Sponsoring a Partner From Croatia

Australians who want to sponsor partner from Croatia can use the same partner visa program that applies to every country. 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. Many people who sponsor partner from Croatia are Croatian-Australians. Some were born in Australia to Croatian parents. Some were born in Croatia and later became Australian citizens. Some hold both passports and spend long periods in Croatia each year.

That background shapes the application. A dual citizen sponsor must prove Australian citizenship, not Croatian citizenship. A sponsor who has lived in Croatia may need a Croatian police certificate of their own. A wedding in Croatia must be valid under Croatian law. This guide explains each of these points, together with the eVisitor and the onshore Subclass 820 route, the Croatian criminal record certificate and Croatian translations. The firm's complete guide to partner visas in Australia explains the wider framework, and the firm's partner visa lawyers page explains how the firm acts in these matters.

Can a Croatian-Australian dual citizen sponsor partner from Croatia?

Yes. A Croatian-Australian dual citizen who is at least 18 can sponsor partner from Croatia as an Australian citizen, because holding Croatian citizenship as well does not affect eligibility to sponsor.

The law looks only at whether the sponsor is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. A second citizenship does not reduce that status. What changes is the evidence. The Department needs proof that the sponsor is an Australian citizen. A Croatian passport, a Croatian identity card or a Croatian domovnica proves Croatian citizenship, not Australian citizenship.

The firm's guide for a partner visa sponsor who is a dual citizen explains the general rules, and the guide for an Australian citizen partner visa sponsor explains a citizen sponsor's position. The broader partner visa sponsor guide covers all sponsor types.

How does a dual citizen prove Australian citizenship to sponsor partner from Croatia?

The simplest proof is a current Australian passport. Other accepted evidence includes an Australian citizenship certificate, or an Australian birth certificate where the birth certificate actually proves citizenship.

A dual citizen who wants to sponsor partner from Croatia should check which document fits the way they became Australian:

• Born in Australia before 20 August 1986. An Australian birth certificate generally proves citizenship by birth.
• Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986. A birth certificate alone may not be enough. Evidence that a parent was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of birth may also be needed.
• Born in Croatia and later granted Australian citizenship. The Australian citizenship certificate is the key document, or a current Australian passport.
• Born overseas to an Australian parent. Citizenship by descent exists only once it has been approved and registered. The citizenship certificate is the evidence.

The firm's guides on proof of the sponsor's citizenship and on a citizen by descent as a partner visa sponsor explain these rules. The short answer on proving the sponsor is an Australian citizen gives a quick summary.

Sponsor partner from Croatia: the pre-2002 citizenship question

Some older Croatian-Australians face a question that younger sponsors do not. Before 4 April 2002, former section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 could cause an adult Australian citizen to lose Australian citizenship by doing an act whose sole or dominant purpose was to acquire another citizenship. A person who applied to acquire Croatian citizenship before that date may need advice on whether Australian citizenship was affected.

This matters only for a sponsor partner from Croatia matter where the sponsor's Croatian citizenship was acquired by application before 4 April 2002. It does not arise for a person who simply held both citizenships from birth. Where it does arise, it should be checked before the sponsorship is lodged. The firm's dual citizen sponsor guide explains the issue in more detail.

Names across two passports

Croatian names often include letters such as č, ć, š, ž and đ. Australian records may show the same name without those marks, or with a different spelling. A dual citizen sponsor may also use a married name on one passport and a birth name on the other. Every difference should be explained with documents. The short answer on different names and dates across documents explains how this is done.

Does a sponsor who lived in Croatia need a Croatian police certificate?

Often, yes. Where the Department requests police checks from a sponsor, 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.

Many Croatian-Australians who sponsor partner from Croatia have spent long summers, gap years or working periods in Croatia. The 12 months is cumulative. A sponsor who spent four months in Croatia each year for three years has already passed 12 months. The firm's guide to the partner visa sponsor police check explains which checks are needed and when, and the guide to the AFP police check for a partner visa explains the Australian check.

