Sponsoring a Partner From Palau

To sponsor partner from Palau, the Australian partner must be an eligible sponsor and the couple must show a genuine and continuing relationship under Australian migration law. A plan to sponsor partner from Palau often involves a partner who lives not in Palau itself but in Guam or elsewhere in the United States.

This guide is written for the Australian sponsor. It explains who can sponsor, how the Compact of Free Association between Palau and the United States affects where the applicant lives and lodges, which police certificates are needed, how records from a small-population country are presented, how children in mixed families can be included, and how a relationship conducted across the Pacific is proved. The firm's partner visa lawyers act for sponsors in matters of this kind.

The practical point for anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Palau is planning. The couple may need documents from Palau, the United States and Australia, and the family may include children with different nationalities. The complete guide to partner visas in Australia explains each pathway, and the guide to partner visa requirements explains the core tests.

Can an Australian sponsor partner from Palau on a partner visa?

Yes. An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen can sponsor partner from Palau for an Australian partner visa if the sponsor is eligible and the relationship meets the legal requirements.

The Migration Regulations 1994 do not create special rules for Palauan applicants. The Palauan partner is the visa applicant and lodges the visa application online. The Australian partner then lodges the sponsorship online, using the application's Transaction Reference Number. The Department decides the sponsorship as part of the visa decision, because sponsorship approval is a time of decision criterion. The guide to partner visa sponsorship lodgement explains the steps, and the guide to partner visa sponsor eligibility explains who qualifies.

An application to sponsor partner from Palau must show:

• An eligible sponsor who is not barred by regulation 1.20KB or regulation 1.20KC.
• A married relationship under section 5F, a de facto relationship under section 5CB, or, for the Subclass 300, a genuine intention to marry.
• A genuine and continuing relationship, assessed on the financial, household, social and commitment factors.
• An applicant who meets the health, character and identity requirements, including PIC 4001, PIC 4005 or PIC 4007, PIC 4020 and PIC 4021.

The guide to the partner visa four pillars explains the factors the Department weighs.

Who can be the sponsor for a Palauan partner?

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over.

The sponsor must also give an undertaking to provide accommodation and financial assistance for the first two years in Australia. The guide to the partner visa sponsor role explains the obligations, and the answer on sponsor documents for a partner visa lists what the sponsor provides. The answer on how to prove the sponsor is an Australian citizen explains the evidence of status.

Two sponsor issues often arise when people sponsor partner from Palau:

• Previous partner sponsorships. Regulation 1.20KB generally limits a sponsor to two partner sponsorships in total, and not within five years of a previous one, unless there are compelling circumstances. The firm's page on partner visa sponsorship limitations explains the rule.
• The sponsor's own police checks. A sponsor who worked in Palau, Guam or elsewhere in the United States for 12 months or more may be asked for police checks from those places under regulation 1.20KC(5). The guide to the partner visa sponsor police check explains the request.

A sponsor who has only recently become a permanent resident can still sponsor. The guide for a new permanent resident partner visa sponsor explains the position. For a sponsor who plans to sponsor partner from Palau, confirming eligibility early avoids wasted fees.

How does the Compact of Free Association affect a Palauan partner?

The Compact of Free Association allows eligible Palauan citizens to be admitted to the United States and its territories as nonimmigrants without a visa and to live, study and work there, which is why many Palauan partners live in Guam or the mainland United States.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services states that eligible Palauan citizens may apply for admission without a visa using an unexpired Palauan passport, that admission is not guaranteed, and that those admitted are granted an indefinite length of stay. The United States Department of the Interior describes Compact citizens as able to be admitted to the United States and its territories and possessions, to engage in occupations and to establish residence. Compact status does not make a person a United States permanent resident.

For a couple who sponsor partner from Palau, this has four consequences:

• The applicant remains a Palauan citizen. The applicant will usually lodge on a Palauan passport. The guide to a partner visa change of passport explains what to do if the passport is renewed during processing.
• The applicant may have lived for years in the United States. That creates a police certificate requirement for the United States.
• The couple may have met and lived together in Guam or the United States. United States records, such as leases and bank statements, may be the main household evidence.
• The applicant can lodge from the United States. A Subclass 309 does not need to be lodged from Palau.

