Sponsoring a Partner From Serbia

If you want to sponsor partner from Serbia, the answer is yes: an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen can sponsor a Serbian spouse, de facto partner or fiancé, provided the sponsor is eligible and the relationship is genuine and continuing. To sponsor partner from Serbia, couples use one of three pathways: the offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 partner visa, the onshore Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa if the partner is lawfully in Australia and able to apply there, or the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa for an engaged couple who will marry in Australia.

Many people who sponsor partner from Serbia share a story. The sponsor is Australian, often with Serbian parents or grandparents, and goes back to Serbia for a summer, a wedding or a family event. Relatives introduce them to someone. They spend a few weeks together, keep talking after the sponsor flies home, return within months and marry. To the families, this is a normal and respected way to start a marriage. To a Department case officer reading the file in Australia, it can look like a relationship that is very new, very fast and mostly conducted by phone. This guide explains how the Department assesses a quick marriage, what evidence makes the difference, and how to deal with Serbian Cyrillic documents and police certificates. For the full legal framework, read the complete guide to partner visas in Australia, and for the sponsor's side, the guide to being a partner visa sponsor.

Can you sponsor partner from Serbia to Australia?

Yes. You can sponsor partner from Serbia if you are an eligible sponsor, your partner is your spouse, de facto partner or fiancé, and the Department of Home Affairs is satisfied that your relationship is genuine and continuing.

There is no special partner visa for Serbian citizens. A Serbian partner applies under the same provisions in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 as an applicant from any other country, and must meet the same relationship, health, character and sponsorship criteria. What makes these matters different is usually the shape of the relationship, not the law.

The three relationship types are:

• Married. The couple are in a married relationship under section 5F of the Migration Act 1958, based on a marriage that is valid and recognised in Australia, with a mutual commitment to a shared life as spouses to the exclusion of all others.
• De facto. The couple are in a de facto relationship under section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958. Usually they must have been in that relationship for at least 12 months before the application is made, unless an exception applies.
• Engaged. The couple intend to marry in Australia, have met in person as adults and are known to each other personally, and apply for the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa.

For a couple who met through family and married quickly, the married pathway is usually the only realistic one. A de facto relationship generally needs 12 months, and couples who met on a short visit rarely have that. The answer on who can sponsor a partner visa summarises the rules, and the answer on spouse or de facto explains the difference.

Who can sponsor partner from Serbia?

To sponsor partner from Serbia, the sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over, who is the applicant's spouse, de facto partner or fiancé, and who is not barred by the sponsorship limitations.

Many sponsors in these matters hold Serbian citizenship as well as Australian citizenship. Dual citizenship does not prevent sponsorship. The sponsor proves Australian status with an Australian passport or citizenship certificate, even if they travelled to Serbia on a Serbian passport. The guide on a dual citizen partner visa sponsor explains this, and the guides for an Australian citizen partner visa sponsor and a permanent resident partner visa sponsor set out the evidence. The guide on partner visa sponsor eligibility brings the rules together.

What the sponsor does

The applicant lodges the visa application first, and the sponsor then lodges an online sponsorship application using the applicant's transaction reference number. The guide on partner visa Form 40SP explains that step. Approval of the sponsorship is a time of decision criterion for the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 and Subclass 300 visas. It is decided inside the visa decision, and no separate notice goes to the sponsor.

The sponsor undertakes to support the applicant with accommodation and financial assistance, as reasonably necessary, for the first two years. The guide on the partner visa sponsor undertaking and the answer on which documents a sponsor provides explain this. There is no minimum income requirement, as the answer on whether a sponsor needs a minimum income confirms.

A sponsor who may be interviewed

In a quick marriage, the Department may want to hear from the sponsor directly, by phone or in person, about how the couple met and why they married when they did. Sponsors who want to sponsor partner from Serbia should be ready to explain the introduction, the visits and the decision to marry in their own words. The guide on the partner visa sponsor interview explains what to expect.

Which visa fits when you sponsor partner from Serbia?