The sponsor's checks are used to apply regulations 1.20KB, 1.20KC and 1.20KD of the Migration Regulations 1994. The guide on relevant offences for partner visa sponsors explains which convictions matter.

Who else can sponsor partner from Croatia?

An Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen can also sponsor partner from Croatia, provided the sponsor is at least 18 and the sponsorship can be approved.

A permanent resident sponsor must be "usually resident" in Australia. A permanent resident who has spent long periods in Croatia should check that status and the travel facility on their permanent visa. The firm's guides on a permanent resident partner visa sponsor, a sponsor with an expired travel facility and a sponsor on a Resident Return visa explain these issues. The guide on a New Zealand citizen partner visa sponsor explains the narrower eligible New Zealand citizen category.

A sponsor who is applying for Australian citizenship should not wait for the ceremony if permanent residence already allows sponsorship. The guides on a sponsor applying for citizenship and a sponsor who becomes a citizen during processing explain the timing.

The sponsorship limitations

Regulation 1.20J generally limits a person to two approved partner sponsorships in a lifetime, and prevents a new sponsorship being 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 application. The limits can be waived in compelling circumstances. The firm's page on partner visa sponsorship limitations explains how these rules apply.

Which partner visa suits a couple when one partner lives in Croatia?

The right visa depends on where the Croatian partner will be at lodgement, whether the couple is married, and how long any de facto relationship has lasted.

The options when Australians sponsor partner from Croatia are:

• Subclass 820 onshore. The partner applies in Australia, often after arriving on an eVisitor, and generally remains in Australia on a bridging visa during processing. It leads to the permanent Subclass 801 visa.
• Subclass 309 offshore. The partner applies from outside Australia, for example from Croatia, and must be outside Australia when the temporary visa is granted. It leads to the permanent Subclass 100 visa.
• 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 within the visa period.

The firm's guides to the onshore partner visa and the offshore partner visa explain each route. The partner visa two-stage process guide explains how the temporary and permanent stages fit together.

De facto couples and the 12-month rule

A de facto couple generally needs to show a de facto relationship of at least 12 months immediately before the application, unless the relationship is registered under an Australian State or Territory law. Time living together in Croatia counts. The firm's guide on the Subclass 820 de facto 12-month rule and the short answer on when the 12-month de facto period starts explain the test.

What does the sponsorship involve when you sponsor partner from Croatia?

The sponsor completes an online sponsorship linked to the partner's visa application, and the Department decides whether to approve it as part of the visa decision.

In a sponsor partner from Croatia application, the Croatian partner usually lodges the visa application first in ImmiAccount. The sponsor then lodges the sponsorship, giving personal details, information about earlier relationships and sponsorships, and the sponsor's undertaking. The firm's guides on lodging the partner visa sponsorship and partner visa sponsorship approval explain the steps.

The undertaking is a real commitment. 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 involves. A dual citizen who wants to sponsor partner from Croatia should also make sure the sponsorship form lists both citizenships and both passports where the form asks. The sponsor partner from Croatia sponsorship must be consistent with the partner's application on every shared fact, such as the date the couple met and the date they married.

What does it cost to sponsor partner from Croatia?

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 is paid once and covers both stages of a sponsor partner from Croatia application. Health examinations, police certificates and translations are separate. The firm's guide to partner visa costs and the short answer on who pays the partner visa fee explain the practical side.

Can a Croatian partner come to Australia on an eVisitor?

Yes. Croatian citizens can apply online for the eVisitor (Subclass 651), which allows visits to Australia for tourism or business visitor activities, with stays of up to three months each time the holder enters during the 12-month validity period.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs confirms that Croatian citizens can apply for the eVisitor online and that no fee is charged. For a couple planning to sponsor partner from Croatia, the eVisitor is often the first step. It lets the partner spend time in Australia, meet the sponsor's family and see what life in Australia would be like before the couple commits to an application.

The eVisitor is still a visitor visa. The partner must intend to visit temporarily when the visa is granted. The Department can cancel a visitor visa if it is satisfied the holder did not have, or has ceased to have, an intention only to visit temporarily. A couple who wants to sponsor partner from Croatia should not treat an eVisitor as a way to move to Australia without a partner visa application. The short answers on mentioning a partner on a visitor visa application and on a lawyer for a partner visa on a visitor visa explain how to approach this honestly.

