Is There Another Fee for the Partner Visa 801 in 2026?

No — you do not pay the visa application charge a second time when your Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) is decided. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official "Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801)" page, as of October 2026, the cost section states plainly: you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. The same page notes that you might still have to pay other costs for health or police checks. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice about your circumstances, so treat any decision about your own application as subject to the Department's current published requirements or a professional opinion.

Do I pay again for the 801 visa after the 820?

The short answer is no. The 801 is the permanent stage of the same onshore partner application you lodged with the temporary Partner visa (subclass 820), and the government charge covers both stages together.

That is why the official page describes the cost in the past tense: it was paid at lodgement, not at grant. Nothing on the page sets out a further visa application charge payable when the permanent stage is assessed or granted, and there is no step in the permanent stage described as requiring a new payment to the Department.

Why is there no second charge at the permanent stage?

Because the temporary and permanent partner visas are lodged as one combined application. You apply for both at the same time, you pay once, and the Department assesses the permanent stage after you have held the temporary visa and passed the eligibility point.

This is worth separating from the sponsorship question, because the two are often confused. The Department's sponsorship page for this visa states the cost of sponsorship as "No cost" — sponsoring your partner does not attract a government fee either. What sponsorship does carry is an obligation: you must assist your partner and their family members included in the application financially and with their accommodation.

What money can still come up during the 801 stage?

Health checks and police checks. The official page says you might have to pay other costs for these, which are separate from the visa application charge itself.

These are third-party style costs rather than a second visa fee, and whether they apply depends on what the Department asks of you at that point in processing. If you are budgeting, the correct mental model is: the visa charge is already settled, and any later spend is about evidence and checks, not about buying the visa again.

When does the permanent stage actually begin?

The clock for the 801 starts from the date of eligibility, which the official page defines as 2 years after you applied for the temporary and permanent partner visas.

The Department also says it updates processing times regularly, assesses all applications on a case-by-case basis, and that you should use published processing times as a guideline only. Applications can take longer if the form is not filled in correctly, required documents are missing, the Department needs more information, or your information takes time to verify.

Can I add family members at the 801 stage?

Only in limited situations, and not after the permanent visa is granted. The official page states you cannot add any family members after the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) is granted.

The standard route is to include a dependent child in your application when you apply for the temporary subclass 820 visa. If your 820 has already been granted and you want a dependent child included in the permanent stage, the child must first apply for a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445). A child who does not hold a subclass 820 visa can be added to the permanent application before a decision is made, provided the child holds a subclass 445 visa and is in Australia; you then complete Form 1002 and attach it to your ImmiAccount, and notify the Department using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. If you have a baby after applying, the Department asks that you let it know.

Does sponsorship end when the 801 is granted?

Not necessarily by default — sponsorship runs on its own two-year timeline. The Department states that your sponsorship ends 2 years after the temporary partner visa is granted if the applicants are in Australia at the time of that grant, or 2 years after their next arrival in Australia if they were outside Australia at the time of grant.

Importantly, the page adds that this is the case even if the permanent partner visa is granted straight after the temporary partner visa. So a fast transition to permanent residence does not cut the sponsorship period short. You can be inside or outside Australia when you apply for sponsorship.

What changes once the 801 is granted?

You become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. The visa lets you live, work and study in Australia, access Medicare, sponsor eligible family members, travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of grant, and — if eligible — attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program and apply for Australian citizenship.

Travel after that initial 5-year travel facility requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) so you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. You will not get a label in your passport; the visa is digitally linked and a digital visa record is created. You and your family members included in the application must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. To check when your travel facility ends, the Department points to VEVO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a separate fee to move from the 820 to the 801?

No. The Department of Home Affairs states on the subclass 801 page that you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, so the permanent stage does not come with its own visa application charge.

Does sponsoring my partner for the 801 cost anything?

The Department lists the cost of sponsorship as "No cost." Sponsorship does, however, carry obligations: you must assist your partner and their family members included in the application financially and with their accommodation.

Will I have to pay anything at all at the permanent stage?

Possibly, but not a visa fee. The official page says you might have to pay other costs for health or police checks, which are separate from the charge already paid at lodgement.

When does the Department start assessing the permanent stage?

Processing time for the permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which the Department defines as 2 years after you applied for the temporary and permanent partner visas. Published processing times are a guideline only and complex cases may take longer.

Can I add my child to my 801 application?

If the child was not included in your subclass 820 application, they generally need to hold a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) and be in Australia to be added before a decision is made on your permanent application. No family members can be added after the subclass 801 visa is granted.

Does the 801 let me travel in and out of Australia?

Yes, for 5 years from the date the visa is granted, as long as the travel facility remains valid. After that period you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

References

• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801)
• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Partner Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Dependent Child visa (subclass 445)
• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Resident Return visa (subclass 155, 157)
• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Check visa details and conditions (VEVO)