Do Partner Visa Sponsors Need Police Certificates in 2026?

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

Yes. If you sponsor a partner or prospective marriage applicant, you need to provide police certificate(s) when you submit your Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia, or as soon as possible after you apply. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states this on its Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions page, which treats the certificate as part of the additional sponsor requirements.

What exactly does the Department ask sponsors to provide?

Sponsors are required to supply police certificate(s). The Department's wording links this directly to the "additional sponsor requirements" — in other words, the obligation sits with the sponsor, not with the visa applicant, and it is separate from the applicant's own character documents.

The same section explains where the detail lives. The Department directs sponsors to the visa page for their subclass, to switch the toggle to "For Sponsors", open the step-by-step tab, and go to "Character documents."

When does the sponsor have to provide it?

The timing rule has two parts:

Provide the police certificate when you submit your Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia.
If that is not possible, provide it as soon as possible after you apply.

The second limb matters in practice. Sponsorship paperwork is often lodged before an overseas police certificate arrives, and the Department's phrasing anticipates that by allowing later submission rather than treating the sponsorship as incomplete.

Which subclasses publish a sponsor "Character documents" step?

The Department's sponsor police certificate section lists three subclass pages:

Partner visa (subclass 820) — onshore temporary stage
Partner visa (subclass 309) — offshore provisional stage
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)

These are the pages the Department points to for the "For Sponsors → Character documents" step. The permanent subclass pages (801 and 100) are not listed in that particular section, so sponsors dealing with the permanent stage should read the requirements published on the relevant visa page itself rather than assume the same list applies.

How do you check the exact documents for your subclass?

The steps are short and worth doing in order:

Open the visa page for your subclass (820, 309 or 300).
Change the toggle to "For Sponsors".
Select the step-by-step tab.
Go to the "Character documents" section and read the list.

That list is the operative one. Which countries you need certificates from, and how recent each certificate must be, can differ by subclass and by your own residence history, so the subclass page is the only place that settles it.

What if you cannot get the certificate before the deadline?

If the Department has set a timeframe and you cannot meet it, the Partner visa FAQ describes a route for asking for more time using the Partner processing enquiry form. The request must be made before the original response timeframe expires, and it should include evidence of the steps you have taken, such as a payment receipt or a booking confirmation. The Department states it cannot guarantee additional time will be given, and it will tell you the outcome by email.

Documents are attached through ImmiAccount, which is also where you can check whether supporting documents have been received.

Does a missing sponsor police certificate affect processing order?

It can affect one specific thing: priority processing requests. Under Ministerial Direction 117, the Department will only consider a request for priority processing if all supporting documents and information have been submitted with the application, and it notes that most such requests cannot be approved. A sponsorship missing its police certificate is therefore poorly placed if you were hoping to ask for priority on compassionate grounds.

On general processing order, the same FAQ explains that onshore Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801) applications receive highest priority, while offshore Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) and Partner (subclass 309 and 100) applications receive lower priority and are likely to experience longer processing times. For an indication of timeframes, the Department points to its visa processing time guide tool, which shows times for recently decided applications and is a guide only, not specific to any one application.

Can a sponsor change their mind later?

A sponsor can withdraw their sponsorship at any time before the Department decides the permanent Partner visa application. If the relationship has ended or changed, the Department's guidance covers notification routes, including the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount, or the Partner processing enquiry form where ImmiAccount access is unavailable, with Form 1022 attached. Support information is also published for sponsors experiencing domestic and family violence.

This article is general information about published requirements and is not personalised advice; requirements can change, so confirm the current position against the Department's own pages or with a registered professional before you lodge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all partner visa sponsors need a police certificate?

The Department's Partner visa FAQ states that sponsors need to provide police certificate(s) to show they meet the additional sponsor requirements. The specific documents, and which countries they must cover, are set out on the subclass page under "For Sponsors" → "Character documents".

When should the sponsor's police certificate be submitted?

It should be provided when you submit the Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia. If that is not achievable, the Department's instruction is to provide it as soon as possible after you apply.

Which subclasses are listed for the sponsor character documents step?

The Department lists subclass 820, subclass 309 and subclass 300 for this step. The permanent subclass pages (801 and 100) are not included in that list, so their requirements should be read on the relevant visa page.

How do I find the exact police certificates required in my case?

Open your subclass page, switch the toggle to "For Sponsors", select the step-by-step tab, and open "Character documents". That section is the operative list for your subclass and your circumstances.

What if I cannot obtain the certificate within the timeframe given?

You can request additional time using the Partner processing enquiry form before the original timeframe expires. Your request should include evidence of the steps taken, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation, and additional time is not guaranteed.

Can a sponsor withdraw sponsorship later?

Yes. A sponsor may withdraw their sponsorship at any time before the Department decides the permanent Partner visa application. Where the relationship has ended, the Department also describes notification options through ImmiAccount or the Partner processing enquiry form.

Will a missing sponsor police certificate slow the application down?

A complete file matters most for priority processing, which the Department will only consider if all supporting documents and information were submitted with the application. Offshore subclass 300 and 309/100 applications are also given lower processing priority than onshore 820/801 applications, and are likely to take longer.