Free English Classes (AMEP) on a Partner Visa
Partner visa holders who do not yet have vocational English can enrol in the Adult Migrant English Program, which offers free English tuition with no cap on hours as at 23 September 2026.
The temporary 820 and provisional 309 appear on the Department's list of AMEP-eligible temporary visas, and the permanent 801 and 100 qualify as permanent visas, so tuition can start before the permanent stage. This page was checked against the Home Affairs AMEP pages and the Immigration (Education) Act 1971 (Cth) on 23 September 2026.
Can partner visa holders get free English classes?
Yes, if you are in Australia and do not yet have vocational English.
| Your visa | AMEP eligible? | Minimum age | English level that ends eligibility | Time limit to register and finish | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 300 | No, not on the eligible temporary visa list | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Subclass 309, in Australia | Yes, listed as an eligible temporary visa | 18, or 15 to 17 with a provider | Vocational English | Register in 6 months, start in 12, finish in 5 years | Free |
| Subclass 820 | Yes, listed as an eligible temporary visa | 18, or 15 to 17 with a provider | Vocational English | Register in 6 months, start in 12, finish in 5 years | Free |
| Subclass 100, in Australia | Yes, a permanent visa | 18, or 15 to 17 with a provider | Vocational English | Counted from your first eligible visa, usually the 309 | Free |
| Subclass 801 | Yes, a permanent visa | 18, or 15 to 17 with a provider | Vocational English | Counted from your first eligible visa, usually the 820 | Free |
| Dependent child aged 15 to 17 on the partner visa | Possibly, by arrangement with a provider | 15 | Vocational English | Register within 12 months | Free |
| The Australian sponsor | Yes, if a citizen who once held a permanent or eligible visa | 18 | Vocational English | The same rules | Free |
Sources: the Home Affairs AMEP pages, the eligible temporary visas list (marked "Current as at September 2023"), and ss 4A, 4C and 4D of the Immigration (Education) Act 1971 (Cth). The time limits apply only if your eligible visa started after 1 October 2020.
What level of English makes a partner visa holder eligible for AMEP?
Having less than vocational English. Under s 4A of the Immigration (Education) Act 1971 (Cth), you stay eligible until an AMEP provider assesses that you have vocational English. The Department's background page says the 2021 changes extended eligibility "from functional English to vocational English", so the program now runs to a higher level than before.
Functional English is a separate, lower test used elsewhere in migration law. Regulation 5.17 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) sets out how it is shown, for example by a degree taught wholly in English. With functional English or without it, your AMEP eligibility is the same. What counts for AMEP is vocational English.
How does AMEP connect to the partner visa second instalment?
As at 23 September 2026, it does not. The second instalment is a charge that some visas impose on adults assessed as lacking functional English. Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), as compiled at 1 July 2026, sets the second instalment at nil for both partner visa classes. Item 1124B covers the Partner (Residence) class, charged with the combined 820 and 801 application, and item 1129 covers the Partner (Migrant) class, charged with the combined 309 and 100 application. A partner visa applicant therefore pays no second instalment, whatever their English. AMEP eligibility turns on your visa and your English level, not on any charge paid. For the charges you do pay, see the page on partner visa cost.
How long can a partner visa holder study in AMEP?
There is no cap on hours. The Department states that the 510-hour limit was removed when the legislative changes took effect in April 2021. Time limits still apply if your eligible visa started after 1 October 2020 (ss 4C and 4D of the Act):
- Register with a provider within 6 months, or 12 months if you were under 18.
- Start a course within 12 months.
- Finish within 5 years.
The clock starts on your visa commencement day. The Act defines that as the earlier of your first day in Australia on a permanent visa and your first day in Australia on an eligible temporary visa. For a partner visa holder, that is usually the 820 or 309, not the later 801 or 100. The permanent grant does not restart the clock. You can apply for an extension, and the Department's page says to talk to your provider. If your eligible visa started on or before 1 October 2020, no time limits apply.
How do you enrol in AMEP on a partner visa?
- Confirm your visa is a permanent visa or on the eligible temporary visa list, and that you are in Australia.
- Contact a provider through the Department's AMEP providers and locations page.
- Take the English assessment, which the provider uses to set your level and to decide when you reach vocational English.
- Choose how to study. The options are classes at around 300 locations, distance learning with a teacher, or self-paced study on AMEPOnline.
Is there an English requirement for the partner visa itself?
No, as at 23 September 2026. On 8 October 2020, the then Minister announced that from late 2021, new partner visa applicants and their permanent resident sponsors would need functional English or to show reasonable efforts to learn it. One way to show that was 500 hours of AMEP classes. The requirement does not appear in the law. Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), as compiled at 1 July 2026, has no English criterion in the subclass 820, 801, 309 or 100 provisions, for either the applicant or the sponsor.
What support comes with AMEP for partner visa holders?
- Free childcare for children under school age while you attend an AMEP class. Your provider arranges it.
- Mutual obligation points. If you receive Centrelink payments, the Department says AMEP study counts towards your mutual obligation requirements.
- Free document translation for people settling permanently, through the Free Translating Service. The Department lists it alongside the AMEP.
Questions about AMEP on a partner visa
Can the Australian sponsor join AMEP?
Possibly. Under s 4A(1)(a)(iii) of the Act, a citizen who previously held a permanent visa is eligible if they do not have vocational English, and the Department also includes citizens who held an eligible temporary visa. A sponsor born in Australia is not covered.
Can a 309 holder start before arriving?
No. Section 4A requires you to be in Australia. Your time limits start on your first day in Australia on the 309.
Does AMEP help with the citizenship test?
The Act allows citizenship courses to be offered, and your provider can tell you what is available. The Department's own test booklet, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, is free.
Does it cost anything?
No. Tuition is free, and so is childcare for children under school age while you are in class.
The partner visa second instalment and your study options
- What you actually pay for a partner visa, as at the date it was checked: partner visa cost.
- University fees and loans once English is no longer the barrier: partner visa and HECS-HELP.
- Work, travel and Medicare after the grant: after your partner visa is granted.
English itself is not a partner visa criterion, but the evidence you give the Department must be clear and consistent. A statement that is hard to follow can create doubts about the relationship. If English is a barrier for you, an application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner, with properly translated documents, is more likely to succeed. No adviser can guarantee a grant.
Questions people ask
Who is eligible for AMEP on a partner visa?
Holders of the subclass 820 and 309, which are on the Department's list of AMEP-eligible temporary visas, and holders of the permanent subclass 801 and 100. You must be in Australia, be 18 or over (or 15 to 17 with a provider's agreement), and not yet have vocational English.
How long is the AMEP program?
There is no cap on hours. The 510-hour limit was removed in April 2021. If your eligible visa started after 1 October 2020, you must register with a provider within 6 months, start within 12 months and finish within 5 years of your visa commencement day, unless the Department extends the time.
Is AMEP free for partner visa holders?
Yes. The Department describes the AMEP as a free service, and free childcare is available for children under school age while you attend class.
Does the partner visa have an English language requirement?
No, as at 23 September 2026. A requirement was announced on 8 October 2020, but Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, as compiled at 1 July 2026, contains no English criterion for the subclass 820, 801, 309 or 100.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Home Affairs, About the Adult Migrant English Program immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, AMEP eligible temporary visas (PDF) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Immigration (Education) Act 1971 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au
- Home Affairs, AMEP background and legislative changes immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Minister for Home Affairs media release, 8 October 2020 minister.homeaffairs.gov.au