The complete Australian partner visa checklist — onshore 820/801.
Everything an onshore partner-visa applicant needs to organise: the eight evidence categories the Department reviews, the two-stage process from lodgement to permanent residency, and the documents and forms you’ll be asked to provide.
A two-stage onshore partner visa for spouses and de facto partners.
The partner visa subclass 820/801 is a combined onshore application for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. You lodge a single application from inside Australia. The Department first assesses you against the temporary subclass 820 and, after roughly two years, against the permanent subclass 801. If you are outside Australia, the equivalent pathway is the offshore subclass 309/100 — this guide does not cover that pathway.
High-level — the threshold criteria the Department publishes.
The Department of Home Affairs publishes the criteria below. Whether you meet them in your circumstances is a question for the Department or a registered migration agent — this list is the threshold view, not legal interpretation. Eligibility nuances, including Schedule 3 criteria, regional-visa waiting periods, and family-violence provisions, should be checked with a registered migration agent.
- The applicant is the spouse or de facto partner of an eligible Australian sponsor.
- The applicant is physically in Australia at the time of lodgement (the onshore 820/801 pathway).
- The relationship is genuine, continuing, and to the exclusion of all others.
- For de facto applicants, the Department generally looks for at least 12 months of relationship before lodgement, unless an exemption applies (registered relationship, dependent child, or compelling circumstances).
- The health and character requirements set by the Department are met.
- No current visa condition (such as 8503 — No Further Stay) blocks the application unless a waiver is approved.
How the Department groups the evidence it reviews.
ReRooted groups the partner-visa requirements into eight collection categories. The four relationship pillars — financial, household, social, and commitment — sit at the centre, wrapped by the eligibility, sponsor, identity, and character categories.
- 01
Pre-application eligibility
The threshold conditions the Department publishes — worth reviewing against the official guidance before you start gathering relationship evidence.
- You are physically in Australia at the time of lodgement
- Current visa status and conditions checked in VEVO
- Any No Further Stay (condition 8503) waiver in place
- Australian Values Statement read and signed (if 18+)
- 02
Sponsor eligibility
What your Australian partner needs to show before they're approved as your sponsor.
- Sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen (subclass 444)
- Lifetime sponsorship limit checked (the Department generally limits a sponsor to two partners across their lifetime)
- Any five-year wait since a prior partner sponsorship lodgement checked against the Department’s rules
- Police certificates from every country the sponsor has lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years
- 03
Financial aspects
Evidence that you and your partner share financial responsibilities and assets.
- Joint bank account statements covering an extended period
- Joint loan, mortgage, or lease documents
- Utility accounts and household bills in both names
- Insurance policies held jointly or naming each other
- Records showing how day-to-day expenses are shared
- 04
Nature of the household
Proof of your shared living arrangements and domestic life.
- Lease, rental agreement, or property title showing both names
- Mail and household bills addressed to either of you at the same address
- A statement describing how household tasks are divided
- Photos of your shared living space
- 05
Social aspects
Evidence that your relationship is recognised by friends, family, and the wider community.
- Photos and statements about events you attend together as a couple
- Joint memberships of clubs, gyms, or community groups
- Public acknowledgement of the relationship (social profiles, announcements)
- Itineraries and photos from shared travel
- 06
Nature of commitment
Evidence demonstrating your mutual commitment to a shared life — past, present, and future.
- A written statement covering how the relationship developed
- Marriage certificate, engagement evidence, or commitment-ceremony records
- Wills or life-insurance policies naming each other as beneficiary
- Power-of-attorney documents naming your partner
- 07
Identity documents
Proof of identity for both the applicant and the sponsor.
- Certified copy of the applicant’s current passport bio page
- Sponsor’s evidence of Australian citizenship or permanent residency
- Birth certificate (and any change-of-name documents) for each party
- Form 47SP — the primary partner-visa application form
- 08
Character requirements
Police clearances and personal-history forms.
- AFP National Police Check covering time spent in Australia
- Police clearances from every country lived in for 12+ months in the past 10 years
- Form 80 — personal particulars for character assessment
- Form 1221 — additional personal particulars (where requested)
From lodgement to permanent residency.
One application, two grants. The temporary 820 typically comes first; the permanent 801 follows around two years from the original lodgement date.
- 01
Lodge the combined 820/801 application
You lodge a single online application via ImmiAccount that covers both subclasses. The Department charges one fee, and the sponsorship application is lodged alongside it.
