Those who can apply under the spouse category are people who are married or in a de facto relationship with their sponsor.

(If applying on the basis of a de facto relationship, you should have been in the relationship for at least 12 months at the time you apply).

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Stage 1- Spouse temporary visa -
You will be required to complete the relevant forms, pay the required charge and provide evidence that your marriage has taken place and is genuine and continuing. You and your spouse may be asked to attend an interview.

If you successfully complete this stage of processing, you will be granted a temporary visa which will be in effect until a decision is made on your application for a permanent visa.

Stage 2- Spouse permanent visa -
This stage of processing will begin approximately two years after you lodged your application for spouse temporary and permanent visas and involves an assessment of your eligibility for a permanent visa.

You will be required to provide evidence that the relationship between you and your spouse is genuine and continuing.

If you have lived in Australia for more than one year, you will be required to provide an Australian police clearance.

You may also be required to provide clearances from other countries you have visited since your spouse temporary visa was granted.

You and your spouse may be asked to attend an interview.

If you meet all the requirements, you will be granted a permanent visa.

End of relationship before the second stage of processing

If the relationship ends while you have a temporary visa, you must inform the department immediately.  You may still be eligible for a permanent visa, without having to fulfil the normal two-year waiting period, if:

• after entering Australia and marrying your fiancé(e), the relationship breaks down and you or a member of your family are the victim of domestic violence committed by your spouse; or
• after entering Australia and marrying your fiancé(e), the relationship breaks down and you and your Australian spouse have children under 18 years of age; or
• after entering Australia, your spouse dies.

Marrying before the visa application is decided

You must notify the visa processing office immediately and request that the application be processed as a spouse visa application.

You can obtain a free assesment for this category by following this link