Sponsoring a Partner From Costa Rica

Australians who want to sponsor partner from Costa Rica can do so through the Australian partner visa program. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and the couple must be married or in a genuine de facto relationship. People who search how to sponsor partner from Costa Rica usually have one of two stories. Either the Australian met the partner while travelling, volunteering or working in Central America, or the partner came to Australia and the couple met here.

This guide focuses on the first group. It explains which visa fits, how the sponsor partner from Costa Rica process works when the couple has lived overseas together, what condition 8503 means for an onshore plan, how a marriage in Costa Rica is treated in Australia, which Spanish documents need translation, and how the Costa Rican criminal record certificate is obtained. The firm's complete guide to partner visas in Australia sets out the wider framework, and the firm's partner visa lawyers page explains how the firm acts in these matters.

Can an Australian sponsor partner from Costa Rica?

Yes. An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is at least 18 years old can sponsor partner from Costa Rica, as long as the relationship is genuine and continuing and the sponsor is not barred by the sponsorship limitations in Division 1.4B of the Migration Regulations 1994.

Costa Rican nationality does not create a special category. The same law applies to every applicant, whatever passport they hold. What changes is the practical side of the sponsor partner from Costa Rica application: the visitor visa the partner needs before travelling, the Spanish language documents, the Costa Rican criminal record certificate and the way the couple's history abroad is proved.

There are three partner pathways:

• the onshore Subclass 820 temporary partner visa, which leads to the permanent Subclass 801 visa;
• the offshore Subclass 309 partner visa, which leads to the permanent Subclass 100 visa; and
• the Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa for a couple who are engaged and intend to marry.

Each pathway is a two-stage process. The firm's explanation of the partner visa two-stage process shows how the temporary and permanent stages fit together.

Who is eligible to sponsor partner from Costa Rica?

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, must be at least 18, and must have an approved sponsorship in force when the visa is decided.

The firm's guide to partner visa sponsor eligibility explains each requirement in detail. Separate guides deal with an Australian citizen partner visa sponsor, a permanent resident partner visa sponsor and a New Zealand citizen partner visa sponsor. The general partner visa sponsor guide brings these together.

The sponsorship limitations

Regulation 1.20J limits how often a person can sponsor a partner. In general, a person can have no more than two approved partner sponsorships in a lifetime, and cannot have a new sponsorship approved within five years of an earlier sponsored application. A person who was sponsored as a partner themselves generally cannot sponsor within five years of their own partner visa application. These limits can be waived in compelling circumstances. The firm's page on partner visa sponsorship limitations sets out how those rules operate.

The sponsor's character checks

Regulations 1.20KB, 1.20KC and 1.20KD allow the Department to request police checks from the sponsor, to refuse sponsorship where the sponsor has a conviction for a relevant offence and a significant criminal record, and to disclose relevant convictions to the applicant with the sponsor's consent. The guides on relevant offences for partner visa sponsors and a sponsor's significant criminal record explain those tests.

Sponsor partner from Costa Rica after living in Central America: does the sponsor need overseas police checks?

Yes, often. Where the Department asks the sponsor for police checks, the sponsor generally needs an Australian Federal Police check and a police certificate from each country where the sponsor spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

This is easy to miss. Many Australians who sponsor partner from Costa Rica spent long periods in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua or elsewhere in the region before returning home. The 12 months is cumulative, so several shorter stays can add up. A sponsor who taught English in San José for a year, or who split time between Costa Rica and another Central American country, should count the days carefully before the sponsorship is lodged.

The firm's guide to the partner visa sponsor police check explains which certificates are needed, when the Department asks for them and what the 28-day policy period means. If a certificate is genuinely unobtainable, the short answer on what to do when a police certificate cannot be obtained explains the options.

A sponsor who is still living in Costa Rica when the couple starts planning should also read the guide on sponsoring a partner while living overseas and the guide on a sponsor returning to Australia. A permanent resident sponsor in particular must meet the "usually resident" requirement, which can be affected by a long period abroad.

Met while travelling in Costa Rica: which partner visa fits the couple?

The right visa depends on where the partner will be when the application is lodged, whether the couple is married, and whether a de facto relationship has lasted 12 months.

