Uploading evidence to our 820/801 Australian Partner Visa application
Collecting and organising evidence for your 820/801 Partner Visa is absolutely the most stressful part of the entire application, and this confusion is only magnified by the scarcity of information provided on the Home Affairs site.
If you’re struggling with your evidence, just know that you’re not alone! Callum and I had 5 years of documents and photos to include, and at times it felt like an impossible amount of information to convey to another human being. Still, we managed to find a way to tell our story with this evidence and my application was granted with no requests for additional information (and I went straight onto the 801 permanent visa without waiting on the 820).
It’s important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” document checklist and there is no single “right” way to upload things to this application. I might have filed documents under Evidence of Relationship that you think are better suited to Length of Relationship, and that’s entirely your call to make. This post is just an example of what the upload portal actually looks like and how we organised our documents— I hope it will help you find a way to tell your own unique story!
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 to read about our story). 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
If you haven’t been following along with all of my partner visa posts, Callum and I first started dating in 2015 after we met at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay. I’d already been living as a student in Sydney for nearly 3 years at that point (I’m originally from Seattle, USA), but he was living in Melbourne, which meant quite a lot of long drives and expensive flights during the first few months of our relationship.
When I graduated 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 got a scholarship offer to do my PhD in Sydney, so we packed up and moved back to NSW together.
At the time of submitting our application (December 2018), we’d been together 3.5 years, lived together for 3, travelled to more than 20 countries together, combined our finances, been on overseas holidays with his and my family, and had really intertwined our lives in just about every possible way.
When the application was granted 19 months later (July 2020), I received the permanent 801 visa just 1 minute after the 820 temporary visa, completely bypassing the usual 2-year waiting period. We were never contacted by a CO and there were no requests for additional information, so I can assume our evidence was pretty thorough!
Important things to remember
- You are limited to 100 documents, and even though that sounds like heaps, it will go far quicker than you think! Group similar documents into a single PDF, copy and paste photos into a word document rather than uploading them individually, and make sure you upload the essential stuff first before you get to all the fluff.
- Your documents need to be under 5MB, which means you’ll want to compress large PDFs (SmallPDF only allows you to compress 2 documents an hour, but just clear your cookies to reset the counter) and avoid submitting unnecessarily high resolution images. This might also mean that you have to split PDFs into multiple parts (e.g. “Financial Documents 2015” and “Financial Documents 2016”, etc.).
- Give documents logical names, like “Joint Travel Photos 2015” so it’s easy for the CO to sift through your application (and also easy for you to reference specific documents in your statements).
- Upload documents for both you and your partner to the main application.
- You must submit and pay for your application before uploading any documents.
- You can continue uploading new documents to your application for as long as you want. It’s a good idea to provide ongoing evidence of your relationship (more photos, new lease, recent trips, etc) while you’re waiting to be approved!
Getting to the upload portal
Within your IMMI Account (on the My Applications page), select your partner visa application by clicking “View Details“. Under the “Actions” tab on the left hand side, select “Attach Documents“, which will take you to the upload portal. You’ll now see two different expandable sections, one with your name and one with your partner’s name.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this, so it’s probably good to reiterate that you will only be able to upload documents after you’ve submitted the online application and paid! As far as I can tell, there is no official time limit to upload documents, but it’s best to provide a complete application as quickly as possible just to avoid potential delays in processing.
To really give you an idea of the upload process and provide a bit more information about what you might want to submit, I’ve included all the evidence sections that are displayed as “Recommended” (even if I didn’t personally upload anything under that heading and even if they don’t apply to everyone), as well as the description provided by Home Affairs and some notes from me where clarification is necessary. Lastly, I’ve written out a complete list of all the evidence I uploaded to each section of my own application!
Applicant documents
Form 80 Personal Particulars for Character Assessment
Attach a completed and signed Personal particulars for character assessment form (Form 80).
My uploads
- FORM 80 Brooke: Uploaded as a single PDF (find the form here)
Character Assessment, Evidence of Intention to Obtain
Provide evidence of your intention to obtain the relevant character assessments. This may include a receipt for an application for a police check.
Notes from BB: You are required to supply a federal police check from every country you’ve lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years. If you have already paid for the checks and are just waiting on results, you can upload a receipt here (more info about the actual checks under “Character, Evidence of”). Read more about completing your AFP police check in this post and your FBI checks in this post.
Citizenship – Not Australian, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your citizenship of any country other than Australia. This may include your passport or proof of citizenship certificate issued by the country. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- PASSPORT BROOKE: Don’t worry about certifying this, a colour scan is perfectly acceptable for an online application
Photograph – Passport
Provide a recent passport photograph (45mm x 35mm). This should be of the head and shoulders only, and should show the person facing the camera, against a plain background and must be less than six months old. Print the name of the person on the back of the photograph.
My uploads
- PASSPORT PHOTO BROOKE: For $19, Auspost will send you a digital copy of your passport photo, perfectly sized for upload to your application
Character, Evidence of
If you have lived in Australia for a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years (these 12 months are calculated cumulatively, not consecutively) you are required to provide an Australian Federal Police (AFP) clearance by completing a National Police Check Online Application Form. You also need to provide a similar police check from every country you’ve lived in for more than 12 months.
Notes from BB: Submitting these police checks at the time of application is referred to as “front loading” or having a “decision-ready application”, but it seems to have fallen out of fashion as wait times have gotten longer and longer. The original idea was that, by giving the CO everything they need to approve your application without any follow-up, you’d get a decision much quicker. Given that police and medical checks are only valid for one year and visa processing times often extend far beyond this, most applicants wait for the CO to request the checks rather than risking expiration (and having to re-do the expensive checks). After giving a lot of thought to this, we decided not “front load” our application and instead wait for some time to pass before completing these checks.
