Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
820/801 Partner (onshore) vs 309/100 Partner (offshore)
Same relationship test, same two-stage structure, same $11,710 — the choice is geography and what you get while waiting. Onshore 820 applicants typically receive a bridging visa with work rights and stay together in Australia; offshore 309 applicants wait outside (visits possible) but often see comparable or faster processing. Where the applicant is when applying is usually decisive — and being onshore on the wrong visa has traps of its own.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Where you apply
- In Australia · Outside Australia
- While waiting
- Bridging visa, usually with work rights · Offshore (visitor visits possible)
- Charge
- $11,710 · $11,710
- Structure
- Temporary 820 → permanent 801 · Temporary 309 → permanent 100
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| 820/801 Partner (onshore) | 309/100 Partner (offshore) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you apply | In Australia | Outside Australia |
| While waiting | Bridging visa, usually with work rights | Offshore (visitor visits possible) |
| Charge | $11,710 | $11,710 |
| Structure | Temporary 820 → permanent 801 | Temporary 309 → permanent 100 |
| Watch out | Status at time of application matters | Timing of travel for grant |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
Same relationship test, same two-stage structure, same $11,710 — the choice is geography and what you get while waiting. Onshore 820 applicants typically receive a bridging visa with work rights and stay together in Australia; offshore 309 applicants wait outside (visits possible) but often see comparable or faster processing. Where the applicant is when applying is usually decisive — and being onshore on the wrong visa has traps of its own.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Free questions are closed: advice on your own case is the consultation.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Questions we get asked first
820/801 Partner (onshore) or 309/100 Partner (offshore) — which is better?
Same relationship test, same two-stage structure, same $11,710 — the choice is geography and what you get while waiting. Onshore 820 applicants typically receive a bridging visa with work rights and stay together in Australia; offshore 309 applicants wait outside (visits possible) but often see comparable or faster processing. Where the applicant is when applying is usually decisive — and being onshore on the wrong visa has traps of its own.
What is the main difference between the 820/801 Partner (onshore) and the 309/100 Partner (offshore)?
Where you apply: 820/801 Partner (onshore) — In Australia; 309/100 Partner (offshore) — Outside Australia. While waiting: 820/801 Partner (onshore) — Bridging visa, usually with work rights; 309/100 Partner (offshore) — Offshore (visitor visits possible). Charge: 820/801 Partner (onshore) — $11,710; 309/100 Partner (offshore) — $11,710.
Keep reading