The Federal Government have announced changes to the Partner Visa program in 2021.
The main changes are a two step partner visa process and new English language requirements.
Two Step Partner Visa Process :
The current process for applying for a partner visa involves lodging the sponsorship application by an Australian citizen or permanent resident as well as the visa applicant’s partner visa application at the same time. Both the sponsorship and visa application are assessed together. This is due to change this year.
The new process will be split into two steps, similar to the way employer sponsored visas work. Firstly, the Australian citizen or permanent resident sponsor will need to lodge their sponsorship. This will need to be approved first before their partner can lodge their partner visa application. This will mean that the time taken to lodge a partner visa application will be delayed by the sponsorship process.
There is no indication on how long a partner sponsorship will take to approve. If you’re caught by these changes and you have another visa that is about to expire before your partner’s sponsorship is approved, then you will need to have a backup plan to extend your stay in Australia.
English Language Requirements:
They also aim to introduce the new English requirement for sponsors and applicants to provide evidence of functional English or demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English. Applicants will be required to meet the English language requirement at the time that the second stage permanent partner visa is granted.
The changes are expected to come into effect around November 2021.
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