Australian Marriage Visa Australian marriage visas fall under the Partner Immigration category which governs the granting of visas to Australian immigration of spouses, defacto partners, interdependent partners and prospective spouses (fiances). The usual process involves the initial issuing of a temporary visa to partners who meet the criteria for residency. A permanent visa may then be granted after a specified eligibility period whereby the legitimacy and longevity of the relationship can be assessed. Partner Visa Types There are essentially three types of partner visas i.e.: Prospective Spouse visas for intended marriages (fiances), Spouse visas for married and defacto relationships, Interdependency visas for interdependent relationships which include relationships between individuals of the same sex Sponsors To apply for an Australian marriage visa, you must be sponsored either by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. A sponsor will be responsible for all financial obligations and support for the applicant while they settle down in Australia. In the usual case, the sponsor will be the partner of the applicant with whom there exists a relationship. A sponsor must not: have previously sponsored two other partners for Australian immigration, have sponsored another partner within the last five years, have been sponsored as a partner within the last five years, or be under 18 years of age at the time of application (except under special legal circumstances) The limitations above may be waived under unique and compelling circumstances such as the death of a previous partner, having a long standing relationship with the applicant or having children together with the applicant.