South Africans may be banned from travelling to the United States due to the pandemic, but there is still hope for love birds who want to travel to Australia.
If you’re a South African in a relationship with an Australian citizen or your partner is a permanent resident in Australia, you too can find yourself joining your loved one if you follow the correct visa application process.
The visa subclass that you apply for will depend on your relationship. Your application will be assessed against the criteria for both temporary and permanent partner visas before being issued with the appropriate visa, depending on which criteria you meet.
If you have been married or de facto relationship (a committed relationship that has existed for at least 12 months before you apply for the visa) to an Australian partner for a minimum period of three years, you will be eligible for a permanent partner visa.
Applicants with less than three years of evidence will be granted a temporary partner visa and can apply for a permanent partner visa two years after submitting the initial visa application.
The permanent visa is only valid for five years and once you meet certain residency requirements, you would be able to apply for citizenship.
You can also apply for a “fiancé visa”, which allows you to visit Australia for nine months. With this visa, you can marry an Australian citizen. It is usually reserved for people who don’t qualify as having a de facto relationship.
The base fee for the combined application for an Australian partner visa is AUD 7,715 (R87 688,30). When fiancé visa holders apply for the Partner visa after they’re married, they will need to pay an extra AUD 1,285 (R14 604,87).