Sponsor partner from Croatia: what the eVisitor does not allow

The eVisitor does not allow the partner to work for an Australian employer. It does not give access to Medicare. It does not extend itself. For a sponsor partner from Croatia plan, the eVisitor is useful for visits, for a wedding in Australia, and as the visa the partner holds when an onshore Subclass 820 application is lodged. It is not a substitute for that application. The firm's guide to visitor visas during partner visa processing explains how visitor visas and partner visas interact.

Can the partner lodge a Subclass 820 application while holding an eVisitor?

Yes, generally. A Croatian partner who holds an eVisitor without a "No Further Stay" condition can lodge a Subclass 820 application in Australia while the visa and the permitted stay are still running.

Department policy describes condition 8503 as a condition imposed on the Visitor visa (Subclass 600) in certain streams. Even so, every partner should check the conditions on their own grant notice or in VEVO before planning to sponsor partner from Croatia onshore. If condition 8503 does appear, the onshore application cannot be validly made unless the condition is waived. The firm's guides on Subclass 820 and condition 8503 and the short answer on condition 8503 and partner visas explain that condition.

When a Subclass 820 application is validly lodged, the partner is usually granted a Bridging visa A. It generally comes into effect when the eVisitor stops being in effect, and it keeps the partner lawful while the application is decided. The firm's guides on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa, the Subclass 820 visa guide and the partner visa on a bridging visa explain the process.

Sponsor partner from Croatia onshore: timing the lodgement

The safest course is to lodge well inside the permitted stay. If the stay ends before lodgement, the partner may become an unlawful non-citizen and must then satisfy the Schedule 3 criteria. Those criteria are harder to meet. The firm's guides on Schedule 3 criteria for partner visas and on a partner visa application before the visa expires explain why the date matters. For a sponsor partner from Croatia onshore application, the evidence should be organised before the partner flies, not after.

Work rights and Medicare during processing

A Bridging visa A granted with a Subclass 820 application usually allows work once it is in effect. The partner may also be able to enrol in Medicare once the application is lodged. The firm's guides on partner visa work rights and partner visa Medicare explain these rules.

Can the Croatian partner travel home while the Subclass 820 is processed?

Yes, but only with a Bridging visa B. A Bridging visa A does not allow re-entry after the partner leaves Australia.

Croatian partners often want to return for family events, summers or work, and this is one of the most common practical questions when Australians sponsor partner from Croatia. Before any trip, the partner must apply for and be granted a Bridging visa B. The partner must also be in Australia when the Subclass 820 is granted. The firm's guides on the partner visa Bridging visa B and partner visa overseas travel, and the short answer on leaving Australia without a Bridging visa B, explain the risks.

When is the offshore Subclass 309 the better way to sponsor partner from Croatia?

The Subclass 309 is often the better choice when the partner wants to keep working or studying in Croatia until the visa is granted, or when the couple prefers not to rely on bridging visas.

A Croatian partner can lodge a Subclass 309 application from Croatia and continue living there during processing. For many couples who sponsor partner from Croatia, this suits a partner with a permanent job or study commitments at home. The partner can usually still visit Australia on an eVisitor while the application is pending, but must be outside Australia when the Subclass 309 is granted. The short answers on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 application is processing and on the difference between Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 explain the trade-offs. The firm's onshore versus offshore partner visa guide compares the routes in more detail.

What happens at the second stage of a sponsor partner from Croatia application?

At the second stage, the Department assesses whether the couple's relationship is still genuine and continuing before granting the permanent Subclass 801 or Subclass 100 visa.

The permanent stage is generally assessed around two years after the combined application was lodged. The couple provides updated relationship evidence, and the sponsor usually provides updated details and a supporting statement. A sponsor partner from Croatia couple who has spent part of those two years in Croatia should keep records of that time together, just as they did for the first stage. The firm's guides on partner visa second stage documents, the sponsor at the second stage and Subclass 820 versus Subclass 801 explain what is needed.

