My experience with the Australian Partner Visa: 820 & 801 permanent residency granted simultaneously
After an agonising 19-month wait (and absolutely zero communication from Home Affairs), I finally became an Australian permanent resident this week, receiving my 820 (temporary) and 801 (permanent) Partner Visa grant about 30 seconds apart. I was so surprised that I burst immediately into tears— but now that I’ve calmed down a bit, I wanted to take the opportunity to share more about my personal experience with the visa application process to accompany all of the practical guides on this site!
Read my whole series on applying for the 820/801 Australian Partner Visa for more information about preparing your evidence, lodging your application, and the next steps. If you’re just beginning, start with this post to get an overview. And, as always, please remember that I am not a migration agent or affiliated with Home Affairs in any way, so all the information provided in these posts and in the comments below is based entirely on my own experience and my own understanding of the application process.
Some background on us
Those who’ve read all of my Partner Visa posts likely already know our story, but for those who are new to this site, my partner Callum and I first started dating in 2015 after we met on holiday in Byron Bay.
I’d already been living as a student in Wollongong for nearly 3 years at that point (I’m originally from Seattle, USA; read more about why I moved to Australia in this post), but he was living in Melbourne, which meant quite a lot of long drives and expensive flights during the early days of our relationship.
When I graduated from uni a few months later, I eagerly moved down to Melbourne, rented an apartment with Callum in the city, and got a Working Holiday Visa. About 7 months after that, I received a scholarship offer to do my PhD in Sydney, so we packed up and moved back to NSW together. We eventually submitted the Partner Visa application from Sydney, but I finished my PhD and we had moved back to Melbourne (again) by the time it was granted.
Waiting to apply for the Partner Visa
Even though I knew I wanted to live permanently in Australia since I first moved here in 2012, and we also met the de facto criteria after just 12 months, I made a very conscious decision to wait before applying, really for 2 reasons.
Firstly, I never wanted to feel like I was trapped in ANY relationship by my desire to get residency in Australia. Unfortunately, even waiting 3.5 years doesn’t guarantee that there will be no hiccups, and there were definitely times where both Callum and I felt the pressure of the visa hanging over our heads.
Late last year, I quite nearly walked away from the relationship, which would have meant forfeiting my visa and having to leave Australia forever— and this was probably one of the healthiest moments we had as a couple since applying. Me being fully prepared to lose the visa meant that, when I did end up staying, we both knew it wasn’t done so under duress but rather because we wanted to keep trying together.
If more time doesn’t completely erase the presence of doubt in a relationship, I do think it at least made us more equipped to weather challenges and the inevitable pressure induced by this visa. To those wondering when to apply: if you can find another temporary visa (like a student visa, WHV), just enjoy being together without any outside scrutiny for as long as you can. And when you do eventually apply, know that it likely will put some degree of pressure on your relationship— being open and honest about this is the best way to ensure it doesn’t create real problems for you.
The second reason I wanted to wait before applying was to hopefully bypass the usual 2-year waiting period between getting the 820 (temporary) and 801 (permanent) Partner Visa.
The typical progression of an Australian Partner Visa, as shown above, is that you’ll first be granted the 820 (temporary) visa and then wait a fixed period of 2 years before submitting further documentation to move over to the 801 (permanent) visa. BUT, if you’ve been with your de facto partner 3+ years at the time of application (or 2+ years if you have a child together), you can effectively go straight onto the 801, meaning you’ll get your permanent residency without a second round of evidence/application.
Naturally, this sounded very appealing, and since we were already waiting to apply for personal reasons, it wasn’t a stretch to make sure we had at least 3+ years cohabitation as de facto partners before submitting an application.
Spoiler alert: I received the 801 (permanent) visa about 30 seconds after the 820 and never had to submit a second round of documents!!
Applying for the Partner Visa
At the time of submitting our application (December 2018), Callum and I had been together 3.5 years, lived together for just over 3, travelled to more than 20 countries together, combined our finances, been on multiple overseas holidays with his and my family, and had really made a lot of effort to intertwine our lives.
Still, the application process was insanely stressful and at times felt like an impossible task, especially since I did everything myself with extremely little help from Callum ALL while I was completing a very full-on medical science PhD. Parting with $7.5k was also challenging on a student budget, but I’m proud now to say I paid for it myself (bravo to the couples who split this, though).
It took me a LONG time to get everything together and actually apply, and the uncertainty about how to organise things or what to include threatened to send me off the edge. Just know that, if you are struggling with this process, you are SO not alone (and have a look at my visa guides for help!).
Absolutely everyone who comes out the other end will tell you that it’s 1000% worth the effort when you finally receive that visa grant notification. All the years of waiting really do melt away.
After applying for the Partner Visa
After submitting the application and uploading all of our evidence in December 2018, I heard exactly NOTHING from Home Affairs. I expected that for the first year, but after we passed the 12-month mark, I was sure I’d be receiving an email from my CO requesting more evidence or just giving me some idea of what was going on with my application. That email never came.
