At a glance
- Stage one
- Subclass 820, temporaryLodged and decided while you are in Australia
- Stage two
- Subclass 801, permanentAssessed after two years from the original application
- Assessed on
- Four aspects of the relationshipFinancial, household, social, commitment
- Processing priority
- Onshore applications are prioritised over offshorePer the Department's published priorities
- Consultation
- AUD 150 for 60 minutesCredited towards your professional fee
Subclass 820 and 801
What the Department is actually assessing
Not whether you love each other. Whether your relationship is genuine and continuing, judged across four specific areas. A coherent, well-organised evidence set that speaks to all four beats a large disorganised one every time.
The financial aspects of the relationship
Shared money, joint commitments, how you actually run your finances together. Joint accounts help; so does evidence of pooled responsibility.
The nature of the household
How you live together — the domestic arrangements, shared address history, division of responsibilities.
Social recognition of the relationship
That the people around you know and treat you as a couple. Statements from friends and family, shared events, joint invitations.
The nature of your commitment
The length of the relationship, how you support each other, the intention to a shared life. This is where the personal statements do real work.
Eligibility
What is required
Both stages have criteria. The first gets you a temporary visa and, usually, a bridging visa while it is decided; the second is where permanence is granted.
- 01
A sponsor
An Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen partner who sponsors you.
- 02
A genuine, continuing relationship
Married or de facto. De facto applicants generally need to show a period of living together, with limited exceptions.
- 03
Onshore lodgement
You apply while in Australia and are generally in Australia when the 820 is decided.
- 04
Two years before the permanent stage
Two years must have passed since you applied for the temporary visa before the 801 can be assessed. Some applicants qualify for earlier permanent grant.
- 05
Evidence across all four aspects
Not just volume. Coherence, consistency and dates that match.
- 06
Health and character
Examinations and police certificates for you and any children included.
How we work
What we actually do for you
You should know whether an application is viable before you spend money on it. If it is not yet, we say so and set out what would change that.
- 01
Assess the relationship evidence honestly
Before lodging, we identify the weak area — there usually is one — and what would strengthen it.
- 02
Lodge the 820, with the sponsorship
A bridging visa generally covers you while it is decided if you applied before your current visa expired.
- 03
Keep building evidence after lodgement
The permanent stage looks at the period since. People stop collecting the day they lodge, then scramble two years later.
- 04
The 801 stage
Fresh evidence for the intervening period, not a resubmission of the original file.
- 05
Through to the decision
We respond to requests from the Department at both stages.
Where it goes wrong
Why these applications fail
Refusals are rarely a surprise in hindsight. These are the patterns we see most, and all four are avoidable with advice before lodgement rather than after a decision.
Assuming the 801 is automatic
It is a separate assessment requiring fresh evidence covering the period since you applied. This catches people every year.
Stopping evidence collection at lodgement
The two years after are exactly what stage two examines. Keep the records going.
Volume instead of coherence
A shoebox of receipts is not a case. Four aspects, addressed deliberately, with documents that agree on dates.
Letting the current visa expire before lodging
Lodge onshore before expiry and a bridging visa generally covers you. Afterwards, options narrow sharply.
Fees
What we charge
General information, not personal advice. This page explains how the visa works in general terms. It is not immigration assistance for your circumstances, and reading it does not create a client relationship.
Requirements, thresholds, charges and processing priorities change. The Department of Home Affairs is the authority on current settings, and we confirm them against your case in a consultation. Reviewed August 2026.
Advice on this page is provided by a MARA-registered migration agent, MARN 1793706. In Australia only registered agents may lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee.
Migration agent consultation
60 minutes, in person or online
Full assessment of your options with customised advice. Credited towards your visa professional fee if you proceed.
AUD 150Free for Scholar Hub students
Partner Visa Onshore (Subclass 820 and 801)
Our professional fee
Document preparation, drafting and lodgement, and responses to the Department through to a decision.
On quoteAfter a consultation, fixed in writing
Our professional fees only. They exclude Department of Home Affairs visa application charges, skills assessment fees, English test fees and medical examinations.
See the full pricing page for other services.
Related pathways
Other visas we advise on
Most people are choosing between two or three of these. The immigration services page compares them side by side.
Partner offshore
309/100Applied for from outside Australia, on the same four-part evidence test.
Skilled Independent
189Points-tested permanent residence with no employer and no state involved.
Visitor visa
600Tourism, business or family visits for 3, 6 or 12 months. No work permitted.
Partner consultation
ServiceOur partner visa consultation, with a customised document checklist.
Questions
What people ask
General guidance only, and policy changes. Your own circumstances are assessed in a consultation.