If the relationship ends before the permanent stage, the partner should get advice promptly. In limited circumstances, such as family violence or the death of the sponsor, the partner may still be able to continue. The firm's guide to partner visa relationship breakdown explains the options. For most couples who sponsor partner from Croatia, the second stage is a matter of showing the same relationship, two years further on.

Getting married in Croatia: how does Australia treat the marriage?

A marriage validly celebrated and registered in Croatia is generally recognised in Australia, unless an exception in section 88D(2) of the Marriage Act 1961 applies.

The exceptions include a party already being married, a prohibited relationship, a party under marriageable age, and a party not giving real consent. For partner visa purposes, section 5F of the Migration Act 1958 requires the couple to be married under a marriage that is valid for the purposes of the Act, and section 12 generally follows the Marriage Act. The firm's guide on whether an overseas marriage is recognised in Australia and the short answer on whether an overseas marriage is recognised for a partner visa explain these rules.

The Croatian marriage record

For a sponsor partner from Croatia application based on marriage, the couple needs the official extract or certificate from the Croatian register of marriages. A church certificate or a wedding programme is not enough on its own. The couple should also make sure any earlier marriage of either party ended before the Croatian wedding, with the divorce or death certificate available. The firm's guides to the partner visa marriage certificate and to a partner visa while still married explain why these documents matter.

Diaspora sponsors who return to Croatia to marry

Many Croatian-Australians who sponsor partner from Croatia return there to marry a partner they met during an earlier visit, or through family. That is a normal way to build a relationship. The Department still assesses whether the relationship is genuine and continuing, by looking at the financial, household and social aspects and the couple's commitment. A wedding with both families present is good social evidence, but it does not replace evidence of the relationship itself. The firm's guides on the genuine and continuing relationship test and partner visa social evidence explain what else is needed. The short answer on whether families knowing about the relationship matters is also useful.

Marrying in Australia instead

Some couples prefer to marry in Australia. A partner on an eVisitor can generally marry in Australia, subject to the notice period under the Marriage Act. The short answers on marrying in Australia on a visitor visa and how to get married in Australia explain the steps. A couple who prefers the partner to arrive as a fiancé can use the Subclass 300. The short answer on the prospective marriage visa requirements explains that route.

Do Croatian documents need to be translated?

Yes. Every Croatian language document the couple relies on needs an English translation that identifies the translator.

A translation made in Australia should be done by a NAATI certified translator. A translation made in Croatia or elsewhere outside Australia does not need NAATI certification, but it must identify a qualified translator and include the translator's details and qualifications. For a sponsor partner from Croatia application, the documents that usually need full translation include:

• the partner's birth certificate;
• the Croatian marriage extract or certificate;
• divorce judgments from earlier marriages;
• the Croatian criminal record certificate;
• Croatian bank records, leases and utility accounts relied on as evidence; and
• letters from family and friends written in Croatian.

The firm's guide to partner visa evidence translation and the short answer on translating a marriage certificate explain the standards. Translations should spell names exactly as they appear in the passport. Where a translator removes diacritics or changes a spelling, the difference should be noted so the case officer does not see two different people.

What is the Croatian police certificate for a partner visa?

The Croatian police certificate for a partner visa is a certificate issued from Croatia's criminal records, which are kept by the Croatian Ministry of Justice. It is different from the certificate that no criminal proceedings are pending.

Croatia issues two documents that people often confuse in a sponsor partner from Croatia application:

• A certificate from the criminal records. The Croatian Ministry of Justice explains that a person may request a certificate from the criminal records for the purpose of exercising rights abroad. This is the document that records convictions, and it is the one usually relevant to a sponsor partner from Croatia application.
• A certificate that no criminal proceedings are pending. This is commonly used for employment in Croatia and can be obtained through the e-Građani system or from a municipal court. It does not replace the criminal records certificate.

According to the Ministry, the criminal records certificate for use abroad can be requested in person, by post or through a proxy, and a person living abroad can apply through a Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence. A Croatian partner already in Australia can therefore usually start the process without travelling home.

