The Department of Home Affairs has released internal guidelines under FOI (reference FA 26/04/00575) that reveal exactly how partner visa applications get prioritised — and what doesn’t make the cut.

With over 131,000 partner visa applications on hand as at 31 March 2026 and only 40,500 program places per year, understanding the Department’s internal framework is critical for couples navigating these long wait times.

Ministerial Direction 117 — What Changed on 25 July 2026

On 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 117 replaced Direction 102 as the operative direction for Family visa processing priorities. The good news: the compassionate and compelling grounds framework is unchanged. The significant addition is a new priority rule — applicants who are already in Australia (onshore applicants) now receive higher priority than those applying from overseas (offshore).

Both Compassionate AND Compelling Grounds Must Be Met

The most important thing to understand: under section 9 of the Direction, both compassionate circumstances and compelling reasons must be satisfied — one alone is not enough to trigger priority processing.

Compassionate Circumstances That Can Qualify

• Long-term relationship — together for 3 or more years (or 2+ years if the couple has children) at the time of application lodgement
• The Australian sponsor has a serious illness or disability
• LGBTQI+ couple where the applicant is in a country that does not recognise same-sex relationships
• Family violence claims
• Medical examinations that are about to expire
• Processing time that has exceeded the 90th percentile globally for that visa subclass

What Does NOT Qualify (on Its Own)

The guidelines are explicit about circumstances that do not trigger priority processing, regardless of how distressing they are:

• Financial hardship
• Pain and suffering caused by separation
• Pregnancy
• Intending to start a family
• Employment or travel reasons
• Pre-arranged wedding plans or passport expiry

The Numbers Behind the Wait

According to the FOI-released statistics (as at 31 March 2026), here is how many applications were on hand across each partner visa subclass:

• Subclass 820 (temporary partner visa, onshore): 30,593 applications
• Subclass 801 (permanent partner visa, onshore): 59,480 applications
• Subclass 309 (temporary partner visa, offshore): 12,464 applications
• Subclass 100 (permanent partner visa, offshore): 28,743 applications
• Total: 131,280+ applications on hand

Against a program ceiling of 40,500 places per year (2025–26), it’s clear that demand significantly outstrips supply — and that priority processing is far from guaranteed.

What This Means for Your Situation

If you believe your circumstances meet both the compassionate and compelling thresholds, you can request priority consideration — but the request needs to be carefully framed against the Department’s own criteria, not just a general statement of hardship.

A registered migration agent can assess your situation against the Direction 117 framework, help you present the strongest possible case, and advise whether your circumstances genuinely meet both grounds.

Book a free initial consultation with Sohail Cheema (MARN 1170438) to discuss your partner visa situation. Call 0430 586 030 or use the online booking form.

Source: Department of Home Affairs internal guidelines released under FOI Act 1982, reference FA 26/04/00575, June 2026. Framework preserved under Ministerial Direction 117 (25 July 2026). This post is general information only and is not legal advice. Migration advice should be obtained from a registered migration agent (MARN 1170438).