Australia’s Partner visas are both temporary and permanent visas that enable the spouses (married) or de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to reside in Australia on the basis of their relationship. Eligibility for a Partner visa is dependent on several factors, primarily relating to the nature of your relationship.
This document checklist relates to Australia’s Partner visas that can lead to eventual permanent residence (referred to collective as Partner visas below), and not Australia’s new Subclass 870 temporary partner visa, which you can read about here.
Onshore and Offshore visas
There are both onshore and offshore versions of the Partner visa.
The onshore versions of the Partner visa consists of both the:
- Subclass 820 (temporary) visa; and
- Subclass 801 (permanent) visa.
On the other hand, the offshore versions of the Partner visa are the:
- Subclass 309 (temporary) visa; and
- Subclass 100 (permanent) visa.
As a matter of procedure, both applications are applied for at the same time. Usually, the temporary visa will be granted first, with the applicant being eligible for the corresponding permanent component two years after the lodgement of the initial application. However, where a couple are in a long-term relationship, the two visas can be granted at the same time. A long-term relationship refers to where the couple have:
- been together for more two years and have a child (not including a step-child); or
- have been together for more than three years.
Regardless of the Partner visa subclass you are applying for, the documents and information required for your application are largely the same.
Documents Required for a Partner Visa: Evidence of Relationship
There are a range of documents required for a Partner visa, many of which serve as evidence of your relationship. The document types required and some examples of what you might include are outlined in the table below:
Evidence required |
Examples |
Suggested documents |
Financial aspects of the relationship |
Joint ownership of real estate or other major assets |
|
Joint liabilities |
|
|
Pooling of financial resources |
|
|
Sharing of household expenses |
|
|
Nature of the household |
Joint responsibility for the care of any children |
|
Living arrangements |
|
|
Shared responsibility for housework |
|
|
Social aspects of the relationship |
Opinions of friends and family about the nature of your relationship |
|
Whether you present yourself as being in a relationship |
|
|
Social activities undertaken together |
|
|
Nature of the commitment to each other |
Duration of the relationship |
|
Length of time you’ve lived together |
|
|
Degree of emotional support and companionship |
|
|
Evidence of long-term commitment |
|
The above is a general checklist, meaning that depending on your circumstances, alternate documents might be more appropriate.
Documents Required for a Partner Visa: Identity and Character
In addition to evidence of your relationship, there are a number of other documents required for both applicant and sponsor. These are outlined below:
Document required |
Applicant |
Sponsor |
Application for migration (through Immi Account) |
✔ | ✖ |
Sponsorship application (through Immi Account) |
✖ | ✔ |
Passport |
✔ | ✔ |
Passport-sized photograph |
✔ | ✔ |
National identity card (if relevant) |
✔ | ✔ |
Police clearance certificates |
✔ | ✔ |
Birth certificate |
✔ | ✖ |
Evidence of Australian citizenship/permanent residency |
✖ | ✔ |
Health examinations |
✔ | ✖ |
Depending on your circumstances, further documents may be required.
Please also note that all documents not in English should be accompanied by a certified English translation.
Including Children
You will be able to include your children in your visa application, who will also be granted a Partner visa. If you are including your children, there are several other documents that will need to be included. For example, you might need:
- Form 1229 for children under 18 years of age travelling without both parents;
- Identity and contact details of other parents of the children;
- Form 48A for children over 18 years of age; and
- Evidence of financial dependency of any children aged over 18.
Your children will also need identity documents, such as passports and birth certificates.
Post-Lodgement
Processing times for Partner visas vary but are generally quite lengthy. For the latest updates on processing times, you should refer to the Department’s website.
After lodgement, you will need to undertake your health examinations using a HAP ID.
If you apply for the onshore Partner visas, you will normally be granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA), providing you unlimited work and study rights. However, if you apply for the offshore Partner visas, you will need to wait for an outcome before travelling to Australia, or alternatively, obtain a different visa.
Key Takeaways
Applying for an Australian Partner visa can be stressful, largely due to the lengthy processing times and high costs involved. However, knowing the range of documents required can help make this process easier. The key documents you will need to provide include evidence of:
- financial aspects of the relationship;
- nature of the household;
- social aspects of the relationship;
- nature of the commitment to one another;
- identity; and
- health
If you require assistance with your Partner visa application, or have any other immigration related queries, our experienced team can help. Contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at +61 3 9016 0484.
I need to contact
Hi Avinash,
You can contact us at [email protected]
Kind regards,
Hannan Tew
Hi.I am applying for partnership visa so will you tell me what documents will be required.
Hi Deepak,
You can see the general documents required in this post (or contact us at [email protected] and we can work with you to get the specific documents for your matter).
Kind regards,
Hannan Tew
Is it possible to apply while am in Australia
With my partner as a residential Australian
We luv to work with all yur requirements Nd lodge on Oct or November
How much would that be beside the lodge fees??
Hi Jack,
Thanks for reaching out.
Yes, you can lodge your Partner visa from onshore in Australia (if you have some other visa to travel to Australia in the first instance).
You can see a breakdown of fees on our cost calculator here: https://www.hannantew.com.au/cost-calculator/
Feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to discuss further.
Kind regards,
Hannan Tew
Hi there! I’m willing to marry my girlfriend here and I’m wondering, her visa expires soon, if we lodge a notice of intent to marry and talk to a marriage celebrant, and we end up getting married can we apply for the partner visa as soon as we get married? I know we need to apply for the official marriage certificate and apparently it can take 6 weeks to get mailed to newlyweds, can we still apply for the partner visa and add it later on when it arrives? Because i don’t want her current visa to expire and it ends up ruining everything I’m just worried, i figured it would be fine but need to make sure. Hope your able to help 🙂
Hi Sam,
Yes, you should generally be able to lodge the Partner visa as soon as you are married (assuming you have other evidence of your genuine relationship).
You can also potentially apply before your marriage if you can demonstrate a “de facto” relationship.
Feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to discuss.
Kind regards,
Hannan Tew