How to apply for a partner visa in Australia: the applicant's steps and the sponsor's separate application

Updated 2026-10-14 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

To apply for the onshore Partner visa (subclass 820), you apply online in ImmiAccount while you are in Australia, pay the application charge, and note the Transaction Reference Number (TRN). Your sponsor then uses that TRN to lodge a separate sponsorship application. The subclass 820 page sets the process out in stages: before you apply, gather your documents, apply, after you apply, and the visa outcome.

Before you apply

Processing times

The subclass 820 page says processing times for Partner visa applications vary, and that Partner visa applicants may experience longer processing times than expected. For an indication of processing times, the page points to the visa processing time guide tool, which shows the processing times for recently decided applications; it is a guide only and not specific to your application. The page says applications are processed according to Ministerial Direction 117.

The For Sponsors guide says the same thing about the guide tool, with one difference in wording: it is a guide only and not specific to your partner's visa application.

Getting help with your application

The subclass 820 page says you can appoint anyone to receive correspondence on your behalf about your visa application, using Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient. If you want someone to give you immigration assistance, that person must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, appointed using Form 956. A person who gives you immigration assistance can discuss your application with the department, give it information, and send and receive correspondence about your application, and the department treats any correspondence they send as if it came from you. The page points to the department's "who can help you with your application" information for more detail.

Gather and prepare your documents

The subclass 820 page says you should provide all required information with your application, or as soon as possible after you apply, and that as a visa applicant you must prove your identity and provide true information. It also says your sponsor should apply to sponsor you as soon as possible after you apply.

Identity documents. Provide a birth certificate showing the names of both parents, or, if you cannot, the identification page of a family book showing both parents' names, a government-issued identification document, a court-issued document that proves your identity, or a family census register; also provide your current passport's photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates, a national identity card if you have one, and proof of any change of name.

Your relationship with your partner. Tell the department in writing how, when and where you first met, how the relationship developed, when you moved in together, got engaged or married, what you do together, time spent apart, significant events, and your plans for the future.

Relationship documents. If you are married, provide your marriage certificate or other evidence that your marriage is valid in Australia; if you are a de facto partner, you need to provide evidence of your de facto relationship.

De facto relationships of less than 12 months. In addition to documents proving the relationship, show that you have been in the de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you applied; if you haven't, you can provide evidence you registered your relationship with an Australian State/Territory births, deaths and marriages agency, or tell the department in writing about any compelling and compassionate circumstances for it to grant the visa.

Finances. Evidence that you and your partner share financial matters, such as joint mortgage or lease documents, joint loan documents for major assets, joint bank account statements, or household bills in both names.

Your household. Evidence that you and your partner share domestic matters, such as a statement about how you share housework, household bills in both names, mail or emails addressed to you both, documents showing joint responsibility for children, or documents proving your living arrangements.

Social matters. You must provide statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 years old or older, know you and your spouse or de facto partner, and know about your relationship; witnesses can use Form 888 – Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application. If a witness is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, provide evidence of that, such as a passport or birth certificate.

Commitment. Evidence that you are committed to a long-term relationship with each other, showing that you have knowledge of each other's background, family situation or other personal details, have combined your personal matters, stay in touch when apart, and are not related by family; the page also says you can provide the terms of your wills as evidence.

Former relationships. If you have previously been married, widowed, divorced or permanently separated, provide divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents or statutory declarations.

Dependants under 18. For each dependent child under 18 applying with you, provide identity documents, evidence of your relationship with the dependant, health examinations, character documents if the dependant is 16 or 17, and, if applicable, adoption papers or parental court orders, evidence of enrolment at school, college or university, and evidence of sole custody. Anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not coming to Australia must complete Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years. Alternatively, you can show the department one of the following: an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or that the laws of the child's home country allow them to leave their home country permanently.

Dependants over 18. To include a dependent child over 18, they must not be engaged to be married or have a spouse or de facto partner, and must be wholly or substantially dependent on you more than any other person for food, clothing and shelter, or be unable to work to support themselves because of a disability that totally or partially affects their bodily or mental functions; you must also provide a completed Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over.

