A two-stage visa for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. You apply once: the temporary 820 lets you live, work and study in Australia while the permanent 801 is assessed, usually about two years after you applied.

• One application covers both stages
• You'll usually get a bridging visa with work rights while the 820 is decided
• Strong relationship evidence is the heart of the case — finances, household, social life and commitment

The offshore counterpart to the 820/801. You apply from outside Australia for the temporary 309, which lets you travel to and live in Australia with full work rights, and the permanent 100 follows — usually assessed about two years from the original application.

• One application covers both the temporary and permanent stages
• Long-term relationships (or couples with children) can move to the permanent stage faster
• The evidence requirements mirror the onshore visa

For people engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. It gives you 9 to 15 months to travel to Australia and marry your fiancé(e). After the wedding, you apply for the onshore partner visa (820/801) to stay permanently.

• You can work while you hold this visa
• You must marry within the visa period — but the wedding can be anywhere in the world
• The follow-on partner visa is a separate application and fee

Parents can settle permanently through the Parent (103) or Contributory Parent (143, and 864 for onshore aged parents) visas — the contributory route costs significantly more but is decided much sooner, while the non-contributory queue is measured in decades. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 offers long visits of 3 or 5 years, up to 10 years in total, without a permanent queue.

• Permanent options carry long waits — contributory shortens the queue at a much higher cost
• The 870 is a long-stay visit: no work rights, and it doesn't lead to permanent residence
• Get advice on sequencing — the right order can save years and money

For a child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia permanently — subclass 101 when the child is outside Australia, 802 when the child is here. The parent (or their partner) sponsors the application.

• Covers biological, adopted and step-children
• Where parents are separated, custody and consent documents matter — get these right early
• Related options exist for orphaned relatives and adoption cases