The answer on the help available for an offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 explains how offshore matters are handled. Couples who sponsor partner from Palau from a third country should treat the place of residence as part of the legal planning, not just a fact of life.

Which visa suits a couple who want to sponsor partner from Palau?

The right visa depends on where the Palauan partner is when the application is lodged, and whether the couple are married, de facto partners or engaged.

Subclass 309 from Palau, Guam or the United States

The Subclass 309 partner visa must be lodged while the applicant is outside Australia. It can be lodged from Palau, from Guam or from anywhere else outside Australia. It leads to the permanent Subclass 100 visa. The guide to the offshore partner visa explains the process, and the answer comparing the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 explains the two stages.

Subclass 820 in Australia

The Subclass 820 partner visa is lodged while the applicant is in Australia and leads to the Subclass 801. It may suit a Palauan partner already in Australia on a substantive visa. The answer comparing the Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 explains the choice.

Subclass 300 for an engaged couple

The Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa suits a couple who are engaged, have met in person and plan to marry in Australia within the visa period.

The answer on which partner visa to apply for gives a short decision guide. For a de facto couple who want to sponsor partner from Palau, the 12-month de facto requirement in regulation 2.03A generally applies, and time spent living together in Guam or the United States can count. The answer on living together overseas for 12 months explains how overseas cohabitation is treated.

Can a de facto couple who lived in Guam sponsor partner from Palau?

Yes. A couple who have lived together in Guam or elsewhere in the United States can apply as de facto partners if they meet section 5CB, and time spent living together outside Australia counts towards the 12-month requirement.

Many couples who sponsor partner from Palau met while one or both partners were working in Guam. The Australian sponsor may have been posted there for work, or may have met the Palauan partner while travelling. If the couple have shared a home, records from Guam or the United States can be strong household evidence. Useful records include a lease in both names, utility accounts, joint bank statements, car registration, insurance and mail addressed to both partners at the same address.

The guide to de facto partner visas in Australia explains the de facto test, and the guide to the Subclass 820 de facto 12 months rule explains how the 12-month period is counted. The answer on what counts as living together explains the legal meaning.

Where only one partner's name appears on the lease or bills, the couple should explain why and provide other evidence of the shared household. The guide to a partner visa without a joint lease explains this situation. A couple who sponsor partner from Palau after living together in Guam should also check whether the sponsor lived there for 12 months or more, because that affects the sponsor's own police checks. Where the couple have not yet reached 12 months, the options include waiting, marrying, or applying for a Subclass 300 if they are engaged. Choosing between these is often the most important decision a couple make when they sponsor partner from Palau.

Which police certificates are needed to sponsor partner from Palau?

The applicant usually needs a police certificate from Palau and from every other country where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, which for many Palauans includes the United States.

For anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Palau, Department practice under PIC 4001 requires police certificates from each country where the applicant has spent 12 months or more in the relevant period. A Palauan partner who has lived in Guam or the mainland United States under the Compact will often meet that threshold. The guide to partner visa overseas police certificates and the answer on the police check for a partner visa explain the rules.

The Palau police clearance certificate

Guidance published by the Government of Canada describes the Palauan document as a Police Clearance Certificate issued by the police department or Bureau of Public Safety in Palau. That guidance states that a person living in Palau completes the application form and takes it to the police department, and that a person living outside Palau can send the completed form by email, or have a family member or former employer in Palau lodge it with the Bureau of Public Safety. The process should be confirmed with the Palau authorities before applying. A couple who sponsor partner from Palau from Guam or the United States can often use the family member option.

The United States police certificate

For the United States, the Government of Canada's guidance identifies the required document as the Identity History Summary issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which can be requested online. Whether a separate local check is useful for time spent in Guam should be considered case by case. The answer on police certificate and health check validity explains timing.

If a certificate is slow or cannot be obtained, the Department should be told, with evidence of the request. That is the safest course for any sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Palau while documents are outstanding. The answer on what to do if you cannot get a police certificate explains the options. The guide to partner visa character requirements explains what happens if a certificate discloses a conviction. Couples who sponsor partner from Palau should request both certificates early, because two countries' processes run on different timetables.