Prospective Marriage visa holders. If you hold or have held a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), you can include members of the family unit who hold or have held a subclass 300 visa at the time you apply; you cannot add these family members after you submit your subclass 820 application.

Translations. Have all documents translated into English and provide the original and translated documents; translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, while translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited but must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating, in English.

Scans and photos. Scan or photograph all documents, English and non-English, in colour, clearly enough to read, saving a multi-page document as one file; the page says you do not need to have any documents certified.

Apply online in ImmiAccount and pay the charge

The subclass 820 page says you must apply online and while in Australia. The steps it lists are:

  • Log in or create an ImmiAccount.
  • Select 'New application'.
  • Select 'Family'.
  • Select 'Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa'.
  • Attach documents.
  • Pay the application charge; the page says your application will not be processed until you pay.
  • Note the Transaction Reference Number (TRN), because your sponsor will need it to apply for sponsorship.

Attach a document only once, even if you use it to show more than one thing, and clearly label your documents. You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on your application, and the attachment limit cannot be increased; if you reach the limit for one applicant, you can attach more documents to other clients on the application.

After you apply

Give your sponsor the TRN

The subclass 820 page says you and anyone who applies with you must have a sponsor when you lodge your application and when you are on this visa. After you apply, give your sponsor your Transaction Reference Number (TRN) or application ID, and your sponsor can then apply to sponsor you.

Health examinations

You need to have health examinations, and you can complete them after you apply. The subclass 820 page says the results of your health assessment are valid for 12 months from the date you complete your examinations, and that if you are asked to sign a health undertaking, it is valid for 6 months. The Partner Visa FAQs say the results of health examinations are usually valid for 12 months, and that if you are asked to sign a health undertaking they are valid for 6 months. Both pages say that before deciding when to complete your health examinations you should refer to the Visa processing times, and the subclass 820 page adds that you may be asked to provide them again if they expire before the visa is decided.

Character documents

If you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16, you must provide an Australian police certificate. The page says the department only accepts complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police, and does not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. Also provide a police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16, and military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country. Complete and attach Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.

How long documents stay valid

Document What the subclass 820 page says
Police certificates Valid for 12 months from the date of issue, for immigration purposes.
Health assessment results Valid for 12 months from the date you complete your examinations.
Health undertaking Valid for 6 months, if you are asked to sign one.

Status updates

Do not contact the department if your application is within the current standard processing time; the page says it cannot provide any further updates on your application's progress. You can check the status of your application and whether you have provided all supporting documents through ImmiAccount. The page says the estimated timeframe on Global processing times is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications, and does not guarantee that your application will be decided within the current standard processing timeframe. Because Partner applications can have long visa processing times, you should update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount.

More information, family members and changes

If you did not attach all required documents when you applied, attach them in ImmiAccount as soon as you can; the department might ask you to provide more information. If you cannot upload the relevant documents, you need to contact the department using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.

You can add a dependent child to your application before a decision is made, and your child must be in Australia; complete Form 1436 - Adding an additional applicant after lodgement and attach it in ImmiAccount, then let the department know using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. If you have a baby, you will need to let the department know.

Tell the department if things change after you apply but before a decision is made. The changes listed are changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, any other changes relevant to your application, and a request to withdraw your application.

Let the department know as soon as you can if you have made a mistake on your application. Make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while the application is processed: the page says that if you held a valid substantive visa when you applied, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA), which will start if your current visa expires before the application is decided, and you can stay in Australia on the BVA while the new application is processed.

The visa outcome

You can be in or outside Australia when the temporary visa application is decided, and the department will let you know its decision in writing. If the visa is granted, you will be told your visa grant number, the date your visa starts, and your visa conditions if any; the page says to keep a copy of the decision.

If the visa is refused, you will be told why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The page says the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. The Partner Visa FAQs say that if your application is reviewable, your notification of the refusal decision will tell you how to apply for review to the Administrative Review Tribunal.

