What Documents Do You Need for the Partner Visa 100 Stage in 2026?

Updated 2026-10-11 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

Identity, character, relationship and family-member documents are the four groups of files the Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) stage asks you to upload, and every single file goes in only once. The rules below follow the Australian Department of Home Affairs step-by-step page Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100), as at the October 2026 version of the official page. It is general information rather than advice tailored to one person's circumstances, so treat the official wording and a qualified professional's opinion as the authority for your own case.

Do you have to upload anything at all?

Not everyone does. If the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) was granted to you immediately after your temporary Partner visa (subclass 309), there is nothing further to provide and nothing further to do. If it was not granted at that point, you need to supply further documents for this permanent stage.

The quickest way to settle the question is your own visa record. VEVO shows which visa you currently hold, and it is worth checking before you start scanning anything.

When does the two-year clock start?

You become eligible for consideration of the permanent visa two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together — not two years after the 309 was granted. Your ImmiAccount record shows the date you submitted that combined application, and that is the date to work from.

Do not attach anything before two years have passed. When the date arrives, aim to send everything required in one go: the department states that applications lodged with all required information can be processed faster. You must also prove your identity and provide true information, and everything you provide has to be accurate.

What do the identity documents need to show?

One document carries this whole category: a copy of the pages of your most recent passport. Those pages must clearly show your photo, your personal details, your signature, and the passport issue and expiry dates. If any of those elements is missing from the scan, the copy does not do its job.

Which police certificates count for the character check?

Character evidence is where most permanent-stage files go wrong, because the accepted document is narrower than most people expect.

Australian police certificates

You usually need to provide a current Australian police certificate at the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application. The department may also ask for a new certificate if the earlier one has expired — for immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Only one format is accepted: complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates are not accepted, and neither are national police certificates issued by an Australian state or territory police force. Ordering the wrong product means obtaining it twice.

Overseas police certificates

On top of that, you need an overseas police certificate from any country — your home country included — where you spent a total of 12 months or more since the grant of your 309 visa. The trigger is residence since the grant date, not since you applied, and short trips taken over several years can add up to that 12-month total.

Assume, for illustration, an applicant who returned home twice after being granted the 309 and stayed seven months each time. Neither trip reaches the threshold on the feel of it, but together they exceed 12 months, which brings that country's police certificate into the required set.

What does the relationship evidence have to prove this time?

You must provide evidence that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa. Two elements sit inside that sentence: the relationship is ongoing, and it is with the same sponsor.

The department accepts two broad kinds of material for this: relationship documents, and supporting evidence of your relationship. The labels leave room for judgement, which means the practical task is to show a continuous shared life from the temporary stage through to the moment you upload, rather than repeating the same old bundle unchanged.

What do you upload for family members?

For every family member who currently holds a subclass 309 or 445 visa, provide copies of their passport, documents that show changes to their situation, and police certificates where applicable for dependents aged 16 or older. A dependent's situation can change during a long wait, so the "changes to their situation" documents matter as much as the passport pages.

How should each file be prepared before it goes in?

Three preparation rules apply to everything you upload.

Translate. Have all documents translated into English, and provide both the original and the translated version. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include, in English, the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
Scan or photograph in colour. This includes documents already in English. Scans and photos must be clear enough to read. If a document runs to more than one page, save all of it as a single file.
Skip certification. You do not need to have any documents certified.

Clear labels are part of preparation too, since the labelling is how a case officer connects a file to the point it supports.

How do you actually attach the documents?

The sequence in ImmiAccount is short and fixed.

Log in to ImmiAccount.
Select 'New application'.
Select 'Family'.
Select 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment'.
Attach documents.

Two upload mechanics decide how well the attachment goes. Attach a document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing — no duplicates for different purposes. You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the limit cannot be increased. If you reach the cap for one applicant, additional documents can be attached to other clients on the same application.

If you cannot upload a relevant document to your application in ImmiAccount, the department provides the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel recorded for that situation.

What happens between uploading and the decision?

Partner visa processing can run long, and the published processing times are estimates based on how long recently decided applications took — they are not a guarantee that yours will be decided within that timeframe. Because of that gap, you should update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount while you wait.

Certain changes must be reported rather than quietly included in a later upload: changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, contact details or address changes, passport changes, and any other change relevant to your application, including a request to withdraw it.

A dependent child can be added before a decision is made, whether the child is in or outside Australia, provided the child holds a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), is a member of the family unit, meets the health requirement, and meets the character requirement if aged 16 or older. Form 1002 covers this step. A baby born after you applied is not added silently either — the birth needs to be reported, and separate guidance covers that situation.

You can be inside or outside Australia when the permanent visa is decided, and the decision arrives in writing. A grant notice sets out your visa grant number, the date the visa starts and any visa conditions; a refusal sets out why and whether you have a right to review. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my relationship ends before the Subclass 100 decision?

The relationship ending does not automatically close your case. You may still be eligible for the permanent visa if the relationship ends or your partner dies, and there are provisions for people experiencing domestic and family violence. Anything you provide about this is confidential, and the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount handles the notification.

Do I really need a new Australian police certificate if I sent one for the 309?

Usually you only need one at this stage if you did not attach Australian police certificates with your 309 application. Even so, if the earlier one has passed its 12-month validity, a new certificate can be requested. Checking the issue date before uploading saves that round trip.

Is a state or territory police certificate acceptable instead of the AFP one?

No. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by state or territory police forces are not accepted for this purpose.

My documents are also proof of my partner's situation. Should I attach them twice?

Attach a document only once, even when it supports more than one thing. Label it clearly instead, so it can be read against each point you are relying on.

I have hit the 100-document limit for myself. What can I do?

The attachment limit cannot be increased for that applicant. The department's stated workaround is to attach remaining documents under other clients on the same application.

Can I add a child at this stage if the child is overseas?

Yes, provided the decision has not yet been made. The child must hold a subclass 445 visa, be a member of the family unit, meet the health requirement, and meet the character requirement if they are 16 or older.