UPDATE: 6-7 months after submitting my application and this initial evidence, I completed police checks and uploaded them to this category. You can read more about completing your AFP police check in this post and your FBI checks in this post.
Registered Relationship, Evidence of
Provide evidence that your relationship is registered under a law of a state or territory prescribed in the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2008 as a kind of relationship prescribed in those regulations.
My uploads
- RELATIONSHIP CERTIFICATE: A colour scan of our NSW Relationship Registration
Contact While Apart, Evidence of
Provide evidence of contact between you both while you were apart from each other.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- STATEMENT OF CONTACT WHILE APART: Just a written statement about me and Callum living together uninterrupted for our entire de facto relationship, providing dates of when we were long distance prior to moving in together and when we travelled separately on a few occasions
- CALENDAR OF VISITS: Print-outs from my iCal showing all the dates Callum and I saw each other before we moved in together as a de facto couple
- MESSAGES WHILE APART: 120 pages of iMessages between me and Callum during the times we travelled separately
Form 956 Advice by a Migration Agent/Exempt Person
Provide a completed and signed Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance.Access to complete this form online may be available from the ‘Update details’ section in ImmiAccount.
Notes from BB: We chose not to use a migration agent, so we had nothing to include here.
Form 956A Appointment or Withdrawal of an Authorised Recipient
Provide a completed and signed Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient. Access to complete this form online may be available from the ‘Update details’ section in ImmiAccount.
Notes from BB: We completed the application on our own, so we did not need to submit this form.
Address – Residential, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your residential address. This may include your driver’s licence or utilities account.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BROOKE: Our current lease agreement with my name and two bills addressed to me at our address, combined in one PDF
Photograph – Other
Provide a recent photograph of the visa applicant (other than a passport photograph).
My uploads
- RECENT PHOTOS BROOKE
Military Discharge, Evidence of
Provide a certified copy of your military discharge.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to me, so I didn’t submit anything under this heading.
National Identity Document (other than Passport)
Provide a certified copy of your national identity card/s (other than your passport). You must provide a copy of both sides of each card.
My uploads
- SOCIAL SECURITY CARD BROOKE
Family Register and Composition Form (if applicable)
Provide evidence of your family composition. You can provide a copy of your family register book (if your country issues one). Applicants applying from China should provide a copy of their family register book (Hukou) and Form 54 Family Composition which can be found on the Department’s website. Applicants applying from Indonesia must provide a copy of their Family Card (Kartu Keluarga).
Notes from BB: It’s not common that people include this information, according to what I’ve read on the forums, so we left this section blank.
Travel Document
Provide evidence of your travel document. This may include a certified copy of the personal particulars/photo (bio-data) page. This is the page of the passport which shows the name and date of birth, passport number, issue and expiry date, and photograph of the holder. If you do not have a passport and are not able to obtain one, please provide a certified copy of your Document for Travel to Australia (DFTTA) or a Titre de Voyage (Convention Travel Document).
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- PASSPORT BROOKE
Length of the De Facto Relationship, Evidence of
Provide evidence of the length of the de facto relationship.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF PARTNER VISA: Stat dec from my mum about her staying in our shared apartment in 2015 and 2018, travelling with us over the years, Callum visiting her without me in America, etc
- 6 MONTH RELATIONSHIP UPDATE: About 6 months after submitting the application, I uploaded a PDF document with a cover letter detailing our previous 6 months together, a table of contents, and a bunch of new supporting documents, like photos, invitations, travel bookings, etc
Medical Examination, Evidence of Intention to Undergo
Provide evidence of your intention to undergo a medical examination. This may include a certified copy of your receipt for a medical examination.
Notes from BB: You are required to undergo a health check to make sure that you are not bringing any dangerous communicable diseases into Australia, but as with the police check, this is only valid for a year, so I decided to wait to submit mine.
UPDATE: I completed my health assessment about 6 months after submitting my visa, but BUPA automatically delivered my results to Home Affairs, so I never did upload anything here. To find out more about how to complete your own health check, read this post.
Nature of the Couple’s Household, Evidence of
Provide evidence of the nature of the couple’s household.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- EVIDENCE OF SHARED PET: Vet bills and receipt for the joint purchase of our cat, plus photos of us with our cat over the years
- BILLS AND MAIL ADDRESSED TO SHARED ADDRESSES: 2x pieces of mail addressed to me and 2x addressed to Callum at our shared address during every 6 month period of our relationship (showing consistent cohabitation)
- PHOTOS OF SHARED APARTMENT: Photos of our shared bedroom and other areas of our home on a single page
Form 888 Statutory Declaration by a Supporting Witness in Relation to a Partner Visa Application
Attach a completed and signed Statutory declaration by a supporting witness in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application form (Form 888).
Notes from BB: You are required to include the name and details of at least 2 witnesses when completing your online application, but as I mentioned earlier, more is surely not a bad thing, so we uploaded 9 total stat decs from family and friends (find the form here and read more about it in this post)
My uploads
- FORM 888- Callum’s dad
- FORM 888- Callum’s mum
- FORM 888- Callum’s sister
- FORM 888- Our mutual friend
- FORM 888- Callum’s school friend
- FORM 888- Callum’s work colleague
- FORM 888- My friend
- FORM 888- My friend
- FORM 888- My work colleague
Relationship – Spouse, De Facto Partner, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your relationship with your spouse/de facto partner. This may include a certified copy of your marriage certificate, family book, household booklet or family composition evidence.
Notes from BB: There’s a little drop-box with options for this section, see the screenshot below.
