Sponsoring a Partner From Dominica

To sponsor partner from Dominica, the Australian partner must be an eligible sponsor and must prove a genuine and continuing relationship with the Dominican partner. The usual pathway is the Subclass 309 partner visa, lodged online while the Dominican partner is outside Australia, with the permanent Subclass 100 assessed later. Couples who want to sponsor partner from Dominica can also use the onshore Subclass 820 pathway if the partner is lawfully in Australia and no condition 8503 applies, or the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa if they are engaged.

This guide is written for the Australian sponsor. It explains the rules to sponsor partner from Dominica in the order a sponsor actually meets them: which country the law is dealing with, who can sponsor, which visa fits, how a Dominican partner can visit Australia, what the Department does with citizenship by investment passports, which police certificates are needed, which Dominican civil documents to obtain, and how to prove a relationship that has been lived largely across two hemispheres.

My Migration Lawyers advises Australian sponsors on partner visas for partners from every region, including the Caribbean. The main partner visa lawyers page explains how the firm works on these matters.

Can I sponsor partner from Dominica?

Yes. An Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen can sponsor partner from Dominica, provided the sponsor is at least 18, the relationship is genuine and continuing, and the sponsorship is approved. Australian law does not treat Dominican nationals differently from any other nationality in the partner visa program. What changes from country to country is the evidence: the documents, the police certificates, the visitor visa options and the practical way the relationship has been conducted.

The legal test is the same for every couple. A married couple must show a valid marriage and a genuine and continuing relationship. A de facto couple must show that they have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, that the relationship is genuine and continuing, and that they live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. The general partner visa requirements and the partner visa eligibility guides explain these elements in detail.

There is no minimum income for a sponsor and no English test for the Dominican partner at the first stage. The FAQ on whether a sponsor needs a minimum income and the guide to partner visa English requirements cover those two common questions.

Dominica or the Dominican Republic: why the difference matters

Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an independent island nation in the eastern Caribbean, with its capital at Roseau. It became independent from the United Kingdom on 3 November 1978 and is a member of the Commonwealth, like Australia. The Dominican Republic is a separate, Spanish-speaking country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

The difference is not a technicality. A sponsor who searches for how to sponsor partner from Dominica will often find information that actually relates to the Dominican Republic. That information is wrong for a Dominica case:

• Language. The Government of Dominica lists English and French Patois (Kwéyòl) as the languages of Dominica. Dominican civil records and police certificates are generally issued in English, so the translation work that dominates a Dominican Republic file is usually not needed for the Dominica documents themselves.
• Police certificate. The Dominica police certificate comes from the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force in Roseau, not from any Dominican Republic authority.
• Passport. A Dominica passport is issued by the Commonwealth of Dominica. Entering the wrong country in the online form, or uploading documents in the wrong country's format, creates inconsistencies the Department will notice.

When you sponsor partner from Dominica, make sure every form, every translation instruction and every piece of advice you rely on is about the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Who can sponsor partner from Dominica?

To sponsor partner from Dominica, the sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and must be at least 18. The guides for an Australian citizen sponsor, a permanent resident sponsor and a New Zealand citizen sponsor explain each category.

Several sponsorship limitations can stop an otherwise eligible sponsor. Under regulation 1.20J of the Migration Regulations 1994, a sponsor who has already sponsored two partners, or who sponsored a partner within the last five years, may not be approved unless there are compelling circumstances. A sponsor who was themselves granted a partner visa within the last five years faces the same limit. Under regulation 1.20KC, a sponsor convicted of a relevant offence with a significant criminal record may be refused. The firm's page on partner visa sponsorship limitations explains these limits, and the guide to partner visa sponsor eligibility sets out each requirement.

Sponsors who live outside Australia can still sponsor partner from Dominica. An Australian citizen living in the Caribbean with a Dominican partner may sponsor a Subclass 309 application, but an Australian permanent resident living overseas needs to consider whether they can show they usually reside in Australia, or hold a valid travel facility. The guide for a sponsor living overseas explains the difference.

The sponsor also supplies documents of their own: proof of citizenship or permanent residence, identity documents, and, if requested, police checks. The guide to partner visa sponsor documents and the article on the sponsor's police check explain what the Department asks for.

Which visa should you use to sponsor partner from Dominica?

Most couples who sponsor partner from Dominica use the Subclass 309 partner visa, because the Dominican partner is usually in Dominica or another Caribbean country when the application is ready. The choice depends on where the partner is at lodgement, whether the couple is married, de facto or engaged, and whether the partner holds an Australian visa with condition 8503.

