Uploading evidence to our 820/801 Australian Partner Visa application
Last Updated on 8 May 2023
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 documentsβ 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 β 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 youβve 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 β 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 β 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 β 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 youβve lived in for more than 12 months.
Notes from BB: See my notes under this same heading in Applicant documents.
Address β 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 worryβΒ 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 helpfulβΒ 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 happenedβΒ it might mean the world to someone else struggling with this process! Best wishes to you all xx bb
The Comments
Ann
Hi Brooke,
Thanks so much for your very helpful informations. I do appreciate your kindness. I have been doing this for the last 6 months but still not submit my applicayion yet but your review give me direction to go for it. And hope your application goes well.
I understand that after completing online application I will need to print and complete and scan the 40sp, 80, 888 form and attach to online application?
Could I ask for some help please?
I could not find 40sp and form 80 from the link that you mentioned. Is it any possibility that you can send direct link to 40sp and 80 form please?
Thanks so much for your kindness.
Ann
brooke brisbine
AnnHi Ann, so sorry for my late responseβ Iβve been travelling for the last 3 months and havenβt been on the computer much!
Iβm sure youβve already found the forms, but thank you for letting me know the link was broken, I’ve updated the Form 40 link in my post!
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Giselle
AnnHi Ann,
Just wondering if you found any clarification on the Form 40 vs Form 40SP issue. Form 40 description says it is not for the partner visa, and I also cannot find the Form 40SP and although it asks for it specifically on IMMI, it’s not in the actual form directory. Other people have suggested just doing a stat dec, is that what you did?
-Giselle
brooke brisbine
GiselleHi Giselle,
Apologies for the bad link… The links to this form keep breaking and Iβm constantly updating them, which makes me think that Home Affairs might be phasing 40SP out completely. I still completed one anyway, just to be safe. Iβll update the links in this post, and hereβs the right form from another site: http://www.fenfeivisa.net/Upload/40SP.pdf
-Brooke
Deniz
Just wanted to thank you, Brooke. You have been such a huge help for me and my fiance in putting our documents together!
brooke brisbine
DenizYou are so welcome, Deniz!
Thank you for the kind words, I hope the visa comes through quickly for you and your partner π
-Brooke
Priya
Thank you so much Brooke for all these information!! You are a life saver! I hope you’re loving your life here in Australia!
PS. How long did it take for your PR to be approved?
brooke brisbine
PriyaYou’re so welcome, Priya!
I certainly love it here in Australia, but I’m still waiting on my PR. Nothing happens quickly with Home Affairs, it seems!
-Brooke
Nikki
Just submitted our partner visa and wanted to quickly say how appreciative we are of your efforts in making this process a lot easier. It was such a massive help! So thank you!
brooke brisbine
NikkiHi Nikki, thank you so much for the kind message! Wishing you guys a short wait on the visa π
-Brooke
Christina
Hi Brooke! Thanks for the info- my question:
In the initial part of the application, you are required to write at most 2000 words on (let’s say) the Nature of your Commitment but you also have written here of a statement on the same subject. SO, did you write both? Did you write a statement in the ‘box’ of the application and then a second more detailed statement as a PDF attachment? OR did you just write in the ‘box’ “see PDF? Thank you so much! Beyond stressed with this haha
brooke brisbine
ChristinaHi Christina, so sorry for my late responseβ Iβve been travelling for the last 3 months and havenβt been on the computer much!
I usually just wrote “see PDF” in the box so that I wasn’t limited to 2000 characters (which is peanuts!). I’m sure you’ve already come to your own conclusion, so I hope you got the application in and everything went smoothly π
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Belle
Hi Brooke,
Thank you so much for your in depth explanation of the entire application process. It really assisted us so much for our 309 visa application. But I just have a small concern that I was hoping you may be able to clarify. Once you’ve completed uploading your evidence & forms, did you hit the ‘I confirm I have provided information as requested’ button? If so, could you still add further documents like say the medical check after confirming or will the visa immediately be under review?
Thanks a bunch!
x
brooke brisbine
BelleHi Belle, so sorry for my late response– I’ve been travelling for the last 3 months and haven’t been on the computer much!
I’m sure you’ve already figured this out, but you can continue uploading documents even after you “submit” the application (assuming the 309 application process is the same as 820/801).
Good luck with everything!
-Brooke
Jay
Hi Brooke,
Just a follow up question, i’m still a little confused. There is different information out there about what kind of BVA is given depending on what visa you were on before applying for a visa or what visa you are applying for. Do you know if yourself or anyone else has applied onshore with a 651 tourist visa for the 820 partner visa and received a BVA with work rights? You mentioned a student visa, which I assume had no work rights, but you were issued with work rights anyway correct?
In addition, have you heard of any issues getting work with a BVA? Some Government web pages say that all Australian workers have the same rights regardless of their visas, but is it possible an employer might discriminate and not hire based on the “unreliability” of the application outcome? What was your experience telling your employer about your visa status or did you just say I am legally able to work, and not discuss it in detail?
One thing which concerns me is that once you start the 820 process you cant seem to change it up.
The page says:
Do not get another visa
To get the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801), you must hold this subclass 820 visa. If you are granted any other visa, the new visa will replace your subclass 820 visa. This means you will not be eligible for the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).
If we alternatively wen’t for a 190 visa then it would basically cancel the 820 process and i’m sure we wouldn’t get any money back, but if my Wife has trouble with a BVA and getting work then what are we to do?