My uploads
- APPLICATION COVER LETTER: I wrote a nice letter to our future CO explaining that we were waiting to undergo background and health checks until required and that we were happy to provide additional information as requested
- DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONSHIP: I wrote about 6 pages on the history of our relationship, from when we met all the way through to our future plans together
- RELATIONSHIP STATEMENT CALLUM: Callum also wrote a similar statement (albeit much shorter) and signed it
- SOCIAL ASPECTS STATEMENT: I wrote about all the events we’ve attended together and the travel we’ve done as a couple over the years, referencing specific dates and photos contained in other attachments
- JOINT PHOTOS 2015: Collection of photos of me and Callum together in 2015, all with captions
- JOINT PHOTOS 2016: Collection of photos of me and Callum together in 2016, all with captions
- JOINT PHOTOS 2017: Collection of photos of me and Callum together in 2017, all with captions
- JOINT PHOTOS 2018: Collection of photos of me and Callum together in 2018, all with captions
- FACEBOOK SCREENSHOTS: Screenshots of statuses where we tagged each other, photos we were both in, posts between Callum and my mum, our relationship status, etc.
- JOINT TRAVEL BOOKINGS: 40 pages of plane tickets, train tickets, and other travel bookings from the 20 countries we’ve visited together
- JOINT EVENTS: A collection of Facebook invites, gig tickets, and invitations to events with both of our names on them
- FINANCIAL STATEMENT BROOKE: Statement from me about our joint accounts and joint savings goals
- FINANCIAL STATEMENT CALLUM: A signed statement from Callum about how we share finances, how he bought me a car, how he is saving for our house deposit
- JOINT EXPENSES: A collection of bills, travel bookings, and other expenses paid for by one of us, showing that we each contribute financially
- CAR: Receipt from the car Callum bought me, insurance policy with both names, receipt from the rego that I paid
Health, Evidence of
You are required to provide additional information as part of the health assessment process for your visa application. For more information about the exact documentation required, click on the Attach document link.
Notes from BB: You are required to undergo a health check to make sure that you are not bringing any dangerous communicable diseases into Australia, but as with the police check, this is only valid for a year, so I decided to wait to submit mine.
UPDATE: I completed my health assessment about 6 months after submitting my visa, but BUPA automatically delivered my results to Home Affairs, so I never did upload anything here. To find out more about how to complete your own health check, read this post.
Divorce/Separation, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your divorce or separation. This may include a certified copy of your divorce decree absolute or court documents.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to our situation, so there was nothing for me to upload under this heading.
Identity, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your identity. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
My uploads
- AUSTRALIAN ID BROOKE: I scanned my Australian Driver Licence, student card, WWCC, and healthcare card onto a single page
Nature of the Couple’s Mutual Commitment to Each Other, Evidence of
Provide evidence of the nature of the couple’s mutual commitment to each other.
My uploads
- COMMITMENT STATEMENT BROOKE: Statement from me about our involvement with one another’s family and our long-terms goals together
- COMMITMENT STATEMENT CALLUM: Signed statement from Callum about our mutual commitment and future plans
- BENEFICIARY: Screenshot from both my Super and Callum’s Super showing the other as full beneficiary
- EMERGENCY CONTACT: Screenshot from my Uni account showing Callum as my emergency contact
- TATTOO PHOTO: Photo of the matching tattoos Callum and I got in Indonesia
- STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF PARTNER VISA: Stat dec from my dad detailing all the time he’s spent with Callum, either when we visited America or when we’ve travelled with him
- STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF PARTNER VISA: Stat dec from my stepmother about how she believes our relationship is genuine and how Callum is considered part of the family
- JOINT FAMILY PHOTOS: Collection of photos of me with Callum’s family and him with my family throughout the years, all with captions
- CHRISTMAS CARDS: Three years of Christmas cards sent out by my parents that have included a photo of me and Callum and have signed his name at the bottom as part of the “Brisbine family”
Change of Name, Evidence of
Provide evidence of any name change. This may include your marriage certificate or change of name certificate. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to our situation, so there was nothing for me to upload under this heading.
Couple are Living Together, Evidence of
Provide evidence that the couple are living together.
My uploads
- EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION STATEMENT: Details from me about the addresses we’ve lived at together and when we moved in
- BOND RECEIPTS: Official bond receipts with both of our names from all 3 properties we’ve lived at together
- LEASE AGREEMENTS: Signed lease agreements in both names for all 3 properties we’ve lived at together
- REAL ESTATE CORRESPONDENCE: A collection of letters and emails between us and the various agents we have had over the years
- CURRENT ADDRESS: Mail addressed jointly to me and Callum at our current property
Form 1221 Additional Personal Particulars Form
Provide a completed and signed Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information for applicants aged 18 years and over.
My uploads
- FORM 1221 BROOKE: Find the form here
Birth or Age, Evidence of
Provide a certified copy of your full birth certificate. If your country of birth does not issue birth certificates, provide written notification stating this, and provide your country’s equivalent documentation, such as secondary school certificate, family book extracts or family census register.
My uploads
- BIRTH CERTIFICATE BROOKE: Colour scan of my birth certificate
Military Service, Evidence of
Provide a certified copy of your military service record.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to me, so I didn’t upload anything under this heading.
Marriage, Evidence of
Provide evidence of marriage.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to our situation, so there was nothing for me to upload under this heading.
Sponsor documents
Form 40SP- Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
Attach a completed and signed Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia form (Form 40SP).
Callum’s uploads
- FORM 40SP: Find the form here
Character Assessment, Evidence of Intention to Obtain
Provide evidence of your intention to obtain the relevant character assessments. This may include a receipt for an application for a police check.