The right visa depends on where the partner is when the application is made and whether the couple are already married. When you sponsor partner from Serbia and your partner lives in Serbia, the usual pathway is the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 visa; if your partner is in Australia on a visa that allows an onshore application, it may be the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 visa; if you are engaged and will marry in Australia, it is the Subclass 300 visa.

Offshore: Subclass 309 and Subclass 100

The Subclass 309 partner visa is the temporary offshore stage. The applicant must be outside Australia when the application is made. One application covers the temporary Subclass 309 and the permanent Subclass 100, lodged online through ImmiAccount. The guide to the offshore partner visa explains the pathway. Most couples who marry in Serbia after a short courtship use this visa.

Onshore: Subclass 820 and Subclass 801

The Subclass 820 partner visa is the temporary onshore stage, and the applicant must be in Australia when the application is made. A Serbian partner who comes to Australia on a visitor visa may be able to apply onshore, but condition 8503 and the Schedule 3 criteria can prevent it. The comparison of onshore and offshore partner visas helps couples decide.

Prospective Marriage: Subclass 300

A couple who are engaged but not yet married can use the Subclass 300 visa. The couple must have met in person since both turned 18 and be known to each other personally, must genuinely intend to marry within the visa period, and must intend to live together as spouses. Department policy notes that a delegate may refuse where a couple have met but cannot show that the relationship has developed to the point where the decision to marry was mutual and they are known to each other personally. For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia after a short introduction, that is the same question the Department asks of a married couple, at an earlier stage. The answers on having met in person for a fiancé visa and on the fiancé visa compared with the partner visa explain the choice.

Cost and time

The government charge for a partner visa starts from AUD 11,710 for the main applicant, for both the onshore and offshore combined applications, as published by the Department and checked on 13 October 2026. The guide to partner visa costs explains the charges for additional applicants.

As published by the Department on 29 September 2026, 50 per cent of Subclass 309 applications were finalised in 21 months and 90 per cent in 32 months, and 50 per cent of Subclass 820 applications were finalised in 22 months and 90 per cent in 30 months. For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia soon after the wedding, this long wait has a practical consequence: the relationship will be assessed at the time of decision, not only at lodgement, so the evidence keeps growing while the application is pending. The guide to partner visa processing times explains what affects them.

Do sponsorship limitations and sponsor police checks apply?

Yes. When you sponsor partner from Serbia, the same sponsorship limitations and sponsor police check rules apply as for any other country, and they can stop the sponsorship being approved.

Under regulation 1.20J of the Migration Regulations 1994, a person generally cannot sponsor more than two partners in a lifetime, and cannot sponsor a new partner within five years of the last sponsorship, unless there are compelling circumstances. A sponsor who was themselves granted a partner visa as a sponsored partner within the last five years faces a similar restriction. The page on partner visa sponsorship limitations explains the exceptions, and the guide on when a sponsor cannot sponsor a partner visa sets out the detail.

Under regulation 1.20KC, the Department may ask the sponsor for Australian and foreign police checks. A sponsor convicted of a relevant offence, with a significant criminal record for it, may have the sponsorship refused unless it is reasonable to approve it. A sponsor who does not provide requested police checks within a reasonable time can also be refused. A sponsor who has lived in Serbia for long periods may be asked for a Serbian certificate as well. The guide on the partner visa sponsor police check explains the process.

How does the Department assess a marriage after a short courtship?

The Department assesses a marriage after a short courtship in exactly the same way as any other marriage: it asks whether the couple are validly married, have a mutual commitment to a shared life as spouses to the exclusion of all others, have a genuine and continuing relationship, and live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis.

The law sets no minimum length of relationship for a married couple. Department policy on married relationships states plainly that there is no specific length of time prescribed for the duration factor, and that while the length of the marriage is taken into account, all the other factors must also be considered. A couple who sponsor partner from Serbia three months after they met are not disqualified for that reason.

