Applying for an Interdependency visa is a 2-stage process. You apply for both a temporary and permanent visa at the same time on the one application. You are granted a temporary Interdependency visa is granted if you meet all the legal criteria. This visa remains valid until a decision is made on your permanent visa application, which is generally 2 years after you applied for the Interdependency visa. If you continue to meet all legal requirements, you will be granted the permanent Interdependency visa. Click here and apply for more information

In assessing a de facto spouse or interdependent relationship, the government normally looks at evidence of such things as living together full-time, sharing important financial (bank accounts) and social commitments (holidays etc), setting up a household separately from other people.

Note: Periods of 'dating' would not generally be considered to count towards the 12-month relationship requirement. Some of the factors to be considered in deciding whether the partners satisfy the requirement include:

• Knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances
• Financial aspects of the relationship, such as any joint ownership of real estate, Joint bank accounts or other major assets
• The nature of the household, including living arrangements such as joint residential receipts or joint household accounts the social aspects of the relationship, provided in statements (statutory declarations) by parents, family members, relatives, friends and other interested parties
• Joint membership of organizations or joint participation in sporting, social or other activities, and
• joint travel.

If you lodge your Interdependency visa application outside Australia, you must be outside Australia when the temporary Interdependency visa (subclass 310) is granted. If you lodge your application in Australia, you must be in Australia when the temporary Interdependency visa (subclass 826) is granted.

In most cases, permanent residence cannot be granted until 2 years after you lodge your application. However, you may be granted a permanent visa without having to fulfill the usual 2-year waiting period, if at the time you apply, you have been in an Interdependent relationship with your partner for 5 years or more.

If your relationship ends while you hold a temporary Interdependency visa, you must inform the department immediately. You may still be eligible for a permanent visa without having to fulfill the normal 2-year waiting period.