Notes from BB: See my notes under this same heading in Applicant documents.
Citizenship – Australian, Evidence of
Provide evidence of Australian citizenship. For more detailed information on when and how you may have acquired Australian citizenship and the documents you will need to support your claim, use Tables A-E. You might be required to provide additional documents to those listed in the tables. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
Callum’s uploads
- PASSPORT CALLUM: A colour scan is perfectly acceptable for an online application
Australian Permanent Residence, Evidence of
Provide evidence that the person supporting your application is an Australian permanent resident. This may include a certified copy of a Residence Certificate or letter/statement from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).
Notes from BB: Callum is an Australian citizen by birth, so we didn’t submit anything under this heading.
Eligible New Zealand Citizen, Evidence of
Provide evidence that your sponsor is an eligible New Zealand citizen. This may include a certified copy of your sponsor’s New Zealand passport or proof of citizenship certificate.
Notes from BB: Callum is an Australian citizen by birth, so we didn’t submit anything under this heading.
Character, Evidence of
If you have lived in Australia for a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years (these 12 months are calculated cumulatively, not consecutively) you are required to provide an Australian Federal Police (AFP) clearance by completing a National Police Check Online Application Form. You also need to provide a similar police check from every country you’ve lived in for more than 12 months.
Notes from BB: See my notes under this same heading in Applicant documents.
Address – Residential, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your residential address. This may include your driver’s licence or utilities account.
Callum’s uploads
- RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS CALLUM: Our current lease agreement with Callum’s name and two bills addressed to him at our address, combined in one PDF
National Identity Document (other than Passport)
Provide a certified copy of your national identity card/s (other than your passport). You must provide a copy of both sides of each card.
Notes from BB: We didn’t upload anything under this category.
Divorce/Separation, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your divorce or separation. This may include a certified copy of your divorce decree absolute or court documents.
Notes from BB: This didn’t apply to our situation, so there was nothing to upload under this heading.
Identity, Evidence of
Provide evidence of your identity. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
Callum’s uploads
- AUSTRALIAN ID CALLUM: Scanned copy of Callum’s Australian Driver Licence, Medicare card, trade qualification, and credit card showing his name, all on a single page
Change of Name, Evidence of
Provide evidence of any name change. This may include your marriage certificate or change of name certificate. Provide a scanned copy of your original document.
Notes from BB: Callum hasn’t changed his name, so there was nothing to upload under this heading.
Birth or Age, Evidence of
Provide a certified copy of your full birth certificate. If your country of birth does not issue birth certificates, provide written notification stating this, and provide your country’s equivalent documentation, such as secondary school certificate, family book extracts or family census register.
Callum’s uploads
- BIRTH CERTIFICATE CALLUM: Colour scan of Callum’s Australian birth certificate
What’s next?
Your application is now complete (for the moment), so take a break and celebrate! As you wait for your application to be processed over the next year or two, though, you will need to upload additional documents. Specifically:
- COMPLETING YOUR HEALTH CHECK ASSESSMENT: 6 months after submitting my application, I completed my health assessment (BUPA automatically uploads the results to your application)
- COMPLETING AFP NATIONAL POLICE CHECKS (NPC): 7-8 months after submitting my application, I completed my AFP (Australian) and FBI (American) police checks and uploaded the results
- Updates on your relationship: 6, 12 & 18 months after submitting my application, I uploaded evidence of our continued relationship as a PDF letter, which included new photos, recent travel details, event invitations, and general updates from our relationship
- Information about changes in circumstance: you need to alert Home Affairs if your contact details change, your relationship ends, etc ASAP. If you and your partner move house together, make sure to update BOTH addresses!
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 the blog, 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
Mei
Hi Brooke,
I found your blog when I was looking for evidence that should be provided. Thank you for writing about your experience when applying for an Australian partner visa really detail. That’s helped me a lot when I’d to apply for a partner visa in a week haha. I feel like you guided me very detailed and well. And my temporary partner visa 820 was granted in 74 days. Just need to wait my 801 now.
I pray for you that you’ll always be healthy and happy. 🙂
Cheers,
brooke brisbine
MeiThanks so much for the sweet message, Mei! And congratulations on getting your 820 approved so quickly, that’s great news 🙂
Wishing you all the best on the next stages of this journey!
xx bb
Lewis
Hello Brooke,
I am not one to normally comment on anything social media/internet related BUT, this blog has been a god send.
I have just received my 801 visa grant in just 82 days, which is remarkable. What is even crazier is the 820 took only 41 days to arrive! However, I pestered immigration through the processing forms, questioning why I didn’t receive a ‘double award’ due to being married and with my partner for 5 years at the time of application. Otherwise, the ‘double award’ could have taken 41 days too!
Seriously, thank you so much. This made the applying for the partner visa so much easier and the amount of detail involved helped aid my anxiety around the process.
Congratulations on your receiving your PR and good luck in all your future endeavours.
All the best,
Lewis.
brooke brisbine
LewisLewis, WOW, that is such an incredible turn-around time on your application! It honestly makes me so happy that IMMI has sped the process up so much, it is an agonising wait and I know people who waited YEARS…
A massive congratulations and, I’m sure, a massive relief to you!
All the best,
xx bb
Madison
brooke brisbineThis is huge Lewis! Congrats!!