Also conversely with the 190 visa, it appears that you can apply onshore which would suggest that you would also get a BVA for that visa as well if your substantive visa expires before the decision. Have you heard of anyone using the 190 track onshore and getting a BVA while waiting?
Also regarding processing times, I saw a post in the Australiaforum.com mentioning processing times for different nationalities. I know that the government would never post anything like this so I assume its the data from an immigration agent, but it suggested that the processing times for certain nationalities were much quicker on the 820 than others such as UK, possibly due to language and ability to verify documents faster? Have you heard anything about that?
Sorry for the multiple questions. Again thanks for the awesome blog, your a life saver!
brooke brisbine
JayHi Jay, many apologies for the delayed response, I’ve been travelling for the last 3 months and haven’t been at a computer much!
My student visa did have limited work rights, but my BVA is now unlimited. I also have a friend who just applied for a partner visa onshore after being on a tourist visa and she was issued work rights, although that’s not to say it will be the case for every single situation.
I am no expert on the situation, but I do not imagine your wife would have any trouble getting work with a BVA. I previously had a working holiday visa with a 6-month restriction (I could only work for one employer for half the year before looking for a new job) and even then I had no trouble finding work. It seemed to me that most employers have zero idea about visas, all they really care about is, yes or no, does this person have a legal right to work. I hope that will be the case for your wife, as well!
As for processing times, I have heard similar rumblings around the forums that nationalities such as UK, USA, Canada, etc will tend to be approved slightly quicker than others, likely due to the reasons you listed. It’s not any guarantee and there’s certainly no policy around it, but it seems to be the case for some people.
Hope these responses aren’t too late to be helpful!
-Brooke
Christina
Hi Brooke – in “Relationship, Evidence of – Spouse, De Facto” example you have, are all the bullet points included in one PDF? So in that one PDF, you would have all your joint photos, statements, receipts, etc. with the heading “Evidence of Relationship”? Thank you. Just a bit confused on how to organize everything!
brooke brisbine
ChristinaHi Christina, apologies for the confusion– every bullet point was a separate PDF (the ALL CAPS is the title of each individual PDF). You can organise things however you want, that is just how I did it π
-Brooke
Connie
Thank you very much Brooke you’ve been very helpful… xoxo
brooke brisbine
ConnieSo happy I could help!
Good luck with the application, Connie π
– Brooke
Madeleine
Hi Brooke:
As promised I will come back with answers as to our interview.
We have been told that our visa will be granted soon – in time for my girl to go to uni in Feb 2020. From the conversation we gather we will get our visa before uni starts in the new year.
They praised us for being very organized with our applications and comment that our documents are very clear and complete ones and we are happy as we think this is a plus point! We hope to receive the visa soon – next few monthsβ time so we can prepare to make our move sooner than planned.
They (the case officer and her supervisor) are very nice people and we had a good chat with them. It was a very informal atmosphere.
Hope this shed some lights to others in the blog. If anyone wants to seek information for an off shore we are pleased to share.
Thanks
M
brooke brisbine
MadeleineHi Madeleine,
Thank you so much for providing an update on your interview, I hope this will help anyone else going through something similar. Also, a huge congratulations on how well everything went for you guys! I hope you get your visa soon and that everything goes smoothly π
-Brooke
Jade
MadeleineHi Madeleine, we have just applied for the visa offshore. Do you know if you can come on a tourist visa during the application process?
Connie
Hi Brooke,
This is very helpful, thank you! I am also planning to apply for Sub Class 820 in the next months after our wedding.. I’m already starting to collate and read online on what evidences I will provide for my visa, I just have issues in creating a cohabitation statement (“EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION STATEMENT: Details from me about the addresses weβve lived at together and when we moved in”). Quick question: did you create a statement on this? I am having difficulty creating one as I do not know where to start been searching online for sample statement but I can’t find one.. I hope you can help me.
Thank you!
brooke brisbine
ConnieHi Connie,
This is just how I chose to present our evidence of cohabitation– you can present your own evidence however you wish, this isn’t necessarily the “right way”, just my way π
Basically, I wrote a few paragraphs about where we’ve lived and when we moved house, and then included a table of contents for various lease agreements, bond receipts, and correspondence with the real estate (all of these documents were part of the same PDF, I just attached them directly after my statement).
Here’s the document for your reference:
EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION PDF
SUMMARY STATEMENT
We have been living together since 20 November 2015, when Brooke graduated from uni in Wollongong and Callum left his work in Bendigo so that we could live together in Melbourne at ADDRESS. After Brooke was offered a PhD scholarship, we let the lease at South Yarra lapse, stayed with Callumβs parents for about two weeks, and then moved back to Wollongong together. We signed a lease on a new apartment at ADDRESS on 20 July 2016. We renewed the lease for another year on 20 July 2017. Just before our lease in Wollongong expired, we signed a new lease on 2 July 2018 at ADDRESS, which is closer to Callumβs work. We currently reside together at this property. For the last 3+ years, we have been jointly on our various leases and have always shared responsibility for the rental payments (not always 50/50, however). We have lived together without interruption since 20 November 2015.