Subclass 309 and Subclass 100: lodging while the partner is offshore

The Subclass 309 Partner (Provisional) visa is lodged online while the partner is outside Australia, and the partner must also be outside Australia when it is granted. The application covers both the Subclass 309 and the permanent Subclass 100. The Department usually assesses the permanent stage around two years after the combined application was lodged. The firm's page on the Subclass 309 visa explains the pathway, and the offshore partner visa guide covers the practical steps.

Once the Subclass 309 is granted, the Dominican partner can travel to Australia, live, work and study here while the Subclass 100 is processed. The FAQ on whether the applicant must be outside Australia when a Subclass 309 is granted explains the timing rule.

Subclass 820 and Subclass 801: lodging in Australia

The Subclass 820 Partner (Temporary) visa is lodged while the partner is in Australia. The combined application also covers the permanent Subclass 801. A Dominican partner who is in Australia on a visitor visa without condition 8503 can usually lodge a Subclass 820 and receive a bridging visa. The firm's page on the Subclass 820 visa and the comparison of onshore and offshore partner visas explain the choice. The FAQ on Subclass 820 or Subclass 309 gives a short answer.

Subclass 300: the engaged couple

The Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa suits a couple who are engaged and intend to marry in Australia. The Dominican partner must be outside Australia when it is lodged and granted, the couple must have met in person since turning 18, and they must marry within the visa period. After the wedding, the partner applies for the Subclass 820 in Australia. The firm's page on the Subclass 300 visa and the comparison of the fiancé visa and the partner visa explain when it is the better choice.

Married in Dominica, de facto, or engaged?

The form of the relationship decides the evidence. Couples who want to sponsor partner from Dominica fall into three groups, and each group meets a different legal test.

Married couples. A marriage solemnised in Dominica will generally be recognised in Australia if it was valid where it took place and neither party was already married. The Department will ask for the marriage certificate and evidence that any earlier marriage ended. The guides on overseas marriages recognised in Australia and the partner visa marriage certificate explain what is required. A marriage certificate is not enough by itself, as the FAQ on whether a marriage certificate is enough for a spouse visa explains.

De facto couples. A de facto couple must generally show 12 months of de facto relationship immediately before the application, unless the relationship has been registered in an Australian State or Territory or there are compelling and compassionate circumstances. For couples who sponsor partner from Dominica, this is often the hardest element, because the sponsor and partner have frequently lived in different countries for much of the relationship. The guide to de facto partner visas in Australia and the FAQ on when the 12 month de facto period starts explain the rule. Registration can only occur in Australia, and the FAQ on registering a relationship while the partner is overseas explains the practical limits.

Engaged couples. An engaged couple can use the Subclass 300, or marry first and then lodge a Subclass 309. The FAQ comparing the cost and timing of a fiancé visa route against marrying first helps couples decide.

Can a partner from Dominica visit Australia first?

Yes, but not with an ETA or an eVisitor. Dominica is not on the list of countries whose passports are specified as eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) or the eVisitor (Subclass 651). A Dominican partner who wants to visit Australia before or during the partner visa process will normally need a Visitor visa (Subclass 600).

A visitor visa application is assessed on whether the applicant is a genuine visitor. Where the applicant has an Australian partner, the Department is aware that the visit may lead to a partner visa application, and the decision maker may impose condition 8503 (No Further Stay). The guide on a partner visa while on a tourist visa and the FAQ on whether to mention a partner in a visitor visa application explain the honest way to approach this. The answer is never to hide the relationship. A visitor visa application that conceals an Australian partner creates a false information problem that can follow the couple into the partner visa assessment.

A visit to Australia has a second purpose for couples who sponsor partner from Dominica. Time spent together in Australia, meeting the sponsor's family and friends, builds the social evidence and the household evidence that the Department will later assess. The guide to using a visitor visa during partner visa processing explains how a visit fits around a pending Subclass 309 application. The FAQ on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 is processing gives the short answer: it is possible, but the partner must be outside Australia when the Subclass 309 is granted.

Condition 8503 and Schedule 3 when you sponsor partner from Dominica

Condition 8503 on a Dominican partner's visitor visa means the partner cannot be granted a substantive visa, including a Subclass 820, while in Australia unless the condition is first waived. For couples who sponsor partner from Dominica after a visit, this is the single most common onshore problem. A waiver is only available in limited circumstances: a compelling and compassionate change in circumstances, outside the partner's control, that occurred after the visitor visa was granted. Entering a relationship, or deciding to marry, while knowing about the condition is not usually enough. The guide to a partner visa 8503 waiver and the FAQ on condition 8503 and partner visas explain the test.

