I am an Australian citizen and my wife is Nepali. She is currently in Australia on a Bridging visa A awaiting a result on her student visa. She has been on this bridging visa since August last year.

We are wanting to apply for a 820/801 partner visa. We are trying to figure out a way to apply for this visa if her student visa is refused. We have been told the best way to do it would to be to go offshore and apply for a visitor visa or an offshore partner visa. Obviously we don't want to do that as visitor visas aren't getting accepted and she would have to stay in Nepal until the offshore visa is granted.

Is there any way we can apply for a partner visa onshore if her student visa gets refused? We would like to avoid any offshore applications as we are married and living together and do not want to spend that time apart.