Sponsor Statutory Declaration for the 801 Visa: What to Write in 2026
For the Partner visa (Permanent) (subclass 801) stage, the sponsor's statutory declaration is a written account of the relationship, and the Department of Home Affairs sets out what it should cover on its Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) page: mutual commitment to the exclusion of all others, whether the relationship is genuine and continuing, living arrangements, when the relationship began and how long you have lived together, shared financial commitments, the nature of the household, the social aspects of the relationship, the nature of the commitment to each other, and plans for the future. As of October 2026, that page also makes two procedural points: the sponsor does not need to submit another application for sponsorship, and the sponsor does need to attach identity documents and a completed declaration.
This page explains what the Department of Home Affairs asks the sponsor of a Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) application to cover in a statutory declaration. It is not personalised advice, and it does not predict any outcome; departmental pages are updated from time to time, so the current official wording is what governs your own case.
What does the sponsor have to provide at the 801 stage?
Two things, attached in ImmiAccount.
- The personal details page of the sponsor's most recent passport, showing the signature, or an Australian driver's licence.
- A completed Commonwealth statutory declaration form containing information about the relationship.
The identity document is an alternative, not a pair: the page asks for the passport page or the driver's licence. If the personal details page of your current passport does not carry your signature, the Australian driver's licence is the other document the page names.
Which statutory declaration form should the sponsor use?
The department's page points to the Commonwealth statutory declaration form published by the Attorney-General's Department. Use that form and follow the instructions printed on it, rather than submitting a typed letter of your own under a different heading. The declaration wording and the signing block on the form are what make the document a statutory declaration.
Do you have to write about all nine points?
The page asks for information about any of the listed points. In practice, that list works best as a checklist rather than a menu: go through all nine, and write about each one that applies to your relationship. A declaration that covers two points in detail and skips the rest leaves the reader to guess why the others are missing.
What should the sponsor say about the commitment between you?
Four of the listed points belong here.
- Mutual commitment to the exclusion of all others. Describe the exclusivity of the relationship in your own words: what the two of you have agreed about the relationship, and what that looks like in daily life.
- Whether the relationship is genuine and continuing. This is the present tense as well as the past — say where the relationship stands now, not only how it started.
- The nature of your commitment to each other. This is the "how": the practical ways you support one another, make decisions together, and rely on each other.
- When the relationship began. Give the date, or the closest date you can, and say what marks it — the day you started living together, the day you committed to each other, or another event you both treat as the start.
Dates and specific events carry these points better than adjectives do. "We decided together to take the lease in both names in March 2023" tells a reader something; "we are deeply committed" tells them very little.
What should the sponsor say about living together and the household?
Three points sit here, counting the part of the checklist that asks how long you have lived together.
- Whether you live together, or do not live permanently apart. State your current living arrangement plainly, with the address and when it began.
- How long you have lived together. Give the period, and account for any gaps rather than leaving them to be inferred.
- The nature of your household, including any joint responsibility for the care and support of children. Describe how the household runs: who does what, how costs and chores are divided, who is responsible for children living with you, and what care and support each of you provides.
Where children are involved, say so directly — whether they are your children, your partner's, or shared, and what each of you actually does for them.
What should the sponsor say about money, social life and future plans?
The last three points.
- Financial commitments you share. Describe what you pool or share, such as rent or mortgage payments, household bills, or a joint account, and how you make decisions about money. If you keep finances separate, say that too, and explain how you still share the costs of the household.
- The social aspects of the relationship. Describe how you are known as a couple: family, friends, invitations, joint travel, memberships, and the events you attend together.
- Your plans for the future. Say what you intend next — where you will live, work or study, whether you plan to have children, and what care responsibilities you expect to take on.
How should the declaration actually be written?
Write it in the first person, as the sponsor.
Give a date for every event you mention.
Keep one topic to one paragraph.
Use plain words instead of legal or formal phrasing.
State facts you know directly, and say so when you are repeating what your partner told you.
There is no template or required length on the department's page — it lists topics, not a format. A short declaration that covers all nine points with real dates is more useful than a long one that repeats the same sentence in different words.
What if you have spent periods living apart?
The checklist asks whether you live together or do not live permanently apart, which is a question about permanence, not about whether you have ever slept under different roofs. A temporary separation does not automatically answer that question against you, but an unexplained gap will be noticed.
Suppose, hypothetically, that the sponsor took a nine-month interstate work assignment while the applicant stayed in the family home. The declaration should name the dates, the reason, how often you saw each other, how you stayed in contact, and the date you resumed living together. The point is to show that the separation was temporary and that the household continued.
What should the sponsor check before attaching the declaration?
- The identity document attached is the personal details page of your most recent passport showing your signature, or your Australian driver's licence.
- The declaration is on the Commonwealth statutory declaration form, and every part of it is completed.
- All nine points have been addressed, or the ones that do not apply have been marked as not applicable.
- Names, dates and addresses match what the rest of the application says.
- Both documents are attached in ImmiAccount, and you have kept a copy for your own records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the sponsor need to apply for sponsorship again at the 801 stage?
No. As of October 2026, the Department of Home Affairs page for the Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) states that the sponsor does not need to submit another application for sponsorship. What is required is additional documentation: the identity document and a completed statutory declaration.
Which identity document does the sponsor attach?
The page asks for the personal details page of the sponsor's most recent passport, showing the signature, or an Australian driver's licence. Either one meets the requirement as written, so choose the one that actually shows what the department asks for.
Where does the sponsor get the statutory declaration form?
The department's page links to the Commonwealth statutory declaration form published by the Attorney-General's Department. Use the current version of that form rather than an older copy or a self-drafted alternative.
Is there a required length for the declaration?
The department's page does not set a length or a template; it lists the topics the declaration should cover. Covering each applicable point with specific dates and events is what matters, not the number of pages.
What should the sponsor write if the couple has lived apart at some point?
Address it directly rather than skipping it. The checklist asks whether you live together or do not live permanently apart, so give the dates of the separation, the reason for it, how contact was maintained, and when you resumed living together.
Does the declaration need to mention children?
Yes, where children are part of the household. The checklist includes the nature of the household, including any joint responsibility for the care and support of children, so describe who the children are and what care and support each of you provides.