Where condition 8503 applies, the practical route to sponsor partner from Dominica is usually for the partner to depart and lodge a Subclass 309 offshore. That route is slower in the short term, but it avoids an invalid onshore application and does not depend on a discretionary waiver.

Schedule 3 is a separate risk. If a Dominican partner overstays a visitor visa and then lodges a Subclass 820 without holding a substantive visa, the application must satisfy Schedule 3 criteria 3001, 3003 and 3004. For a Subclass 820, the Department can only set those criteria aside where there are compelling reasons for not applying them. The firm's page on Schedule 3 waivers and the guide to partner visa Schedule 3 for overstayers explain how the Department assesses compelling reasons. The guide on a partner visa after overstaying explains the wider consequences.

The simplest advice for couples who sponsor partner from Dominica is this. If the Dominican partner is in Australia, find out what conditions the visa carries before the visa expires. A Subclass 820 lodged while the partner still holds a substantive visa without condition 8503 avoids Schedule 3 entirely. The guide on a partner visa application before visa expiry and the firm's urgent partner visa lodgement service explain what can be done when time is short.

Citizenship by investment passports and identity

The Commonwealth of Dominica operates a citizenship by investment programme. The Government of Dominica's Citizenship by Investment Unit states that the programme was introduced in 1993, and that applicants invest through the Economic Diversification Fund or approved real estate. A person granted citizenship this way is a full citizen of Dominica and is entitled to a Dominica passport.

This is relevant for some couples who sponsor partner from Dominica, because a partner who holds Dominican citizenship through the programme will usually hold, or have held, another nationality as well. The Department of Home Affairs does not refuse a partner visa because citizenship was obtained by investment. What it does require is a complete and consistent account of identity. For a partner with an investment-based Dominica passport, that means:

• disclosing every citizenship the partner holds or has ever held, including the nationality of birth;
• disclosing every passport the partner holds or has held, including expired passports and passports in former names;
• disclosing every country where the partner has lived;
• providing identity documents from the country of birth, such as a birth certificate and national identity card, not only the Dominica passport;
• ensuring the name, date of birth and place of birth are the same across every passport and civil document, or explaining any difference with evidence.

When you sponsor partner from Dominica and the partner holds an investment-based passport, a Dominica passport alone will not establish where a person was born, which names they have used, or what their criminal history is in the countries where they actually lived. The Department will look to the earlier nationality's documents for that. The FAQ on what to do if names or dates differ across documents and the guide to Form 80 for a partner visa explain how identity and personal history are declared.

Why identity errors are so serious

Public interest criterion 4020 allows the Department to refuse a visa where false or misleading information, or a bogus document, has been given. The criterion also requires the applicant to satisfy the Department of their identity. A refusal under public interest criterion 4020 can carry an exclusion period that prevents the grant of many later visas. The guides to public interest criterion 4020 and partner visas and a partner visa false information refusal explain the risk.

An omission is treated seriously even when it was not intended to deceive, and that is true for every application to sponsor partner from Dominica. A partner who leaves an earlier nationality off the form because the Dominica passport is the one used for travel has still given incomplete information. The FAQ on the difference between an honest mistake and public interest criterion 4020 and the FAQ on a partner visa where the applicant has used a different identity explain how the Department approaches these situations.

The Tribunal has dealt with identity issues of this kind. In Udeh (Migration) [2025] ARTA 2009, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were false or misleading information and bogus documents concerning date of birth and passport, and the waiver discretion. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The case illustrates that identity findings are reviewable, and that the waiver discretion within public interest criterion 4020 is a real part of the analysis.

Declaring every nationality and every country of residence

Every couple who wants to sponsor partner from Dominica should prepare a written history of the partner's life before starting the online application. The history should list every address, every country of residence with dates, every nationality and passport, every name used, every marriage and divorce, and every visa refusal from any country.

This work is not optional for anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Dominica. The partner visa forms ask for this information, and Form 80 asks for more. Inconsistencies between the partner visa application, Form 80, earlier Australian visitor visa applications, and visa applications made to other countries are a common source of requests for information and adverse findings. The guide to Form 1221 for a partner visa explains the additional personal particulars form, and the FAQ on disclosing a visa refusal in a partner visa application explains why a refusal from any country must be declared.