CONTENTS
β’ Email to Brooke and Callum about inspecting the South Yarra property (October 2015; 2 pages)
β’ Letter to Brooke and Callum about newly commencing lease at South Yarra property (November 2015)
β’ Bond receipt for South Yarra property (November 2015)
β’ Email from Brooke (CC Callum) to real estate agent of Wollongong property (June
2016)
β’ Bond receipt for Wollongong property (July 2016)
β’ Page of rental agreement with joint signatures from Wollongong property (July 2016)
β’ Notice of rent increase at Wollongong property (July 2017)
β’ Renewal lease agreement at Wollongong property (July 2017)
β’ Email from real estate agent of Sutherland property accepting application (June 2018)
β’ Lease agreement for Sutherland property (July 2018)
β’ Bond receipt for Sutherland property (July 2018)
β’ Recent mail jointly addressed at Sutherland property (November 2018)
Jay
Thanks Brooke you’re a legend! I will be consulting your web pages a lot in the coming weeks and may have more questions for you. Thank you so much for all your help! π
brooke brisbine
JayAlways happy to help, I know how stressful it can be!
Good luck with everything π
-Brooke
Jay
Hi Brooke,
Did you get issued a bridging visa BVA straight away, and did it allow you to work? What was the process, did it just happen automatically as part of the 820 or did you have to do it separately? It says that theres a possibility the BVA does not include the right to work? Have you heard of that, is that only in specific circumstances or is it more the majority? Have you applied for a BVB at any point to be able to travel and if so was that also quick? What are the allowances of time to be able to travel on the BVB?
brooke brisbine
JayHi Jay,
You get issued a BVA as soon as Home Affairs receives your application for a partner visa (this happens automatically), but it might not be active right away. For example, I was on a student visa when I applied for my partner visa, so my BVA didn’t become active until my student visa expired. The same will be true of whatever visa you are on (tourist, work, whatever)– as soon as it expires your BVA will come into effect. There isn’t necessarily a guarantee of work rights with a BVA, but I don’t personally know of anyone who was issued a BVA without unlimited work and study rights. It’s possible in theory, but seems unlikely in practice, especially if you were on a valid Australian visa prior to applying for a partner visa.
As for the BVB, yes, I have applied for one and I wrote a whole post about the application and the conditions: https://brookebeyond.com/applying-for-a-bridging-visa-b-bvb-while-waiting-for-your-820-801-australian-partner-visa
You can read more in that post, but in brief, both the application and approval were extremely quick. The travel period depends on your circumstances– I got 3.5 months for a holiday (and I only asked for 2.5), but I know others have gotten close to a year for temporary overseas work, so it will come down to the reason for your travel, how long ago you applied for your partner visa (because they want you onshore when its granted), etc.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Christine
Many thanks Brooke, great suggestion ! – you’re doing a great service to many people.
Cheers and thanks again.
Christine.
brooke brisbine
ChristineSo happy I could help, Christine! Good luck with everything π
-Brooke
Christine
Hi Brooke,
Thank you also for this sharing of information, its greatly appreciated. Could I ask a question please ? When you uploaded documents, say your joint bank account statement, did you upload the whole statement or just the first page ? and did you blank out the account numbers and balances etc ? Also the same for other documents, did you do the whole document or just the page with what you thought held the relevant information ?
Many thanks
Christine.
brooke brisbine
ChristineHi Christine,
I typically just uploaded the page with relevant information (and redacted anything personal, like bank account numbers). I know some people upload full bank statements to show continued use of shared funds, but we only uploaded proof of when the accounts were opened since I felt like we had enough other evidence. Itβs totally up to you!
-Brooke
Jianyang
Hi Brooke,
Really appreciate your big help. I just finished my application for my wife, and this really helps. You are the best. Hope both of us can get the Visa approved soon~
Regards,
Paul
brooke brisbine
JianyangHi Paul,
Iβm so happy to hear that this information was helpful to you and your wife! Wishing you a short wait without any complications π
-Brooke
Christina
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for the great info! My question – how did you get your parents in the U.S.A to certify their statements? Did they just sign them and have a friend act as a witness? I am from Canada and we don’t really have stat decs as they do here. Thank you!
brooke brisbine
ChristinaHi Christina,
I donβt think Home Affairs recognises any certification or notarising from other countries, so I just had my parents sign and date their letters. They wonβt be a substitute for the Form 888s that you will need from friends and family in Australia, but they can be a useful piece of additional evidence!
Hope that helps π
-Brooke
Jayne
Hi Brooke. I am applying for my partner visa here in melbourne and my other last question is would it be possible to have your friends or family as a witness while they are in overseas? By the way, my boyfriend has never been travelling outside the country of Australia and he never seen them in person however they have met him via video call. Would it be okay? Plus would it also be okay to provide their government i.d if they have no passport?
brooke brisbine
JayneHi Jayne,
Only those in Australia can complete the official Form 888s, because they need to be witnessed by an authorised person here. You need at least 2 people in the country to do this for you, so I wouldn’t choose your friends or family from back home. What about local friends, your partner’s family, your employer, etc?
That doesn’t mean, though, that your friends or family from back home can’t write a letter of support for your visa. My mum, dad, and stepmother (all in America) wrote and signed letters about when they’ve spent time with me and my partner. I attached these as extra evidence to my application, in addition to the Form 888s.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
sharmaine
Hi brooke your blog is very a big help to me and my husband , I have a question um we are planning to do it onshore because we don’t want LDR to happen to us again and our plan is to apply for a visitor visa subclass 600 for 6 months my question is that will we tell the immigration our plans to apply for partner visa onshore ? and state it honestly ? I know we will always be honest to immigration. Hope to hear from you , thank you π and we will attach our marriage certificate tho.
brooke brisbine
sharmaineHi Sharmaine,
I know a lot of people have similar questions about whether they should state their true intent on a visitor visa, and unfortunately I don’t have any personal knowledge of what to do. My advice would be to call Home Affairs and ask them directly, speak to a migration agent, or post on Australia Forum to see what other people have done in a similar situation.
