820/801 Partner visa (apply in Australia)

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Project Introduction

This visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step towards a permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).

The onshore partner visa application is divided into two stages: the first stage is the 820 visa; The second stage is the 801 visa.

Both the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 visas are generally applied for together when you lodge your Partner Visa application. Normally, the temporary Subclass 820 visa is assessed first. For most applicants, two years must have passed since the original 820/801 application was lodged before they become eligible for assessment of the permanent Subclass 801 visa. At that stage, updated relationship evidence and other required information may need to be provided.

The Subclass 820 visa generally allows you to remain in Australia until your permanent Partner Visa Subclass 801 application is finalised or you withdraw your application.

In some circumstances, the permanent visa may be assessed earlier than the usual two-year point, including where the applicant was already in a long-term partner relationship when the original application was lodged. Different provisions may also apply if the relationship ends because of domestic or family violence, the death of the sponsor, or certain circumstances involving a child of the relationship.

If you would like a Chinese overview of the application, see our Partner Visa guide (澳洲配偶签证).

Project Advantages

No requirement for the applicant's education, English, assets, work experience, etc.

Live, work and study in Australia while the immigration centre process your permanent Partner visa

Attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program if you are eligible

Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want

Apply for access to Australia’s public health care scheme

You can include members of your family in your application

You can include an eligible dependent child in your application, subject to the relevant requirements and application stage.

Application Requirements

To apply for an onshore Partner Visa Subclass 820/801, you generally need to:

Be in Australia when you apply

Have an eligible sponsor, usually your partner

Be the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen

Be in a genuine and continuing relationship

Meet the relevant age requirements

Meet health and character requirements

Have no outstanding Australian Government debts, or have an approved arrangement to repay them

Meet the relevant requirements for any dependent children included in your application

Additional Eligibility Issues to Check

Some applicants may face additional restrictions depending on their current visa and immigration history.

This can include applicants who:

do not currently hold a substantive visa
have previously had a visa refused or cancelled in Australia
have a No Further Stay condition, such as condition 8503
currently hold, or most recently held, certain regional provisional visas such as Subclass 491 or 494

These circumstances do not necessarily mean you cannot apply for a Partner Visa, but they may affect whether you can lodge a valid application in Australia and may require further assessment before applying.

Application Process

Assessment of the situation of the applicant and sponsor

Relationship evidence collection and visa documents preparation

Submit 820/801 visa application

Subclass 820 temporary Partner Visa assessment and decision

Retain and continue collecting relationship evidence while waiting to become eligible for the permanent Partner Visa stage

For most applicants, once two years have passed since the original 820/801 application was lodged, updated documents and relationship evidence can be submitted for the Subclass 801 assessment

Subclass 801 permanent Partner Visa assessment and decision

Married or De Facto: What Relationship Requirements Apply?

You do not necessarily need to be married to apply for an 820/801 Partner Visa. The application can be based on either a married relationship or a de facto relationship.

For married applicants, having a marriage certificate alone does not guarantee approval. You must still show that your relationship is genuine and continuing.

For de facto applicants, you will generally need to show that you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months immediately before applying.

The 12-month requirement may not apply in certain circumstances, including where your relationship has been formally registered with an Australian state or territory authority or where another applicable exception is met.

If you are currently outside Australia, the offshore Partner Visa Subclass 309/100 (309/100境外配偶移民签证) may be more appropriate than the 820/801 pathway.

Partner Visa Relationship Evidence

Relationship evidence is one of the most important parts of a Partner Visa application.

Home Affairs generally considers evidence across four main areas:

Financial aspects
This may include joint bank accounts, shared bills, joint loans, leases, mortgages or evidence showing how you share everyday expenses.

Household arrangements
This can include evidence that you live together, share household responsibilities, receive correspondence at the same address or share responsibility for children.

Social aspects
Examples may include travel together, invitations, photographs, shared activities and evidence showing that family and friends recognise your relationship.

Commitment to each other
This may include your relationship history, periods spent apart, communication, knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances and your plans for the future.

There is no single document that proves a genuine relationship. The important point is that the evidence is consistent, covers the development of the relationship and supports the circumstances described in the application.

Required Documents for Your Visa Application

The exact documents depend on your circumstances, but common documents may include:

Passports and identity documents

Marriage certificate, where applicable

Evidence of a de facto relationship

Relationship statements

Financial and household evidence

Social and travel evidence

Sponsor documents

Police certificates

Health examinations where required

Documents relating to previous marriages or relationships

Documents for dependent children included in the application

Documents that are not in English generally need to be translated into English in accordance with Home Affairs requirements.

Partner Visa 820/801 Costs and Fees

From 1 July 2026, the government base application charge for most main applicants applying for the combined Subclass 820/801 Partner Visa is AUD 11,710.

This fee covers the temporary Subclass 820 and permanent Subclass 801 application. You do not normally pay another standard Partner Visa application charge when you later reach the 801 stage.

Different charges can apply in some circumstances, including certain current or former Prospective Marriage Subclass 300 visa holders.

You may also need to pay separately for:

dependent applicants
health examinations
police certificates
document translations
other application-related costs

Visa application charges can change, so the current Home Affairs fee should always be checked before lodgement.

Partner Visa 820/801 Processing Time

There is no fixed processing time for every Partner Visa application.

As of the July 2026 Home Affairs processing data, the median processing time for the Partner Provisional/Temporary visa category was approximately 23 months.

This is only an indication and does not mean every Subclass 820 application will take 23 months.

Processing time can depend on:

whether the application is complete
the quality and consistency of the relationship evidence
health and character checks
requests for further information
the complexity of the applicant’s circumstances
current application volumes

The latest Home Affairs Visa Processing Time Guide should be checked when applying.

What Happens After You Apply?

If you held a valid substantive visa when you lodged your 820/801 Partner Visa application, you will generally be granted a Bridging Visa A (过桥签证).

The Bridging Visa normally becomes active if your current substantive visa expires before a decision is made on your Partner Visa application, allowing you to remain lawfully in Australia while the application is processed.

However, a Bridging Visa A does not allow you to leave Australia and automatically return.

If you need to travel overseas while holding a bridging visa, you may need to obtain a Bridging Visa B before leaving Australia.

Your individual visa conditions should always be checked before making travel arrangements.

When Can You Be Assessed for the Permanent Subclass 801 Visa?

For most applicants, you become eligible for permanent Partner Visa assessment once two years have passed since you originally lodged the combined 820/801 application.

This does not mean that the 801 visa is automatically granted on the two-year anniversary.

You will generally need to provide updated information showing that you continue to meet the relevant requirements, including updated evidence of your relationship.

A long-term relationship may affect when the permanent stage can be assessed. Under the Migration Regulations, a long-term partner relationship generally means a relationship that has continued for:

at least 3 years, or
at least 2 years where you and your partner have a dependent child together

Your individual circumstances still need to satisfy the relevant Partner Visa requirements.

What If Your Relationship Ends Before the 801 Visa Is Granted?

A relationship ending does not necessarily mean your Partner Visa application must automatically end.

There are certain circumstances where an applicant may still be eligible to continue towards a permanent visa, including where:

the sponsoring partner has died
the applicant or an included family member has experienced domestic or family violence committed by the sponsor
the relationship has ended but the applicant and sponsor have a child and continue to share relevant parental responsibilities

These provisions have specific eligibility and evidence requirements, so the circumstances should be assessed individually.