When nurses and midwives come to us for migration advice, one of the most common mistakes they make is thinking their partner’s details don’t matter. Some even assume they can leave their partner off the visa application to “save money” or “do it later.” This misunderstanding could cost you thousands of dollars—and potentially your chance to migrate to Australia altogether.

In this blog, we’ll break down how your partner’s skills and English ability can make or break your Australian migration plan—and why it’s critical to get expert legal advice to structure your application properly.

Why Is Your Partner’s Information So Important?

In Australia’s skilled migration program, your partner is not an afterthought.

Whether they’re coming with you now or later, their information must be declared and assessed at the time of your visa application.

There are two key reasons:

1️⃣ Points in the Points-Test

2️⃣ Eligibility for family inclusion on your visa

The Points-Test: How Your Partner’s Skills and English Affect Your Score

If you’re applying under one of Australia’s skilled migration visas (Subclass 189, 190, or 491), you’ll need to meet a minimum points score.

Points are awarded for factors like:

• Age
  

• Qualifications
  

• Work experience
  

• English language ability
  

• Partner’s skills and English ability

Including your partner in your migration plan could actually help you increase your points.

✅ You can claim an extra 5 points if your partner has a suitable skills assessment and competent English.

✅ You can claim an extra 10 points if your partner is under 45, has a valid skills assessment, competent English, and is applying for the same visa subclass.

✅ You can claim an extra 10 points if you don’t have a partner or if your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

However, if your partner does not meet these criteria, you may not be able to claim these points—or worse, you may not be eligible for certain visas if you fail to declare them.

Why You Can’t Exclude Your Partner

Many people mistakenly believe they can apply for permanent residency first and add their partner later.

That is not how Australia’s migration system works.

⚠️ Once your permanent residency visa is granted, you cannot simply ‘add’ a spouse or de facto partner later.

If you leave them off the application, they will need to apply for their own visa—most likely a Partner Visa.

The Partner Visa process is:

❌ More complex

❌ More expensive (over $9,000 AUD for the partner alone)

❌ Subject to strict eligibility, relationship evidence, and processing times that can take 12-24 months

If you include your partner in your application from the start, you avoid all of this stress and cost.

English Language Requirements for Partners

Here’s another area where people get caught out:

Even if you don’t want to claim partner points, your partner still needs to meet Australia’s competent English requirement if they are included in your application.

If your partner:

• Does not hold a valid passport from an English-speaking country
  

• Does not have recent English test results (IELTS, OET, PTE, or TOEFL)
  

• Cannot prove functional English

Then you will be required to pay a Second Visa Application Charge (SVAC)—currently over $4,700 AUD.

This is on top of the regular visa application fees.

Again, including your partner without proper preparation can cost you thousands of dollars and delay your visa process.

What If Your Partner Isn’t Migrating with You?

You may decide your partner will stay behind initially and join you later.

That’s fine—but you still need to declare them on your visa application and have them assessed.

The Department of Home Affairs requires complete and accurate information about your family unit.

Failing to declare a partner at the time of your application can be considered non-disclosure and may affect your future visa options.

What About De Facto Partners?

Australia recognises both married and de facto partners (including same-sex relationships).

If you’re not legally married but have been in a committed relationship for at least 12 months, you will be considered de facto and must include your partner in your visa application.

You will need to provide evidence of:

• Shared finances
  

• Shared residence
  

• Social recognition of your relationship
  

• Commitment to a shared life

Why You Need Legal Advice

Australia’s migration laws are strict, technical, and unforgiving.

The inclusion or exclusion of a partner is not something you should try to navigate on your own.

At SOLVi Migration, we’ve seen too many people make the mistake of:

❌ Leaving their partner off the application and facing enormous visa costs later

❌ Losing valuable points because they didn’t assess their partner’s skills

❌ Failing to meet English requirements and being hit with surprise fees

❌ Providing incomplete or inaccurate information that leads to visa refusal

Our role is to help you structure your entire migration strategy correctly from the start—including your partner’s details—so you don’t make costly errors.

Don’t Risk Your Future—Plan Your Migration Properly

Migrating to Australia is a big decision and a complex legal process.

There’s too much at stake to make assumptions or rely on advice from friends, family, or social media.

Your Next Steps

If you’re serious about migrating to Australia, don’t risk your future on a "do-it-yourself" EOI.

✅ Book a paid legal consultation with SOLVi Migration today.

We’ll assess your situation and give you a clear legal strategy to migrate independently to Australia.

✅ Need help with AHPRA registration? Join our Nurse Registration Course.

Join our Nurse Registration Course to get clear, step-by-step guidance and access to our supportive community.

👉 www.nurseregistration.com

🚀 Avoid the scams, get real advice, and secure your Australian future the right way.