The 820 temporary partner visa might be right for you if you’re married or in a de-facto relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. Find out more about eligibility requirements, applying for the 820 visa, frequently asked questions, and how the PAX team can help.
Published 24 November 2025
Written by Con Paxinos (MARN 1460971), owner and director of PAX Migration
Con is a leading expert in the migration industry with 11 years of experience and is the former Vice President and South Australian State President of the Migration Institute of Australia and Chair of the Migration Institute Temporary Visa Program Advisory Panel. Together with his team of experts at PAX Migration, Con has been awarded the Leading Adviser Award (2022), the ThreeBestRated® Award (2020–2025) and the Fellow of the Migration Institute of Australia, an award bestowed on those practitioners who have made significant contributions to the migration profession, recognising their contributions to the Institute, profession and society generally, and their good standing and ethics.
Explore 820 partner visa expert guide
About the 820 partner visa
- The subclass 820 visa, sometimes called the 820 spouse visa or partner visa, is a temporary partner visa that allows the spouse or de-facto partner of an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, to live in Australia temporarily with their partner.
- An 820 partner visa is typically the first step for the 801 partner visa (permanent), which allows permanent residency for the partner of eligible citizens or residents.
- Your Australian partner must act as your sponsor for the 820 partner visa.
Who is the 820 partner visa for?
The 820 partner visa is the first step for anyone with an eligible Australian or New Zealand partner and who wants to live in Australia. If that’s you, you’ll need to meet the below requirements:
- You must be in a married or de-facto relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. Your partner must agree to sponsor you.
- You must be aged 18 years or older (note there are exceptions if you are married).
- You must already hold a substantive visa (generally any visa excluding a bridging visa) or meet additional requirements in accordance with Schedule 3 criteria.
- You must meet health and character requirements.
- Your sponsor must be 18 years of age or older (note there are exceptions if you are married). If your partner is under 18 years of age, their parent or guardian must sponsor you.
- Your sponsor must meet specified character requirements.
- You must be in Australia when you lodge your 820 partner visa application.
Not sure if you meet the requirements of an 820 visa?
Our partner visa assessment tool has helped thousands of people evaluate if they meet the 820 visa grant requirements.
Is your relationship eligible for a temporary partner visa?
For your relationship to be considered eligible for an 820 visa, you have two options: you either need to be married or be in a de-facto relationship with your Australian partner.
It’s important to make sure that you understand the definition of married and de-facto relationships as they apply to the temporary partner visa application because their meaning may not be the same as day-to-day usage.
- Your marriage must be considered legally valid in Australia (if you married overseas, make sure the marriage is recognised in Australia)
- You and your partner have a mutual commitment to a shared life as a married couple to the exclusion of all others
- Your relationship is genuine and continuing
- You either live with your partner, or you do not live separately or apart on a permanent basis
- Your marriage must be considered legally valid in Australia (if you married overseas, make sure the marriage is recognised in Australia)
- You and your partner have a mutual commitment to a shared life as a married couple to the exclusion of all others
- Your relationship is genuine and continuing
- You either live with your partner, or you do not live separately or apart on a permanent basis
There are exceptions to the 12-month minimum relationship period in some circumstances, including if:
- You can demonstrate that compelling and compassionate circumstances exist for grant of the 820 visa
- Your sponsoring partner either is (or was) the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa, and before the grant of that visa had declared the existence of your de-facto relationship to Immigration
- Your sponsor has applied for a permanent humanitarian visa
- Your relationship is registered with an Australian State or Territory government
Feeling overwhelmed? We’re here to help.
Our expert team will be at your side at every stage of your 820 partner visa journey, from understanding eligibility requirements and gathering evidence to submitting your application.
The 820 partner visa application process
The 820 partner visa is the first step for anyone with an eligible Australian or New Zealand partner and who wants to live in Australia. If that’s you, you’ll need to meet the below requirements:
“Migration agents are important when finding the right visa for you and your future, helping you to get your visa application right the first time and avoiding lengthy delays.”
Step 1: Make sure you’re eligible for the 820 partner visa
- You must be married or in a long-term de-facto relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
- You and your Australian partner wish to live in Australia
- The conditions of your current visa align with the requirements of lodging an 820 visa application
- You must be onshore when lodging your 820 visa application
Step 2: Gather your documents and prepare your 820 partner visa application
- Make sure your documentation follows 820 visa requirements (scanned colour copies, and any documents not in English will need to be translated). Read our evidence documentation checklist here
- Take note of timelines and deadlines that apply to your temporary partner visa application and your current visa
Step 3: Lodge your 820 partner visa application
- Submit your 820 partner visa application online with the Department of Home Affairs on ImmiAccount. You’ll need to lodge a combined application for a subclass 820/801 visa. (The 801 visa is a permanent residency visa.) You will initially only be assessed for the 820 visa and if successful, will be granted a temporary partner visa
- Keep an eye on your application and track updates, correspondence or Requests for Further Information (RFI). Make sure that you follow the deadlines for supplying any additional requested information
- Be patient while you wait for the Department’s decision
- If your 820 partner visa is refused, you might be eligible to get your case reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, but strict deadlines and conditions apply. Get in touch with one of our expert immigration lawyers at PAX Law to find out more about your options.
“If your visa application is refused, don’t panic – you might be able to apply for an appeal. I work closely with clients to help turn their visa refusals into positive outcomes. Time is a crucial factor when your visa is refused, so the best thing to do is get in touch with a migration lawyer as soon as possible.”