How should Palauan documents and records be presented?

Palauan civil documents should be provided in their original form, with any inconsistencies in names, dates or spellings explained in writing, because records from a small-population country may be less standardised than the Department expects.

Palau has a small population, and some families rely on records that were created long after a birth or that use different spellings of a name. Neither is unusual, and neither prevents an Australian from choosing to sponsor partner from Palau. What matters when you sponsor partner from Palau is that the applicant's identity is consistent and explained across every document. In every application to sponsor partner from Palau, PIC 4020 allows refusal where bogus documents or false or misleading information are given, so unexplained differences can cause serious problems even when there is an innocent reason.

Practical steps for a couple who sponsor partner from Palau include:

• Collect the core civil documents early, including the birth certificate and any marriage or divorce documents.
• Use the passport spelling of the applicant's name on every form, and explain any other spelling used on older records.
• Explain late registrations in a short written statement, where a birth was registered years after the event.
• Keep United States records consistent. Names used on leases, payslips and bank accounts in Guam or the United States should match, or the difference should be explained.

The answer on different names and dates in documents explains how to handle discrepancies. The answer on what to do if you cannot get a birth or marriage certificate and the guide to partner visa missing documents explain alternatives. The guide to partner visa PIC 4020 explains the integrity requirement. The answer on partner visa documents gives the full list. For a sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Palau, a short identity explanation at lodgement is better than a request for information later.

How do the health requirements apply to a Palauan family?

Every applicant, including each child included in the application, must meet the health requirement in PIC 4005 or PIC 4007, and family members who are not migrating may also need to be examined.

The Department usually asks applicants to complete health examinations after lodgement. A couple who sponsor partner from Palau should wait for the request rather than booking tests early, unless advised otherwise, because results have a limited validity period. The request will explain which examinations are required for each person. The guide to the partner visa medical examination explains the process.

For the Subclass 309 and the Subclass 820, PIC 4007 applies, and a health waiver may be available where an applicant does not meet the health requirement. A waiver is not automatic. The Department considers whether granting the visa would be likely to result in undue cost to the Australian community or undue prejudice to access to health care, and whether there are compelling or compassionate circumstances. The guide to the partner visa health waiver and the answer on a health condition and a partner visa explain how this works. Where a child in the family has a significant health condition or disability, the guide to a partner visa child with disability explains the issues.

Couples who sponsor partner from Palau should disclose health conditions honestly in every form. Non-disclosure creates a separate integrity problem that is harder to fix than the health issue itself.

Can children be included when you sponsor partner from Palau?

Yes. The Palauan applicant's dependent children can usually be included as secondary applicants, provided each child meets the dependency, health and character requirements and any custody and consent issues are resolved.

Mixed families are common among couples who sponsor partner from Palau. The applicant may have children from an earlier relationship. Some children may have been born in Guam or the United States. The couple may also have children together. Each situation needs a different approach when you sponsor partner from Palau.

The applicant's children from an earlier relationship

Where the other parent is not migrating, that parent's consent or a court order is usually needed. This is one of the most common causes of delay when families sponsor partner from Palau. Form 1229 is the consent form commonly used. The guide to Form 1229 for a partner visa and the guide to partner visa child custody and consent explain the process. The answer on what happens when the other parent refuses consent explains the options.

Children with United States citizenship

A child born in Guam or the United States may hold United States citizenship as well as, or instead of, Palauan citizenship. The child is included in the application on the passport the child will travel on. The child's identity details should match across every document. A couple who sponsor partner from Palau with a United States citizen child should provide the child's United States passport and birth certificate. The answer on how to include a partner's children explains the steps.

Children of the couple and stepchildren

A child of the Australian sponsor born outside Australia may be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent, which can be a separate process from the partner visa. The answer on whether a baby of an Australian citizen can be included explains the choice. The guide to partner visa stepchildren explains how the sponsor's relationship with stepchildren can also support the relationship evidence.

Older children need particular care. The guides on a partner visa child turning 18 and partner visa dependent children over 18 explain dependency. Children who are not migrating may still need health examinations, as the answer on non-migrating children's health checks explains. The answer on whether it costs more to include children explains the charges. Every child should be declared when you sponsor partner from Palau, whether or not the child will migrate.

