Hi all - I am a Brit married to an Aussie, we live in the U.K. and have 2 preschool kids. We want to move to Australia in time for our youngest to start school over there in a couple of years. We’re currently in the process of getting their citizenship which is fine. But I have a few questions about my partner visa that I’m struggling to find answers to. Hoping someone on here can help!

- do I need to apply for my temporary partner visa before entering Australia, or could I enter on a normal tourist visa and apply once there?

- I’m assuming it would take more than 3 months to be granted, so if we do it that way can I stay beyond the 90 days of my tourist visa while my temp partner visa is being processed?

- alternatively, if I need to apply outside of Australia, can I then enter on a tourist visa while it is being processed and stay there until it’s granted?

- if I need to apply and wait for the visa to be granted before entering Australia, how long do I have to enter Australia once it is granted?

Having a bit more clarity on these questions would really help us plan all the logistics around moving so I thank you all in advance for any help!

If you enter as a tourist, you would need to apply for the 820/801 before the tourist visa/ETA expires. When it does expire you would then get a Bridging Visa which will be in effect until a decision is made on the Spouse Visa.
If you apply offshore, and then travel to Aus on a tourist visa, you would need to leave again before it expires. You can't get a Bridging Visa if you've applied offshore.
If you aren't planning to move for a couple of years, I would definitely apply offshore. You have plenty of time for it to be granted before you move. The longer you wait, the more expensive it'll get! Once its granted offshore you have 12 months to validate it, which can be done with a quick holiday to Aus, and you have 5 years in which to make the permanent move.

You don't say how long you've been together, but if its over 2 years, with children, then you will get the permanent Spouse Visa (100/801) straight away, you won't have to do the 2 years on the temporary one (309 or 820). Without children its 3 years.

thank you so much, this is super helpful. We’ve been together 10 years, married for 7 so it’s good to know we can go straight to permanent too! Much appreciated!

My only additional tip would be to look at the online immi application system. Its very good and allows you time to gather and scan your documents. It does make you question the value add of a migration agent sometimes.

I'd agree IF its a straight-torward application. But any kind of complexity with the likes of character, medical, previous refusals etc - an agent can make a huge difference here.