What Must I Tell the Department If My Relationship Ends in 2026?

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

If your relationship with your sponsor has ended or changed while your Partner visa application is still before the Australian Department of Home Affairs, you may need to notify the Department. The Department of Home Affairs Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions page states that you may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab of your ImmiAccount, or — if you do not have access to ImmiAccount — tell the Department through the Partner processing enquiry form with a signed and completed Form 1022 attached, and directs you to check 'Your relationship has changed' to confirm what applies to you. This page is general information only and is not personalised advice about your case, so read the current wording on the Department's official pages or get advice from a qualified professional before you act on it.

What exactly do I have to report?

You report the change in the relationship itself. The Department's Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions page treats "your relationship with your sponsor has ended or changed" as a change in your circumstances that you notify, alongside separate updates for your contact details, your address and your passport.

The same notification applies if your sponsor has died. In that situation the Department directs you to the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount, or to the Partner processing enquiry form if you have no ImmiAccount access.

Separation is also the moment to fix your contact details. If the Department has been writing to an email address or a residential address your former partner can read, update those details through the 'Update Us' tab in ImmiAccount so future correspondence reaches you alone.

How do I lodge the notification in ImmiAccount?

Log in to your ImmiAccount. Open the 'Update Details' tab. Find the Notification of Relationship Cessation form. Complete it with the details of what changed and when. Submit it through ImmiAccount.

Then open the 'Update Us' tab. Update your contact details and your address. Update your passport details if your passport has changed. Keep a copy of anything you submit.

The Department's page points you to its "Your relationship has changed" information to confirm what applies to you before you submit, because the consequences of a relationship ending depend on which subclass you hold and which stage the application has reached.

What if I cannot access ImmiAccount?

Use the Partner processing enquiry form instead. Attach a signed and completed Form 1022. Form 1022 is the departmental form titled "Notification of changes in circumstances", issued under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958. Complete it, sign it, and attach it to the enquiry form.

This route is the one the Department names for applicants who have no ImmiAccount access, and it is also the route it names for telling it that a relationship has ended or changed.

Should I withdraw the application instead of notifying?

Withdrawing is a separate decision from notifying, and the two are not interchangeable. Withdrawal is done online through ImmiAccount. Any applicant aged 18 or over who is included in the withdrawal must consent to it.

You must attach a signed statement for each applicant aged 18 or over. If your application is for a Partner visa (subclass 309 and 100) or (subclass 820 and 801), you must withdraw both subclasses together — you cannot withdraw only one half of a combined application.

A sponsor has a separate option: sponsorship can be withdrawn at any time before the Department decides the permanent Partner visa application.

What if we get back together before a decision?

Tell the Department the relationship has recommenced. Use the Partner processing enquiry form for this, not the cessation notification.

Attach a statutory declaration completed by you outlining the circumstances of the relationship. Attach a statutory declaration completed by your sponsor outlining the circumstances of the relationship. Attach evidence of identity for both you and your sponsor.

What if the relationship ended because of domestic or family violence?

The Department states that it may be able to help if you are experiencing domestic and family violence, and that you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa. That possibility is dealt with under the family violence provisions, which have their own evidence requirements rather than the ordinary relationship-cessation pathway.

The same part of the Department's guidance recommends acting on your online safety at the same time. Change your ImmiAccount password as soon as possible. Do not use saved passwords to access your ImmiAccount. Change your email password or consider setting up a new email account. The Department refers readers to the eSafety Commissioner's online safety checklist for further steps.

Those steps are worth taking even where there is no violence, because access to your ImmiAccount and your email is often shared during a relationship.

What should I check about my visa afterwards?

Check what you actually hold. Use VEVO to check your visa details and conditions rather than assuming a bridging or temporary visa is still in place.

Know the effect of a refusal of the permanent stage. If your permanent Partner visa (subclass 801 or 100) has been refused, you no longer hold a temporary Partner visa, and your visa status changes at that point. Your refusal notification letter will tell you whether you have the right to seek review of the decision by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which has jurisdiction to review certain visa decisions made under the Migration Act 1958.

Refunds are separate again. A visa application charge can only be refunded in certain circumstances, and the Department states there is no standard timeframe for processing refund requests because each is assessed under the relevant legal authority or administrative rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to tell the Department if my relationship ends?

Yes — the Department treats a relationship with your sponsor ending or changing as a change in your circumstances to tell it about. It says you may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab of ImmiAccount, and directs you to check 'Your relationship has changed' to confirm what applies to you. If you have no ImmiAccount access, you can tell the Department through the Partner processing enquiry form instead.

What is Form 1022 used for?

Form 1022 is the departmental "Notification of changes in circumstances" form issued under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958. You attach a signed and completed copy to the Partner processing enquiry form when you cannot use ImmiAccount to report that your relationship has ended or changed.

Can I withdraw my Partner visa application after separating?

Yes, withdrawal is done online through ImmiAccount. Every applicant aged 18 or over included in the withdrawal must consent, and you must attach a signed statement for each of them. For a subclass 309/100 or 820/801 application you must withdraw both subclasses together.

Can my sponsor withdraw the sponsorship on their own?

Yes. A sponsor can withdraw the sponsorship at any time before the Department decides the permanent Partner visa application. Withdrawing sponsorship is a separate act from withdrawing the visa application itself.

Can I still be granted the permanent visa if the relationship ended because of family violence?

The Department states you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa, and that help may be available if you are experiencing domestic and family violence. This is handled under the family violence provisions, which operate separately from the ordinary relationship-cessation pathway.

What happens to my visa if my permanent Partner visa is refused?

You no longer hold a temporary Partner visa once the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801 or 100) is refused. You should use VEVO to check your visa details and conditions so you know your actual status. Your refusal notification letter will tell you whether you can seek review by the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Can I get the visa application charge back if the relationship ends?

Only in certain circumstances — the Department does not treat separation as an automatic basis for a refund. There is also no standard timeframe for processing a refund request, because each request is assessed under the relevant legal authority or administrative rules.

What should I do about account security after a separation?

Change your ImmiAccount password as soon as possible and avoid using saved passwords to log in. Change your email password or consider setting up a new email account that only you control. The Department also points to the eSafety Commissioner's online safety checklist for further steps.