How to Lodge Partner Visa 801 Stage 2 in ImmiAccount (2026 Guide)

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

To lodge the permanent stage of your Partner visa, log in to ImmiAccount, select New application, choose Family, then select Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment, and attach your documents there. That five-step sequence is the one published by the Australian Department of Home Affairs on its official page Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801). What follows is general information about that published process, not advice about your own circumstances — your eligibility, your documents and your timing can turn on details no article can see, so check the official page and get professional input where your situation is complicated.

Do you need to lodge stage 2 at all?

Check what you already hold before you start anything. If the Department granted you the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) immediately after it granted your temporary Partner visa (subclass 820), there is nothing further to do.

If it did not, you need to provide further documents, and stage 2 is how you provide them. You can confirm which visa you currently hold using VEVO, the Department's visa entitlement verification service.

When can you submit your stage 2 documents?

You become eligible for consideration of the permanent visa two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together. The clock runs from the date you submitted that original combined application, not from the date your 820 was granted. You can check that submission date in ImmiAccount.

Once two years have passed since you first applied, you can submit your documents for the permanent stage. Do not send them before that time. Suppose an applicant lodged the combined 820/801 application in March 2024 and their 820 was granted in late 2025 — the two-year mark still falls in March 2026, because it is measured from the application date.

What do you need to gather before you open ImmiAccount?

The stage 2 assessment is mostly a document exercise, so collecting everything first avoids part-uploaded applications. Applications lodged with all required information can be processed faster, and as an applicant you must prove your identity and provide true information.

Identity documents: a copy of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and the passport issue and expiry dates.

Character documents: you may need a current Australian police certificate. You usually need one for the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your subclass 820 application, and the Department may ask for a new one if your previous certificate has expired — police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes. 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 are not.

You also need an overseas police certificate from any country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more since your 820 visa was granted.

Relationship evidence: you must show that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa. In support, you can provide relationship documents and supporting evidence of your relationship.

Family members: for every family member who currently holds a subclass 820 or 445 visa, provide copies of their passport, documents showing changes to their situation, and police certificates for dependents aged 16 or older where applicable.

How should the documents be prepared?

Have all documents translated into English, and provide both the original and the translated document. 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 the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating — in English.

Scan or photograph all documents, English and non-English, in colour. Scans and photos must be clear enough to read. If a document runs to more than one page, save it all as one file. You do not need to have any documents certified.

How do you lodge stage 2 in ImmiAccount, step by step?

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

That is the whole lodgement sequence. The clicking is quick; the work is in step 5.

How does the 100-document attachment limit work?

You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on your application, and the limit cannot be increased. That ceiling is the main practical constraint on stage 2, so it shapes how you group your files.

Attach a document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing. Label your documents clearly. Because multi-page documents must be saved as one file, combining related pages into a single labelled PDF is what keeps most applicants inside the limit.

If you reach the attachment limit for one applicant, you can attach more documents to other clients on the application.

What if you cannot upload your documents?

If you are unable to upload the relevant documents to your application in ImmiAccount, the Department's published route for this situation is the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. The Department names the same form as the channel for notifying it after you attach certain forms, such as Form 1002 for a subclass 445 dependent child.

What happens after you lodge?

You can track and manage your application in ImmiAccount. Because Partner visa applications can have long processing times, you should update your documents and your evidence of the relationship regularly through ImmiAccount rather than waiting to be asked.

If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as you can. The Department may also ask you for more information.

Do not expect progress updates while your application sits within the current standard processing time. The published global processing times are estimated from how long recently decided applications took; they are not a guarantee that yours will be decided within that timeframe.

Telling the Department about changes

Tell the Department if things change after you lodge but before a decision is made. This includes changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and any other changes relevant to your application. Update your contact details, address and passport details as they change.

You can add a dependent child to your application before the permanent visa is decided. Your child must be in Australia, hold a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), meet the health requirement, and meet the character requirement if they are 16 or older. Once your child holds a subclass 445 visa, complete and attach Form 1002 to your ImmiAccount; the Department names the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel for telling it the form has been attached.

If the relationship ends

You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. You might still be eligible for the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies, and all information you provide is confidential. If you are experiencing domestic and family violence, the family violence provisions may mean you are still eligible for the grant of the permanent visa; the Department publishes a page on domestic and family violence and your visa. The eSafety Commissioner also publishes an online safety checklist for people planning for online safety in these situations.

The decision

You can be in or outside Australia when the permanent Partner visa is decided, and the Department will tell you 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 — keep a copy of the decision.

If the visa is refused, you will be told why and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to lodge stage 2 if I already hold a subclass 820 visa?

Only if the Department did not grant you the subclass 801 at the same time as your 820. If the 801 was granted immediately after the 820, you do not have to do anything else. Use VEVO to check which visa you currently hold.

Can I upload my stage 2 documents before the two-year mark?

No. You become eligible for consideration of the permanent visa two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, and the Department instructs applicants not to send stage 2 documents before that time. You can check your original application date in ImmiAccount.

How many documents can each applicant attach in ImmiAccount?

Up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the limit cannot be increased. Attach each document only once, label clearly, and if you hit the limit for one applicant, attach further documents to other clients on the application.

Do I need a new Australian police certificate for stage 2?

Usually yes, if you did not attach one with your subclass 820 application, and the Department may ask for a new one if your previous certificate has expired. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted, and they are valid for 12 months from the issue date.

Do I need police certificates from outside Australia?

Yes, from any country — including your home country — where you spent a total of 12 months or more since your 820 visa was granted. This is separate from the Australian certificate and applies even if you have already provided one for the temporary stage.

What if my relationship ends before the 801 is decided?

You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. You might still be eligible for the permanent visa if the relationship ends or your partner dies, and there are family violence provisions that may preserve eligibility. Information you provide is treated as confidential.

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

No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. If refused, you will also be told why and whether you have a right to a review of that decision.