Relationship Evidence for Parent Visa 884 Partners in 2026

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

If your partner is to be included in your Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) application, the Australian Department of Home Affairs asks for three things about them: proof of who they are, character documents if requested, and evidence of your relationship — either your current marriage certificate, or documents proving you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you apply, plus documents about other relationships where relevant. This reflects the Department's official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) as at October 2026. It is general information rather than advice on any one person's case, so the current official requirements, or a qualified professional, should decide anything that turns on your own facts.

What does a partner have to prove to be included in a Subclass 884 application?

The Department treats the partner as a person applying with you, not as an automatic attachment to your own eligibility. Under the document-gathering step, partner documents are listed as four items.

Identity documents.
Character documents.
Evidence of your relationship with them — a current marriage certificate, or documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply.
Documents about other relationships, if applicable.

The first two mirror what every person included in the application must satisfy. The third is the part that decides whether the relationship itself is accepted, and the fourth matters where either of you has been married or in a de facto relationship before.

How does a married partner prove the relationship?

A married partner relies on the current marriage certificate. That is the single document the page names for marriage, and it is the only relationship evidence the page asks for in that case — the 12-month de facto requirement is presented as the alternative, not an extra layer on top of a marriage.

Where a name changed through marriage or divorce, the same certificate also does a second job. Proof of change of name is listed separately under identity documents, and a marriage or divorce certificate is one of the accepted documents for it. If your partner's passport, national identity card or other records carry a different name, expect to reconcile them rather than assume the difference passes unnoticed.

How long does a de facto relationship have to have lasted?

At least 12 months before you apply. The requirement on the official page is expressed as documents that prove you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before applying — not 12 months by the time of decision, and not 12 months after lodgement.

Practically, that makes the evidence a timeline rather than a snapshot. A single recent statement shows that a joint account exists today; what the requirement is asking for is a documented relationship running back through the year before you lodge.

Which documents can prove a de facto relationship?

The Department lists examples rather than a closed checklist.

Joint bank account statements.
Billing accounts in joint names.
Joint leases or mortgages.
Documents that show you have lived at the same address as your partner.

Each type does slightly different work. Joint bank account statements and billing accounts in joint names show shared finances and a shared household running over time. Joint leases or mortgages show a commitment entered into together and the address that goes with it. Documents showing that you lived at the same address cover the cohabitation side where accounts or a lease were never put in both names.

Because the page introduces these with "include", other documents of the same character are not ruled out — but the four named categories are the ones the Department has published, so they are a reasonable spine for the file. Where a category is missing because your circumstances never produced it, say so plainly rather than substituting something that does not show what it claims to show.

What identity documents does a partner need, and what happens if identity cannot be proven?

For every person included, the Department asks for the pages of the current passport showing the photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Also provide a national identity card if you have one, and proof of change of name if applicable — a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by.

The consequences of failing on identity are set out in unusually strong terms on the official page. If you cannot prove your identity, the Department will refuse the visa application, might not grant you another visa for 10 years, and might not grant any family members you listed on the application a visa for 10 years.

Note also the timing: you and anyone who applies with you must have valid passports before the visa is granted.

Does a partner need police certificates upfront?

No, not upfront. Character documents, including police certificates, are things the Department might ask for. The instruction on the page is explicit: do not arrange a police check until you are asked to.

What else sits alongside the relationship evidence in the paper application?

Several lodgement requirements touch the partner's paperwork specifically.

Photographs. Provide four recent photos of anyone included in the application. They must be passport-size (45mm x 35mm), less than six months old, good quality colour — laser copies are not accepted — showing a full-face view against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable, and a head covering worn for religious reasons is acceptable provided only the face is shown.

Certified copies, not originals. Do not send original documents with the application, except police certificates. Send certified copies.

Forms. You complete Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia. Your sponsor completes Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia. Each member of your family aged 18 or over also completes Form 47A Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over — including those who are not migrating. All forms must be completed in English.

Where you must be. Online lodgement is not available for temporary Contributory Aged Parent visa applicants; the application is made on paper, by post or courier, and cannot be made in person. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you submit the application, and again when the decision is made.

Conflicting applications. If you have applied for a different Parent visa and no decision has been made on it, you must withdraw that application when you apply for this one, using Part B of Form 47PA. You cannot apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.

Does the relationship have to stay the same while the application is processed?

You need to tell the Department about changes to your relationship status, along with changes to phone number, email, address, passport and family composition. This is stated as a standing obligation while the application is on foot, not something triggered only at decision time.

Adding a family member after lodgement is possible through Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, and it comes with its own relationship requirement: you must give evidence of your relationship and a copy of the family member's passport. Any family member added after you apply must be in Australia when you add them. For mistakes already made on the application, the page directs you to Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a partner automatically get the 884 visa because we are married?

No. Marriage or a de facto relationship still has to be documented. The official page lists evidence of your relationship as a required partner document, with a current marriage certificate as the document for married couples.

Can a de facto partner be included without 12 months of evidence?

The requirement on the official page is documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. A relationship that has not yet run that long is the situation the requirement excludes.

Is a joint bank account enough on its own?

The Department lists joint bank account statements as one of several document types that can prove a de facto relationship, alongside joint billing accounts, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing a shared address. Nothing on the page says any single item is sufficient, so the safer approach is to cover the 12-month period with more than one type.

Do we need to get police certificates for my partner before we lodge?

No. Character documents including police certificates may be requested, but the page instructs applicants not to arrange a police check until asked.

Should we send original documents such as our marriage certificate?

No. Send certified copies of your documents, not originals. Police certificates are the stated exception to that rule.

What if our relationship ends, or changes, while the application is being processed?

You must tell the Department about changes to your relationship status. The page lists relationship status among the changes that must be notified while the application is pending.

Does my partner need to be in Australia for the application?

The page requires you to be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when you submit the paper application and when the decision is made, and requires valid passports for everyone applying with you before grant. A family member added after lodgement must be in Australia at the time they are added.