Can the Palauan partner visit Australia during processing?

Yes, a Palauan partner can apply for a visitor visa, but Palau is not listed as an eVisitor eligible passport, so the partner will usually need a Visitor visa (Subclass 600), and the Department will assess whether the visit is genuine.

The Migration (Specification of eVisitor eligible passport) Instrument (LIN 23/064) 2023 does not list Palau. A couple who sponsor partner from Palau and want to spend time together in Australia during processing should allow time for a full visitor visa application. The guide to a visitor visa during partner visa processing explains the Department's approach, and the answer on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 is processing gives a short summary.

A visitor visa may be granted with condition 8503, No Further Stay. That condition prevents a Subclass 820 application in Australia unless waived. The guide to the partner visa 8503 waiver explains the waiver process. Where a couple who sponsor partner from Palau decide to lodge onshore, the visa should be lodged before the visitor visa expires to avoid the Schedule 3 criteria. The firm's page on Schedule 3 waivers explains those criteria.

How do you prove a relationship conducted across Palau, Guam and Australia?

A relationship conducted across Palau, Guam and Australia is proved by showing time spent together, regular contact, financial links and shared plans, with an honest explanation of why the couple have lived apart.

Distance is a real feature of many applications to sponsor partner from Palau. Travel between Palau and Australia usually involves connecting flights, and the cost and time involved can limit visits. The Department does not expect a couple to live together if they cannot. It expects evidence that the relationship is genuine and continuing despite the distance.

Useful evidence for a couple who sponsor partner from Palau includes:

• Travel records of each visit, with flight bookings, boarding passes and accommodation. The guide to partner visa travel evidence explains how to present them.
• Communication records over the whole relationship. The answer on long distance relationships and partner visas explains what the Department looks for.
• Money transfers between the partners, which can show financial interdependence. The answer on money transfers as relationship evidence explains how they are assessed.
• Evidence from both families and communities, including Form 888 statements from Australian citizens or permanent residents. The guide to Form 888 witness statements explains who can sign.
• A shared plan for the move, work and housing in Australia.

Where the couple lived apart for work, the guide to a partner visa while living apart for work and the guide to partner visa intermittent cohabitation explain how separations are treated. The guide on how much evidence for a partner visa and the guide to partner visa evidence organisation explain how to present a long relationship clearly. A relationship timeline helps the Department follow the couple's movements between Palau, Guam and Australia when you sponsor partner from Palau.

How long does it take and what does it cost to sponsor partner from Palau?

As at October 2026, the partner visa application charge starts from AUD 11,710, and the Department's published processing times for the Subclass 309 are 21 months for 50% of applications and 32 months for 90%.

As at October 2026, the Department's published processing times for the other partner visas are 22 and 30 months for the Subclass 820, 14 and 26 months for the Subclass 300, 9 and 21 months for the Subclass 100, and 8 and 19 months for the Subclass 801, at the 50% and 90% marks. These are averages, and no one can guarantee a timeframe. The guide to partner visa processing times, the guide to partner visa processing delays and the guide to the partner visa cost explain timing and charges.

The Department may ask the applicant and any children to attend health examinations, and may ask for biometrics. The guide to partner visa health requirements and the answer on the medical for a partner visa explain the health process. The request letter will state where these steps can be completed. Couples who sponsor partner from Palau from Guam or the United States should check whether the steps can be completed where the applicant lives, to avoid unnecessary travel.

What happens after the visa is granted?

After a Subclass 309 is granted, the Palauan partner can travel to Australia, live and work here, and later be assessed for the permanent Subclass 100 visa.

The guide to partner visa arriving in Australia explains the first steps after arrival, and the guide to partner visa work rights explains the right to work. The guide to partner visa Medicare explains access to Medicare. A family that moves from Guam or Palau will usually need to arrange schooling for children and transfer records such as vaccination histories.

The permanent stage is assessed later. The Department will want evidence that the relationship has continued. Couples who sponsor partner from Palau should keep collecting evidence after the move, such as a lease in both names, joint accounts and household bills in Australia. The guide to partner visa second stage documents explains what is usually requested. The firm's guide to the permanent partner visa explains the Subclass 100 and Subclass 801 stage.