Earlier Australian applications matter too. If the Dominican partner has previously applied for an Australian visitor visa, the Department already holds those answers. The partner visa application must be consistent with them, or explain why something has changed. The guide on a partner visa after a visitor visa refusal explains how an earlier refusal is handled.

Police certificates when you sponsor partner from Dominica

To sponsor partner from Dominica, the partner will usually need a police certificate from Dominica, and a police certificate from every other country where the partner has lived for 12 months or more in total in the last 10 years since turning 16. For a partner who holds Dominican citizenship by investment and has lived mainly elsewhere, the police certificates from the countries of actual residence are often more important than the Dominica certificate.

The Dominica police certificate

The requirements to sponsor partner from Dominica include the Dominica police certificate whenever the partner has lived in Dominica for 12 months or more in the relevant period.

The Government of Canada's immigration department publishes how to obtain a Dominica police certificate for its own applicants. It states that the application is made to the Criminal Investigation Department at Police Headquarters in Roseau. A person living in Dominica applies in person with their passport, all names previously used, current and previous addresses, two photographs and the fee. A person living outside Dominica can apply in person, through someone acting on their behalf, or by mail, and must also provide a full set of fingerprints taken by a recognised police authority and a self-addressed envelope.

The Department of Home Affairs publishes its own country instructions for police certificates, and those instructions should be checked when the application is prepared. Requirements can change, and the Department's instructions take priority for an Australian application.

Police certificates from other countries

Where a Dominican partner has lived in other Caribbean countries, in North America, in Europe, in the Middle East or anywhere else for 12 months or more in the relevant period, each of those countries' police certificates will usually be needed. Some countries take months to issue a certificate, and some require fingerprints taken locally. Couples who sponsor partner from Dominica should order the slowest certificates first. The guide to partner visa overseas police certificates explains the general approach, and the FAQ on what to do if a police certificate cannot be obtained explains the Department's policy where a certificate is genuinely unavailable.

Police certificates have a limited period of validity for visa purposes. The FAQ on how long police certificates and health checks remain valid and the guide to expired police checks explain when new certificates are needed. Where a certificate discloses a conviction, the guide to partner visa overseas convictions and the firm's page on partner visa character requirements explain the character test.

The Tribunal has accepted police clearances that were only provided at the review stage, which matters for anyone trying to sponsor partner from Dominica with a hard-to-obtain certificate. In Budiongo (Migration) [2025] ARTA 440, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were criminal history and police clearance certificates provided on review. The Tribunal remitted the matter. It is far better to provide complete certificates to the Department before a decision is made, but the case shows that a missing certificate is not always the end of the matter.

Dominican birth, marriage and divorce documents

The partner's civil documents prove identity, age, relationship status and, for married couples, the marriage itself. The United Kingdom Home Office country profile for Dominica states that all births, marriages and deaths in Dominica are registered with the Registry Division of the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs, which also issues the certificates. Births must be registered within six weeks.

The documents a sponsor should help the partner gather to sponsor partner from Dominica include:

• the partner's full birth certificate;
• the marriage certificate, where the couple married in Dominica or elsewhere;
• evidence that any previous marriage ended, such as a divorce decree or a death certificate;
• evidence of any change of name;
• birth certificates for any children included in the application, and the documents dealing with custody and consent.

The guide to the partner visa document checklist gives a full list, and the FAQ on what to do if a birth or marriage certificate cannot be obtained explains the alternatives.

Previous marriages

A previous marriage that has not been legally ended prevents a later marriage from being valid. Where either partner was previously married, the divorce must be final before the new marriage. The guide on a partner visa while still married and the guide on a partner visa after divorce explain the consequences. A de facto relationship can exist while one partner is still legally married to someone else, but the Department will look closely at the separation.

Apostilles and certified copies

Dominica is a contracting party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and so is Australia. For couples who sponsor partner from Dominica, the practical point is that the Department of Home Affairs does not generally require apostilles on documents uploaded with a partner visa application. It accepts clear colour scans of original documents. An apostille may still be useful in other settings, such as using a Dominican document before an Australian authority outside the visa process. The FAQ on certified copies for a partner visa explains what the Department expects.

Language and translation

Because Dominican civil documents are generally issued in English, translation is usually only needed for documents from other countries the partner has lived in, or for messages in Kwéyòl or another language that the couple relies on as relationship evidence. The guide to partner visa evidence translation and the FAQ on translating messages for a partner visa explain the standard.