The main choices for a sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter are:

• Subclass 309 offshore. The partner applies while outside Australia and must be outside Australia when the temporary visa is granted. The couple can be married or de facto. This suits a couple still living in Costa Rica, or a partner who will wait there while the sponsor returns to Australia.
• Subclass 820 onshore. The partner applies while in Australia, usually after arriving on a visitor visa. The partner can then generally remain in Australia on a bridging visa while the application is processed. This depends heavily on the visitor visa conditions explained below.
• Subclass 300 prospective marriage. The partner applies from outside Australia, the couple must have met in person as adults, and the couple must intend to marry in Australia or overseas within the visa period.

The firm's comparison of onshore and offshore partner visas explains the practical trade-offs, and the guide on which partner visa pathway to choose works through common scenarios. The FAQ on the difference between Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 gives the short version.

A worked illustration

Consider a general scenario. An Australian spends two years working for a tour company in Costa Rica and meets a Costa Rican partner there. They rent a flat together for 14 months. The Australian returns home and the partner plans to follow. On those facts, the couple may already satisfy the 12-month de facto requirement through cohabitation in Costa Rica. The couple could lodge a Subclass 309 application before the partner leaves Costa Rica, or the partner could visit Australia and lodge a Subclass 820 application if the visitor visa allows it. The sponsor partner from Costa Rica decision turns on timing, the visitor visa conditions and the strength of the evidence from the Costa Rican tenancy.

Does living together in Costa Rica count towards the 12-month de facto requirement?

Yes. Time spent living together in Costa Rica, or anywhere else outside Australia, can count towards the 12-month de facto requirement, provided the couple was in a de facto relationship during that period.

For a de facto partner visa, the couple must generally have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before the application. The law looks at whether they had a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, a genuine and continuing relationship, and lived together or did not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. Where the couple lived in Costa Rica, the evidence will be Costa Rican: a lease, utility accounts, a shared address on official documents, photographs, and statements from people who knew them there.

The firm's guides on the Subclass 820 de facto 12-month rule and de facto partner visas in Australia explain the test. The short answers on whether living together overseas counts and when the 12-month de facto period starts address the most common questions.

When the couple has not lived together for 12 months

Some couples who want to sponsor partner from Costa Rica met during a shorter trip and have not lived together for a year. There are three ways forward. The couple can wait until the 12 months is reached. The couple can register the relationship under an Australian State or Territory relationship register, which removes the 12-month requirement for the de facto visa. Or the couple can marry. The short answers on registering a relationship while the partner is overseas and registering a de facto relationship for a partner visa explain that option.

How does the sponsorship itself work when you sponsor partner from Costa Rica?

The sponsor makes a separate sponsorship application online, linked to the partner's visa application, and the Department decides the sponsorship as part of the visa decision.

In a sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter, the partner lodges the visa application in ImmiAccount and the sponsor then completes the online sponsorship. The sponsor gives personal details, details of previous relationships and sponsorships, and an undertaking to support the partner. The firm's guides on lodging the partner visa sponsorship, partner visa sponsorship approval and the sponsor's undertaking explain each part.

The sponsor's obligations continue after the grant. The sponsor undertakes to provide reasonable financial support and accommodation to the partner during the first two years in Australia. The guide to partner visa sponsor obligations explains what that means in practice. A sponsor partner from Costa Rica application should not be lodged until the sponsor has read and understood these obligations.

Sponsors who are still overseas

An Australian citizen sponsor can be outside Australia when the sponsorship is lodged. Many people who sponsor partner from Costa Rica are still living there when they begin the process. The sponsor should be able to show an intention to live in Australia with the partner. The short answer on an Australian living overseas sponsoring a partner explains how this is assessed, and the guide on proof of the sponsor's citizenship explains which documents are accepted.

How much does it cost to sponsor partner from Costa Rica?

The Department's visa 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, applying from 1 July 2026.

That charge covers both stages of a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application. No further visa application charge is payable at the permanent stage, as the short answer on whether the permanent stage is included in the application charge explains. Other costs are separate, such as health examinations, police certificates, translations and the partner's visitor visa if one is needed. The firm's guide to partner visa costs covers these items.

Which visitor visa does a partner from Costa Rica need to visit Australia?