Sponsor partner from Croatia: police certificates from other countries

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. As an EU citizen, a Croatian partner may have lived and worked in Germany, Austria, Ireland or another member state. Each of those countries may need its own certificate. A partner who has spent 12 months or more in Australia may also need an AFP check. The firm's guide to partner visa overseas police certificates explains the rule, and the short answer on police checks for a partner visa gives a summary.

Police certificates are generally treated as valid for 12 months. The short answer on police certificate and health check validity explains why timing matters, and the guide on expired police checks explains what happens when a certificate runs out.

What relationship evidence matters when the couple is split between Australia and Croatia?

The evidence must show the four aspects of the relationship: the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the couple's commitment to each other.

Couples who sponsor partner from Croatia often live in two countries for part of the relationship, and the sponsor partner from Croatia evidence must cover both. One partner may work in Australia while the other finishes study or a contract in Croatia. Some couples spend European summers together in Croatia and Australian summers together in Australia. That pattern is not a problem in itself. It must be shown clearly.

Useful evidence for a sponsor partner from Croatia application includes:

• flight bookings, boarding passes and passport stamps for each visit;
• accommodation records for time spent together in Croatia or Australia;
• money transfers, shared expenses and contributions to rent or bills;
• call logs, messages and video call records across the time difference;
• photographs with both families, with dates and places;
• evidence of plans, such as a shared lease in Australia or job applications by the partner; and
• statements from people who know the couple in both countries.

The firm's guides on the partner visa long distance relationship, partner visa chat evidence and partner visa commitment evidence explain how to present this material. The short answers on long distance relationships and partner visas and on messages, emails and call records add practical detail.

Statements from the couple and witnesses

In a sponsor partner from Croatia application, each partner gives an account of how the relationship started and developed. For a couple who met through family in Croatia or during a holiday, the statements should explain how the relationship moved from first meeting to commitment. The statements are the couple's own words, which they review and correct. The firm's guide to the partner visa relationship statement explains what to cover.

Australian citizens and permanent residents who know the couple can give Form 888 witness statements. Many Croatian-Australian families have relatives in Australia who can do this. Relatives in Croatia can provide letters, translated into English, as general supporting evidence. The short answer on how many Form 888 statements are needed explains the usual approach.

Can same-sex couples sponsor partner from Croatia?

Yes. Same-sex couples can sponsor partner from Croatia on exactly the same basis as other couples, either as married spouses or as de facto partners.

Australian law recognises a same-sex marriage validly celebrated overseas. Where a couple has registered a partnership or civil union overseas rather than marrying, that registration is not treated as a marriage. It is usually treated as strong evidence of a de facto relationship and of the couple's commitment. It does not, by itself, remove the 12-month de facto requirement in regulation 2.03A. Only registration under a prescribed Australian State or Territory law does that. A sponsor partner from Croatia couple in this position can register their relationship in an Australian State or Territory if they meet the registry's own rules, or can show 12 months of de facto relationship.

The firm's short answers on overseas registered relationships, same-sex de facto visas and registering a relationship while the partner is overseas explain these points. Couples who have kept the relationship private from some family members can read the short answer on a private same-sex relationship and the partner visa. For a same-sex sponsor partner from Croatia application, evidence of social recognition can come from friends, colleagues and the people who do know about the relationship.

What other documents does the Croatian partner need?

The Croatian partner in a sponsor partner from Croatia application needs identity documents, civil documents, police certificates and health examinations, in addition to relationship evidence.

For a sponsor partner from Croatia application, the usual list includes a current passport, a birth certificate, evidence of any name change, divorce documents from earlier marriages, police certificates and health examination results. The partner may also be asked to provide biometrics or complete a character form. The firm's partner visa document checklist, and its guides on the partner visa medical examination and Form 80 for a partner visa, explain each item.

The sponsor provides proof of Australian citizenship or residence, identity documents and the sponsorship details. The firm's guide to partner visa sponsor documents explains what the sponsor provides.

What problems arise most often for Croatian-Australian sponsors?