Brooke – have you heard of others who have bipassed having to do the full 801 application (which feels like the 820 all over again) by email IMMI asking to grant their 801 as they’ve been together long enough, and utilizing all the info in their 820 app?
brooke brisbine
MadisonHi Madison, that’s very much true– I got my 820 and 801 granted simultaneously because we’d been together for several years. It’s discussed in some of these posts, but I included a letter with my application that specifically requested the dual grant. I’ve heard of people NOT requesting it and it seems to be a gamble if the agent grants it to you automatically or not, but no one who’s asked (or followed up to ask) ever seems to have an issue, so it’s worth doing!
Hope that helps 🙂
xx bb
Dina
Hello,
My name is Dina and I am doing the same thing! You have done a great job here! Just a question, do I have to upload the documents first and then I get the bridging visa?
Thank you so much! 🙏
Keely
Hey!! I’m not sure you’re still responding to comments left here, but I thought I’d give it a go as theres only so much googling a girl can do before she goes cross eyed!! I’m just wondering whether the sponsor needs to upload any evidence such as photos/ticket stubs etc, or can we just reference the evidence I upload for my partner part? I may get him to do a few photos, maybe his favourites or something just as an extra, but I’m concerned we have to do more than I think for the sponsor application. Thanks so much, and thanks so much for these blog posts… theyve been extremely helpful!
Keely xxx
brooke brisbine
KeelyHi Keely, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply, it’s been a real year!), yes you can reference uploads from the main application, no need to re-upload.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Sage
Hi Brooke I’m not sure where else to turn as I cant find anything online, my partner and I have moved but I only seem to be able to update my own address as I am the applicant. I’m not sure how to update my partner/sponsors address details.
brooke brisbine
SageHi Sage, I had difficulty with the same thing– I just uploaded a letter explaining the change of address!
Hope that helps 🙂
xx bb
Olivia
Hi Brooke. I’m applying for my partner visa at the moment, when I get to the end of the application there was a page to attach documents before I can pay. When I press Next a box pops up for me to give reasons why all required evidence hasn’t been submitted. Just wondering if this was the same for you? Would I not be able to submit any evidence after I pay? Many thanks!
Olivia
brooke brisbine
OliviaHi Olivia, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply), yes you can still upload evidence after payment.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Yamini
Hi Brooke!
Thank you so much for this helpful article. I recently submitted my partner visa application by following most of the information provided by you here.
Please assist us with the below query:
We have named the files, for example, Applicant_Passport & Sponsor_Passport, and while uploading there wasn’t a separate section with the Sponsor name to upload the documents, so we uploaded both Applicant & Sponsor documents to the primary partner visa application. After a day or two, Sponsor’s name appeared at the bottom of the “Attach document” page.
Do I have to upload the same documents to the Sponsor section again, don’t you think it will create duplicates and confuse the case officer? What should I do?
Please suggest.
Thanks
brooke brisbine
YaminiHi Yamini, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply!), yes you only need to upload documents ONCE to the main application and not duplicates to the sponsor application as well.
Hope that helps someone!
xx bb
Nolwenn
Hi Brooke ! First I want to say a huge thank you for this blog, I submitted my application, but you attached evidences that I didn’t even think about it, so I will had more ☺️. So thank you thank you !!
However, I have a question, when I want to attach documents under my partner’s name, I don’t have any possibility. Does he has to have an immiaccount and do it on his account ? I’m very confused, I can do whatever I want under my name, but nothing under his name.
I will appreciate a lot your feedback ! 🥰
brooke brisbine
NolwennHi Nolwenn, you only need to upload evidence to your application, it will be considered across both yours and your partners’.
Hope that helps!
xx bb
Billie
Hi Brooke,
Firstly, I just wanted to thank you for allllllll this information! It has been such a huge help.
I just wanted to ask a couple questions please:
1 – Does my partner also need to undergo police and medical checks to support the Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia application?
2 – STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF PARTNER VISA – When your mum signed this, was the signature witnessed and signed by a JP, or was your mum’s signature enough?
Thanks!
Billie
brooke brisbine
BillieHi Billie, so sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I’m sure this is too late to be helpful. But in case anyone else is reading, no you don’t need anyone to witness a letter from foreign family members.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Simone
Hey
Thank you so much for this information it was such a great help and guidance going through our partner visa journey 🙏
Just wondering did you have to do the second stage of the visa, we had the first stage granted and have to do the second stage soon ehhhh do yoy have any tips ?
Thanks so much
brooke brisbine
SimoneHi Simone,
I didn’t personally have to go through the second application since my 820/801 came through at the same time, but I know others on here have, so perhaps someone can weigh in!
xx bb
Natalie
Hey Brooke,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this blog it has been so much help while I complete my partner visa application. I have been living in Australia for about 4.5 years with my partner who I am now engaged to. I studied here on a student visa and have been on the post graduate visa for the last two years.
I do just have a question. I have completed the 27 pages of personal information and details for the first part of the application. However, unlike your application it wants me to submit all my documents before paying the application fee. Im, not sure if they have changed the rules on this. But I also don’t have the options to submit everything such as an Australian police check it only asks for my American FBI check ext. I am worried that if I submit my application without some of the major key items that you had listed I will get my application denied.
Im wondering if its because they have a lot of this information from my previous visas? Or they will just ask me for more information after I submit? Please let me know if you know anything about this or anyone who has had a similar experience!
Thank you so much!:)
Anny
Hi Brooke,
I’ve found this super helpful for our Partner Visa Preparation. I have revisited this again after 6 months of lodging our Partner Visa 820. I have a question regarding the below:
“Updates on your relationship: 6, 12 & 18 months after submitting my application, I uploaded evidence of our continued relationship as a PDF letter, which included new photos, recent travel details, event invitations, and general updates from our relationship”
I wanted to ask how many pages was this PDF letter and how did you format it? I was going to include documents that I submitted in the beginning such as Joint Bank Statements, Joint Bills, Photos, Social Events, Text Messages/Calls during the 6 month period; but I’m afraid this will be alot of documents to fit into a single PDF Letter as you have mentioned.