A Costa Rican citizen who wants to visit Australia generally applies for a Visitor visa (Subclass 600), because Costa Rican passports are not listed among the passports eligible for the eVisitor (Subclass 651) or Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601).

This matters for anyone planning to sponsor partner from Costa Rica through the onshore route. The Subclass 600 visa has several streams. Most partners apply in the Tourist stream. The applicant must show a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily. The officer can consider the applicant's circumstances in Costa Rica, such as employment, study, family and property, and the applicant's immigration history.

A partner in a sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter should be truthful about the relationship. Hiding an Australian partner on a visitor visa application can create a credibility problem later and can raise public interest criterion 4020 if information is false or misleading. The short answers on mentioning a partner on a visitor visa application and on a spouse applying for a visitor visa to Australia explain how to approach this honestly. The firm's guide to PIC 4020 in partner visas explains the risk of inconsistent statements.

Sponsor partner from Costa Rica: the visitor visa is not a partner visa

A visitor visa only allows a temporary stay. It does not allow the couple to live together in Australia indefinitely. For a sponsor partner from Costa Rica plan, the visitor visa is either a way to spend time together while a Subclass 309 application is processed offshore, or a way to be in Australia when a Subclass 820 application is lodged. The firm's guide to visitor visas during partner visa processing and the short answer on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 application is processing explain the first option.

Can a Costa Rican partner lodge a Subclass 820 application in Australia on a visitor visa?

Yes, if the visitor visa does not carry condition 8503 or the condition has been waived, and if the partner holds that substantive visa when the application is lodged.

When a Subclass 820 application is validly lodged while the partner holds a visitor visa, the partner is usually granted a Bridging visa A. That bridging visa generally comes into effect when the visitor visa ends and lets the partner remain lawfully in Australia while the application is processed. The firm's guides on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa, applying for a partner visa while on a tourist visa and the Bridging visa A explain each step.

The sponsor partner from Costa Rica onshore route has real advantages. The couple can live together during processing. The partner may have work rights on the bridging visa. But the route has risks that couples often underestimate:

• If the partner travels out of Australia, the Bridging visa A does not allow return. A Bridging visa B is needed first.
• If the visitor visa expired before lodgement, the partner will not hold a substantive visa and must meet the Schedule 3 criteria.
• If the visitor visa carries condition 8503, the onshore application is invalid unless the condition is waived first.

The short answer on a lawyer for a partner visa on a visitor visa explains why these points are checked before lodgement, and the guide to the partner visa bridging visa explains how bridging visas operate.

What does condition 8503 mean for a sponsor partner from Costa Rica plan?

Condition 8503 means the visa holder will not, after entering Australia, be entitled to be granted a substantive visa other than a protection visa while remaining in Australia. A partner with this condition cannot validly lodge an onshore Subclass 820 application unless the condition is first waived.

Department policy describes condition 8503 as mandatory on the Subclass 600 visa in the Sponsored Family stream, the Approved Destination Status stream, the Frequent Traveller stream and the Tourist stream where a sponsorship under clause 600.224 has been approved. It is discretionary in the Business Visitor stream and the ordinary Tourist stream. The condition appears on the visa grant notice and in VEVO. A couple planning to sponsor partner from Costa Rica onshore should check the grant notice before the partner books a flight.

Can condition 8503 be waived?

Yes, but only in narrow circumstances. Subsection 41(2A) of the Migration Act 1958 and regulation 2.05 allow a waiver where compelling and compassionate circumstances have developed since the visa was granted, over which the holder had no control, and which resulted in a major change to the person's circumstances. Falling in love, or deciding to marry, after the visa grant is not by itself a basis for waiver. A waiver decision is generally not merits reviewable. The firm's guides on the partner visa 8503 waiver, Subclass 820 and condition 8503 and the No Further Stay condition explain the test. The short answer on condition 8503 and partner visas gives a quick summary.

Where condition 8503 applies and no waiver is available, the sponsor partner from Costa Rica plan usually shifts to the Subclass 309 offshore route. The partner returns to Costa Rica, or lodges from outside Australia, and waits offshore for the grant.

What if the visitor visa expires before the Subclass 820 application is lodged?

If the partner's visa expires before lodgement, the partner becomes an unlawful non-citizen and must satisfy the Schedule 3 criteria unless they can be waived for compelling reasons.

