Centrelink on a 309 Partner Visa: Arrival Evidence and Payment Rules

What Is the Subclass 309 Partner Visa?

The 309 is a temporary/provisional partner visa in the pathway to the permanent 100 visa. A qualifying visa is only one part of Centrelink eligibility; permanent status does not automatically make every payment payable.

Payments You May Qualify For

These are possible pathways, not approvals. Check waiting-period rules and exemptions.

How Your NARWP Is Counted

For most payments, count qualifying time in Australia from the later of permanent visa grant and arrival to live in Australia. Previous qualifying residence can matter. Overseas days do not count, including short holidays; the clock pauses rather than resetting.

For FTB Part A, Parental Leave Pay and Special Benefit, a current or former subclass 820/309 holder can count relevant periods of physical presence in Australia after the applicable partner visa application, including potentially earlier visits before arrival to live. The same credit must not be assumed for JobSeeker or Parenting Payment: their residence and waiting-period rules are assessed separately, usually from permanent residence. DSS explains the payment-specific start rules.

For example, if you applied on 1 May 2025 and were already living in Australia, qualifying family-payment time can start on that application date. Use 52 or 104 qualifying weeks, excluding overseas days, rather than the visa-grant anniversary. You still need a qualifying visa when claiming.

Two offshore-partner histories with different start points

These chosen examples explain which date to investigate, not when a payment will be granted. They assume the relevant post-2019 partner rules, a later eligible 309 grant, no exemption and no earlier Australian visits after application and no overseas absences after the stated move.

A short holiday is not automatically the date of arrival to live. If the person later travels overseas, record those dates separately. Visa eligibility for the payment, the period required and all other conditions still need assessment; an earlier credit start does not mean the person could claim every payment before the 309 grant. The examples give no advice about which visa permits travel, residence or work.

Keep both visit records and residence evidence

Keep the partner-application acknowledgement, all grant notices and movement records together. Prepare evidence explaining when Australia became the place you were living, such as housing, household move, work/study or family arrangements, as requested for your claim. No single example document guarantees a residence finding. Ask Services Australia which record is missing if it uses a different start point.

Use the DSS partner rules with your actual history. If the Australian partner independently qualifies for a family payment, compare that claimant route separately; do not simply transfer the other person’s waiting-period date.

Family Tax Benefit

An eligible 820/309 holder may claim FTB directly; it is not always necessary for the Australian partner to claim. Part A generally has a 52-week NARWP, while Part B has no NARWP. Another parent who independently qualifies may claim while you are waiting. FTB residence rules.

For 2026-27, Part A maximums are $235.48 per fortnight for ages 0–12 and $306.46 for eligible older children. Part B maximums are $200.34 per fortnight with a youngest child under 5 or $139.86 for an eligible older child. Income, child age and care rules apply. Part B is not payable on days you or your partner receive PPL. See our FTB rates and income guide.

Parental Leave Pay

From 1 July 2026, PPL is $200.94 per day, or $1,004.70 per 5-day week, before tax. The payment-date rate and the child-date entitlement are separate:

These are family maximums; sharing and reserved-day rules can limit an individual parent’s days. Current PPL rates and days.

• Meet the work test and individual or family income test for the relevant income year.
• Meet residence rules at birth/adoption and on payment days, and when claiming before birth.
• Normally complete the 104-week NARWP before birth/adoption, unless an applicable exemption exists.
• Meet care, birth-registration, claim-deadline and other requirements.

See PPL income tests and residence rules. Missing PPL eligibility does not automatically qualify you for newborn payments.

Prepare for the PPL assessment

The standard work test generally looks for work in 10 of the 13 months before birth or adoption and at least 330 hours in that period, with limits on gaps between working days. Paid leave and some other activities can count, and exceptions exist. Check the official work test for your circumstances.

For income assessed in 2025-26, the individual limit is $186,487; if that test is not met, a family-income limit of $386,525 may apply. Services Australia uses the financial year before the earlier of your claim date and the child’s birth/adoption date, so a claim lodged before July may use the prior year’s thresholds instead. Use the linked income-test page rather than assuming the payment year determines the income year.

Newborn Supplement and Upfront Payment

If you qualify for FTB Part A and meet the newborn rules, the current upfront payment is $708, with a supplement of up to $2,125.76 for a first child or $709.80 for subsequent children over up to 13 weeks. Official newborn rates.

Neither the Newborn Upfront Payment nor Newborn Supplement is available if you or your partner receive PPL for the same child. Check newborn eligibility.

