Family visa update + a smarter way to prepare your Partner visa
As registered migration agents, we like to keep our community informed, not alarmed. This month we’ve got two updates for you: an important (though not yet final) change on the horizon for family visa applicants, and a look at a service that’s helped many of our clients prepare their own Partner visa application without the cost of a fully managed one.
Planning to bring family to Australia? Here’s an important update
There’s been a lot of talk in migration circles this year about a possible change that could affect how family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents come to Australia.
The short version: as of 8 September 2026, reports suggest the Australian Government is considering preventing certain family members from entering Australia on a Visitor visa or ETA specifically to then lodge a family visa onshore. This could include Partner (820/801), Parent (including 804/864), Child and other family visas.
The crucial point: this is not law. It hasn’t been formally announced or implemented, and the current rules haven’t changed to impose this general prohibition.
Why we’re flagging it anyway: if this proposal goes ahead, affected applicants would need to lodge their family visa from offshore, rather than entering Australia as a visitor and applying while here. This would be especially significant for aged parent applicants. At the moment, a parent can generally enter Australia on a Visitor visa (provided there’s no bar such as an 8503 condition) and lodge their onshore 804 or 864 application while here. Since the onshore parent visa requires the applicant to be in Australia at the time of application, removing the ability of visitor visa holders to lodge these visas onshore would effectively close off the main pathway many parents currently use. The same issue relates to those couples planning to lodge a partner subclass 820/801.
What this means for you: if you’re planning to enter Australia on an ETA, eVisitor, or other visitor visa with the intention of lodging a Partner or Parent visa once you arrive, we wouldn’t assume the current settings will stay the same indefinitely. The Government has been actively working to reduce the number of temporary migrants and manage the onshore and bridging visa population, and has already shifted priority toward onshore applicants in some streams.
If this could affect you or someone in your family, it’s worth getting tailored advice before you make any firm plans.
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A more affordable way to prepare your Partner visa
Partner visa costs have risen sharply. The current government application charge alone sits at close to $12,000, and once agent or lawyer fees are added, a fully managed application can approach $18,000 to $20,000. For many couples, that’s a big ask.
If you’d like to prepare and lodge your own Partner visa application, but you’re not sure:
- What evidence you need to provide
- How best to complete the forms
- What supporting documents to include
- Whether you’ve got enough evidence of your relationship
- Whether your application is properly prepared before you lodge it
…our Partner Visa Mentoring Service might be exactly what you need.
How it works:
- Initial assessment: we start with a consultation to understand your circumstances, your relationship, and your visa options.
- Your Partner Visa Kit: Thereafter, if if you book a further consult/mentoring hour session, we walk you through the process; and you’ll receive our comprehensive emailed DIY Partner Visa Kit, along with the documents and guidance to help you prepare your application.
- Ongoing mentoring: book as many hour sessions as you need, using as much or as little of each hour as suits you.
We’ve been running this service for several years, and many of the couples we’ve supported through it, have gone on to have their Partner visas granted.
Hear from a couple we’ve helped: watch their story
Want to find out more? We’d love to hear about your situation and talk through how the mentoring service could work for you.
