Recent Partner Visa Refusal: Why Evidence Must Stay Current
Recent Partner Visa Refusal: Why Evidence Must Stay Current A few weeks ago, a couple sat across from me holding notice of a partner visa refusal for an application they had lodged themselves. On paper, they had done most things right. There was no Schedule 3 issue standing in their way. The applicant held a […]
Partner Visa on a Visitor Visa: What Could Change in 2026
Partner Visa on a Visitor Visa: What Could Change in 2026 I’ve had a version of this conversation with three separate clients in the last fortnight, all of them asking, in one way or another, whether they can still lodge a partner visa on a visitor visa so I think it’s worth putting something in […]
Ministerial Direction 117: Partner Visa Processing Priority
Ministerial Direction 117: Partner Visa Processing Priority If you’ve been searching around trying to make sense of “Ministerial Direction 117,” you’re not alone. I’ve had several clients and prospective clients raise it with me over the past couple of weeks, usually with some version of the same question: does this mean my application will be […]
Partner Visa Social Aspect: More Than Photos and Form 888
Partner Visa Social Aspect: More Than Photos and Form 888 A while ago, I wrote about photo evidence and how to properly prepare a Form 888 for a partner visa application. Those two pieces cover the mechanics of putting your social evidence together. This article is different. I want to talk about the partner visa […]
Partner Visa Fee Increase 2026: What It Means for You
Partner Visa Fee Increase 2026: What It Means for You If you’ve been putting together a partner visa application over the past few months, you may have already felt the ground shift under you. On 1 July 2026, the Department of Home Affairs updated its visa pricing table, and the partner visa application fee jumped […]
Gold Migration Lawyers Liquidation: Partner Visa, Act Now
Gold Migration Lawyers Liquidation: Partner Visa, Act Now On the evening of Friday, 29 May 2026, hundreds of people received an email that upended their migration journey. Gold Migration Lawyers, a Melbourne-based migration firm, informed clients that it would cease operations on 1 June 2026. By that Monday, the Gold Migration Lawyers liquidation was confirmed: […]
Same-Sex Partner Visa Australia: A Practical Guide for 2026
Same-Sex Partner Visa Australia: A Practical Guide for 2026 The questions I get most often from same-sex couples thinking about a partner visa aren’t really about forms or lodgement portals. They tend to be things like: does our relationship look different to a case officer than a straight couple’s would? What if our age gap […]
Beat the Partner Visa Fee Increase 2026: Lodge Before 1 July
Beat the Partner Visa Fee Increase 2026: Lodge Before 1 July Every year, without much fanfare, the Department of Home Affairs adjusts its visa application charges when the new Australian financial year begins on 1 July. The partner visa fee increase in 2026 is no different and while the exact new figures have not yet […]
Partner Visa Australia 2026: Preparation Is Not Optional
Partner Visa Australia 2026: Preparation Is Not Optional If you and your partner are thinking about a partner visa Australia 2026 application, I want to say one thing before anything else: the time to start preparing is now. Not after your next holiday. Not once you feel more settled. Right now. I know that might […]
Partner Visa Application Australia: Forget Perfect
Partner Visa Application Australia: Forget Perfect If you’ve been researching a partner visa application in Australia, there’s a good chance you’ve already fallen into the rabbit hole. You’ve probably read a dozen blog posts, scrolled through Facebook groups at midnight, and assembled a mental checklist of everything you supposedly need: a joint bank account, a […]