But a short courtship changes where the case officer looks. When a relationship has a long history, much of the evidence exists already: years of photographs, shared addresses, travel, friends who have known the couple as a couple. When a relationship is new, that history does not exist. The case officer has to judge the relationship mostly on what the couple say, what the families say, and what has happened since the wedding.

What the Department looks for in a quick marriage

Department policy states that the mutuality of the commitment may be assessed by, among other things, the partners' knowledge of each other's personal circumstances, including background and family situation, which can be tested at interview, and evidence of an intention that the relationship be long term. For a couple who sponsor partner from Serbia after a short courtship, this is the centre of the case. The questions behind it are simple:

• Do they know each other? Each partner should know the other's family, work, education, health, daily routine and plans.
• Was the decision to marry mutual? Both partners should be able to explain who proposed, when, and why they decided not to wait.
• Is there a plan to live together? The couple should have a concrete plan for where they will live in Australia and when.
• Has the relationship continued after the wedding? Contact, visits and support after the wedding are the strongest evidence that the marriage is real.

The guides on a short relationship and the partner visa and on the partner visa minimum relationship length, and the answer on marrying soon after meeting, deal with this situation directly.

Why "we have not lived together yet" is not fatal

Section 5F(2)(d) requires a married couple to live together, or not to live separately and apart on a permanent basis. Department policy explains that an applicant cannot meet this if they have never lived with their spouse and cannot satisfy the delegate that they intend to live together in the future. The reverse is also true: a couple who have not yet lived together can meet the requirement if they show a real intention to do so and the separation is only temporary. There is no timeframe in which the couple must live together. A couple who sponsor partner from Serbia and are waiting for the visa so that they can start married life together should say so clearly, and back it with evidence of plans. The guide on a partner visa without living together and the answer on never having lived together explain this.

Can you sponsor partner from Serbia after a family introduction or arranged marriage?

Yes. A marriage introduced or arranged by family is accepted for a partner visa if it is valid where it was celebrated, both partners gave real consent, and the couple now have a genuine and continuing relationship.

Department policy recognises arranged marriages that meet these conditions, so you can sponsor partner from Serbia after an introduction in the same way as after any other courtship. Most Serbian family introductions are not arranged marriages in the strict sense. Relatives suggest a meeting, and the couple decide for themselves. Either way, the introduction itself is not a negative factor. What matters is what happened next.

For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia after a family introduction, the introduction is often one of the most useful parts of the story, because it comes with witnesses. The cousin who suggested the meeting, the parents who hosted the dinner and the friends who came to the wedding can each give a Form 888 statement describing what they saw. That turns a relationship that started quickly into one that is socially recognised by two families in two countries.

The details that make the story credible

The same details matter in almost every quick marriage. Couples who sponsor partner from Serbia should make sure each partner's relationship statement covers, consistently:

• The introduction. Who introduced them, where, and when.
• The first period together. How many days or weeks they spent together, and what they did.
• The time apart. How they kept in contact after the sponsor returned to Australia, and how often.
• The decision to marry. When and how it was made, and why they did not wait longer.
• The wedding. The civil ceremony, any church ceremony, who attended and who paid.
• The plan. Where they will live in Australia, work plans, children, and the families' views.

The two statements must be each partner's own account, and they should be consistent, not identical. Small differences in detail are normal. Contradictions about the basic facts are not. The guides on partner visa arranged marriages and a partner visa refused for an arranged marriage, and the answer on arranged marriages and the spouse visa, explain the approach. The answer on differences between relationship statements explains how inconsistencies are handled.

Concerns about a marriage of convenience

Some sponsors worry that a quick marriage will be treated as a sham. A marriage entered only to obtain a visa is not a genuine relationship, and a finding of that kind is serious. But speed alone does not make a marriage a sham. The Department looks at the whole of the evidence. The guides on a partner visa sham relationship and the answer on sham marriages and partner visas explain what the Department looks for and why honest, detailed evidence answers it.

How do you build relationship evidence after the wedding?

