizen partner visa sponsor explains the evidence the sponsor should provide.
• The sponsor is a citizen by descent. An Australian who holds citizenship by descent and has lived most of their life in Europe can sponsor. The guide for a citizen by descent partner visa sponsor covers the proof required.
• The sponsor sponsored someone before. A previous sponsorship counts towards the limit. The FAQ on a sponsor who has sponsored before explains how the limit is applied.

Sponsor partner from Bulgaria when the partner lives in another country

A Bulgarian partner can lodge a Subclass 309 application from the country where they currently live, such as Germany, Spain or the United Kingdom, and does not need to return to Bulgaria to apply.

The Subclass 309 application is made online, and the applicant must be outside Australia when it is lodged and when the visa is granted. For a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple, that flexibility is useful. A partner with a good job in Vienna or Amsterdam can keep working there while the application is processed. The applicant may also visit Australia during processing on a suitable visitor visa, as long as the applicant is outside Australia when the Subclass 309 visa is decided. The FAQ on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 application is processing explains the timing point.

Living in a third country does create additional work. The current country of residence usually adds a police certificate if the partner has spent 12 months or more there in total. Residence documents from that country, such as registration certificates or work contracts, help explain the address history. Where a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple has lived together in that third country, its lease and bank records become central household evidence. The firm's guide to the offshore partner visa and its FAQ on help with an offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 application cover the offshore process.

Australia's consular services for Bulgaria are provided through the Australian Embassy in Athens, Greece, with an Honorary Consul in Sofia offering limited services. Partner visa applications are not lodged at an embassy. They are lodged online, and the Department then issues any requests for health examinations, biometrics or further information.

Why are partner visas for Bulgarian partners refused?

Partner visas are refused for the same reasons in every country caseload: the Department is not satisfied the relationship is genuine and continuing, a criterion such as the sponsorship or the de facto period is not met, the evidence is inconsistent, or information in the application is false or misleading.

For a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple, the specific risk points are predictable:

• Missing police certificates. A certificate from a country where the partner lived for 12 months or more was not provided, or was provided late and expired.
• Gaps in the European history. The forms list addresses and employment in some countries but not others, so the timeline does not add up.
• Transliteration differences. Names and dates appear differently across documents and the differences are not explained.
• Thin evidence for separated periods. The couple lived together in one country, then apart, and the evidence for the time apart is limited.
• An undisclosed earlier relationship or marriage. A previous marriage, divorce or de facto relationship in Bulgaria or elsewhere was not disclosed.
• Onshore timing errors. The Subclass 820 application was lodged after the eVisitor ended, or while condition 8503 applied without a waiver.

The firm's guide to partner visa refusal reasons explains each ground. The guide to false information refusals and the guide to public interest criterion 4020 explain why incorrect information is so serious. A refusal under public interest criterion 4020 can affect future applications, so accuracy matters as much as volume.

The Department may also write to the couple before deciding. A request for more information, or a letter inviting comment on adverse information, has a deadline. The firm's guide to section 56 requests and its guide to the section 57 natural justice letter explain how to respond. A sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple who receives either letter should treat it as a final opportunity to fix the problem before a decision.

What happens if the visa is refused?

If a partner visa is refused, the decision can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, and the application for review must be lodged within 28 days after the applicant is notified of the decision, or 7 days if the applicant is in immigration detention.

For a Subclass 309 refusal, the visa applicant applies for review in their own name under regulation 4.02(5)(raa) of the Migration Regulations 1994, not the sponsor. For a Subclass 300 refusal, the Australian sponsor applies. For a Subclass 820 refusal, the applicant applies. The Tribunal fee for review of a partner visa refusal is AUD 3,727 from 1 July 2026, and half is refunded if the Tribunal sets aside, varies or remits the decision. The firm's guide to the partner visa appeal deadline, the guide to the Administrative Review Tribunal review process and the FAQ on who applies for review of an offshore refusal explain the steps. The firm's partner visa refusals page and its urgent visa refusal review service are the starting points when the deadline is close.