Any insights into gathering 6 month relationship update would be great!
Thank you.
brooke brisbine
AnnyHi Anny, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply, it’s been a real year!), you can format it however you choose. Mine was literally just a chronological account of the last few months and maybe a couple photos, just basically showing that the relationship was continuing.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Lily
Hi Brooke,
Thank you for writing this blog it is extremely helpful. I am now preparing a Form 309 (offshore) so it is very similar to the onshore application. May I ask what documents need to be certified (as I need these to be done before a notary public).
Thank you!!
Lily xx
Joey
Hello Brooke! Thank you for all the helpful guides and tips! I appreciate you sharing all this infos.
I want to ask, I and my wife live in a house were renting from a private homeowner and all the bills are addressed to them but we are the one who pays them, how can I send them this evidence? any insights about this? Thank you and more blessings to you!
Cami
Hello Brooke! I just want to ask, do I need to get all the statements witnessed? e.g the financial aspect statement? Thank you xx
brooke brisbine
CamiHi Cami, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply, it’s been a real year!), no you don’t need to have those statements witnessed.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Luke
Hi Brooke,
My partner has just received her visa grant letter..
We applied back in May, however processing times are much faster atm due to the reduction
in applications during Covid… so we are quite lucky to have this finalized so soon!
I just wanted to stop by and leave a comment to thank you for providing this checklist.
You really helped us a lot!
Thank you,
Luke
brooke brisbine
LukeAmazing news, Luke! Congratulations to you both!!
xx bb
HARVI
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU ARE A LEGEND. I WISH YOU HAPPY LIFE WITH CALLUM.
Anonymous
Hi Brooke,
I just wanna say I am super grateful for finding your blog. I am pretty sure you have helped so many applicants out there, including me.
I wish you all the best and Many Thanks again
Gracie
Alexia Castaneda Thiele
Hi Brooke,
Hope you are having a great week. I’m Lexiee,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us applying for the visa and for being very specific to every detail! very helpful, and I’m applying with the same visa you’ve applied for. and we just got Married last May 7, 2022. I just want to ask regarding the criminal record I need to provide, Is it only to the country I stayed more than 12 months? not all the countries I visited for a month or less than 12 months? We r very confused about this part, and for uploading a passport photo, is it just a single photo? because when I had my passport photo taken at Auspost, they gave us like six copies all together with the date taken and expiry?
Hope you can help me. Thank you so much!
brooke brisbine
Alexia Castaneda ThieleHi Alexia, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply!), yes you only need the police check if you lived there LONGER than 12mo.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Angie
Helllo Brooke,
Thank you very much for the amazing blog and share your experience. I just submitted my application last March 2022. I am still uploading evidence and one of my questions is regarding the form 40SP. The latest version is from 2014 and there is also a way to do it online. Do you know if there is any difference between them?
Also, this 40sp form says it needs to be done before lodging the application. What does that mean? I already paid for the application and right now I am in bridging Visa A.
I will appreciate lots your opinion.
brooke
AngieHi Angie,
In reality, the Form 40SP has been phased out, probably a long time ago– it’s essentially just a paper version of the sponsorship application that you already completed (or will complete soon) through IMMI. We filled it out just to be extra thorough, especially since there was still a specific area to upload within the evidence portal, but the general consensus among applicants is that it’s no longer a requirement.
My advice is to complete the old paper version and upload if you want to cover all of your bases, but don’t stress about it too much!
Hope that helps!
xx bb
Carl
Hi Brooke, Thank you so much for all of these articles – I am finding them incredibly helpful!
The birth certificate I have is an abbreviated one without my parents names on and not sure if I’ll have the full one. Do you know if this is a big problem?
I’m looking down the list of alternatives (family book, census etc) and I’m not familiar with any of these or what exactly would be required. Any support much appreciated!
Thanks
brooke
CarlHi Carl, so glad these posts are helpful to you!
I’m honestly not sure about the abbreviated birth certificate– perhaps another reader can chime in on their experience??
Best of luck!
xx bb
Erin
Hi Brooke,
I can’t thank you enough for this guide you have provided to all of us visa applicants for free! I couldn’t have done it without your blog.
My partner and I are having a baby together which you’d think would be evidence enough! However, I am in the process of uploading all the other evidence we have.
I noticed your dad and step mum provided stat decs in support of your relationship. Did they just follow the legal wording of a stat dec and create their own, or were these the form 888’s?
Thanks,
Erin xx
brooke brisbine
ErinHi Erin, thanks so much for your sweet comment! That means so much to me!
Exactly as you said, my parents just wrote letters somewhat in the format of a stat dec. Only Aussies can formally complete Form 888, so the letters from foreign family don’t count against your 2-minimum Form 888s, but they are still valuable additional evidence 🙂
Hope that helps & best of luck!
xx Brooke
Natalie
brooke brisbineQuick question in reference to Form 888 the foreign family members that did one for you, did they give an identification photo with it? I know they ask for a certified copy passport photo for Australian citizens or residents.
Thanks so much!
Nat xo
brooke brisbine
NatalieHi Natalie, as I’m sure you’ve figured out (I am SO incredibly sorry for the slow reply, it’s been a real year!), no you don’t need to include a photo. Technically foreign family can’t complete Form 888, so it’s just a signed letter that sort of mimics 888.
Best of luck with everything!
xx bb
Ka
Hi Brooke
Thanks for providing all these information + tips.
