The Department of Home Affairs had announced certain reforms to the Partner visa program as part of the last year’s Federal Budget announcement, including pre-approval of Sponsorship applications and new English language requirement for Partner visa applicants at the permanent stage, to strengthen the integration outcomes of the Partner program.
The reforms will apply the sponsorship framework as set out in the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018 where the sponsor will have to lodge their sponsorship application and have it approved prior to the partner visa application is lodged. They also aim to introduce the new English requirement for sponsors and applicants to provide evidence of functional English or demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English when they reach the permanent Partner visa stage. The changes are expected to come into effect around November 2021.
