• he/she has sponsored 2 previous partners for migration before you;
• he/she has sponsored a previous partner within the last 5 years; and
• was sponsored himself/herself within the last 5 years.

If any of these apply to your partner, you should contact us to discuss your options.

There are a number of criteria that the Department will assess your relationship against in order to grant your visa. You will need to prove that:

• you have been living with an Australian citizen/permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for at least 12 months preceding application;
• you and your partner have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, and have a genuine and continuing relationship;
• you and your partner live together; and
• you meet health and character requirements.

Dependents may be included in your application and must also health and character requirements.

You may be asked to obtain an Assurance of Support (‘AOS’) prior to the grant of your visa. This document allows the government to ask the person providing the AOS to repay them any welfare payments made to you within the first 2 years of being granted your visa or entering Australia.

Interdependency Visas are generally issued through a 2 stage process. Initially, if all requirements for the visa are met, a provisional visa is granted. The provisional visa allows you to work, travel in and out of Australia, and access Medicare. Two years after you lodged your application, the Department will reassess your situation and will then issue a permanent visa if all criteria are met.

If you can demonstrate that you have been in an interdependent relationship with your Australian partner for the 5 years immediately prior to application, you may be granted a permanent visa, rather than a provisional visa.

Interdependency Visa applications may be lodged within Australia or at the relevant overseas post, depending on your situation.

A refusal of an Interdependency Visa may be reviewed at the Migration Review Tribunal.