I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful, but good luck with everything!
-Brooke
Stephanie
You are an angel! Thanks so much Brooke. I’m an Australian living in Belgium with my husband and we want to come home to Australia. It’s been so hard to figure out what to upload and how much is too much. Your blog post is amazing. Thank you!
brooke brisbine
StephanieHi Stephanie,
You are too sweet, thank you so much for the kind words! I really hope these posts make it a bit easier for you and your husband to move back to Australia.
Good luck with your application π
-Brooke
Fiona
Hello,
Thanks for taking the time to do all this – it has been extremely helpful! My partner and I are going to be applying for the 820 Visa once I am on shore. I was just wondering if under the heading ‘Relationship – Spouse, De Facto Partner, Evidence of’ is where the social aspects and finance commitments come in? Also, is it 100 documents overall for applicants and sponsors identity documents and relationship documents combined?
Thanks again,
Fiona
brooke brisbine
FionaHi Fiona, my absolute pleasure π
As with many of the upload sections, it’s kind of up to you where you want to put things. I personally uploaded social and financial evidence under this heading (Relationship), but I’m sure there are other people who put it somewhere else (e.g. Length of Relationship). Neither is necessarily “right”, so just do what feels right for you!
With the 100 documents, yes, that’s a total including everything you upload. If you run out, I think you can upload things under your partner’s application (sponsor application), but I personally didn’t get anywhere near running out. Just don’t upload dozens of photos individually, try to group them into a single document. Same goes for similar evidence– if you have bank statements or message transcripts to upload, put them into a single PDF instead of uploading heaps of separate pages. You should be fine π
Hope this helps!
-Brooke
Anonymous
Thank you very much once again for doing this selflessly and free of charge. I’m on it right now.
One more question please. ..can I add ducuments and come back later to add some more?
How do I make sure my work is saved to continue uploading say, later.
Cheers
Serah
brooke brisbine
AnonymousHi Serah, you can definitely upload some documents and then add more later. As long as they are actually uploaded to the application, there is no need to save your work, it will be there when you come back to it!
-Brooke
Serah
Hi Brooke.
I want to thank you so much for this blog because I have just finished the application and itβs ready to be submitted.Its been so hectic just gathering the documents I needed but I must say reading you blog made things easier.I want to submit and pay tomorrow..
Hopefully I can beat the July 1st deadline when he visa fee goes up.
Thank you once again and all the best of luck even as you wait for yours.
Youβre the best.
Cheers
Serah
brooke brisbine
SerahHi Serah, thank you so much for the lovely comment!! It was a fair bit of work to write all of these posts, so hearing that they are actually helping people with their visa application makes it totally worthwhile π I hope everything goes (or went?) smoothly with your submission, it will be a relief to get it done! Sending you lots of good luck π
-Brooke
Gabriella
Hi again Brooke,
I’ve commented before and I never said thank you for your helpful response! I just submitted my application today and wanted to thank you again. You and your blog were so helpful along the way and it would have been much more of a stressful mess without your help. So grateful!
Cheers,
Gabriella
brooke brisbine
GabriellaHi Gabriella,
Thank you so much for this lovely comment! Wishing you and your partner a very quick and painless wait for your visa π
-Brooke
Sophia
Hi Brooke,
Thank you for your response. I really appreciate it. It is so overwhelming going through this process and I just want to let you know that stumbling onto your website, it really helped me understand this process. So thank you.
^_^ Sophia
brooke brisbine
SophiaHi Sophia,
Thank you for the wonderful comment, it makes me so happy to know that I could help! I hope everything goes super smoothly with your visa application and you’re approved in no time!
-Brooke
Weetau
Gβday,Brooke! Youβre blog has been a lifesaver! I wish I had found it about a month ago lol. I used an immigration solicitor for the 820 which made it a breeze. This time iβm on my own and submitting my 801 this weekend…after waiting over 4 years for the glorious email hahaπ€. So doing everything myself this time.π€Just wondering how long do you think I have to upload evidence? And I felt like I had everything organised, but then I read your post and now Iβm not sure anything is ready to upload. Do you feel the copy/pasting pics to a word doc is still the best way?
Thank you so much for your info! It is absolutely appreciated! Xx
And any other suggestions are also welcome. π
brooke brisbine
WeetauHi Weetau,
I am so sorry for my delayed reply, but I’m happy to hear this blog helped you with your application! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any specific information about a time limit on uploading evidence, which leads me to believe that “ASAP” is the best policy.
Personally, I do think pasting into a word doc is the best way to upload photos– you can group similar photos into a single document and provide captions for every photo, which will make it heaps easier for your CO. I usually convert these word docs into PDFs and then give them a name like “Travel photos 2016” or “Photos with friends March 2018”.