When Croatian-Australians sponsor partner from Croatia, the problems that arise most often are evidence problems, not eligibility problems. They come from the sponsor's dual identity and the couple's time in two countries.

Points to check before a sponsor partner from Croatia application is lodged:

• Wrong citizenship evidence. Uploading only the Croatian passport for a dual citizen sponsor.
• Inconsistent travel history. A dual citizen who enters and leaves Australia on different passports can create confusing movement records. Australian citizens should travel in and out of Australia on their Australian passport.
• Undeclared periods in Croatia. A sponsor who forgets long stays in Croatia may miss a police certificate.
• Name spelling. Diacritics dropped in one document and kept in another.
• The wrong Croatian certificate. Providing the "no pending proceedings" certificate instead of a certificate from the criminal records.
• Unexplained gaps. Long periods apart without evidence of contact or visits.

The firm's guides on common partner visa application mistakes and partner visa refusal reasons explain how these issues lead to delay or refusal.

What if the Department refuses a sponsor partner from Croatia application?

A partner visa refusal can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, if the review application is 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 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 short answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal explains this. The Tribunal fee is AUD 3,727, applying from 1 July 2026, and half is refunded if the Tribunal sets aside, varies or remits the decision. The firm's guides on how to appeal a partner visa refusal, the partner visa appeal deadline and evidence at the ART explain the process. The short answer on new evidence at Tribunal review explains what can be added.

Tribunal decisions on related issues

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

• In Pham (Migration) [2024] ARTA 107, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were a genuine and continuing relationship, joint social activities and frequent travel, money transfers and a long term relationship. The Tribunal remitted the matter, sending it back to the Department for reconsideration.
• In Hosain (Migration) [2024] AATA 2638, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were a couple validly married in the home country and limited financial, household and social aspects while living in different countries. The Tribunal remitted the matter.
• In Le (Migration) [2024] AATA 1076, a Subclass 300 matter, the issues recorded were a couple validly married in the home country after the refusal and before the review was determined, with the application taken also to be an application for partner visas. The Tribunal remitted the matter.

For a sponsor partner from Croatia matter, these decisions show that travel, money transfers and a marriage can carry real weight, and that couples living in different countries can still present a genuine relationship. They also show that events after a refusal, such as a marriage, can matter on review. The firm's partner visa refusal lawyers page explains how the firm approaches these matters, and the short answer on marriage or a child after a refusal explains how new facts are raised.

How My Migration Lawyers helps Croatian-Australian sponsors and their partners

My Migration Lawyers deals with complex partner visa cases and acts in many matters for Australian sponsors whose partners are from Europe, including dual citizen sponsors with family ties to their partner's country. The firm is capable of handling a sponsor partner from Croatia application from the first review of the sponsor's citizenship evidence through to grant, and on review if needed. The firm's Principal Lawyer is Weiwei Zhang. The firm's approach is set out on the about My Migration Lawyers page.

On a sponsor partner from Croatia matter, the firm:

• confirms which Australian document proves the sponsor's citizenship, and checks any pre-2002 Croatian citizenship application;
• reconciles names, diacritics and dates across the sponsor's Australian and Croatian passports;
• counts the sponsor's time in Croatia to identify any Croatian police certificate the sponsor needs;
• advises whether the eVisitor and onshore Subclass 820 route, or the offshore Subclass 309 route, fits the couple's plans;
• identifies the correct Croatian criminal records certificate and the certificates needed from any other EU country;
• checks the Croatian marriage record and earlier divorce documents for recognition under section 88D;
• presents the couple's own statements, which they review and correct, with translated documents and Form 888 statements from both families; and
• responds to requests for information and section 57 letters, and acts at the Administrative Review Tribunal if a refusal occurs.

The firm acts for sponsors across Australia, including through its partner visa lawyers in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra. Common questions are answered in the firm's partner visa FAQ centre, and the short answer on a lawyer for an Australian citizen sponsoring a partner explains when advice helps.

A sponsor partner from Croatia application is strongest when the sponsor's citizenship evidence and the Croatian documents are checked before the partner books a flight or the couple sets a wedding date. Book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.