In the meantime, I did submit my health check (after about 6 months) and my police check (after about 8 months), aiming to have a complete application that would be ready for approval as soon as a CO picked it up. Looking back, I am really thankful I did this rather than waiting for email communication from Home Affairs, which would have been a long wait.
At the start of 2020, I’d applied for a second BVB to travel to New Zealand with Callum for a short road trip, just 2 weeks and then back to work. I was shocked, then, when my BVB came back with a 12-month travel period. Everything I’d ever read about BVBs was that your visa wouldn’t be granted with an active travel period, since you are required to be onshore in Australia when the 820/801 is finally issued— I took this to mean that I wouldn’t be getting my visa until January 2021, at the earliest, and this absolutely crushed me.
All the while, I was hearing from readers who had used my blog to apply for their visa and then had it granted. And as infinitely happy as I was for all of these people (really, I am so happy for you all!!), and especially that I was able to help, it was really hard feeling like my time would never come.
To anyone experiencing this visa envy, the best advice I can give (knowing full-well that it’s easier said than done) is to not compare your experience too closely to anyone else’s. Every single application is unique, every situation different, and you’ll lose your mind obsessing over other couples’ visa outcomes when it really has NO bearing on your own outcome. Know that it WILL happen, but stressing about the when can and will drive you mad.
I couldn’t have been more surprised to sit down at my desk this Friday and see 2 emails with the subject line IMMI Grant Notification. My heart was in my throat, knowing what this must be and yet not wanting to jinx it. One look at the PDF attachment and I burst into tears.
I’ve been on one hell of a journey to get here— after living in Australia for almost 8 years and dreaming about this moment for literally thousands of days, it’s surreal to say now that I am a permanent resident. I am an Australian.
I hope this information has been helpful and I wish you so much luck on your Australian Partner Visa journey! Feel free to ask any questions below and I will do my very best to answer them.
* I am not a migration agent or affiliated with Home Affairs in any way, so all the information provided in these posts and in the comments below is based entirely on my own experience and my own understanding of the application process.
If you found this post helpful and want to contribute to some of the costs associated with running BrookeAroundTown.com, I would be infinitely grateful!
You can use the PayPal button below to donate whatever you feel this information is worth. If you aren’t able, don’t worry— I will always keep my posts free and accessible for everyone!
UPDATE: A MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who’s commented to let me know that you found these posts helpful— I can’t tell you how much it means to me to read your success stories! I worked incredibly hard to compile all of this information (while getting my PhD & teaching), but it’s genuinely been worth it to make even a small difference for my fellow immigrants.
More importantly, though, THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their own experience or answered questions for other readers in the comments below! We are building a wonderful & supportive community of Partner Visa applicants here, and every comment and question is a resource for others.
If you felt like these posts helped with your application, I’d encourage you to come back after your visa is granted (or even after various milestones) and let us all know what happened— it might mean the world to someone else struggling with this process! Best wishes to you all xx bb
The Comments
Tesh
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for sharing your experiences through this blog – you are a star! I have been granted an offshore visa (subclass 309) around 6 weeks after submitting my application. The processing times are much quicker post-COVID! I submitted my application more or less exactly as you structured it and it’s obviously the kind of detail they are looking for. We will now wait two years overseas before making the rest of the application.
Thanks a million,
Tesh
brooke
TeshHi Tesh, that does seem to be true and what a relief it must be not to wait years for a response!
Congrats on such a quick turn around and wishing you all the best 🙂
xx bb
Deborah Francois
Hi Brooke,
Thank you for your reply. I have another question, once you applied and when you were in the waiting period, did you apply for Medicare and if so, what documents were to be attached to the application.
brooke brisbine
Deborah FrancoisHi Deborah,
Yes, I did apply for Medicare right away– it’s super simple, all you need to do is bring a few documents to a Service Centre and they’ll sort you out. I have some instructions in this post: https://brookebeyond.com/australian-permanent-residency-through-820-801-partner-visa
Lee
Hi Brooke,
I got my PR after following your guide on this blog. Thank you so so muchh! I am just wondering if it is possible for you to share your path to apply for citizenship as well? Thanks heaps
brooke brisbine
LeeCongratulations, Lee!! I will absolutely share more about the citizenship application process in the coming year 🙂
Deborah
Hi Brooke,
I hope you are doing well. Finding your blog has been life saving and so very helpful. This visa is for sure stressful and I am in the process of applying. I have one question regarding the non-migrating family members part in the online application. While I have written down information of my non-migrating family, are their identification documents such as national ID and Passport need to also be uploaded and certified?
Thank you again for this fabulous blog. Looking forward for your response!
Regards,
Deb
brooke brisbine
DeborahHi Deborah, so happy to hear you found all this info helpful!
Thankfully, there’s no need to certify or upload documents for any of your non-migrating family members, so if you’ve answered the question completely within the online application (name, DOB, ID, etc for each family member), that will cover it!
Mark
Youre Welcome!
Raja
Hey Guys,
Is there anyway we can contact the case office ? I tried calling the immigration number they are just reading what is the webpage.