For a sponsor partner from Costa Rica onshore application, Schedule 3 is a serious hurdle. The criteria generally require that the applicant applied within 28 days of ceasing to hold a substantive visa, or that there are compelling reasons for not applying those criteria. A couple who wants to sponsor partner from Costa Rica onshore should lodge well before the visitor visa ends. The firm's guides on Schedule 3 criteria for partner visas and on a partner visa after a visa has expired explain the risk, and the Schedule 3 waivers page explains how waiver submissions are handled.

Getting married in Costa Rica: will Australia recognise the marriage?

Yes, in most cases. A marriage celebrated in Costa Rica is generally recognised in Australia if it was valid under Costa Rican law and none of the exceptions in section 88D(2) of the Marriage Act 1961 applies.

Those exceptions include a party already being married, the parties being in a prohibited relationship, a party being under marriageable age, and a party not giving real consent. For migration purposes, section 12 of the Migration Act 1958 generally follows the Marriage Act. The firm's guide on whether an overseas marriage is recognised in Australia explains these rules, and the short answer on what makes a valid marriage for a spouse visa covers the main points.

Civil marriage and registration in Costa Rica

For a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application based on marriage, the important document is the official record of the marriage from the Costa Rican civil registry. Civil registration in Costa Rica is administered by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones through its civil registration services. A ceremonial or religious certificate alone is not enough. The couple should obtain the official certification of the marriage registration.

A marriage does not need to be re-registered in an Australian State or Territory to be recognised. What matters is that it was properly celebrated and registered under Costa Rican law. The firm's guide to the partner visa marriage certificate explains what the Department looks for, and the guide on an overseas marriage that is not recognised explains what happens when a problem arises.

Same-sex couples should know that Australia has recognised same-sex marriage since December 2017, and a same-sex marriage validly celebrated overseas can be recognised for partner visa purposes. The short answer on same-sex marriage and the spouse visa explains this.

Engaged and planning a wedding in Costa Rica

Some couples who want to sponsor partner from Costa Rica are engaged but not yet married. The Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa allows the partner to come to Australia to marry. The marriage can also take place outside Australia before the partner travels, as long as it occurs within the visa period. The couple must have met in person as adults, and must genuinely intend to marry and live together as spouses. The short answers on the prospective marriage visa requirements and marrying overseas on a prospective marriage visa explain this route. For a wedding in Australia, the Notice of Intended Marriage is usually part of the evidence.

The choice between a wedding in Costa Rica followed by a Subclass 309 application, and a Subclass 300 visa followed by a wedding in Australia, is a common sponsor partner from Costa Rica decision. The short answer on whether to choose the fiancé visa route or marry first compares them.

Marriage after the application is lodged

A couple who lodges as de facto partners can marry later. The marriage should be notified to the Department and the new certificate provided. The short answer on marrying after applying as de facto partners explains how that works.

Do Spanish documents need to be translated for a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application?

Yes. Every Costa Rican document in Spanish that the couple wants the Department to rely on must have an English translation.

A translation made in Australia should be done by a NAATI certified translator. A translation made outside Australia does not have to be NAATI certified, but it must identify a qualified translator, including the translator's full name, address, phone number and qualifications in the language. For the sponsor partner from Costa Rica process, the documents that usually need full translation are:

• the partner's birth certificate and identity documents;
• the marriage certification from the civil registry;
• any divorce or annulment records from earlier relationships;
• the Costa Rican criminal record certificate;
• Costa Rican leases, utility accounts and bank records relied on as evidence; and
• letters or statements from Spanish-speaking family and friends.

Messages between the couple do not all need word for word translation. A representative selection with an index is usually more useful. The firm's guide to partner visa evidence translation and the short answers on translating a marriage certificate, translating messages and couples who speak different languages cover these points.

Names and dates across Spanish documents

Costa Rican documents commonly show two surnames. An Australian form may record only one. A difference in name order, spelling or accent marks across the passport, the civil registry certificate and the forms should be explained, not ignored. The short answer on different names and dates across documents explains how inconsistencies are dealt with.

What is the Costa Rican criminal record certificate and how does the partner get it?

The Costa Rican criminal record certificate is the "certificación de antecedentes penales", commonly called the "hoja de delincuencia", issued by the Registro Judicial of the Poder Judicial (the Costa Rican judiciary).

