When to submit Medical for Partner Visa?

Do Medical with application or wait?

Many people wonder when they should have their Medicals done for their partner visa application.

Some do them immediately, together with the Police checks, and therefore submit a front loaded application. (An application with everything required being included.)

However, some people are advised, or just choose, to wait for a reminder to provide the Medical and Police checks. This reminder often comes a year or so after application.

The logic behind waiting is to avoid having to pay for these again if your application takes too long, and they expire. (They normally have a 12 month validity). An immigration agent will sometimes advise waiting, as they might see the logic based on your application.

If you have a difficult application, then the logic to wait is sound. But… if yours is a straightforward application, is it better to do the Medical and Police check immediately?

In 2019-20, 50% of all subclass 309 grants took under 11 months to be finalised, with half of those taking under 9 months.


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These were finalised before the medicals expired.

Those that waited a year or so, for a request to do the Medical, would not be in that faster processed group.

I would assume that many of that 50% submitted the Medical and Police check with the application, or not too long afterwards.

Some were asked early by immigration to provide these, when not supplied with the application, without having to wait a longer time. These may have been the lucky ones.

2019-2020 subclass 309 processing times:

  • 25% took under 9 months.
  • 25% took between 9 and 11 months.
  • 25% took between 11 and 15 months.
  • 15% took between 15 and 19 months.
  • 10% took over 19 months.

However, the subclass 820, the onshore applications, were different, with the fastest 50% taking up to 17 months.

2019-2020 subclass 820 processing times:

  • 25% took under 14 months.
  • 25% took between 14 and 17 months.
  • 25% took between 17 and 21 months.
  • 15% took between 21 and 27 months.
    10% took over 27 months.

Some of those in the ‘under 14 months’ group, were done in less than a year, and may have submitted medicals with the application. I have also heard of some never needing a second medical, even when waiting past the first medical expiry date.

It is each individuals personal choice as to whether they submit their Medical and Police check early, or wait for a reminder, an RFI as they call it.

We personally did not wait long, submitted within 2 months of application date, and consequently received our overseas application grant without an RFI.

RFI = Request for Further Information.

Some people would rather wait, and not risk having to pay twice for a Medical, and that is understandable too. Medicals are not cheap, and can be inconvenient.

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