{"id":239,"date":"2025-09-09T10:51:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T00:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/blog\/?p=239"},"modified":"2026-11-12T07:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T20:09:42","slug":"schedule-3-and-onshore-partner-visas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/blog\/2025\/09\/09\/schedule-3-and-onshore-partner-visas\/","title":{"rendered":"Schedule 3 and onshore partner visas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By Peter Toms, Principal Lawyer \u00b7 Updated 12 November 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you apply for an onshore partner visa (subclass 820\/801) while you do not hold a substantive visa, an extra set of criteria may apply. These are known as the &#8220;Schedule 3 criteria&#8221;, from Schedule 3 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schedule 3 is one of the most common reasons onshore partner visa applications are refused. It comes up so often with partner visas because the partner visa is one of the few visas that can still be lodged onshore after a refusal or cancellation, despite the section 48 bar. That means many partner visa applicants lodge while holding only a bridging visa, or no visa at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The short answer:<\/strong> If Schedule 3 applies and you do not meet it, and it is not waived for compelling reasons, the visa will be refused. If you are also affected by the section 48 bar, certain documents, including statutory declarations supporting your relationship, must be lodged with the application. Without them, the application may be invalid.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When does Schedule 3 apply?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schedule 3 generally applies if, when you lodge your partner visa application, you do not hold a substantive visa. A substantive visa is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>your student, visitor or work visa expired, and you are now unlawful or on a bridging visa;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>your previous visa was refused, and you are on a bridging visa while you seek review at the Administrative Review Tribunal;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>your visa was cancelled, and you are on a Bridging Visa E; or<\/li>\n\n\n<li>you have been in Australia without any visa for some time.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your last substantive visa has ended before you apply, Schedule 3 is likely to be in play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does Schedule 3 require?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several criteria, but the main ones work like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The 28-day rule.<\/strong> Generally, the application must be lodged within 28 days of your last substantive visa ending. Most people affected by Schedule 3 are well outside this window.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Reasons beyond your control.<\/strong> If you are outside the 28 days, the Department looks at whether the reasons you did not hold a substantive visa were beyond your control.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Compliance.<\/strong> The Department also looks at whether you have complied substantially with the conditions of your previous visas, and whether you would have been entitled to the visa had you applied while holding a substantive visa.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For most applicants, these criteria cannot be met. That is why the waiver becomes the real issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The compelling reasons waiver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department can waive Schedule 3 if there are compelling reasons for granting the visa. &#8220;Compelling reasons&#8221; are not defined in the legislation. Departmental policy and Tribunal decisions make clear that they must be more than the ordinary hardship that comes with any refusal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The circumstances must generally exist at the time of the decision, not just at the time you applied. Factors that may support a waiver include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the best interests of an Australian citizen or permanent resident child, including a child of the relationship;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>the circumstances of your Australian partner, for example a serious health condition, caring responsibilities or reasons they cannot relocate;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>serious health issues affecting you or your family, where separation would cause real harm;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>the length and strength of the relationship, and how it developed; and<\/li>\n\n\n<li>the reasons you came to be without a substantive visa.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is not enough to show that the relationship is genuine. That is already required for every partner visa. The submissions need to explain why refusing this particular case would be unreasonable, with evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building the waiver case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A well-prepared Schedule 3 case usually includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a clear, honest account of your immigration history, including how you came to be without a substantive visa;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>medical or other expert evidence where health or care issues are relevant;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>evidence about any children, including their ties to Australia, schooling and the effect of separation;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>evidence of your partner&#8217;s circumstances, and why they cannot reasonably relocate or be apart from you; and<\/li>\n\n\n<li>an explanation of why applying offshore is not a realistic alternative in your situation.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weak submissions are one of the most common reasons for refusal. Many simply restate that the relationship is genuine, without engaging with why the waiver should be exercised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The offshore alternative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some cases, applying offshore for a partner visa (subclass 309\/100) avoids Schedule 3 altogether. Some applicants use a Bridging Visa B to travel, lodge offshore and return to Australia while the application is processed. This is sometimes called the BVB &#8220;switcheroo&#8221;. It has its own requirements and risks, and from 30 November 2026 the Department is assessing some BVB applications more strictly. See our BVB switcheroo guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visitors and onshore partner visas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September 2026 the Government said it intends to stop visitors using a visitor visa as a pathway to an onshore partner visa, including through a &#8220;no further stay&#8221; condition on new visitor visas. This has been announced, but it is not yet law. If you are offshore and planning to visit, get advice before you travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not realising Schedule 3 applies until after the application is lodged.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Providing little or no submission about compelling reasons.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Relying only on the genuineness of the relationship.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Being inconsistent with what was said in earlier visa applications.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Where the section 48 bar applies, not lodging the required documents with the application, so the application is invalid.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Assuming the Department will ask for more information before refusing.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/09\/all-about-australian-partner-visas\/\">All about Australian Partner Visas<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/blog\/2025\/09\/29\/bridging-visa-e-what-you-need-to-know\/\">Bridging Visa E: What You Need to Know<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/05\/section-48-bar-what-it-is-when-it-applies-and-how-to-plan-your-next-steps\/\">Section 48 bar \u2014 what it is, when it applies, and how to plan your next steps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How we can help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are planning an onshore partner visa and your visa has ended, or is about to, talk to us before you lodge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leytonstonelaw.com\/book-a-consult.html\"><strong>Book a consultation<\/strong><\/a>, email us at <a href=\"mailto:info@leytonstonelaw.com\">info@leytonstonelaw.com<\/a>, or call <a href=\"tel:+61281144577\">+61 (02) 8114 4577<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration law and policy change often, and every case depends on its own facts. Please seek advice about your individual circumstances before making any decision.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Applying for an onshore partner visa without a substantive visa? Schedule 3 criteria may apply. What they are, who is affected and what &#8220;compelling reasons&#8221; means.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-partner-family"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Schedule 3 and Onshore Partner Visas | Leyton Stone Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Applying for an onshore partner visa without a substantive visa? Schedule 3 criteria may apply. 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