The sponsor's separate application

Before the sponsor applies

The For Sponsors guide says that before you apply to sponsor a visa applicant, make sure the applicant is eligible for the visa and that you can meet your sponsor obligations. Only some people can help you with a sponsorship application: if you appoint someone to give immigration assistance they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your sponsorship matter.

The sponsor's documents

You must provide evidence that you are an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, with a copy of your passport, a copy of your birth certificate, and a photo of your face. If you are an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you must also provide evidence that you usually live in Australia, which can include documents showing you maintain a home in Australia, work in Australia, own property, business or other interests in Australia, or have family and other ties in the same place you live.

To meet the additional sponsor requirements you need to provide an Australian police certificate; as with the applicant, only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted. You also need an overseas police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16, and you must provide written consent for the department to disclose any convictions for relevant offences to the visa applicant. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes, and if they expire before the visa application is decided, the department will let you know if you need to provide them again. If you sponsored your partner and their family members included in their application for a Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa, you may not need to submit police certificates again; the department will let you know if they are required.

The same translation and scanning rules apply: documents in English, translators in Australia accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, and colour scans saved as one file per document. Documents do not need to be certified.

How the sponsor applies

You must apply online, and you can be inside or outside Australia when you apply to sponsor. Apply after the applicant has applied for their visa and given you their TRN or application ID. You can apply using your partner's ImmiAccount or your own, and you can create your own ImmiAccount if you don't have one. The steps listed are:

  • Log in to ImmiAccount.
  • Select 'New application'.
  • Select 'Family'.
  • Select 'Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia'.
  • Complete your application using the TRN given to you by the visa applicant.
  • Attach documents.

After the sponsor applies

The department will let you know in ImmiAccount when it has received your application. If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as you can, and the department will ask you to provide more information if needed; if you cannot upload documents, contact it using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.

Tell the department if things change after you apply but before a decision is made: changes to your contact details, address or passport, changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, any other changes relevant to your application, and a request to withdraw your application. If your relationship ends, contact the department as soon as possible using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.

You can withdraw your sponsorship application any time before the department decides the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) application. Removing an online application from ImmiAccount does not withdraw it; you must tell the department in writing that you no longer want to sponsor your former partner or spouse. The guide says that if your relationship ends, your partner may not be granted a visa as a result of your information, and that the department will not correspond with you about your ex-partner's visa application. The sponsor application outcome is given in writing to the visa applicant.

Paper applications and more time for documents

The Partner Visa FAQs say you must apply online using ImmiAccount, and that you can apply by paper only in limited circumstances, and only by invitation. If you apply by paper and have not been invited to, your application will be invalid and will not be processed. If you experience technical difficulty applying online, you can submit the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form.

On timing, the FAQs say the department prescribes timeframes and cannot guarantee additional time. You may request additional time using the Partner processing enquiry form. Requests are only considered if made before the original timeframe for response expires, and your request must include evidence of the steps taken to provide the requested information, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation. The department will tell you the outcome by email once it has considered your request.

Questions people ask

Can I apply for the Partner visa on paper?

Only in limited circumstances, and only by invitation. The Partner Visa FAQs say you must apply online using ImmiAccount, and that if you apply by paper without being invited to, your application will be invalid and will not be processed.

Can I get more time to provide documents?

You may request additional time using the Partner processing enquiry form, but the FAQs say the department prescribes timeframes and cannot guarantee additional time. Your request must be made before the original timeframe for response expires, and must include evidence of the steps you have taken, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation. You will be told the outcome by email.

When do I complete my health examinations?

The Partner Visa FAQs say you can complete your health examinations after you apply, and the FAQs say the results are usually valid for 12 months, or 6 months if you are asked to sign a health undertaking.

Will I get the application fee back if my visa is refused?

The subclass 820 page says the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. The Partner Visa FAQs direct questions about a Visa Application Charge refund to the department's "Getting a refund" information.

How do I apply for review if my visa is refused?

The subclass 820 page says that if the visa is refused you will be told why, and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The Partner Visa FAQs say that if your application is reviewable, your notification of the refusal decision will tell you how to apply for review to the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary published by PartnerVisa.help, not by the Department of Home Affairs; if the department's current pages differ, they prevail.