Relationship evidence across the Caribbean and Australia

The Department assesses the relationship under four aspects set out in regulation 1.15A of the Migration Regulations 1994: the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects, and the nature of the persons' commitment to each other. These are aspects of one relationship, assessed together. They are not four separate statements. The guide to partner visa relationship evidence explains each aspect.

The challenge for couples who sponsor partner from Dominica is distance. Dominica and Australia are on opposite sides of the world. Return travel can take several days and involve multiple connections. Many couples will have spent long periods apart, with time together in Dominica, in Australia, or in a third country. The Department understands that couples separated by distance cannot produce the same evidence as couples who share a lease in Sydney. It still expects evidence of the relationship that does exist. The task when you sponsor partner from Dominica is to show the relationship as it has actually been lived.

Financial aspects

Joint finances are often limited for couples living in different countries, and that is common when couples sponsor partner from Dominica. Useful evidence includes money transfers between the partners, payment for each other's travel, shared savings for the move to Australia, and either partner being named on the other's accounts or insurance. The guide to partner visa financial evidence and the FAQ on money transfers as relationship evidence explain how these are weighed.

Nature of the household

Where the couple has lived together, in Dominica, in Australia or elsewhere, evidence of the shared address matters. Where they have not, the explanation of how they intend to share a household in Australia, and how they have shared responsibilities while apart, takes its place. The guide on a partner visa without living together explains how the Department approaches couples who have not yet shared a home.

Social aspects

Families and friends who know about the relationship are important evidence when you sponsor partner from Dominica. Form 888 statements from Australian citizens or permanent residents who know the couple are part of the standard application. Photographs with family in Dominica and in Australia, invitations, and joint travel also help. The guides to Form 888 witness statements and to partner visa social evidence explain what works.

Nature of the commitment

For a sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Dominica, commitment is shown through the length of the relationship, knowledge of each other's lives, plans for the future, and constant communication while apart. Call logs, messages and video call records are relevant, but they should be summarised and selected rather than uploaded in bulk. The guide to partner visa chat evidence and the guide for a long distance relationship partner visa explain how to present it.

The Tribunal has remitted cases where couples lived in different countries. In Koroma (Migration) [2026] ARTA 200, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were a couple validly married in the applicant's home country with limited financial, household and social aspects while living in different countries. The Tribunal remitted the matter. In Tang (Migration) [2026] ARTA 374, a Subclass 820 matter, the recorded issues included a marriage in the applicant's home country, a previous refused application, the sponsor's regular visits, and arrival on a visitor visa. The Tribunal also remitted that matter. Both cases show that a relationship conducted largely at a distance can still be accepted when the evidence is organised and explained properly.

The relationship statement

The sponsor and the partner each provide a statement about the relationship, which is the single document that ties the evidence together. For couples who sponsor partner from Dominica, the statements should explain how the couple met, how they managed the distance, when and where they spent time together, and why the partner is moving to Australia. The guide to the partner visa relationship statement and the relationship timeline guide explain how to write it.

Health examinations and biometrics from Dominica

A Dominican partner must complete the health examinations required by the Department with a panel physician approved by the Department. Before booking travel, the partner should check the Department's list of panel physicians, because the nearest approved clinic may be in another country. Health examinations are part of the process to sponsor partner from Dominica, and are usually arranged after the application is lodged, using the HAP ID the Department generates. The guide to the partner visa medical examination and the guide to partner visa health requirements explain the process.

The Department may also ask the partner to provide biometrics, meaning a photograph and fingerprints, at an authorised collection point. The location will be stated in the request. The guide to partner visa biometrics explains what happens. Couples who sponsor partner from Dominica should budget for travel, accommodation and time away from work for these steps.

No Australian visa office in the Caribbean

Australia's High Commissioner in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, has non-resident accreditation to Dominica. The High Commission states that it has no immigration or visa section and that visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs. In practice, this means everything happens online, through ImmiAccount.

For couples who sponsor partner from Dominica, this has two consequences. First, there is no local office that can accept documents, answer questions or explain a delay. The FAQ on how to contact the Department about a partner visa explains the available channels. Second, the decision maker will not usually meet the couple. The written application must therefore explain every unusual feature of the case, including an investment-based passport, a short period of cohabitation or an age gap, before the Department asks. The guide to partner visa ImmiAccount uploads and the guide to organising partner visa evidence explain how to present a clear file.

The Department can still interview the sponsor or the partner, usually by telephone or video. The guide to the partner visa telephone interview explains what to expect.