- 02
Bridging visa while you wait
If you held a substantive visa when you lodged, the Department typically grants a Bridging Visa A so you can remain lawfully in Australia while the 820 is assessed.
- 03
Subclass 820 (temporary) granted
Once the Department is satisfied your relationship is genuine and you meet health, character, and other requirements, the 820 is granted with full work and study rights.
- 04
Two-year point — 801 stage opens
Approximately two years after you lodged the original application, the Department contacts you in ImmiAccount to request updated relationship evidence for the permanent stage.
- 05
Subclass 801 (permanent) granted
After reviewing the updated evidence, the Department grants the 801 — permanent residency. Some applicants qualify for the 801 to be assessed immediately; the exceptions are narrow.
The visa fee is the headline number — the supporting costs add up.
The current Department of Home Affairs application charge for the primary applicant on a combined 820/801 application is AUD $9,365. Additional applicants (children) attract smaller fees on top. The fee covers both stages — there is no separate charge for the 801 grant.
Source: Department of Home Affairs — Partner (Onshore). Retrieved May 2026. Always confirm the live fee on the DHA page before you lodge — the schedule is updated periodically.
On top of the visa fee, expect costs for panel-doctor health examinations, AFP and overseas police checks, NAATI translations of any non-English documents, and — if you choose to use one — a registered migration agent. The partner-visa costs breakdown walks through each line item.
The patterns that cost applicants time — usually organisational, not legal.
Most onshore partner-visa difficulty is organisational, not legal. The four below are the ones we see most often when applicants self-lodge or hand a partly-prepared bundle to an agent.
- Generic Form 888 statements that don’t speak to the four relationship pillars.
- Missing the 12-month cohabitation evidence (de facto applicants without a registered relationship).
- Submitting 801-stage updated evidence before the Department invites it.
- Letting AFP or overseas police checks expire while waiting for a decision.
Read the full 10 common partner-visa mistakes guide for the longer list and how to address each one.
Partner visa 820/801 — common questions.
- What is on the partner visa 820 checklist?
- The subclass 820 checklist covers eight collection categories: pre-application eligibility, sponsor eligibility, and the four relationship pillars the Department reviews — financial, household (nature of the household), social, and nature of commitment — plus identity documents and character (police) requirements. The 820 is the temporary stage of the combined onshore application; you lodge evidence across all eight at once.
- What is the partner visa 801 second-stage checklist?
- The subclass 801 is the permanent stage, assessed roughly two years after you lodge the combined 820/801 application. When the Department invites you, you provide updated evidence across the same four relationship pillars — financial, household, social, and commitment — showing the relationship has continued. You do not re-lodge or pay again; you add fresh evidence for the period since the 820 was granted. Wait for the Department’s request before submitting it.
- What is the difference between the 820 and 801 visa?
- They are two stages of one application. The subclass 820 is the temporary partner visa granted first, with full work and study rights. The subclass 801 is the permanent residence stage that follows about two years from the original lodgement date, after you provide updated relationship evidence. One application, one fee, two grants.
- What evidence do I need for the partner visa?
- Partner-visa evidence is organised around four relationship pillars: financial (joint accounts, shared bills, joint liabilities), the nature of your household (shared lease or title, mail at the same address, divided household tasks), social aspects (joint events, shared travel, recognition by friends and family), and the nature of your commitment (statements, wills, future plans). A balanced bundle across all four pillars — rather than a stack of evidence in just one — is what the Department looks for.
- What are the partner visa requirements?
- At a high level: you are the spouse or de facto partner of an eligible Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen; you are in Australia when you lodge the onshore 820/801; your relationship is genuine, continuing, and exclusive; de facto applicants generally show 12 months of cohabitation unless an exemption applies; and you meet the health and character requirements. This is the threshold view only — confirm your situation with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent.
- What forms do I need for the Australian partner visa?
- The core forms are Form 47SP (the primary partner-visa application), Form 40SP (sponsorship), Form 80 (personal particulars for character assessment), and Form 888 (statutory declarations from friends and family supporting the relationship). Form 1221 may be requested as additional personal particulars. The application itself is lodged online through ImmiAccount.
Track your 820/801 with a checklist that knows the eight pillars.
Free to start. Every requirement above is wired into a tracker built for the partner visa — no spreadsheets, no scattered Google Drive folders.