If the couple's circumstances change, for example a change of address or the birth of a child, the Department must be told. The guide to partner visa change of circumstances explains this duty. For a family who sponsor partner from Palau, the move to Australia is the start of the second stage, not the end of the process.

What have Tribunal decisions said about visits, support and family health?

Tribunal decisions show that refusals involving long separations, financial support and the health of family members can be sent back to the Department when the full evidence is properly presented on review.

The following decisions, recorded in the firm's database of partner visa remittals, involved issues relevant to couples who sponsor partner from Palau. Each decision under review was remitted, which means it was sent back to the Department for reconsideration.

• Friedrich (Migration) [2021] AATA 4849, 6 December 2021, Subclass 309. The recorded issues were regular visits; funds for the applicant and stepdaughter's studies; and provisions in the sponsor's will.
• Singh (Migration) [2018] AATA 5925, 20 December 2018, Subclass 309. The recorded issues were that the sponsor financially supports the applicant; living in separate countries for the past 10 years; and a widely recognised relationship.
• Evangelio (Migration) [2022] AATA 1109, 7 February 2022, Subclass 820. The recorded issues were health criteria, and non-migrating sons and PIC 4007(1)(c).

These decisions do not predict the outcome of any other case. They show that support for children, visits across distance and the health of family members are all part of the picture. If a partner visa is refused, an application for review by the Administrative Review Tribunal must be made within 28 days after notification, or 7 days in immigration detention, and that period cannot be extended. The firm's page on partner visa refusals, the guide on what to do when a partner visa is refused and the answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal explain review.

What are common mistakes when you sponsor partner from Palau?

The most common mistakes are forgetting the United States police certificate, leaving children's consent documents too late and leaving name differences unexplained.

Other mistakes seen when couples sponsor partner from Palau include:

• Assuming the application must be lodged from Palau, when a Subclass 309 can be lodged from Guam or the United States.
• Not declaring every child, including children who will not migrate.
• Relying on photographs alone for a long distance relationship.
• Lodging onshore on a visitor visa with condition 8503.
• Inconsistent addresses between Palau, Guam and United States records.
• Not explaining a late birth registration.

The guide to partner visa application mistakes and the guide to weak partner visa evidence explain the risks. A pre-lodgement partner visa application review can identify these issues early. Further answers are on the partner visa questions page.

How My Migration Lawyers helps you sponsor partner from Palau

My Migration Lawyers acts for Australian sponsors and their partners in offshore partner visa matters involving Pacific Island partners and families spread across several countries, including sponsors who want to sponsor partner from Palau where the partner lives in Palau, Guam or the United States. The firm deals with complex partner visa cases, acts in many partner and sponsor matters of this type, and is capable of handling them from the first assessment to grant or, where needed, Tribunal review.

For a sponsor who plans to sponsor partner from Palau, the firm's work typically includes:

• Advising whether a Subclass 309 lodged from Palau, Guam or the United States, a Subclass 820 or a Subclass 300 is the right visa.
• Identifying the police certificates needed from Palau, the United States and any other country, and the sponsor's own checks under regulation 1.20KC.
• Reviewing Palauan civil documents and preparing a clear identity explanation where names, dates or registrations differ.
• Planning the inclusion of children, including Form 1229 consent, custody orders, United States citizen children and non-migrating children.
• Preparing the sponsor's statement and the applicant's statement from each partner's own account of a relationship conducted across the Pacific.
• Organising travel, communication and financial evidence into a clear timeline.
• Advising on visitor visa applications and condition 8503 before any visit to Australia.
• Responding to requests for further information and preparing an Administrative Review Tribunal review if a refusal occurs.

The firm works with sponsors in Australia and with partners overseas by video, which suits a partner in Palau or Guam. The guide to the offshore partner visa lawyer role and the answer for a partner visa lawyer if living overseas explain how offshore matters are handled. The guide to complex partner visa lawyer work explains the firm's approach to difficult files. Partner and sponsor matters are supervised by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer.

If you want to sponsor partner from Palau and need advice on the visa, the police certificates or including children, Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.