Government charges to sponsor partner from Dominica

At the time of writing, the partner visa application charge for the main applicant for a Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 combined application, or a Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 combined application, is AUD 11,710 for the 2026-27 financial year. Additional charges apply for dependent children included in the application. The charge is paid when the application is lodged and is generally not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn. The guide to partner visa cost explains the components, and the FAQ on who pays the partner visa fee confirms that either partner can pay.

Other costs for couples who sponsor partner from Dominica include the visitor visa charge if the partner visits first, police certificates from each country, health examinations, biometrics, travel to a panel physician or collection point, and translation of any documents not in English. Government charges are reviewed regularly, so the Department's fee estimator should be checked immediately before lodgement.

Refusal and review for a Dominican partner

If a Subclass 309 application is refused, the Dominican partner can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal for review. The application is made by the visa applicant in their own name, and can be lodged from anywhere. The sponsor does not lodge it. The time limit is short, it is strictly applied, and it runs from when the refusal is taken to have been received, so the refusal notice should be read the day it arrives. The FAQ on who must apply for review of an offshore refusal explains the rule.

If a Subclass 820 application is refused in Australia, the application for review must be made within 28 days. The guide to Subclass 820 visa refusals explains the onshore position. At the time of writing, the Tribunal application fee for a partner visa review is AUD 3,727. The guide to the partner visa ART review process and the firm's partner visa refusals page explain the review.

A refusal does not end the plan to sponsor partner from Dominica. A Tribunal remittal sends the case back to the Department for a fresh decision. It is not a grant, as the FAQ on whether a Tribunal remittal means the visa will be granted explains.

A sponsor's preparation list before lodging

Before you sponsor partner from Dominica, work through these steps in order:

• Confirm the country. Check that every document, form entry and instruction relates to the Commonwealth of Dominica, not the Dominican Republic.
• Confirm your own eligibility. Check citizenship or permanent residence evidence, any earlier sponsorships, any earlier partner visa you held, and your own criminal history.
• Choose the pathway. Decide between the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 and Subclass 300 based on where the partner will be at lodgement, the relationship type, and any condition 8503.
• Write the partner's life history. List every nationality, passport, name, address, country of residence, marriage, divorce and visa refusal.
• Order police certificates early. Start with the countries that take longest, including any that need fingerprints.
• Collect civil documents. Obtain the full birth certificate, the marriage certificate and evidence that earlier marriages ended.
• Organise the relationship evidence. Arrange it by the four aspects, with a clear timeline of time together and time apart.
• Write the relationship statements. Each partner writes their own, in their own words, and the two must be consistent.
• Collect Form 888 statements. Ask Australian citizens or permanent residents who genuinely know the relationship.
• Review before lodging. Check the full application against the evidence before paying the charge.

The guide to a partner visa application review and the guide to partner visa application mistakes explain what a careful review catches. The partner visa checklist is a useful companion.

How My Migration Lawyers helps you sponsor partner from Dominica

My Migration Lawyers acts for Australian sponsors whose partners come from overseas, including from the Caribbean, and deals regularly with complex partner visa cases where identity, multiple nationalities or distance make the evidence harder to present. The firm is capable of handling a matter to sponsor partner from Dominica from the first pathway decision through to the permanent stage and, where needed, review. The guide to what a complex partner visa lawyer does explains the approach.

On a Dominica matter, the firm's work typically includes:

• confirming the sponsor's eligibility and checking for any sponsorship limitation;
• advising on the choice between the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 and Subclass 300, including the effect of any visitor visa condition 8503;
• reviewing the partner's identity documents, including citizenship by investment documents and earlier passports, and identifying inconsistencies before the Department does;
• planning the police certificate strategy for Dominica and each other country of residence, including those that need fingerprints;
• reviewing Dominican birth, marriage and divorce records, and any translations needed for documents from other countries;
• organising the relationship evidence across the four aspects and presenting the couple's own account of a relationship conducted at a distance;
• responding to requests for information and natural justice letters;
• acting on Administrative Review Tribunal applications if a refusal occurs.

Every matter to sponsor partner from Dominica is handled with attention to these country-specific details. The firm's work is led by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. More about the practice is on the About page, and the offshore partner visa lawyer guide explains how the firm supports couples where one partner is overseas. Consultations are by video, so the firm advises sponsors across Australia, including clients of the partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The guide to a partner visa lawyer consultation explains what to bring.

If you want to sponsor partner from Dominica and want the application prepared correctly the first time, book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers. You can also call 1300 040 300.