Hope that answers your questions, and best of luck with everything! 4 years is a LONG time, so it will be extremely well-deserved when you finally get the 801 π
-Brooke
Bijay
brooke brisbineHi Brooke,
i am just wondering to know, how can we compress the size of file just upto 5MB. I did the same thing, getting pictures all in one and prepared as pdf. But when i have a look on size of file, it was nearly 70MB. I am pretty sure it`s all because i use pictures from iphone with bigger resolutions and quality. Any idea on this situation? How can i compress the size of file without removing any files that i want……………
brooke brisbine
BijayHi Bijay,
I recommend using the website http://smallpdf.com to compress your files π
-Brooke
jayne
Hi Brooke,
My name is Jayne and I am from the Philippines and currently staying in Melbourne holding visa subclass 600. I am planning to apply for the partner visa subclass 820. I started to fill out those forms on the website (online.immi.gov.au). I was just wondering after getting through those pages I was expecting to have a content that indicates attaching the documents. Unfortunately, I did not see anything where I can attach my documents for the evidence and I can only see the payment method for the partner visa. Is there something you can advise me from this or are they changing their platform already? If they don’t change then where I could find that page where I can upload my documents? Thanks in advance brooke!
brooke brisbine
jayneHi Jayne, not to worry! This seems to be a common question, so I might add some info directly to the post to avoid further confusion. For now:
Once you fill out the application and submit all of your responses, you actually need to pay BEFORE you are granted access to the upload page. That’s why it’s a good idea to think about what you are going to upload before you finalise the application (by paying)– it took me several months to gather all of my evidence. There’s no official timeframe advertised by Home Affairs that you have to upload things by, but I’d assume several months is a bit long! Get all of your evidence organised now and then pay for your visa when you’re ready to upload π
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Sophia
Hi,
I found your post very helpful.
I just want to know, when you say “Provide certified copy” of certain documents, does that mean those documents have to be certified before uploading them?
Cheers
brooke brisbine
SophiaHi Sophia,
Yes, if you’re going to provide a certified document, it needs to certified before you upload. When you’re doing an online application, though, very few things are actually required to be certified. I know many of the descriptions provided by Home Affairs state that a certified copy of some document or ID is required, but this is for paper applications (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper/on-paper). For your online application, you can just upload a colour scan of the document without certifying anything!
Hope that helps,
-Brooke
Manasi
Hey!
Thank you so much for this information. actually i was in tremendous tension due to this PR application. I was just searching on google what i could find regarding the same and I found your blog which is very helpful to me and off course for everyone.
Pray for me as i am going to submit my application by this weekend. definitely I will follow your instructions.
Once again thank you so much & God bless you !
Manasi
Hey!
It looks you are so kind, you are very helpful to others.
Thank you so much for this information. actually i was in tremendous tension due to this PR application. I was just searching on google what i could find regarding the same and I found your blog which is very helpful to me and off course for everyone.
Pray for me as i am going to submit my application by this weekend. definitely I will follow your instructions.
Once again thank you so much & God bless you !
brooke brisbine
ManasiHi Manasi, thanks so much for your kind words! I know how stressful this application is, so it’s great to hear that my blog helped a little.
Sending you good luck vibes as you submit your application π
-Brooke
Reg
This blog is really helpful! We just submitted our online application yesterday & when I saw the upload / requirements page, I almost had a heart attack! LoL We are doing it from overseas & would like to do it ourselves too – not through any migration agents. The information on the page is too overwhelming but coming across your blog helped π Thank you for sharing and I look forward to getting updates on your application! All the best to everyone! Cheers
brooke brisbine
RegHi Reg, so glad you found all this info helpful!
I felt the very same way when I looked at the upload page, totally overwhelmed and confused.. They certainly don’t make the process too easy, do they! But it will be very worthwhile when we’re all living in Australia with our partners π
Best of luck with your application, hopefully everything goes through quickly for you guys!
-Brooke
Sarah Beardmore
I am so sorry I just realised I wrote to you twice! I didn’t realise the first one went through!
brooke brisbine
Sarah BeardmoreNo worries at all, good luck with your application! π
-Brooke
sarah beardmore
Hi Brooke
Thanks again for all your help. It has been so nice to have your blog posts to refer back to. For the statements… Did you format this as a letter and if so did you address it to anyone or for example ‘To whom it may concern?’ And then did you sign the bottom and date it? Any tips on this would be awesome. I’ve been trying to find examples of personal statements online but can’t figure it out.
Thank you!
Sarah
Sarah Beardmore
Hi again Brooke
I have another question in regards to the written statements. What is the format? Do you write To whom is may concern? Is it a letter or more so something like- I Sarah Beardmore am writing to…… ?
And do you date and sign it at the bottom?
Thank you so much in advance!
Sarah
brooke brisbine
Sarah BeardmoreHi Sarah,
As far as I can tell, there is no required structure for these statements. In fact, I donβt think Home Affairs even requires you to submit separate signed statements, the only thing you are required to do is write short statements on the online application in the space provided. Heaps of people canβt fit everything they want to say in the 2000 character limit, so they write separate statements as well, which is what we did. You should be able to write your statement however you want! Some people sign and date at the bottom, some have the statements witnessed by a JP, but it’s up to you– I typed my statements and uploaded them to the application as PDFs.
I hope that helps!
-Brooke
Madeleine
Hi Brooke:
2 questions:
I submitted online last friday. I cannot upload the documents yet but can i say that afterthey received my payment I only can upload my documents?
Secondly, do I receive email from Immi officer as to my police checks and health checks?
Thank you.
Madeleine
brooke brisbine
MadeleineHi Madeleine,
That’s right, the upload section only becomes available after your payment has been processed. For me, it took a day for that to happen (I payed with BPay). As to your other question, if you didn’t already submit health and police checks then yes– your Case Officer will contact you to request these. The time frame is different for everyone, so it’s hard to say when that will be, but probably somewhere between 6-12 months from your submission date.
Hope that helps!
Brooke
Mahin
Hi brooke,
The commenta were also helpful.
I just wonder how long it takes to get the visa?
We have done all the steps and it is the 8 th month now.
