In short: A partner visa is a two-stage road to PR: the temporary 820 leads to the permanent 801 for couples applying onshore, and the offshore 309 leads to the 100. The relationship evidence you gather for the visa, such as joint accounts, a shared lease and shared bills, is the evidence a lender wants for a joint home loan, and buying with a citizen or PR spouse avoids most foreign-buyer rules.
Key takeaways
- The 820 (onshore) and 309 (offshore) are temporary; the 801 and 100 are permanent and usually assessed some time after the original application.
- A spouse of an Australian citizen or permanent resident buying jointly is not caught by the foreign purchaser ban on established homes.
- Victoria and other states offer surcharge exemptions for a foreign spouse buying a principal home jointly with a citizen or PR; the conditions matter, so check the revenue office.
- Government first-home schemes look at every applicant, so timing a purchase around the permanent stage can be worth tens of thousands.
- Joint finances started early help both the visa and the loan.
Many Nepali couples reach PR this way: one partner came earlier as a student or on a 482 and became a citizen or permanent resident, and the other joined later or married in Nepal and applied from Kathmandu. The partner visa sits in the family stream, which has 52,460 places in the 2026–27 Migration Program. This post explains the stages, then concentrates on how a couple in this position buys a home. Use a MARA-registered agent for the visa and check the current rules on Home Affairs.
The two pathways
| Stage | Onshore couple | Offshore couple | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Subclass 820 lodged in Australia; a bridging visa keeps you lawful | Subclass 309 lodged from Nepal | Work rights on the bridging visa depend on the visa you held when you applied |
| Temporary grant | 820 | 309 | Full work rights and Medicare in most cases; still a temporary resident for property law |
| Permanent assessment | 801 | 100 | Usually assessed a period after the original application, with updated relationship evidence |
| Permanent grant | 801 | 100 | Permanent resident: no FIRB approval, no foreign surcharge, First Home Guarantee eligible |
For long-standing relationships the permanent stage is sometimes granted with the temporary one. Processing times are published by Home Affairs.
Joint finances: one set of evidence, two uses
Relationship evidence falls into four areas: financial, household, social and commitment. The financial area is where the visa and the mortgage overlap.
| Evidence for the partner visa | How a lender reads it |
|---|---|
| Joint savings account with both incomes going in | Genuine savings history and shared servicing |
| Joint lease or both names on the rental ledger | Stable address and rental history |
| Shared utility, phone and insurance bills | Living expenses that can be verified |
| Joint car loan or credit card paid on time | A credit file with a clean repayment record for both partners |
| Superannuation and life insurance nominating each other | Financial interdependence |
Open the joint account early and use it. Sending money home to Nepal is normal; keep it regular and modest so a lender sees a living expense rather than an undeclared debt. See our page on buying property with a partner for the ownership and legal side.
Buying while one partner is on the 820 or 309
Two questions decide the outcome: who is on the title, and who is on the loan.
Title and foreign-buyer rules
A temporary resident on an 820 or 309 is a foreign person. But spouses of Australian citizens and permanent residents who buy jointly are not affected by the foreign purchaser ban on established homes, and at the time of writing FIRB approval is generally not required where the couple buys as joint tenants. Victoria also provides an exemption from the 8% foreign purchaser additional duty for a foreign spouse buying a principal place of residence jointly with a citizen or PR spouse, provided conditions such as living in the home are met. NSW has a comparable exemption, subject to its own rules. Confirm with the State Revenue Office or Revenue NSW, and read our foreign purchaser duty page.
First-home schemes
The First Home Guarantee looks at every applicant, so a couple buying jointly generally needs both to be citizens or permanent residents. The Victorian first-home-buyer duty exemption and the First Home Owner Grant generally require at least one applicant to be a citizen or PR, and every applicant to meet the other conditions. That gives couples three options: buy in the citizen partner's name alone, buy jointly without the guarantee, or wait for the 801.
Worked example: a couple in Wollert
Sanjay is a citizen earning $85,000 as an electrician; his wife Priya, on an 820, earns $58,000 as an enrolled nurse. They want a new $700,000 house in Wollert.
| Option | Deposit and costs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buy jointly now, both on title and loan | 20% deposit ($140,000) as most lenders want for the temporary partner's share; duty $24,713 as first home buyers if eligible; no FIRB or surcharge because Sanjay is a citizen and they buy jointly as their home | Both incomes count, so borrowing power is strong |
| Buy in Sanjay's name only, now | 5% deposit ($35,000) under the First Home Guarantee, no LMI; duty $24,713; FHOG $10,000 | Only Sanjay's income counts, so the lender may not approve $665,000 |
| Wait for the 801, then buy jointly | 5% deposit ($35,000) under the First Home Guarantee; duty $24,713; FHOG $10,000 | Both incomes, lowest deposit, no surcharge; the cost is time |
For illustration, at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years the $665,000 loan costs about $3,987 a month, and the lender tests it at 9.00% under the APRA buffer. On Sanjay's income alone that fails; on both incomes it passes comfortably. The borrowing power calculator will show where your household sits. Some lenders will accept the 820 partner as a co-borrower at a higher loan-to-value ratio where the other borrower is a citizen, which is exactly the kind of policy detail a broker knows.
Loan structure
Both names on the loan means joint and several liability; both on the title means both own it. Most married couples choose joint tenancy, which also fits the FIRB exemption. Read joint tenants vs tenants in common before the contract is drafted.
Frequently asked questions
Can my partner on an 820 visa be on our home loan?
Often, yes. Many lenders accept a temporary-visa partner as a co-borrower when the other borrower is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, sometimes at a normal loan-to-value ratio. Income from the 820 partner is counted if it is stable. Policies vary, so ask a broker which lenders suit your combination of visas and incomes.
Do we need FIRB approval to buy a house together?
At the time of writing, a foreign person buying jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse as joint tenants is generally exempt from FIRB approval for a residential purchase. Buying as tenants in common or with other family members can remove the exemption. Confirm the current rule on the FIRB website and see our FIRB approval page.
Should we buy before or after the 801 is granted?
If borrowing power is fine on the citizen partner's income alone, buying now in that name with the First Home Guarantee can work. If you need both incomes and a small deposit, waiting for the 801 usually saves the most. If you have 20% now, buying jointly avoids the Victorian surcharge when the conditions are met. Run all three with a broker.
Does a joint home loan help our partner visa?
A joint mortgage is strong evidence of financial interdependence and is commonly included in permanent-stage evidence. Never buy only to create evidence; buy because the numbers work. A MARA-registered agent can tell you what weight it carries in your case.
Talk to GNT Finance
Couples on partner visas are many of the families we help across Melbourne's north and, by phone and video, in Sydney and beyond. Gorakh Timilsina will show you the numbers for all three options in English, Nepali or Hindi, and there is no cost to you for our home-loan service in most cases. Book a free consultation or call 0426 403 703, or start with our First Home Guarantee guide.
This is general information, not migration, legal, tax or credit advice. Migration rules change often — confirm with a registered migration agent (MARA) or the Department of Home Affairs.
Written by Gorakh Timilsina
Founder, CEO & Senior Mortgage Consultant at GNT Finance. Gorakh started as a broker assistant, spent years as a senior credit officer assessing loan applications, and now helps Melbourne families get the right loan approved. English, Nepali and Hindi spoken.