You build relationship evidence after the wedding by keeping a continuous, dated record of the marriage as it develops: regular communication, visits, financial support, joint decisions and plans, and the involvement of both families, all organised across the four aspects the Department assesses.

For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia after a short courtship, the months after the wedding usually produce more evidence than the months before it. The Department assesses the relationship at the time of decision as well as at lodgement, so evidence created while the application is pending counts. The four aspects in regulation 1.15A(3) are the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment. These are aspects the Department assesses, not separate statements.

Financial aspects

A new couple living in two countries will not have a mortgage. They can still show financial commitment: regular money transfers from the sponsor to the applicant, the sponsor paying for the applicant's travel or visa costs, a joint account opened after the wedding, and each partner named on the other's insurance or superannuation. The guide on partner visa financial evidence and the answer on money transfers as relationship evidence explain what counts.

Nature of the household

Before the visa, the household may be the time the couple spend together during visits: staying together with family in Serbia, travelling together, or the applicant visiting Australia. After the wedding, evidence of shared accommodation during visits, a lease or plan for the Australian home, and the division of household tasks during time together is relevant. The guide on partner visa household evidence explains this aspect.

Social aspects

Wedding photographs, the guest list, the families' involvement, joint invitations, social media that presents the couple as married, and Form 888 statements from people who know them all show social recognition. Couples who sponsor partner from Serbia often have large family weddings, which helps. The guides on partner visa social evidence and partner visa photo evidence, and the answer on wedding photos for a spouse visa, explain what helps.

Nature of the commitment

Commitment is shown by continuous contact, return visits, knowledge of each other's lives, and concrete future plans. A record of daily calls and messages, visits in both directions, and plans for work, housing and children in Australia speaks to commitment. The guides on partner visa commitment evidence and partner visa future plans explain this aspect.

Keeping the record going during processing

New evidence can be uploaded to ImmiAccount while the application is being processed. Couples who sponsor partner from Serbia should add evidence of each visit, each period together and significant life events as they happen, rather than waiting for a request. The guide on partner visa evidence after lodgement, the answer on uploading new evidence after lodging, and the guides on long-distance partner visa relationships and partner visa chat evidence explain how. The answer on visiting Australia while a Subclass 309 is processed is relevant for couples who want to spend time together in Australia during the wait.

The partner visa interview

Couples in quick marriages may be interviewed, and an interview is a real possibility when couples sponsor partner from Serbia within months of meeting. The interview tests the same matters: how they met, the decision to marry, knowledge of each other, and plans. The guides on partner visa interview questions and partner visa interview inconsistencies explain how to prepare honestly. The answer on the Department contacting family explains that relatives may also be contacted.

How do you prove the marriage when you sponsor partner from Serbia?

When you sponsor partner from Serbia, the marriage is proved by an extract from the marriage register (izvod iz matične knjige venčanih) issued by the civil registry, with a full English translation, showing that the marriage was entered in the Serbian civil register.

In Serbia, marriages are recorded in the civil registers kept by registrars (matičari). Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that a marriage contrary to Serbia's Family Law cannot be entered in the civil registers and has no legal effect in Serbia. For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia, the civil marriage, and the register extract it produces, is the evidence the Department expects. A church wedding is often held as well, and it is valuable evidence of commitment and family recognition, but the civil record is the proof of the marriage.

Under Part VA of the Marriage Act 1961, a marriage celebrated overseas is generally recognised in Australia if it was valid where it was celebrated, subject to exceptions such as one party already being married, a prohibited relationship, a party under age, or no real consent. A civil marriage in Serbia between two unmarried adults will normally be recognised. The guides on overseas marriages recognised in Australia and the partner visa marriage certificate, and the answers on a valid marriage for a spouse visa and on an overseas marriage recognised for a partner visa, explain the rules.