Thank you
GaeScott
Hi Brooke,
I have solved the problem. I send a letter to my IMMI application letting them know the 28 day timeframe wasn’t possible. I had my fingerprints done at my local police station in a small rural town in WA. Major police stations aren’t doing them in WA now, you have to go to a company that does them. I then had to contact an RCMP approved company in Canada who submit the fingerprints and handle the application for the police check. It cost $300. A little complicated and this may only apply toWA.
The partner visa has now been granted! 820/801 at the same time! Such a relief.
One question I have for you is; do I have to apply for PR now or is the visa all I need to stay in Australia? I thought I read that you applied for PR.
Again I want to thank you for all the fabulous information, it was gold!
Happy travels.
Regards,
Gae
brooke brisbine
GaeScottThanks so much for sharing your experience, Gae, and a huge congratulations on getting your visa granted!
If you’ve been approved for both the 820 and 801, there is no need to do anything else for PR– it is yours! The only thing you might need to be aware of is that the 801 only allows you to travel in and out of Aus for 5 years and after that time you’ll need either to apply for citizenship or a “resident return” visa. Again, this doesn’t affect your PR in Australia, you’re still fully entitled to live there and never leave if you want, but there is an additional step if you’re planning to travel.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Benya
brooke brisbineHi Brooke,
Congrats on your PR. Just wondering after 801 assessment does it take long to be granted PR.
Thanks.
Benya
brooke brisbine
BenyaHi Benya,
Both my 820 and 801 were granted on the same day, but in typical cases, it should be 2yrs.
Anonymous
BenyaThey are processing good speed these days. I lodge 801 application last Sunday 3 months after 820 approval and approved 3 days latyer the 801, didnt even have time to upload photo eveidence though had most other docs
brooke brisbine
AnonymousThanks so much for sharing your experience, that’s great!
Gae Scott
Hi Brooke,
I received a request for Canadian police certificate. I’m unsure if I need to get fingerprints done or if it’s DOB and name. I can’t find any information on the IMMI site. They have requested it in 28 days which is highly unlikely with processing times and mail from North America to Australia. Currently regular mail is taking 6 weeks from Vancouver to Perth. Guessing because they are asking for this the file has been assigned to a CO. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Gae Scott
brooke brisbine
Gae ScottHi Gae,
Many apologies that I can’t help with this query, but perhaps another reader will see it and shed some light?
If you’ve already solved it yourself, Gae, we’d love to hear about your experience, as it might help future Canadian applicants.
Cheers,
Brooke
Raj
Hi Brooke,
My wife received 820 visa they haven’t granted her 801 (Permanent visa). We have been married for almost 5 years now and have a child. They haven’t asked any extra documents. Is there any way I can request them to process this application? I even called the immigration office they were just reading what is in the webpage. Not sure how to request them to grant the 801. Please advise
Thank you
brooke brisbine
RajHi Raj,
On the 820 approval letter, was there an email for your CO? Contact them directly, because you should be eligible for that exemption and it’s been overlooked.
Walter Carter
So Happy for you Brooke! I’m a fellow American and I just received my 801 today (28 July 2021), two months after receiving my 820. You gave me hope that I could receive my 801 quickly upon receiving my 820. Your story had a positive affect with me. Sending many blessings and positive energy your way.
brooke brisbine
Walter CarterThanks so much for the lovely comment, Walter, and all the best to you and your partner!
x Brooke
Josh
Congrats on your PR! That means tomorrow 24th of July you are able to apply for citizenship! :O (I was checking the residence calculator for myself on the Department of Home Affairs website, since I came to Australia on a student visa in 2018 and if I got approved for PR this year in 2021 and need to be on PR for 1 year, next year in 2022 I can start to apply for citizenship). So assuming you would be able to apply for your citizenship tomorrow since you were a PR on 24 of July last year.
I am in the same situation as you were. I was an international student from San Francisco on a student visa in 2018. I applied for 801/820 back in August 2019 and registered as a DeFacto relationship in March 2019 and my 820 was approved on the 30th of May this year. It took almost 2 years to get approved for the temporary visa even though we had lots and lots of evidence, financials, travels together, statutory declarations and so forth. Now, after August 2021 is when I can apply for the Permanent 801. I feel you, it has been a very stressful journey (they don’t make this easy), and I hope the 801 will be easier to get approved and do not have to wait for another 2 years for it to be approved. Especially getting police clearance from the US was not easy, I had to submit fingerprints and send it back to the FBI to get clearance and it took forever to mail out due to COVID. Dreading the process of the 801 visa, but hopefully it won’t take long than me having to wait for the 820 for 2 years to approve and hopefully it will be very easy. Very happy that you got approved simultaneously! Hope all is well with you and take care!
PS: Glad to have found your blog and hear it as a successful journey!
brooke brisbine
JoshHi Josh,
Thanks for sharing your experience! Since it’s taken ME so long to reply to this comment, I wonder if you’ve now been granted the 801?
Either way, wishing you and your partner the best!
-Brooke