Thank you so much
brooke brisbine
MahinHi Mahin,
It’s wonderful to hear that you found this info helpful! Unfortunately, it’s really not possible to say how long it will take to get your visa. The global processing time is 23-27 months at the moment– I’ve heard of people getting it in just over a year while another applicant commented on one of my posts saying it took 4 years for them. I hope you hear something from Home Affairs soon, but it’s very possible that you won’t hear a peep until the day your visa is granted, especially if you’ve included all your police and health checks.
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Annie
Hi Brooke, my boyfriend and I are currently in the process of applying for the same visa. Your page is so helpful but we’re still quite unsure about a lot of things :/ I was wondering, in what stage of applying online, do you upload your documents? We have filled in the initial forms and questions and have been taken to the payment page. Do you upload all the evidence after you’ve paid and submitted? It would be helpful to hear from someone who’s been through the same situation. Thanks so much in advance π
brooke brisbine
AnnieHi Annie,
The process is definitely confusing, so I hope I can help a little bit with some of your questions!
After completing the online application and paying the fee, then you will gain access to the upload portal on the application. You don’t have to upload everything the same day you submit, but I’d recommend organising most of your evidence before you pay the fee so you’re ready to upload sooner rather than later.
Good luck on your application!
-Brooke
Charlotte
Hi Brooke,
Thank you so much for all the information you have provided on this page, it is so informative and incredibly helpful! It’s incredibly stressful getting all of the evidence together (as you know) so your guidance based on your experience is so appreciated.
I did have one question though regarding the passport photograph. I took your advice and got a digital photo sent to me by Auspost. It notes printing the name of the person on the back of the photograph also, how did you go about doing this? I was given hard copies as well as went into the post office so wondering if I should print on the back of one of these and then scan in as well?
Thanks again!
Charlotte
brooke brisbine
CharlotteHi Charlotte,
It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve found this information helpful! As for the passport photo, I think those instructions really only apply to paper applications that are being sent in to Home Affairs. For the online application, you can just name the file as your own name and upload it under the relevant heading, which should provide clear identification without physically writing your name on the back of the photo.
Best of luck on the application– I know it’s stressful, but it will all be worth it π
-Brooke
Sarah
Thank you so much Brooke! Great posts and travel site!
brooke brisbine
SarahThank you, Sarah! Good luck with your application!
Sarah Beardmore
Hi Brooke
Thank you so much for all of the information you have provided. It’s been a big big help!
I am wondering if you are meant to scan the back and front of passports, drivers license etc, birth certificates etc? It says to scan the front and back on the website but is it only for the documents that are double sided?
Thank you!
Sarah
brooke brisbine
Sarah BeardmoreHi Sarah,
Thanks for your lovely comment, I’m happy this information was helpful!
When it comes to your passport, you just need to scan both sides of the ID page (open like a book and flat on the scanner, if that makes sense) and the back of your licence. We didn’t scan both sides of our birth certificates or any ID that didn’t have information on the back, exactly as you said.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Madeleine
HI Brooke:
Thank you for your post. It is most helpful. I am currently doing the 309/100 because I am applying from oversea. I can relate to the amount of work having to put in for this visa. I am submitting my soon.
My question is that have you been granted the Visa?
Thank you.
Madeleine
brooke brisbine
MadeleineHi Madeleine,
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad this post was helpful to you! I just submitted my application 6 months ago, so my visa has yet to be granted. I’ll definitely be writing more posts to share what the process is like as I hear more from Home Affairs about my own application!
Best of luck to you and your partner π
-Brooke
Grace
Hi Brooke, thank you so much for writing this! It’s super helpful! I just submitted my application online last weekend and I have been thinking what’s the best way to arrange all the documents. I have one question though, how long after you submitted your application did you upload all the documents? Did you have them all ready to go right after submussion? Some of my documents still need a little bit of work and I’m not sure about time frame. Thanks again for sharing your experience!
brooke brisbine
GraceHi Grace, congratulations on submitting the online application, how exciting!
I personally had all of my documents ready to upload on the day I submitted my application, but I know plenty of people have taken a few weeks to get everything up– the general consensus seems to be that it’s totally fine to take a little bit of time. I probably wouldn’t recommend waiting months to put things up (with the exception of medical and background checks), but I don’t actually know if there is a specific window of time. All I can tell you is that I submitted 6 months ago, no one from Home Affairs has so much as glanced at my application yet, and the upload portal is still open if I wanted to add anything.
I hope that helps!
-Brooke
Jessica
Hi Brooke, thank you so much for writing this! It was so helpful for us to figure out how best to structure our evidence. Regarding the additional statements you uploaded regarding further information about your relationship, did you write it in a statutory declaration format / sign it?
brooke brisbine
JessicaHi Jessica, I love hearing that you found this post helpful! I arranged my evidence in a way that I thought made perfect sense… and then had to completely re-arrange it after seeing the upload screen for the application, so I wanted to help people from making the same mistake.
In terms of our additional statements about the relationship, we just signed them ourselves (no JP or official stat dec). I’ve heard from others that they took these to a JP to have them formally witnessed, but we didn’t think it was necessary since they were just an extension of the information we provided on the application itself. Unfortunately, Home Affairs doesn’t specify one way or the other on their current site, but old versions of the Partner Migration Booklet say that you can write your statement as a stat dec or on plain paper (sign and date it yourself). What you do is up to you, I don’t 100% know the right answer to this one so I don’t want to tell you the wrong thing– I can only tell you what we did!
Sorry for being vague, but I do hope that helps π
-Brooke
Gabriella
Oh my goodness, bless you. This and your other post about what evidence to include are so extremely helpful. I do have a couple questions about how you uploaded text messages and travel proof. Did you just screen shot certain messages, put them all into a word document, and then save it as a PDF? And same for flight itineraries/hotel receipts?
