A Partner Visa double grant – it’s the talk of the town! It’s like winning a gold medal and showing it off to all your friends. Who wouldn’t want one? In this blog I’m going to explore everything you need to know about what a Partner Visa double grant is, how you can get one and some of the common mistakes I see couples make when going for a double grant.
What is a Partner Visa double grant?
The Partner Visa process is usually a two stage process where the subclass 820 or subclass 309 provisional visa is granted first, then two years after the lodgement date, you’re eligible for the permanent visa which is the subclass 801 or 100.
A Partner Visa double grant is exactly what it sounds like. It’s where the provisional and permanent Partner Visa are granted at the same time. You might liken this to ‘quickening the process’ as couples who receive a double grant don’t need to wait two years between applying for the provisional visa and permanent visa. But spoiler alert, it’s not easy to get a double grant, and a lot of work needs to go into your application to be considered for one.
The evidentiary threshold for a provisional Partner Visa is high, and this threshold just increases for couples who are wanting to be considered for both the provision and permanent visas together.
Who’s eligible for a Partner Visa double grant?
There are a few different routes to getting the permanent Partner Visa (subclass 801 or 100) without needing to wait out the two year period.
The most common way and the focus of this blog is where the couple can demonstrate that they have been in a long term relationship for 3 years or more at time of application, OR two years or more and have a child of the relationship together.
Here’s the first common mistake I see couples make when wanting to be considered for the grant of both the provisional and permanent visas together. The term ‘long term relationship’ can be deceiving. It’s not about how long you have been in your relationship (i.e. how long you’ve been dating). It’s about how long you have been either a de facto couple or in a spousal relationship.
So if you and your partner can establish that you have been in a de facto/spousal relationship for 3 years or more at time of application, or 2 years or more and have a child of the relationship, then if I was you, I would be pushing for a Partner Visa double grant.
If you aren’t eligible for a double grant, I’ve also written a guide on what to do during the two year wait to minimise delays in the application process.
Is getting a double grant for a Partner Visa a sure thing?
If only it was! In my experience, you’re not automatically going to get a double Partner Visa grant just because of the length of your relationship. I’ve seen some couples who have been married for over 3 years and still only receive the provisional visa. It takes a lot of work to get both visas granted together, but it’s worth putting in the extra time and effort so you only have to go through the Partner Visa process once.
What evidence do I need to get a Partner Visa double grant?
Evidence is key – it always is! Not only does the evidence of your relationship need to be on point for a Partner Visa, but particularly where you’re wanting to be considered for a double grant, it has to be bulletproof. What I mean is that there shouldn’t be any gaps in your evidence. Getting a double grant isn’t easy, so be prepared to put in the hard yards and dig out all that evidence you have.
An evidence planning session with us is probably the first step to take so you can learn about what evidence you actually need for your partner and how much of it to provide. Especially for couples who have been in a long term relationship. If you’re someone who’s been with their partner for 5, 10 or 20 years, it’s likely that you’re going to feel overwhelmed by how much evidence you actually have for your application. This is something we can assess during your evidence planning session and then actually review for you during our final review of your application.
You can also find out more and download a free evidence checklist in our post all about preparing your evidence.
Is there any special evidence required for a Partner Visa double grant that isn’t required for a standard application?
It’s not so much about ‘special evidence’ than about meeting the criteria, which is demonstrating you have been in a long-term relationship for 3 years or more at time of application, or 2 years or more and have a child together. If you don’t meet that criteria, then unfortunately there’s no way to ‘fast track’ to getting the permanent visa without going through the two stage Partner Visa process.
What’s important is recognising the type of evidence you need to provide to give your application the best chance of receiving both grants at the same time.
Do I need to provide a letter to request the double grant of my Partner Visa?
When I was acting for couples who had been in long term relationships, I would always provide a letter requesting the grant of both visas together (where a couple was eligible of course). This helped to draw attention to the long term relationship between a couple and referring to certain documents around the four pillars of relationship that would point towards their long term relationship.
At the Partner Visa Academy, we also provide you with a templated guide on what this letter/request should look like so you can use it with your Partner Visa.
I didn’t get a Partner Visa double grant – can I contact Immigration and request one?
This is a question that I’ve seen asked a lot. Like I said above, a double grant isn’t a sure thing, even if you can demonstrate a long term relationship.
I’ve even had cases where the couple’s evidence was definitely strong enough (in my opinion) to receive a double grant but only the provisional visa was granted. In my case, this was just an oversight from the Department’s end. Remember that decision makers are only human, and sometimes they can make mistakes. If you feel that you should be granted both your provisional and permanent visa together, but you haven’t been, then you can consider writing to the Department and requesting the grant of the permanent visa too. But remember – you need to be sure that your evidence actually substantiates this.
What happens after I receive a Partner Visa double grant?
Well first of all, if you’ve received a Partner Visa double grant, then congratulations!! Your Partner Visa journey has come to an end. You won’t need to apply for your second stage Partner Visa anymore and you can focus on meeting the criteria for Australian citizenship, if that’s something you are wanting to pursue.
I didn’t receive a Partner Visa double grant – did I do something wrong?
I see a lot of couples feel disheartened because they didn’t receive a double grant. For some couples it’s a misunderstanding around what the actual requirements are for receiving one.
Remember that it’s not a failure if you haven’t received a Partner Visa double grant – you may have not been eligible in the first place. For couples who do meet the criteria of being in a long term relationship, then my best tip would be to get advice around your application. If you’re eligible for a double grant then take advantage of that and know exactly what you need to do to strengthen your prospects of receiving one.
Were all about DIYers at the Partner Visa Academy, but everyone needs a little help sometimes. If you want to learn more about how we can help you achieve a Partner Visa double grant, book a free introductory call with me.
IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.