Earlier marriages and divorces

Where either partner was married before, the earlier marriage must have ended before the new one, or the couple cannot sponsor partner from Serbia on the basis of the marriage. In Serbia a divorce is decided by a court, so the court's divorce decision, with proof that it became final, and a translation should be provided. A sponsor who divorced in Australia needs the divorce order and the date it took effect. The guide on a partner visa after divorce explains the evidence.

Name changes after the wedding

A Serbian spouse may change surname on marriage, and this often affects couples who sponsor partner from Serbia soon after the wedding. If the passport, the marriage extract and other documents show different surnames, the change should be explained and evidenced. The answer on a name change after marriage explains how.

What about Cyrillic documents and translation?

Serbian documents written in Cyrillic, or in Serbian in the Latin script, must be provided with a full English translation, and the translation must render names consistently with the passport.

Serbian is the official language, and the Cyrillic script is in official use, so many Serbian civil documents, court decisions and certificates are issued in Cyrillic. Serbian diplomatic missions state that civil registry extracts can be issued in a domestic form or an international form under the Vienna Convention. The international form is a multilingual extract, which can make the document easier to read, but the Department's translation rule still applies to any part that is not in English.

The Department's guidance states that documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English translation. In Australia, translators accredited by NAATI should be used. Outside Australia, the translation should be made by a qualified translator and endorsed with the translator's full name, address, telephone number and details of their qualifications and experience. The guide on partner visa evidence translation and the answers on translating a marriage certificate and certified copies for a partner visa explain the standard.

Transliteration of names

Cyrillic names can be written in Latin letters in more than one way. A name that appears one way in the passport may be transliterated differently by a translator, and differently again in an Australian document. For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia, the safest rule is to give the translator the passport spelling and ask that every translated document use it, with the original Cyrillic shown where helpful. Any variation that remains should be explained in a short note. The answer on different names or dates in documents explains how.

Messages in Serbian

Couples who sponsor partner from Serbia often write to each other in Serbian, or a mix of Serbian and English. Representative samples should be translated. The answers on translating messages and on couples who speak different languages explain the approach.

What police certificate does a Serbian partner need?

A Serbian partner usually needs a Certificate of No Conviction (Uverenje o nekažnjavanju) from the Serbian police, plus a police certificate from every other country where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

The Government of Canada's police certificate guidance for Serbia describes the Certificate of No Conviction as issued by local police stations under Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, applied for at the local police station by a person living in Serbia, or through a Serbian embassy or consulate from abroad. That guidance also states that certificates issued by a court are not accepted for its purposes. The certificate will usually be in Serbian and must be translated. An applicant who has worked in Germany, Austria or another country for 12 months or more needs a certificate from that country as well.

Police certificates can expire during long processing, and couples who sponsor partner from Serbia should check the issue date before lodging and again before a decision. The answer on how long police certificates and health checks are valid explains this, and the guide on partner visa overseas police certificates explains how to request certificates from several countries. The applicant's character is assessed under public interest criterion 4001, as the guide on partner visa character requirements explains.

What other documents are needed to sponsor partner from Serbia?

A Serbian partner also needs a passport, a birth register extract, identity evidence and, where relevant, divorce records, and must meet the health requirement, public interest criterion 4020, the debts to the Commonwealth criterion and the Australian values statement.

The core documents when you sponsor partner from Serbia are:

• Passport. The current Serbian passport, with all pages showing personal details, visas and stamps.
• Birth register extract. The izvod iz matične knjige rođenih, with a translation.
• Marriage register extract. The izvod iz matične knjige venčanih, with a translation.
• Identity card. The Serbian national identity card, if held.
• Divorce records. For any earlier marriage of either partner.
• Police certificates. From Serbia and any other country of residence.

Health examinations and biometrics are completed when the Department asks, through its nominated panel physicians and collection points. The guides on the partner visa document checklist, the partner visa medical examination and partner visa biometrics explain these steps. Public interest criterion 4020 requires that the information and documents provided are true and genuine, as the guide on partner visa PIC 4020 explains.

What are the steps to sponsor partner from Serbia?