Also, are some of the statements you uploaded about the different aspects of the relationship similar to what is asked for in the actual Immi Account application? I have worked on my Immi Account application but haven’t pressed submit yet so thank you so much for this information.
brooke brisbine
GabriellaHi Gabriella, I’m so happy I was able to help!
I have iMessage on my Mac, so I just copied the entire text transcript for the period of time I wanted and paste everything in Word. If there were super personal messages I didn’t want to show Home Affairs, I just “redacted” them by putting black boxes over the messages, and then I would export as a PDF. If you don’t have a Mac, screenshooting select messages could work (although it will be tedious), or you can get a get a copy of your phone records to show all the text messages you sent for a given period (this would just show date/time and phone number, not the actual message, so you could highlight your partner’s number to show all the times you texted them).
For joint travel, I merged individual PDFs of our flights, hotels, and other bookings into one big PDF (one for each year, since it got too big in the end!), and titled them “Joint Travel 2015” etc.
The statements we attached were usually just longer versions of what they asked for in the actual online application (because the word limit is so small). On the Immi application, I wrote some general information and then “See document titled Statement of Financial Aspects of the Relationship” etc so that I could provide more details. If you feel like you can say everything in the online application, you don’t have to attach any additional statements, but it’s useful if you want to elaborate beyond 2000 characters!
Hope this answers your questions! Good luck with the rest of the application– it’s definitely overwhelming, but it will be so worth it π
Brooke
Gabriella
brooke brisbineI actually have one more question for you, Brooke. Did you get your stat decs witnessed and signed by someone? Do they count if they aren’t witnessed? I have three stat decs from friends and family, two of which are witnessed/certified and one that is not.
Thank you so much again!
brooke brisbine
GabriellaHi Gabriella,
If youβre talking about Form 888, it definitely needs to be witnessed by an authorised person. You probably need to get that friend/family member to take their form back and have it certified before you upload it.
Good luck with it all!
-Brooke
Red
brooke brisbineHi Brooke,
Iβve just lodge my visa 820 and I’m currently filling out form 1221, I’m having a hard time with these questions…
2. Other names you are or have been, known by( including name at birth, previous married names, aliases)
– should I put my full name? As the question no.1 is asking your full name shown on your passport
12- Do I need to put my residential address? as I’m already here and it’s questioning your proposed residential address in Australia
22- Do I need to answer this as it’s questioning if I’m funding my trip as I’m already here?
33- do I need to put my previous employment details? It’s asking on current employment details and I’m currently unemployed.
34- Only complete the sections relevant to you
Have applied for a visitor visa?
Have applied for a Business visa?
Have applied for a migration visa?
Are a student, academic, researcher of fellow?
My question is what part should I answer as I am applying for spouse visa? Should I leave it blank?
Thanks in advance Brooke,
brooke brisbine
RedHi Red, so sorry for my late responseβ Iβve been travelling for the last 3 months and havenβt been on the computer much!
Iβm sure youβve already answered these questions yourself, but just in case anyone else is wondering the same thing:
2) If you already provided your legal full name and you aren’t known by any other names, you don’t need to answer this
12) Yes, put your residential address
22) I just answered yes since I was already here
33) This is asking for the employment details of your “contact” in Australia (presumably your partner)
34) You have applied for a Migration Visa
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Diego
Hey Brooke,
Thanks for all the explanation. So, did you update all the files in the “Other” section naming it accordingly?
Thanks
brooke brisbine
DiegoHi Diego, glad you found this page helpful!
Yes, some of my uploads didn’t really fit under one of the designated headings, so I would just select “Other” and write a good description of the document for the CO. Also, if I had grouped several documents together in one PDF (e.g. bills, photos, and lease as evidence of living together), I would write a statement and “table of contents” for the first page of the PDF just so it was really obvious what I was including and why.
Hope that answers your question, and best of luck!
-Brooke
Sulanne
Amazing blog, helping me a lot!
Thanks Brooke,
All the best!
brooke brisbine
SulanneHi Sulanne, so happy to hear that! Best of luck to you!
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John Stewart
Awesome Brooke – thanks so much!
John Stewart
Dear Brooke
Sorry to bother you but I wanted to ask about the Form 80. I take it from what you have said this form is not available as an “on line” form and you signed a hard copy and then scanned and uploaded it? Would you please clarify for me.
Kind regards, John Stewart
brooke brisbine
John StewartHi John,
Yes, I just downloaded the form, completed it, and scanned it. There were a few sections on the form that didnβt actually allow enough room for you to record all of your travels or employers or residential addresses, etc. With these, I just built a table in Word and inserted it into the PDF after I scanned the form. Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Bijay Tamang
brooke brisbinehi brooke
Is it ok to type online or de we need to download and write with pen?
I have completed via typing and thinking to print out then certify it….
brooke brisbine
Bijay TamangHi Bijay,
I’m pretty sure it’s fine to type these forms, but don’t 100% quote me on that!
-Brooke
Ikram
brooke brisbineHi, i don’t have a space to add more attach documents I have +98 attachment documents.. How can I delete documents to add forms??
brooke brisbine
IkramHi Ikram,
Unfortunately, there is no way to delete uploads. I’m sure you’re not the only one to find yourself in this situation, though, so if anyone reading this post has any experience with requesting additional uploads or uploading to the sponsor application, please comment and let Ikram know!