Step 4: Continue to submit evidence for your 820 partner visa
- Over the next two years, you must submit evidence to Immigration to confirm that you continue to meet the partner visa requirements (e.g. that you’ve stayed in a married or de-facto relationship with your Australian partner)
- The Department of Home Affairs will assess whether you meet the requirements for the 801 permanent residency visa
Your 820 partner visa evidence checklist
Below are some examples of the types of evidence you’ll need to include in your 820 visa application to show how you and your partner share finances, household matters, and that other people in your life know about your relationship. You don’t need to supply everything on the checklist but the more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be.
“My top tip is to gather your relationship evidence in advance – the earlier the better. Start a shared folder in Google Drive where you and your partner can keep track of documents that support proof of your relationship to make applying for the 820 partner visa easier.”
- A written statement or Statutory Declaration about your relationship, covering the history of your relationship and relationship aspects (financial, social, household, nature of commitment)
- Marriage certificate or relationship registration certificate
- Demonstrate knowledge of each other’s background, family situation or other personal details
- Have combined your personal matters
- Stay in touch when apart and can provide proof of correspondence e.g. letters, text messages, phone calls
- Documents showing how long you have been in a relationship and how long you’ve lived together
- You and your partner’s legal wills
- Documents that demonstrate your intention to continue in a long-term relationship e.g. showing how you have combined affairs, evidence of symbols of commitment like an engagement ring or details of a pregnancy
- For de-facto relationships, include evidence that you are not related by family
- Joint mortgage or lease documents
- Joint loan documents for major assets like cars, significant appliances, shares
- Joint bank account statements, or separate bank account statements that highlight relationship expenditures
- Any other documents showing that you share your finances, e.g. household bills, money transfers and direct debits, other evidence of financial support provided to each other (or family members)
- Documents showing that you and your partner have taken on legal commitments as a couple, or that one person owes a legal obligation
- A written statement describing your living arrangements and how you distribute responsibility for housework
- Documents that show joint responsibilities for children, e.g. court order, custody or guardianship documents, evidence of Centrelink benefit payments
- Documents that prove your living arrangements, like mail addressed to you and your partner at the same address
- At least two Form 888s – these are statutory declarations provided by supporting witnesses and mutual friends confirming that your relationship is genuine
- Joint invitations to events and other evidence that you go out together, like photos taken during social outings
- Social media profiles
- Documents showing that you and your partner have declared your relationship to government bodies, commercial or public institutions or other authorities, e.g. Centrelink letter, acknowledging your relationship, letters from government bodies, tax return on which both your names are mentioned
- Evidence of travel together or future travel booked, e.g. joint travel itineraries, accommodation bookings, travel insurance
“The most important thing to remember when you’re applying for an 820 partner visa is to document everything – this relationship evidence will help you in the long run.”
820 partner visa: Frequently Asked Questions
The 820 visa is the first step of getting an Australian partner visa – a temporary partner visa that lets you live in Australia while your application is being assessed. The 801 visa is the next step – a permanent partner visa that is typically granted after the temporary partner visa, giving you the right to stay in Australia for good.
The average processing time for the 820 partner visa is up to 19 months. The 820 visa processing time can also depend on your individual circumstances, like whether you’ve included all the required documents or if your application involves more complex matters, like meeting Schedule 3 criteria.
“In my experience, a lot of cases can be completed in as little as 12 months, but I’ve seen several that have taken over two years. A thorough application with plenty of supporting evidence is what will give you the best chance of a successful 820 visa grant with minimal delays.”
The 820 visa is a temporary partner visa, but it is the first step to a permanent partner visa (subclass 801). Read more about the 801 visa here.
After an 820 partner visa is granted, you’ll be allowed to reside temporarily in Australia with your partner. After two years, you’ll need to provide additional documentation to prove that you’re still eligible to be considered for a permanent visa (subclass 801).
If your 820 visa is refused, you might be able to apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) to have the decision reconsidered. This is called a ‘merits review’ and you’ll need to meet specific requirements to be considered eligible. There are strict deadlines for lodging an appeal, so it’s important to act quickly. At PAX Migration, we can help by providing professional legal advice and lodging your appeal – just ask us.
The current application fee for a partner visa is $9,365 for the main applicant and $2,345 – $4,685 for additional applicants for the 820 partner visa.
This fee covers the 820/801 joint visa application. It’s important to note that visa fees are subject to change. Other costs we recommend keeping in mind when it comes to your temporary partner visa include health examinations, translation fees and character checks, as well as any fees from working with a migration agent or lawyer.
Yes, you are allowed to work while on a subclass 820 visa.
Yes, you are allowed to travel without restriction while on a subclass 820 visa.
Not sure where to start? Let’s talk.
At PAX Migration, we’re experts in all things migration and we’ll be by your side at every stage of your 820 partner visa journey, from understanding eligibility requirements and gathering evidence to submitting your application.
About the author
Con Paxinos is a dedicated immigration expert who has helped over 200 clients with their partner visa applications.
Con holds a Bachelor of Laws and Graduate Certificate in Migration Law, a Bachelor of Commerce and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand. A recognised leader in the immigration advice industry, he’s served on the board of the Migration Institute of Australia and advisory panels to educate and improve Australia’s immigration system, including the Migration Institute Temporary Visa Program Advisory Panel (2024), the South Australian Ministerial Advisory Council for the Minister for Innovation and Skills (2020 – 2022) and is a current member of the South Australian State MIA Committee (2023 – 2025). He’s provided testimony to the Commonwealth Joint Standing Committee on Migration on four occasions (2019 – 2023) and presented at dozens of seminars and conferences on visas and migration. Con works closely with state and federal governments as well as senior officials within the Department of Home Affairs and other stakeholders in the Australian immigration ecosystem to advocate for improved policy outcomes.