Waiting for a decision on your Partner Visa can feel like a lifetime. Partner Visa processing times is such a sensitive topic to discuss because there are so many factors that come into play and processing times are forever changing.
But in light of all of that, I do want to give you some insight into what some ‘average’ processing times are and what you can do to give your application the best chance of processing faster (as discussed in my 5 Keys to Prepare a Successful Partner Visa Application).
I always tell clients that there are factors outside of your control that there is literally nothing you can do about. But there’s also factors within your control that if you get them right, you’re giving your application a better shot at a faster processing time. So let’s talk about what you should know about Partner Visa processing times.
1. Lodge a decision ready application
The only factor within your control to give your application the best shot at processing faster is to lodge a decision ready application. You may have also heard the term ‘front-end loaded‘ application. They mean the same thing.
This means that you’re providing immigration with everything they need to make a decision on your case. What is ‘everything’? It includes, having all the forms complete, having all your evidence completed (such as the Form 888, your relationship statements, and 4 pillars of relationship evidence), having your police checks completed, and the Applicant completing their medical examination shortly after lodgement.
You’re going to make the decision makers life a whole lot easier if they have everything they need in front of them, and don’t need to request more information from you.
There are some instances where a decision ready application/front-end loaded application might not be the best strategy for you. For example, if a couple is on quite a tight budget and can’t afford to do multiple police checks or medicals (remember they are only valid for 12 months), then for these couples, you may want to hold off on having a decision ready application.
Starting early allows you to plan and strategise a decision-ready application. See our Preparation Guide for tips on how to use the start of the year to get ahead of the queue.
2. Partner Visa processing times constantly change
This factor is outside of your control. Partner Visa processing times are always changing. The Department now has a processing times tool on their website where you can input the date you intend on lodging your application, and the Department will give you an average of how long they expect your application will take to process.
Another factor that influences the ever changing processing times for Partner Visas is the resources allocated and visa planning levels for any particular year given.
3. The country your application is processing from will impact your Partner Visa processing time
Unfortunately some applications will process faster than others depending on where they are processing from. It can also be dependent on your country of citizenship. Although the Department denies that your country of passport has anything to do with processing times, we see it time and time again that applications from ‘low risk countries’ will process faster than ‘high risk countries’.
It’s obviously not a factor that’s within your control but at least it might give you some indication as to what you should expect when you’ve lodged your application.
4. Partner Visas lodged by Registered Migration Agent process faster
This is a myth that’s been around since the beginning of time (you know what I mean). There’s a misconception that having a Registered Migration Agent lodge the application for you means that the application is going to process faster.
The truth is that a good Registered Migration Agent knows the ins and outs of a Partner Visa and will put together a strong application for you. A good migration agent is worth their weight in gold but not all migration agents are good, and I have heard of horror stories and taken over some really badly put together Partner Visas myself. If you are going to use a migration agent, make sure you do your research. But what helps the application process faster is not simply having a migration agent, it’s about putting together a solid application.
5. You can’t request status updates
There will always be couples who (understandably) want to know what’s happening with their Partner Visa. Has it been looked at yet? What stage of processing is it up to you? Who’s processing it?
The bad news is that most times, you just don’t and won’t know until a decision is made.
The Department does not provide status updates on applications. You can only enquire as to the status of your application once the processing time has been exceeded and you’ve not received any correspondence from immigration. You’ll know if your application has exceeded processing times by using the Department’s processing time calculator (which I linked you to above). But until that point, your application may just go from showing as ‘received’ in the Immi Account to ‘Finalised’ (and receiving a grant) without you ever communicating with the case officer.
So where to from here?
Remember the factors that are within your control and use those in your favour. With the right tools and resources you can put together a strong, decision ready application. If you’re up for learning how to put together your Partner Visa and you have the time to follow our step by step process, then the Partner Visa Academy might be the perfect fit for you. If you want to learn more, reach out to us and I can show you around our amazing platform.
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.