Really appreciate your post, it’s extremely helpful.
brooke brisbine
KaSo glad you found it helpful!
Best of luck to you and your partner 🙂
Elle
Hi Brooke,
I will never get tired of thanking you…your blog helped me a lot when I am just about to lodge my Partner application.
I got my permanent residency after a month of lodging my application…so we’re so happy.
Question is: when can I apply for citizenship? Do I have to wait for at least a year?
Thanks…
And stay safe.
brooke brisbine
ElleA massive congratulations, Elle!! So happy for you both, what an amazing outcome after just 1 month!
For citizenship, in brief: you need to have lived in Australia for the last 4 years and at least 1 of those years must be as a PR, so at minimum, you need to wait a full year from the date that you received your 801. Not long now!
Masoud
Hi Brooke,
I asked my friends to sign form 888, but they told me their pr visa are expired and they have applied for citizenship. so my question is can they sign form 888?
I would be grateful if you can help me
brooke brisbine
MasoudHi Masoud,
I’m not totally sure I understand; if your friend is a permanent resident, that should not “expire”. Until they are granted citizenship, they are still a permanent resident and therefore they should be able to complete Form 888 on your behalf.
Hope that helps!
Nadine
Hey Brooke
I just submitted my application but I didn’t see these sub category headers and uploaded everything under other document tab . I done the application at midnight but none of these sub folders were there. And I’m not sure if I’ll get penalised for not putting them in the correct folders. I’ve labelled each one as what they are to be clear and concise. You can’t un upload a document and I don’t know if I should re upload but then it’ll be all duplicates and more documents to look over
What would you recommend?
brooke brisbine
NadineHi Nadine,
To clarify, are you still unable to see the subcategories? If they never appeared on your application, I wonder if that’s a technical glitch…
Either way, though, I don’t believe you’d be penalised in any way for uploading as you have (so long as the documents are clearly labeled), so I wouldn’t stress too much! You can always upload a cover letter for your application and explain briefly how you’ve organised things– I actually did this to explain several things to the CO.
Hope that helps!
HIEN
HI BROOKE,
AMAZING BLOG! I’M USING THIS AS THE GUIDELINES! JUST WONDERING HOW MANY STATEMENTS DO YOU WRITE? I’M ONLY WRITING 1 RELATIONSHIP STATEMENT THAT INCLUDES THE FIVE PARTS. MOREOVER, HOW MANY PHOTOS ARE YOU UPLOADING?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
brooke brisbine
HIENHello Hien, so glad you found this info helpful!
I wrote several statements to cover different parts of the relationship, but you can choose to structure your application however makes sense for you. The same goes for photos– there is no magic number, I just tried to upload a variety of photos across all months of our relationship, as well as travel photos, photos with family and friends, photos at home, etc to support the legitimacy of the relationship.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Rez
Hi Brooke,
It’s a wonderful blog. well done and many thanks for sharing your experience:)
Here is my question: do the main applicant and sponsor need to submit a separate application or there is only one application? if yes, does the sponsor need to submit the sponsorship application after submitting the main applicant’s application? We tried to proceed both together, but it wasn’t possible to proceed with the sponsorship application after stage 4, I guess we need to submit the main application first and then submit the sponsorship application. right?
Cheers,
Rez
brooke brisbine
RezHi Rez, so glad you found these posts helpful. To clarify, yes, there are 2 separate applications.
You can find information about the main application here: https://brookebeyond.com/completing-the-820-801-australian-partner-visa
AFTER submitting that, you then need to complete the sponsorship application: https://brookebeyond.com/sponsorship-for-a-partner-to-migrate-to-australia-820-visa
Hope that helps!
Brooke
Lucy
Hi Brooke,
I wanted to say THANK YOU for this post. It has been my holy grail while preparing to apply for my partner visa. I have also gotten fully sucked into your blog and instagram since you and your partners story is so similar to mine! American/Australian couple who have been together for 4 years and traveling full-time. We even recently lived in a Promaster van in the USA and Canada just like yours for the last 2 years! (we named her Sheila)
I did have a question regarding the partner visa that I’d love your input on. I am trying hard not to upload items twice as I want to make it really clear for the CO and not cluttered. However, this means I’m having a hard time thinking of something to include for “Length of De Facto Relationship” – of course I have 4 years of leases and bills and bank statements but thats all being uploaded under “Couple are Living Together” and “Relationship, de facto partner, evidence of” Same goes for photos and messages to each other. It feels like a silly thing to be stumped on but should I just upload things twice?
Thanks!
Lucy
PS if you ever want a working holiday visa in Canada, I would be happy to give you some tips on it. I never thought it was possible but found a cool loophole for Americans! Also, lived in Japan.
brooke brisbine
LucyHi Lucy,
So happy to hear this post has been helpful to you! And how amazing that our stories are so similar, I love that!
I felt the same way about duplicate content (that it was added clutter to an already busy application), and worried myself silly over it– which you definitely don’t need to do! I had to look back at my notes, but I uploaded a letter from my mum that validated how long we’d been together and then another statement from me at 6 month providing an update. You might also include a statement about the history of your relationship here. Nothing very fancy and probably nothing that was the deciding factor on our application, because ultimately the CO will see ALL the other evidence that points to your length of relationship and consider that in its entirety rather than only what you’ve uploaded under this heading.
Best of luck!
And YES, I would be super interested in this Canadian visa loophole, as we’d love to drive the van through Canada after we get back from South America!
xx Brooke
Maddy
Hi Brooke,
Thank you so so much for your helpful blog! It’s really made this process so much clearer for me and my partner and taken some of the stress off.
I’m from Seattle as well and we’re applying together here in Sydney.