-Brooke
Anja
Bijay TamangHi Brooke,
Firstly I’d like to thank you so much! Your blog helped me so much figuring out what to attach to my 820 application! It must’ve taken you a while to write all this so thank you for sacrificing your time helping so many others!
I also have a quick question. What exactly did you write about in you commitment statement? I am not the best writer and very unsure of what to write about π
Thank you for your help!!
brooke brisbine
AnjaHi Anja,
So happy to hear you found these posts helpful!
We wrote our commitment statements about our future plans/goals and steps we have taken as a couple to work towards these (e.g. saving together), about how we’ve become part of each other’s families, about sacrifices we’ve made for each other (e.g. moving interstate together multiple times for job opportunities), and how we’ve interconnected our lives in permanent ways. I’m sure you could approach this from many different directions, that’s just how we interpreted “commitment” for us.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
John Stewart
Dear Brooke
I just read your blog and it is outstanding. I am Australian and my wife is Thai – we will be submitting an off shore Partner Visa (309/100) in February and while I had much of what you have written about, the clarity in which you presented it has helped immensely. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on Australian Forum and on your website. It is very generous of you considering some have actually been charging $ for much the same information you have made available for free.
Your application sounds extremely good – obviously you are a very organised person!
Good luck and thanks again for your advice and guidance.
Kind regards, John Stewart
brooke brisbine
John StewartHi John, thank you so much for the lovely comment! I am really happy to hear that this information was helpful to you and your wife even at the final stages of your application. Iβd been taking notes and trying to organise evidence for the better part of a year until I finally got my head around it, so it was exciting to feel like everything finally came together in the endβ as Iβm sure you will soon relate!
Wishing you and your wife a successful application and a short wait on your visa!
– Brooke
Avinash kaur
brooke brisbinePlzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help.. i m stuck with page 11/18 of sponsorship for partner. it is asking to provide relationship details like financial,social,commitment etc. We actually filled all details in applicant’s application already.. do i again need to write in my words??? or can i copy paste same here???
brooke brisbine
Avinash kaurHi Avinash,
You do need to answer the questions again as the sponsor, but it doesn’t have to include the same level of detail if you already submitted long statements with the main application.
-Brooke
Samy
brooke brisbineHey Brooke,Hope you are doing well.
My name is Samy, i am currently providing evidences and writing statements for my partner visa, can you please confirm if i need to certify all of my statements, for example i just finished writing development of my relationship with my partner. Do i need to get this certified and all the rest of the statements as well ? Please let me know would be very much appreciated. thanks
brooke brisbine
SamyHi Samy,
You do not need to have any of your statements certified, nor any of your other documents (unless a CO specifically requested it). The only upload for the entire application that you are required to have witnessed is the Form 888, and these are done by your witnesses.
Hope that helps π
Erin
Avinash kaurHello!
You have written extensive information that has been extremely helpful but I’m still stuck on some things that I need clarity with π
My partner and I applied for 820/801 in Dec 2018 at this point we had lived together for more than 12 months and had legally registered our relationship 2 months prior in August 2018. In August 2020 the 820 was granted.
Last week I got an email saying we are ready for Stage 2 and directed us to the immigration website to start a new application for stage 2.
I am confused because I thought when I did the original application it was for stage 1 & 2 combined? Is it normal to have to do a whole new application for Stage 2?
I have started this application and it is asking me all the exact same questions as what I had originally submitted so I’m wondering if I’m going to have to re-upload every single document I did before or they will cross reference with the ones that I uploaded 2 years ago?
Feeling overwhelmed!
Any ideas?
Thank you
brooke brisbine
ErinHi Erin,
Yes, it is a requirement that you complete a secondary application and upload addition evidence for the 801 visa (unless you’ve been de facto 3+ years, in which case both visas are granted simultaneously).
Unfortunately, I can’t give you too much specific advice on this portion, as mine were granted together and I didn’t have to complete the second application. As I understand it, though, you do have to provide a lot of duplicate information and then include new evidence from the period since your 820 was granted.
Best of luck with it all!
-Brooke
Lia
brooke brisbineThanks Brooke..I just granted a Temporary Partner Visa…Your blog helped me a lot.
brooke brisbine
LiaHi Lia,
Wonderful, a big congratulations to you!!
xx Brooke
Lia
brooke brisbineHI Brooke…just one question…after the Subclass 820 was granted…Do I have to apply for the Visa 801 still?
ThanΔ·s
brooke brisbine
LiaHi Lia,
Typically yes, 2 years after 820 is granted (or slightly before) you will need to apply for 801. The exception is if you have both visas granted simultaneously, as was my experience– this is based on a long-term de facto relationship 3+ years at the time of application (or 2+ years if you have children together).
-Brooke
Manasi
brooke brisbineHey Brooke Thank you so much for ur help through ur blogs..after long waiting(17 months) finally me n my 2 kids granted PR few days ago..now just waiting to open boarders to go. Eagerly waiting to see my husband n start life together β€
Thanks for ur kind help n God bless u!
You are very kind hearted n you know this universe will give u everything u want.
Stay blessed!
Love you
Manasi
brooke brisbine
ManasiThank you so much for the lovely comment, Manasi, and congratulations on your PR!
Wishing you and your family a happy life in Australia π
-Brooke
Natalia
brooke brisbineDonde puedo escribirte para todas las dudas que me quedaron? Tu post estΓ‘ increΓble
brooke brisbine
NataliaHi Natalia,
Glad you found the posts helpful! If you have specific questions, you can leave them here in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer π
-Brooke