Tourist to Partner Visa Question

[sydunipete]

I am an Australian citizen and my defacto partner (Swedish) will shortly apply for a de facto partner visa. She already has a 12 month tourist visa. We're not sure when to apply for the partner visa.

 

If we apply early in the 12 months will she still be able to enter and exit Australia using her tourist visa or will the fact that she's applied for a partner visa mean that border guards may deem her not a genuine tourist and prevent her re-entering.

 

Many thanks.

[MaggieMay24]

Where will she be when she submits the application? If she's outside Australia, then she can travel without issue on the tourist visa. She'll need to be outside Australia when the partner visa is ready to be granted. If she's inside Australia when she applies for the partner visa, she'll get a Bridging Visa A. She can continue to travel on the tourist visa, but exiting Australia would cancel the BVA (she'd need to apply for a BVB in order to remain in Australia beyond the end of the tourist visa).

[Guest]

Can you please clarify if this is a tourist visa valid for 12 months but for stays of up to 3 months at a time each time or if its an actual 12 month long tourist visa.

[sydunipete]

Can you please clarify if this is a tourist visa valid for 12 months but for stays of up to 3 months at a time each time or if its an actual 12 month long tourist visa.

 

It's a multi-entry 12 month visa valid for 12 months from her last entry.

[Guest]

IIRC she would apply sometime during those first 3 months. And what maggiemay said makes sense to me re bridging visas.