Medicare

For a combined 309/100 applicant, check the current Medicare applicant conditions: living in Australia plus the applicable permanent-application and work or family-connection criteria. The eligible date can be application or arrival to live, and is not automatically the temporary visa grant date. Services Australia assesses the evidence.

Medicare uses separate enrolment rules, not the Centrelink NARWP. Partner visa holders and some permanent-residence applicants can qualify. Follow Services Australia’s enrolment pathway for your status and documents; check online enrolment or the form options. Do not assume a payment waiting period prevents Medicare enrolment.

After Your Permanent 100 Is Granted

Permanent residence can satisfy the visa category for more payments. For most post-2019 grants, JobSeeker and Parenting Payment generally have a 208-week NARWP counted from qualifying permanent residence; Parenting Payment also has a separate residence requirement. Carer Payment generally has 104 weeks and Carer Allowance 52 weeks. Exemptions may apply.

Earlier partner-application credit continues for FTB Part A, PPL and Special Benefit. Do not assume time on the 309 counts toward every payment. See the DSS partner-visa example.

Claiming and Planning

• Keep application and grant letters, arrival dates and your full travel history.
• Link Centrelink to myGov and supply the documents requested for each claim.
• Check income estimates, child details and payment-specific claim deadlines.
• Ask for an exemption assessment or social worker if your circumstances change substantially.

Documents to have ready

Gather your passport and relevant visa letters, partner application evidence, arrival and travel dates, child’s birth or due-date evidence, requested tax file numbers and bank details, family income estimates and records supporting the PPL work test. FTB and PPL have separate claims and eligibility checks. Keep claim receipts and respond to any further-document requests.

If the Australian partner independently meets the rules, ask which parent should claim FTB. If neither parent qualifies for PPL for the child, check the newborn payments rather than assuming they are automatic. Our guide to having a baby on a visa covers related planning.

Estimates and Official Resources

Use our Centrelink Calculator and NARWP Countdown for planning estimates. Confirm entitlement with Services Australia before relying on an amount or date.

Earlier visits: check the payment-specific rule

The Services Australia summary uses the later of partner application and arrival to live. However, Family Assistance Act section 61AA(3)-(4) and Paid Parental Leave Act section 31A(2)-(3) count periods of Australian presence after the relevant application for specified partner-visa routes. Earlier post-application visits must not automatically be discarded just because they preceded a move to live here.

Keep all visit, application and grant dates, not only the settlement date. Ask Services Australia which days count for FTB Part A (52 weeks), PPL (104 weeks) or Special Benefit (normally 208 weeks) under your actual visa history. The DSS start rules distinguish those payments from payments requiring Australian residence. Physical presence alone does not establish entitlement.

Newborn payments depend on FTB Part A eligibility and their own rules. PPL also has birth/adoption timing, residence, work and income tests. Special Benefit has separate means, hardship and qualification rules. JobSeeker and Parenting Payment do not automatically receive partner-application credit. In the countdown, answer Yes or I am not sure for earlier presence: affected dates are withheld for assessment. This avoids both a falsely late date and an unsupported earlier entitlement date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Centrelink on a 309 partner visa?

You may qualify for FTB, PPL or other specified payments if you meet all their rules. The 309 alone does not qualify you for JobSeeker or Parenting Payment.

How long is the NARWP on a 309 visa?

For relevant post-2019 grants, FTB Part A generally requires 52 weeks and PPL 104 weeks; FTB Part B has no NARWP. Special Benefit generally requires 208 weeks unless exempt. For FTB Part A, PPL and Special Benefit, ask for assessment of qualifying physical presence after the relevant partner application, including earlier visits, and excluding overseas days. For Special Benefit, a partner application before 1 January 2019 can trigger a shorter transitional waiting period; ask Services Australia to check that history.

Can I get Family Tax Benefit on a 309 visa?

An eligible 309 holder may claim directly if residence, child, income and other rules are met. Part A generally has a 52-week NARWP; Part B has none. Another independently eligible parent may claim while you wait.

How much Parental Leave Pay can my family get?

The maximum is 120 days (24 weeks) for a child born or adopted 1 July 2025–30 June 2026, or 130 days (26 weeks) from 1 July 2026. The rate from 1 July 2026 is $200.94 per day or $1,004.70 per 5-day week before tax. Eligibility, sharing and reserved-day rules apply.

Can I get newborn payments as well as PPL?

Neither Newborn Upfront Payment nor Newborn Supplement is available if you or your partner receive PPL for the same child.

What changes when I get my 100?

Permanent residence can open additional payment pathways, subject to each waiting period and eligibility test. Partner-application credit for FTB Part A, PPL and Special Benefit must not be assumed to apply to JobSeeker or Parenting Payment.