A partner visa applicant generally needs a police certificate from each country where the applicant spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16. For most people who sponsor partner from Costa Rica, that means a Costa Rican certificate at a minimum. If the partner also lived in another country for 12 months or more, a certificate from that country is needed as well.

The Poder Judicial offers the certificate in digital format. According to the Poder Judicial, the applicant requests it with a personal username and password through its online service or mobile application, and the digital certificate carries a digital signature that guarantees its authenticity. The Poder Judicial describes the request as a personal process. A Costa Rican partner who is outside Costa Rica should confirm with the Poder Judicial or a Costa Rican consulate how to request it from abroad.

Sponsor partner from Costa Rica: police certificate practicalities

The practical points for a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application are:

• Timing. Police certificates are generally treated as valid for 12 months. A certificate obtained too early may expire before the Department decides. The short answer on police certificate and health check validity explains this.
• Translation. The certificate is in Spanish and needs an English translation that identifies the translator.
• Other countries. Partners from Costa Rica who studied or worked in the United States, Spain, Panama or elsewhere may need certificates from those countries too.
• Australian check. A partner who lived in Australia for 12 months or more may need an Australian Federal Police check.

The firm's guide to partner visa overseas police certificates explains the rule in full, and the guide to partner visa character requirements explains how convictions are assessed.

What relationship evidence works for a couple who met in Central America?

The best evidence for a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application shows the relationship across the four aspects the Department must consider: financial, household, social and the nature of the commitment.

Regulation 1.09A for de facto partners and regulation 1.15A for spouses require the Department to consider all the circumstances of the relationship. The firm's guide to the four pillars of a partner visa and the guide to partner visa relationship evidence explain how each aspect is proved.

Evidence from life together in Costa Rica

Couples who lived together in Costa Rica often hold evidence they do not think to use in a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application:

• a lease or a letter from a landlord confirming both names and the address;
• utility, internet or phone accounts at the shared address;
• shipping records for belongings sent from Costa Rica to Australia;
• photographs with family on both sides, with dates and places;
• records of travel together within Central America, such as flight bookings, bus tickets and accommodation;
• money transfers between the couple, or the sponsor paying shared expenses; and
• statements from people in Costa Rica who knew the couple as a couple.

The firm's guides on partner visa travel evidence, partner visa household evidence and partner visa financial evidence explain what each type of document proves. The short answers on travel together as evidence and money transfers as relationship evidence add practical detail.

Periods apart after the sponsor returns to Australia

Many couples who sponsor partner from Costa Rica spend months apart once the Australian returns home. Separation for work, visas or family reasons does not end a de facto relationship by itself, but it must be explained and supported by evidence of continuing contact, visits and plans. The firm's guide to the partner visa long distance relationship and the short answer on explaining gaps in relationship evidence explain how to present this.

Statements from the couple and from witnesses

Each partner writes a personal statement about how the relationship started and developed. For a couple who met in Costa Rica, that statement naturally covers where they met, when they began living together and why they decided to build a life in Australia. The statement must be the person's own account, reviewed and corrected by them. The firm's guide to the partner visa relationship statement explains the content.

Witnesses who are Australian citizens or permanent residents can give Form 888 witness statements. Friends and family in Costa Rica cannot give Form 888 statements unless they hold Australian status, but their letters can still be given as general supporting evidence. The short answer on statements from overseas friends explains how these are used.

What other requirements apply to the Costa Rican partner?

The Costa Rican partner must meet health, character and identity requirements, in addition to the relationship and sponsorship criteria that apply when Australians sponsor partner from Costa Rica.

For a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application, the applicant will usually need to:

• complete health examinations through the Department's approved process, as explained in the guide to partner visa health requirements;
• provide biometrics if asked, as explained in the guide to partner visa biometrics;
• complete a character form if requested, as explained in the guide to Form 80 for a partner visa; and
• provide a current passport and civil documents, as listed in the firm's partner visa document checklist.

The sponsor also provides documents proving identity and Australian status. The firm's guide to partner visa sponsor documents and the short answer on proving the sponsor is an Australian citizen explain what is needed.

What mistakes do couples make when they sponsor partner from Costa Rica?

