When Is My Partner Visa 801 Assessed in 2026? The 2-Year Rule
Your Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) assessment begins two years after the day you lodged your combined subclass 820 and 801 application — not two years after your 820 was granted, and not two years after you moved to Australia. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) page, two years must have passed since you applied for the subclass 820 and 801 visas before you can be assessed for the permanent visa, and the date you submitted can be checked in ImmiAccount.
Everything below is general information about how the rule works, not personalised advice about your own case; if your situation is unusual, treat the official page and a qualified professional's view as the things that settle it.
Where does the two-year clock actually start?
It starts on the submission date of your combined application. The Department's step-by-step page repeats the same test twice: you become eligible for consideration of the permanent Partner visa two years after you apply for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.
That single date does a lot of work. It sets when you may be assessed, it sets when you may send Stage 2 documents, and it is also the reference point for processing times. The Department states that the processing time for a permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is 2 years after you applied.
You also have to hold the right visa in the meantime. To be eligible for the 801 you must hold either a Partner visa (subclass 820) or a Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa.
How do I check my submission date in ImmiAccount?
The Department points applicants to ImmiAccount for this, and that is the practical answer: log in to ImmiAccount and look at the date your application was submitted there. Treat the date shown in ImmiAccount as the anchor for your two-year calculation rather than any date you remember from email confirmations or from your 820 grant letter.
If you are not sure which visa you currently hold, the Department says to check with VEVO. That matters because of one edge case: if the Department granted you the permanent subclass 801 immediately after granting your subclass 820, you do not have to do anything else for the permanent stage.
Can the 801 be granted in less than two years?
Yes, but only on one ground stated on the official page. The Department may grant the permanent subclass 801 in less than 2 years if you were in a long-term partner relationship with your sponsor when you applied for the subclass 820 and 801 visas.
The important detail is the timing of that test. It refers to the state of your relationship at the time you applied, not at the time you are assessed. A relationship that becomes long-term later, after the two years run, is simply assessed under the ordinary two-year rule.
What else has to be true on the day you are assessed?
The two-year mark makes you eligible to be considered; it does not by itself decide anything. The Department lists several continuing requirements on the eligibility page:
- You must continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa.
- You and any members of the family unit, including dependent children who apply with you, must continue to meet the health requirement. If you had health examinations for your 820, the Department will tell you if you need them again or if more checks are needed.
- If you or any family members owe the Australian government money, it must be paid back or arrangements made to pay it back.
- The visa might not be granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
When can I actually send Stage 2 documents?
Once two years have passed since you first applied. The step-by-step page is explicit in both directions: you can submit your documents for the permanent stage once two years have passed since you first applied, and you should not send them before this time.
This is the most common self-inflicted delay. Documents uploaded early are not held in a queue for an early assessment — they simply arrive before you are eligible to be considered.
How do I lodge Stage 2 in ImmiAccount?
The Department's how-to-apply sequence for the permanent stage is short:
- Log in to ImmiAccount.
- Select 'New application'.
- Select 'Family'.
- Select 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment'.
- Attach your documents.
Two mechanical limits are worth knowing before you start. You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on your application, and that limit cannot be increased; if you hit it for one applicant, you can attach more documents to other clients on the application. Each document should be attached only once, even if you use it to show more than one thing, and documents should be clearly labelled.
What documents does the permanent stage usually need?
The Department's list centres on identity, character and the relationship itself:
- Identity: a copy of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and passport issue and expiry dates.
- Character: you may need a current Australian police certificate for the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your subclass 820 application. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted, and police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes.
- Overseas police certificates: you also need one from any country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more since the grant of your 820 visa.
- Relationship: evidence that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you — relationship documents and supporting evidence of your relationship.
- Family members: for every family member who currently holds a subclass 820 or 445 visa, copies of their passport, documents showing changes to their situation, and police certificates if applicable for dependents aged 16 or older.
Documents in another language must be translated into English, with original and translated versions both provided. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters; translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in that language, in English. Scan or photograph everything in colour, keep multi-page documents as one file, and note that the Department says you do not need documents certified.
Does reaching the two-year mark mean a decision is coming?
No. Eligibility and decision are different things. The Department notes that processing times are updated regularly, that applications are assessed case by case, that complex cases may take longer, and that published processing times are a guideline only.
It also lists what makes an application slower: not filling it in correctly, missing required documents, the Department needing more information, and time taken to verify information. Because partner applications can have long processing times, the Department advises updating your documents and relationship evidence regularly through ImmiAccount, and says not to seek progress updates while an application is within the current standard processing time.
What if my relationship ends, or my situation changes?
You may still be eligible. The Department states you might still be eligible for the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies before the permanent visa is granted, and that if you are experiencing domestic and family violence it may be able to help and you may still be eligible for the grant.
Changes of any kind should be reported: marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and other changes relevant to your application, plus contact details, address and passport changes. You can be in or outside Australia when the permanent visa is decided, and the Department will notify the outcome in writing. If granted, you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted, with travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the grant date; after that travel facility ends, a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) is needed to re-enter as a permanent resident.
On cost, the Department records that you paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, though you might have to pay other costs for health or police checks; the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the two years start from my 820 grant date or my application date?
It starts from the date you applied for the subclass 820 and 801 visas. The Department phrases the eligibility test as two years having passed "since you applied", and directs applicants to ImmiAccount to check the submission date.
Can I upload Stage 2 documents a few months early to save time?
No. The Department says to submit your documents once two years have passed since you first applied, and not to attach them before this time. Uploading early does not bring the assessment forward, and it uses up your attachment allowance.
I was in a long-term relationship when I applied — do I still wait two years?
You may not have to. The Department may grant the subclass 801 in less than 2 years if you were in a long-term partner relationship with your sponsor when you applied for the 820 and 801. The test looks at your relationship status at the time you applied.
Do I need to do anything if my 801 was granted together with my 820?
No. If you were granted the permanent subclass 801 immediately after the subclass 820, the Department says you do not have to do anything else for the permanent stage. You can confirm which visa you hold using VEVO.
Do I need new police checks for the permanent stage?
Usually yes, at least for Australia, if you did not attach an Australian police certificate with your 820 application. You also need an overseas police certificate from any country where you spent 12 months or more in total since your 820 was granted; Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.
Can I add a child at the permanent stage?
Only in a specific way. A dependent child can be added before a decision is made on your permanent application if they are in Australia, hold a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), and meet the health and (if 16 or older) character requirements, using Form 1002. No family members can be added after the subclass 801 is granted.
Is my 801 guaranteed once two years have passed?
No. Two years makes you eligible to be assessed. The decision still depends on continuing to meet the relationship requirement, the health requirement, having no debt to the Australian government, and the best interests of any applicant under 18.