Tribunal decisions show the kinds of issues that can be addressed on review. Each turns on its own facts, and none involved a Bulgarian partner:

• In HEJAZE (Migration) [2026] ARTA 1915, the recorded issues were a genuine and continuing relationship, a valid marriage, the financial, household and social aspects of the relationship and the nature of commitment, and the couple's good knowledge of each other's circumstances. The matter was remitted, meaning it was sent back to the Department for reconsideration.
• In White (Migration) [2024] AATA 3868, the recorded issues were whether the parties provided false and misleading information, and the fact that the couple represented themselves to other people as being in a married relationship. The matter was remitted to the Department.
• In Joe (Migration) [2024] AATA 3870, the recorded issues were that the parties were validly married, the financial contributions made by the review applicant over many years, and that the couple have a child together. The matter was remitted to the Department.

These decisions do not predict any other outcome. They show that the Tribunal looks again at the whole of the evidence, and that a refusal is not always the end of a sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter.

What should a sponsor partner from Bulgaria couple do before lodging?

Before lodging, the couple should confirm the sponsor's eligibility, choose the right subclass, map every country the Bulgarian partner has lived in, start the slowest police certificates first, and assemble translated documents that match each other.

A practical sequence for a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application looks like this:

• Confirm the sponsor. Check citizenship or permanent residence, any previous sponsorships and any criminal history.
• Choose the pathway. Decide between Subclass 820, Subclass 309 and Subclass 300 based on where the partner will be and the relationship type.
• Check the visitor visa. If applying onshore, read the eVisitor grant notice for condition 8503 and diarise the date the visa ends.
• Map the address history. List every country, with dates, where each partner lived since turning 16.
• Order police certificates. Start with the countries that take longest.
• Collect Bulgarian documents. Passport, identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate and any divorce or name change records.
• Translate everything. Use qualified translators and keep the passport spelling as the reference.
• Build the relationship evidence. Cover all four aspects across every country the relationship has touched.
• Prepare the statements. Each partner's own account and Form 888 statements from people who know the couple.
• Check consistency. Compare forms, statements and documents line by line before lodging.

The firm's partner visa checklist and its guide to common partner visa application mistakes are useful companions. Where time is short, for example because the eVisitor is about to end, the firm's urgent partner visa lodgement service is designed for that situation.

Can My Migration Lawyers act for sponsors anywhere in Australia?

Yes. My Migration Lawyers acts for sponsors across Australia and for applicants overseas, with consultations by video, so a sponsor in any city can work with the firm on a sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter.

The firm has dedicated pages for sponsors in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The partner visa FAQ centre answers hundreds of specific questions, including who can sponsor a partner visa. More about the firm is on the About page.

How My Migration Lawyers helps Australians sponsor a partner from Bulgaria

My Migration Lawyers regularly deals with complex partner visa cases, and acts in many matters where an Australian sponsor's partner has lived and worked across Europe before the couple applies. The firm is capable of handling the issues that make a sponsor partner from Bulgaria application harder than it first appears.

On a sponsor partner from Bulgaria matter, the firm:

• confirms the sponsor's status and checks the sponsorship limitations and character rules before anything is lodged;
• advises whether the Subclass 820, Subclass 309 or Subclass 300 pathway fits the couple, including the eVisitor timing and any condition 8503 issue;
• builds a country-by-country address map for both partners and identifies every police certificate the Department is likely to need, with an order of priority;
• reviews Bulgarian civil status documents, foreign marriage and divorce records and name variations, and explains each difference before the Department asks;
• checks that translations are complete and properly identify the translator;
• organises the couple's own relationship evidence under the four headings, across every country the relationship has involved, and reviews the couple's statements so they are accurate and consistent with the documents;
• prepares submissions on any character, sponsorship or Schedule 3 issue; and
• responds to Department requests and, if a refusal occurs, acts on review before the Administrative Review Tribunal.

The firm's Principal Lawyer, Weiwei Zhang, oversees the firm's partner visa practice. Couples who want to sponsor partner from Bulgaria and want the application done properly the first time can start with a consultation. Sponsors who already have a refusal, a section 57 letter or a visa about to expire should act quickly, because deadlines in partner visa matters are strict.

Book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.