Where Do They Process Partner Visas?

Where do they process partner visas? To get started, when lodging for a partner visa what we will look out is will it be an onshore visa application or an offshore visa application.

What’s an Onshore and Offshore Visa Application?

What are Offshore and Onshore Partner Visa Applications? What is the difference between the two? To make it simple, offshore partner visa applications are applications lodged outside of Australia. While Onshore partner visa applications are applications lodged while you are inside Australia.

Offshore Partner Visa Application Explained

Offshore partner visa application or overseas application allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia. The applicant must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

This application requires you to be outside Australia when lodging. It costs AUD7,715 and the processing time is usually around 17 months to 20 months. Note this information is subject to change and is current on the day of publishing only. 

Now, where do they process offshore applications? In most cases, it is at the nearest Australian Embassy near your country or location. There is one in London, in Dubai, in Bangkok and a lot more around the world.

Onshore Partner Visa Application Explained

Onshore partner visa application lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. The applicant must be in Australia once the visa is granted.

This application requires you to be in Australia when lodging. It costs around AUD7,715 and AUD1,285 for Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holders. The processing time is usually around 22 months to 29 months. 

Now, where do they process onshore applications? At the Australian Department of Home Affairs. There is one in Brisbane, Queensland and Sydney, New South Wales and more. Here is the full list:

Australian Capital Territory (ACT):
3 Lonsdale Street
Braddon ACT 2612

New South Wales (NSW):
Upper Ground Entrance
26 Lee Street
Sydney NSW 2000

​9 Wentworth Street
Parramatta NSW 2150

Northern Territory (NT):
40 Cavenagh Street
Darwin NT 0800

Queensland (Qld):
299 Adelaide Street
Brisbane Qld 4000

Level 1 – Airport Administration Centre (AAC)
Caudron Ave
Cairns Qld 4870

South Australia (SA):
70 Franklin Street
Adelaide SA 5000

Tasmania (Tas):
​Ground Floor
188 Collins Street
Hobart Tas. 7000

Victoria (Vic):
2 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Vic. 3000

Western Australia (WA):
Ground floor
Wellington Central
836 Wellington Street
West Perth WA 6005

Which is faster? From our experience, the posts around Australia are mostly the same. Although this changes from time to time. 

In terms of which is faster ie onshore vs. offshore, we’ve seen offshore visas generally processed faster than onshore. 

Adding a Dependent?

Both offshore and onshore applications include an option to add dependent children.

The onshore application takes a longer time to process compared to the offshore application. While it may take longer, the brighter side of it is that you’ll be in Australia when the visa is granted. For offshore applications, they must be outside Australia once the visa is granted.

Don’t forget to consult a registered migration agent when choosing between lodging an onshore or an offshore partner visa application. Book your visa planning session today.

Need more help? Freedom Migration is happy to lend a helping hand. For more information visit our Partner Visa FAQ and Partner Visa Pathways. Need some advice? Contact us.

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.