If you’re preparing to lodge your partner visa application, this partner visa checklist will guide you through common errors, visa requirements and frequently asked questions.
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 the partner visa checklist expert guide
What to look out for when applying for a partner visa
As well as things to include in your partner visa application, here is a checklist of what to avoid. Below are some of the most common partner visa application errors that Immigration look out for when making assessments.
Providing information with conflicting facts or dates, or information that doesn’t align with a previous visa application are two red flags that can indicate to Immigration that your application isn’t genuine.
If you’ve previously lodged a visa application in Australia (for any type of visa), make sure that the information and documents that you supplied at the time are consistent with the information in your current application. Check that all facts and dates in your supplied information are correct. This includes details like when you met your partner, their date of birth, and any basic but significant facts about each other and your relationship.
Keep in mind that Immigration may check the information you provide against publicly available information (e.g. social media, government authorities or organisations).
“We saw a case where a client hadn’t declared their relationship on their tax return, and this inconsistency was picked up on by Immigration. Data is shared among Government departments, so it’s important to make sure that your information aligns across any publicly available information.”
“It’s important to provide accurate, complete and correct information on your visa application and supporting documents. If you become aware of an error after you’ve lodged your application, you should notify Immigration about the mistake as soon as possible, especially if it’s a key piece of information.”
If you don’t include enough supporting evidence in your visa application, it can mean increased scrutiny on your application, delays caused by Immigration having to request additional evidence, or even result in a visa refusal.
“It’s important to provide evidence on all aspects of your relationship – if there’s an area where you don’t have enough documentation, a written explanation may help to account for the shortfall.”
If you lodge a partner visa application as the de-facto partner of an Australian sponsor, you must provide evidence documenting a 12-month relationship (unless you meet one of their exemptions). You and your partner’s living arrangements play a key role in defining a de-facto relationship. If you don’t live together, or have lived together for less than 12 months, you can expect a greater level of scrutiny on your application.
“If you and your partner don’t live together or have lived together for less than 12 months, you might still be able to provide evidence of your de-facto status to satisfy Immigration, but you’ll need to include detailed explanations and evidence of why you’re living apart on a temporary basis.”
Public Interest Criteria (PIC) 4020 is a condition that means you must not provide false, bogus or misleading information on your visa application – if you do, the visa can be refused and it may also result in a 3-year ban on you being granted another Australian visa. This means it’s important to make sure that the information you include on your partner visa application is accurate, complete and genuine.
Feeling overwhelmed? We’re here to help.
Our expert team will be at your side at every stage of your partner visa journey, from understanding eligibility requirements and gathering evidence to submitting your application.
Criteria you need to meet when applying for a partner visa
Different criteria applies to different types of partner visas. When choosing a partner visa, you should consider:
- The nature of your relationship with your Australian partner (are you married or de-facto, or are you engaged?)
- Whether you will lodge your visa application onshore or offshore
Married and de-facto relationships
If you are married to or in a de-facto relationship with an Australian permanent resident or citizen, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and are located onshore, you could consider applying for the 820/801 partner visa. If you are outside Australia, the 309/100 partner visa is the offshore equivalent.
Engaged to be married
If you’re planning to marry your Australian partner in Australia, you might want to consider the 300 prospective marriage visa. You’ll need to lodge your visa application from offshore, but the visa can be granted while you’re offshore or onshore.
“There’s no ‘one size fits all’ relationship, especially when you consider that different countries, cultures and religions each adopt their own traditions and accepted standards for relationships. Arranged marriages are a common feature of many cultures, and although they may depart somewhat from the type of relationship normally seen in Australia, this doesn’t mean they won’t be accepted as meeting the partner visa requirements. The key aspect in maximising your chances of being granted a partner visa is to provide comprehensive evidence as part of your application, to demonstrate to the Department how you meet the requirements. And if particular circumstances apply, explain them! Don’t simply ignore a requirement because it doesn’t ‘fit with your relationship’. You could risk having your application refused if you do.”
Partner visa checklist: Frequently Asked Questions
When you apply for an Australian partner visa, you’ll need to provide evidence that demonstrates how you meet each of the visa requirements. To satisfy Immigration’s partner visa checklist, your evidence will need to cover the financial, social, household and commitment aspects of your relationship.
For an offshore or onshore partner visa application, your documentation should include:
- Evidence that your relationship meets the legal definition of a spouse or de-facto relationship
- Documentation on how your relationship meets financial, social, household and nature of commitment aspects
For a prospective marriage partner visa, your document checklist should include:
- Proof that you’ve met each other in person, as adults, and are known to each other
- Documentation that shows you have a genuine intention to marry within the visa period and live together as spouses
Any documents that address how you and your partner share financial responsibilities in your relationship should be included as supporting evidence for your partner visa. This could include:
- Joint purchase or loan agreements for property, vehicles or other major assets
- Joint bank account statements
- Documents that show you’ve assumed financial obligations on behalf of one another (e.g. becoming guarantor for a loan or power of attorney)
- Receipts for shared daily household expenses
- Household bills in joint names
You should aim to include evidence demonstrating that you and your partner have a relationship that is known to third parties and that meets the legal definition of a spouse or de-facto relationship for your visa application. This type of evidence might include:
- Written statements or statutory declarations from family, friends, colleagues, etc, who are known to you both
- Documentation showing that you have declared your relationship to an institution or authority and confirmation of acceptance
- Joint memberships or subscriptions for groups or organisations
- Joint travel, with evidence such as flight or accommodation bookings, travel itineraries, receipts or tickets for joint activities, photos taken during your travels
- Social media posts where you have publicly declared your relationship
- Mutual friends in common, documented with photos taken together or explained in your or your friends’ written statements
- Joint invitations and cards from third parties or letters, cards, emails or messages exchanged between you and your partner
On your partner visa checklist, you should include gathering evidence that shows how you and your partner share domestic responsibilities. This could include:
- Joint property purchase
- A joint lease agreement or rent payment receipts
- Joint utilities accounts and other shared household bills, e.g. electricity, gas, internet, phone, streaming services
- Mail addressed to either partner (jointly or separately) at the same address
- Documents demonstrating shared responsibility for care and support of children
- A written statement by you and your partner detailing how you share household chores
The commitment evidence that you include on your partner visa application should address how you and your partner plan to have a committed, long-term and exclusive spouse or de-facto relationship. Evidence should demonstrate:
- The duration of your relationship
- The length of time that you’ve lived together
- That you view your relationship as being for the long-term, with documents that show how you’ve combined your personal matters or have listed each other as your declared beneficiaries in your wills or superannuation accounts
- A knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances and backgrounds
- That you stay in contact while apart via letters, emails, messages, or phone bills or logs
- That you have plans for the future as a couple, for example, with property purchase, marriage plans, having children, travel, etc
When you apply for a prospective marriage visa, you need to include evidence that shows you have met your prospective spouse (after you’ve each turned 18), are known to each other personally, that you have a genuine intention to marry within the visa period, and that you plan to live together as spouses. This could include:
- At least two Form 888s (statutory declarations from witnesses confirming that your relationship is genuine)
- A letter from your wedding officiant
- Receipts for wedding or reception bookings
- Proof that you and your prospective spouse have stayed in touch while apart, via email, text, letters, etc
- Written statements by you and your prospective spouse (and accompanying evidence) that address the duration of your relationship, the length of time you’ve lived together (if applicable), the extent of companionship and emotional support you provide to one another, a knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances and background, and your plans for the future as a couple
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 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.