The steps to sponsor partner from Serbia are: check the sponsor, confirm the marriage and any earlier divorces, choose the visa, collect and translate the Serbian documents, prepare each partner's relationship statement and the Form 888 statements, organise the evidence built since the wedding, lodge the visa application, lodge the sponsorship, and keep adding evidence until the decision.

• Check the sponsor. Confirm eligibility and test regulation 1.20J and regulation 1.20KC.
• Confirm the marriage. Obtain the marriage register extract and check that any earlier marriage ended before the wedding.
• Choose the visa. Usually the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 if the partner is in Serbia, or the Subclass 300 if the couple are engaged. The answer on the Subclass 820 versus the Subclass 309 helps.
• Get the Serbian documents. Passport, birth and marriage extracts, identity card, divorce decisions and the police certificate.
• Translate consistently. Full translations with names spelt as in the passport.
• Write the relationship statements. One from each partner, in their own words, covering the introduction, the courtship, the decision to marry and the plan.
• Gather Form 888 statements. From relatives and friends in Australia and Serbia who saw the relationship develop.
• Organise the post-wedding evidence. Contact, visits, money transfers and plans, arranged by the four aspects and in date order.
• Lodge the visa application. Online through ImmiAccount, paying the charge.
• Lodge the sponsorship. Using the applicant's transaction reference number.
• Keep the record going. Upload new evidence as the relationship continues, and respond to any request on time.

Following these steps is the most reliable way to sponsor partner from Serbia when the relationship is new. The guides on how to apply for a partner visa, the partner visa relationship timeline and the relationship statement for a partner visa explain the mechanics, and the guide on Form 888 witness statements explains the witness evidence.

What if the Serbian partner is already in Australia?

If the Serbian partner is already in Australia, the couple may be able to apply onshore for the Subclass 820 visa, but only if the partner can make a valid application in Australia and can meet, or be excused from, the Schedule 3 criteria.

For anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Serbia while the partner is visiting, the visa conditions matter. A partner whose visitor visa carries condition 8503 (no further stay) cannot make a valid onshore application unless the condition is first waived. A partner without a substantive visa when applying must usually satisfy Schedule 3 criteria 3001, 3003 and 3004, which can be waived for compelling reasons. Couples who sponsor partner from Serbia and marry in Australia during a visit should obtain advice before the visitor visa expires. The page on Schedule 3 waivers, the guide on applying for a partner visa while on a tourist visa and the answers on condition 8503 and partner visas and marrying in Australia on a visitor visa explain the rules.

Why are partner visas refused after a quick marriage?

Partner visas after a quick marriage are usually refused because the Department is not satisfied that the relationship is genuine and continuing, most often because the evidence of how the relationship developed is thin, the partners' accounts are inconsistent, or there is little evidence of the relationship continuing after the wedding.

When couples sponsor partner from Serbia after a short courtship, the risks that appear most often are:

• No evidence after the wedding. The couple married, the sponsor flew home, and the file shows little contact or support afterwards.
• Inconsistent accounts. The partners describe the introduction, the proposal or the wedding differently in statements or at interview.
• Limited knowledge of each other. At interview, a partner cannot describe the other's work, family or plans.
• No plan to live together. The application does not show when and where the couple will live together.
• Weak social evidence. No Form 888 statements from the people who introduced the couple or attended the wedding.
• Documents that do not match. Names transliterated differently across documents with no explanation.

The guides on why partner visas get refused, on a refusal for a non-genuine relationship and on weak partner visa evidence, and the answer on a refusal because the relationship was not accepted as genuine, explain these grounds. The firm's partner visa refusals page explains how refused matters are handled.

Can a refused partner visa be reviewed at the ART?

Yes. A refusal of a Subclass 309, Subclass 820 or Subclass 300 visa can generally be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, but the review application must be made within 28 days after the applicant is notified of the decision, or 7 working days if the applicant is in immigration detention.

