Has anyone had experience getting a visitor visa approved for their spouse after already applying for the Subclass 309/100 partner visa?

My wife is from Tanzania and we’ve been told it can be difficult for applicants from African/Muslim-majority countries to get approved while waiting for the partner visa processing.

Would love to hear people’s experiences, approval/refusal outcomes, and what helped their application.

Hey everyone, looking for some advice on our current visa situation. I’m an Australian citizen based in Newcastle, and my wife is currently in Tanzania. We are now in a period of significant uncertainty regarding her visitor visa re-application.

The Situation & Timeline

• Current Wait: It has been 31 days since we lodged our second Subclass 600 (Tourist Stream) application on March 30, 2026.
• Processing Standard: According to Home Affairs global processing times, 90% of applications are processed within 29 days. We have now officially exceeded that window with no update.
• The Context: Our first application was refused on March 24, 2026, due to "financial capacity".
• Status Change: When we applied, she was my fiancée, but we have since officially married. We are weighing up whether updating the application with marriage docs helps our case or signals "intent to stay" too strongly.
• Missed Flight: We had a flight booked for April 26, 2026, which has now passed without a decision.

Evidence Provided

To address the previous refusal, we included a comprehensive set of documents in this second application:

Category	Evidence Provided
Financial & Employment	Employment Letter, Net Salary Slips, Personal Bank Statements
Financial Support	Father’s Support Letter, Father’s ID, Father’s Bank Statements
Ties to Tanzania	Approved Leave Letter (Return date May 19), Caregiver Responsibility Evidence for Father
Family & Assets	Family Home Property Documents (Right of Occupancy), Grandfather’s Will, Aunt’s Business License
Travel Plans	Detailed 3-Week Itinerary (Sydney, Jervis Bay, Newcastle), Return Flight Booking

The Big Questions

1. Timeline Reality: Since we've passed the 29-day mark for a second application, how much longer should we realistically wait before assuming a complication?
2. Other Visa Pathways: Are there any other visa subclasses that would allow her to enter Australia to pursue an onshore partner visa (820) pathway?
3. The Pivot: Should we stop waiting for the 600 and immediately lodge the Subclass 309/100 (Offshore Partner Visa)?
4. Relocation: I am seriously considering moving to Tanzania temporarily to be with her while we wait for an offshore visa to process. Has anyone done this while a 309 was pending?

Also, for anyone with experience with the Dar es Salaam office, are you seeing a lot of "No Further Stay" (8503) conditions being applied lately?

Appreciate any "what would you do" takes. It’s hard to stay patient when the "standard" processing window has already closed.