The most common mistakes are procedural, not about the relationship itself. They usually come from treating the sponsor partner from Costa Rica process as a simple form rather than a legal application.

Mistakes seen in practice include:

• Booking a visitor visa without checking the conditions. A partner who arrives with condition 8503 cannot lodge onshore without a waiver. The sponsor partner from Costa Rica plan then has to change at short notice.
• Letting the visitor visa expire. Lodging after the visa has ended brings in Schedule 3, which is much harder to satisfy.
• Relying on a church certificate only. The Department needs the official civil registry record of the marriage.
• Translating too little or too much. Official documents need full translations. Thousands of untranslated messages help nobody.
• Forgetting the sponsor's overseas police certificates. A sponsor who lived in Costa Rica for 12 months or more may need a Costa Rican certificate.
• Inconsistent dates. The date the couple met, started living together and married should be the same in every form, statement and document.
• Travelling on a Bridging visa A. Leaving Australia without a Bridging visa B can strand the partner overseas.

The firm's guides on common partner visa application mistakes and why partner visas get refused explain how these issues lead to refusal. The firm's complex partner visa applications guide explains when a sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter should be treated as complex.

What happens if a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application is refused?

A refused partner visa can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal. The application must be made within 28 days after the applicant is notified of the decision, or 7 days if the applicant is in immigration detention.

For a Subclass 820 refusal, the applicant in Australia applies for review. For a Subclass 309 refusal, the visa applicant applies 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. The Tribunal fee for review of a partner visa refusal is AUD 3,727, applying from 1 July 2026. Half is refunded if the Tribunal sets aside, varies or remits the decision. The firm's guides on the partner visa appeal deadline, the ART review process and partner visa ART fees explain the steps. The short answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal confirms who applies.

Published Tribunal decisions on related issues

Published Tribunal decisions show the kinds of issues that arise in partner visa refusals. Each case turns on its own facts:

• In Naureen (Migration) [2024] ARTA 468, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were whether it was reasonable to approve the sponsorship, the sponsor's significant criminal record, the time since last imprisonment and limited time together because of travel restrictions. The Tribunal remitted the matter, sending it back to the Department for reconsideration.
• In Tran (Migration) [2024] AATA 1435, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were a genuine and continuing relationship, the Certificate of Marriage, joint international travel, and a joint bank account and utilities. The Tribunal remitted the matter.
• In Amoah (Migration) [2024] AATA 2511, a Subclass 300 matter, the issues recorded were identity, an educational certificate with a different year of birth and a probable error by the issuer. The Tribunal remitted the matter.

These decisions show that sponsorship approval, joint travel and finances, and inconsistencies in identity documents are all live issues on review. A sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter with document inconsistencies, or a sponsor with a criminal history, should be prepared carefully from the start. The firm's partner visa refusal lawyers page explains how the firm approaches refusals.

How My Migration Lawyers helps Australians who sponsor partner from Costa Rica

My Migration Lawyers deals with complex partner visa cases and acts in many matters for Australian sponsors whose partners are from Latin America and other regions overseas. The firm is capable of handling a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application from the first assessment through to grant, and on review if a refusal occurs. The firm's Principal Lawyer is Weiwei Zhang, and the firm's approach is described on the about My Migration Lawyers page.

On a sponsor partner from Costa Rica matter, the firm:

• assesses whether the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 or Subclass 300 pathway fits the couple's timing and location;
• checks the partner's visitor visa grant for condition 8503 before any onshore lodgement is planned;
• counts the time the couple lived together in Costa Rica and identifies the evidence that proves it;
• reviews the sponsor's own history abroad to identify any overseas police certificates the sponsor may need;
• explains how the Costa Rican criminal record certificate is requested and when to obtain it so it remains current;
• checks the Costa Rican marriage certification and Spanish translations for consistency of names and dates;
• presents the couple's own statements, which they review and correct, together with Form 888 statements and documents from both countries; and
• responds to requests for information and section 57 letters, and acts on review at the Administrative Review Tribunal if needed.

The firm acts for sponsors across Australia through its partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Answers to many common questions are collected in the firm's partner visa FAQ centre.

The best time to plan a sponsor partner from Costa Rica application is before the partner applies for a visitor visa or the couple books a wedding. Book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.