The 28-day limit comes from section 347 of the Migration Act 1958, and the Tribunal cannot extend it. The ART application fee for review of a partner visa refusal is AUD 3,727. For a Subclass 309 refusal, the visa applicant applies to the Tribunal in their own name, and can do so from outside Australia. For a Subclass 820 refusal, the applicant applies and must be in Australia. The Tribunal decides on the evidence before it at the time of its own decision. For couples who sponsor partner from Serbia, the time between the refusal and the hearing often adds months of further contact, visits and support, which the Tribunal can consider, and both partners can give evidence about the relationship directly.

The guides on the partner visa appeal deadline, partner visa ART fees, the partner visa ART hearing and partner visa ART evidence, and the answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal, explain the process.

What have Tribunal decisions said about quick marriages and introductions?

Tribunal decisions show that a marriage soon after an introduction, a rapidly developing relationship and a relationship conducted largely across two countries are matters the Tribunal examines on their evidence, and that refusals on these issues have been sent back to the Department for reconsideration.

In Saadie (Migration) [2024] ARTA 862, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were an expedited hearing, a genuine and continuing relationship, and a valid marriage in the home country months after being introduced and days after meeting in person. The Tribunal remitted the matter, which means it sent the matter back to the Department for reconsideration.

In SOLOMON (Migration) [2020] AATA 5389, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were a genuine and continuing relationship, evidence of the review applicant's earlier divorce, the rapid development of the relationship, and regular travel to Lebanon. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department for reconsideration.

In 1803597 (Migration) [2019] AATA 508, a Subclass 309 matter, the issues recorded were a genuine and continuing relationship, an arranged marriage, living in separate countries, and little time spent together. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department for reconsideration.

None of these decisions involved a Serbian applicant, and none guarantees any result in another case. Each turned on its own evidence. They do show that, for couples who sponsor partner from Serbia after a short introduction, the speed of the marriage and the time spent apart are issues the Tribunal weighs against the whole of the evidence, rather than reasons for refusal in themselves.

How My Migration Lawyers helps you sponsor partner from Serbia

My Migration Lawyers acts for Australian sponsors and their partners in partner visa matters where the couple met through family, married after a short courtship and have spent much of the relationship in two countries, and it is capable of handling a matter to sponsor partner from Serbia from the first assessment to the decision and, where needed, Tribunal review. The firm deals with complex cases and acts in many partner visa matters of this type.

On a matter to sponsor partner from Serbia, the firm's work typically includes:

• Assessing the relationship honestly. Reviewing how the couple met, how long they spent together and what has happened since the wedding, and advising whether the evidence is ready or needs more time.
• Choosing the visa. Advising between the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100, the Subclass 300 and, where the partner is in Australia, the Subclass 820, including condition 8503 and Schedule 3 issues.
• Checking the sponsor. Testing regulation 1.20J and regulation 1.20KC, and the evidence of Australian status for dual citizens.
• Reviewing the Serbian documents. Checking the marriage and birth register extracts, any divorce decisions and the Certificate of No Conviction, and making sure every translation spells names as in the passport.
• Presenting the relationship evidence. Organising the evidence since the introduction across the four aspects. Each partner's relationship statement is their own account, reviewed and corrected by them, and the firm presents that account, the Form 888 statements and the supporting evidence in the form the law requires.
• Preparing for interview. Explaining what the Department is likely to ask, so that each partner can answer from their own knowledge.
• Responding to the Department. Answering section 56 requests and section 57 letters accurately and on time, and uploading new evidence during processing.
• Review when needed. Preparing and presenting an Administrative Review Tribunal review if a visa is refused.

The firm's partner visa lawyers work with sponsors across Australia, including in Sydney and Melbourne, and with partners overseas, by video. The guide to complex partner visa lawyer work, the guide to working with an offshore partner visa lawyer and the answer on whether there is a partner visa lawyer who handles complex cases explain how the firm approaches this work. Matters are supervised by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer.

If you want to sponsor partner from Serbia and you married soon after meeting, or you are unsure whether your evidence is ready, Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.