Partner Visa 820 & 801

What is a Partner Visa Subclass 820 and 801?

Partner visa 820 is a temporary visa, and securing it is the first step to attaining a permanent visa (subclass 801). It lets a de facto partner (unmarried but committed to a serious relationship) or spouse live in Australia on a temporary basis.

Your length of stay as a temporary partner visa holder can extend up to 24 months or until your permanent visa application is finalised or otherwise withdrawn.

Benefits of Subclass 820/801 Partner Visa

Having a visa partner 820 gives you the following benefits and privileges:

• Reside and render work in Australia while your permanent visa is being processed
• Study in your chosen course of study and apply for scholarships for reduced fees
• Enrol in Medicare and receive healthcare services at low to no costs
• Travel to and from the country anytime, anywhere
• Apply your dependent children

If your substantive visa under subclass 801 was granted, expect the following benefits and privileges as well:

• Study in Australia with reduced fees
• Gain employment and even manage a business
• Receive Centrelink benefits for social security, such as childcare support and income subsidy
• Be eligible for the First Home Owner Grant if you buy your first house in Australia
• If your partner or dependents have low English proficiency level, they can enrol in the Adult Migration English Program and get 512 hours’ worth of free English lessons
• Your children who are under the age of 18 can study in public schools completely free of charge
• If they meet the requirements, you can sponsor other family members to Australia
• Lodge your application for Australian citizenship, provided you meet the eligibility requirements

Basic Eligibility Criteria for 820 Partner Visa

Needless to say, you need to fulfil some eligibility requirements first before being granted an appropriate visa. To be eligible for a partner 820 visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be married to or in a committed relationship with an Australian or eligible New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident Australian partner.
• You and your partner or spouse must both be of the legal age, which is 18 or older.
• If in a de facto relationship, you must have lived together for at least 12 months. Long distance relationships are typically not counted.
• You must be in excellent health. To prove this, you need to be examined by a healthcare professional and be issued a medical certificate confirming your good health.
• You must be of good moral character and have never had a history of criminal and unlawful activities.
• Your sponsoring partner, or you, as the sponsored partner, must not have been sponsored by, or has sponsored, a different partner within the last five years.

Partner Visa 820 Checklist of Requirements

To make sure your partner visa application will be successful, you must prepare a checklist of requirements and submit them accordingly, including:

Passport

You must submit electronically scanned copies of your passport pages showing your personal details, and issue and expiry dates.

Birth Certificate

It must show the names of both your parents. If you cannot provide a valid birth certificate, you can instead submit supplementary identity evidence, namely:

• Family book
• Court- or government-issued identification documents

Proof of Name Change, if any.

You must submit any of the following supporting evidence (where applicable):

• Marriage Certificate
• Deed poll
• Statutory Declaration

If married, a Marriage Certificate. If divorced or separated, Divorce Certificate or Separation papers.

Proof of cohabitation. This includes joint property ownership documents, utility bills with you and your partner’s names, joint lease agreements, and even photos of your home.

Proof of joint finances. This includes joint bank account statements, mortgage payments, joint loan agreements, and utility bills with both your names, among others.

Form 80. It is a 19-page form on “Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.

Form 888s. You must provide at least two Statutory Declarations from supporting witnesses who can confirm that you and your partner are, in fact, in a serious and committed relationship.

Police clearances. You must secure police clearance for each country, if any, that you have lived in for a year or so for the last 10 years.

Health certificates. You must have a medical certificate signed by a qualified healthcare professional indicating you are of
excellent health.

Dependent documents, if included in the application. These are identity documents such as their birth certificates, parental consent if under 18, or proof of financial dependence on the applicant.

Why Apply For This Visa With Parish Patience?

Looking for a legal partner to help with visa processing and lodgement? Here’s why the Parish Patience team is a perfect fit for your immigration goals and needs.

In legal service since 1888

Trust a team of experienced legal professionals in a highly regarded Sydney-based law firm that’s in existence for well more than 135 years.

High visa success rates

Our client results speak for themselves. We’ve assisted thousands of visa applicants become full-fledged permanent residents and Australian citizens.

Client-first approach

Your goals and needs are front and centre of what we do. We will fight for your rights for whichever visa you are best suited for.

Transparent approach

No hidden fees or unethical practices. You will be working with an Australian immigration firm that values and practises transparency and integrity.