We have been sharing the work load and split up the 5 different statements. I wrote about the nature of household, social aspects and commitment statement. He wrote the history/development statement and financial aspects. I’ve read that the Sponsor application asks for these same things again. Did you and your partner upload two separate statements for each category? Or did you refer to the one upload in each application’s respective box?
Hope that makes sense
Thanks again
Maddy
brooke brisbine
MaddyHi Maddy,
Ideally, you would write the statements for your application and he would write them for his sponsorship application– the department wants to hear from each of you in your own words. That being said, you don’t both need to write enormous statements! If you write yours as separate documents, then he should be fine to just stay within the 2000 limit on the actual application and give a brief overview, referencing evidence that you uploaded in your application.
Hope that makes sense!
-Brooke
Emily
Hi Brooke,
I am not sure this will get to you or if you are even still looking at this but I am having a little trouble collecting my thoughts for my partner’s 801 visa. I am in the process of collecting stuff for it and I am blanking hard on how I went about it with the 820.. I was wondering if you could tell me what exactly needs to witnessed by a JP? I am using the online application so I am aware that colored scans of ID’s is accepted so does that mean only all statutory declarations are requested to be witnessed? Is there more I should be getting signed?
Thanks, Emily
brooke brisbine
EmilyHi Emily,
Unfortunately I am not the best person to help with the 801 application, since both my 820 and 801 were granted simultaneously…
If it’s like the 820, though, I can tell you that nothing really needs to be witnessed by a JP (except Form 888), which means a colour scan of ID and a copy of your statements is more than enough! If you’ve been asked to do a legal stat dec, obviously that would need to be signed, but the statements for 820 aren’t required to be stat decs so you may be able to submit as just letters.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Kyle Dahdona
When you say you did EVENTS: A collection of Facebook invites. How did you do this? Me and my wife have been to a lot of events but I’m not sure how to show Facebook events?
Thanks love the Blog as well
brooke brisbine
Kyle DahdonaHi Kyle,
I just took screenshots from Facebook of all the events we’d both clicked “attending” on over the years, including my friends’ birthdays or parties he’d organised, etc.
Hope that helps!
Kanchan Lama
Hi Brooke,
I hope you are doing well.
I came across your blog regarding partner Visa when I was applying for the visa for myself and my partner. I love everything you have put out in your blog.
I wanted your help with the visa application.
I wanted to upload more evidence for my partner visa in my Immi-account, but I couldn’t upload it anymore.
Before accessing my account, my partner got a notification that I was granted an 820 Visa, and it’s been only 6 months since we applied for the visa.
I haven’t uploaded documents regarding our relationships, such as our joint photos and trips and other things, which is the most important part of uploading the evidence. I am scared that my visa application will be accessed by only these documents which don’t prove half of my relationship with my partner.
I read from your blog that after 6months, you uploaded some documents after 6months of your application.
I wanted to know if you had the same trouble uploading more documents to your portal.
I will be looking forward to your reply.
Thank you for taking the time to look through my mail.
hope you are staying safe in this pandemic.
stay safe.
Takecare
Kind Regards,
Kanchan Lama
brooke brisbine
Kanchan LamaHi Kanchan,
It sounds like you’ve already been granted the 820, so I wouldn’t stress at all! You will need to upload more evidence for the 801, so you can add those missing documents– but if it was enough to approve your 820, then you’re probably in a pretty good position for the 801.
Wishing you luck!
Marc
Kanchan LamaI am also in this position. It does not let me upload anything more, after I was granted my 820 visa eight months after applying (the 820 and 801 are both applied for at the same time).
From what I can tell, I think as the 820 has been finalised, that application is closed. Maybe they now have enough information to make decision, or, they open a separate application/page/portal to add additional things to, possibly near the end of the two years?
Great blog BTW. 🙂
Tim
Hi Brooke, I am the sponsor for the applicant and was wanting to know your thoughts on the character reference side do you think i will need to do a US FBI check? I lived in America for 2 years for a job but that was never going to be permanent.
Thanks! your blog has been an amazing help.
Tim
brooke brisbine
TimHi Tim,
Yes, you definitely need to do an FBI check. They are required for any applicant OR sponsor who has lived in the US for a period of 12+ months in the last 10 years.
Check out this post for info on doing the FBI check: https://brookebeyond.com/fbi-police-checks-for-americans-applying-for-the-820-801-australian-partner-visa
Cass
Hi there Brooke…
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your partner for creating this blog. My Japanese wife and I decided that we’d finally come and live back in Australia permanently after living many years in Thailand. We started to upload documents and fill in forms etc about three months ago, submitting our application in mid-June. We found your articles very helpful in making sure we covered all the bases.
So, we ended up uploading about 70 attachments, did police checks for Japan, Thailand and Australia, did the medical last week, and were ready to settle in for the 24 to 27 months waiting time quoted on the website…
Quite amazingly and a lovely surprise for us, today, after only two and half months after submitting the application, we received my wife’s Temporary 820 visa, followed immediately by her Permanent 801 visa today. Somehow, we managed to get to the top of the list 😉
All I can say is that for sure it pays to be thorough, detailed and accurate, no matter how many times it seems repetitive and tiresome; just do it, and there you go, sometimes good things happen.
We both thank you again for your help in getting this all done… Hope you are well in these strange times!
Cass and Ikumi.
brooke brisbine
CassHi Cass & Ikumi, WOW!
Thank you so much for your lovely message and for sharing your experience with everyone– I know it’s always inspiring to hear some applications are granted within 2.5 months! You’re absolutely right that it pays to be thorough and submit a complete application.
Congratulations on such a wonderful outcome, wishing you both all the best xx