Form 1022: Reporting a Change of Circumstances on a Partner Visa
Partner visa applicants use Form 1022 to tell the Department about a change of circumstances, such as a birth, a marriage or the end of the relationship, as soon as practicable under s 104 of the Migration Act 1958, while simple address and passport changes go through ImmiAccount's own update screens.
The duty runs from lodgement until the visa is decided, and it covers any change that makes an answer in your application no longer correct. Form 1022, "Notification of changes in circumstances (Section 104 of the Migration Act 1958)" (design date 03/18), and the ImmiAccount update screens were checked on 23 September 2026.
What is Form 1022, and when does a partner visa applicant use it?
Form 1022 is the Department's form for meeting s 104 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Section 104 says that if circumstances change so that an answer in your application is incorrect, you must "as soon as practicable" tell an officer in writing of the new circumstances and the correct answer. For an applicant in Australia, the duty covers changes before the visa is granted. For an applicant outside Australia, it runs until you are immigration cleared on arrival. For a partner visa the permanent application stays open after the temporary grant, and Home Affairs asks subclass 820 and 309 holders to keep reporting changes.
Which changes must you report on a partner visa?
| Change | Report it on | Attach | Who reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| New residential or postal address | ImmiAccount, Update details, "Change of address details" | Nothing | Applicant; sponsor for their own |
| New email address | ImmiAccount, "Change of email address details" | Nothing | Applicant; sponsor for their own |
| New passport | ImmiAccount, "Change of passport details" | Passport page | Applicant |
| Change of name | Notification of changes in circumstances (Form 1022) | Evidence of the new name | Applicant |
| Marriage after lodging as de facto partners | Form 1022 | Marriage certificate | Applicant |
| Birth or adoption of a child | Form 1022, then the Partner Processing Enquiry Form | Birth certificate or adoption papers | Applicant |
| A child leaving the application | Withdrawal for that child (Form 1446) | Signed statements | Applicant |
| A new criminal charge or conviction | Form 1022 | Court documents | Applicant |
| Separation or end of the relationship | "Notification of Relationship Cessation" in ImmiAccount | As the form asks | Applicant; the sponsor uses the enquiry form |
| Reconciliation after a reported separation | Partner Processing Enquiry Form | Statutory declarations from both of you, and identity evidence | Applicant |
| An answer that was wrong from the start | "Notification of incorrect answer(s)" (Form 1023), not Form 1022 | Correct details | Applicant |
Home Affairs asks you to report an address change if you will live at a different residential address for more than 14 days.
A change of name
Report it on Form 1022 with the document that shows the new name. For most couples this is a marriage certificate or a registry change of name certificate, explained on the page about a name change after marriage.
A new baby
Report the birth. Under reg 2.08 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), a child born after the application is made and before it is decided is taken to have applied for the same visa at birth, as part of your application. The child must meet the criteria at the time of decision. Home Affairs asks you to update ImmiAccount and then tell it through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
How do you submit Form 1022 for a partner visa?
- Open the application in ImmiAccount and select Update details.
- Select "Notification of changes in circumstances", complete the fields and confirm.
- Attach any supporting document, such as a certificate or court record.
- Or complete the Form 1022 PDF, sign it (every applicant aged 18 or over signs), and attach it.
- If you cannot use ImmiAccount, attach the signed Form 1022 to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form, as the Partner Visa FAQs describe.
A paper application is dealt with by returning the form to the office where you lodged.
What if your relationship ends while the partner visa is being processed?
Tell the Department. Home Affairs says you may need to complete the "Notification of Relationship Cessation" form under Update details in ImmiAccount. Without ImmiAccount access, you can use the Partner Processing Enquiry Form with a signed Form 1022. The Department also suggests changing your ImmiAccount and email passwords and not using saved passwords.
Ending the relationship does not always end the application. The Partner Processing Enquiry Form names three situations in which an application may continue: family violence by the sponsor, the sponsor's death, and children of the relationship. The Home Affairs Family Violence Provisions page explains the first. Applying these rules to your own circumstances is immigration assistance, which ss 276 and 280 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) restrict to registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners.
Does the partner visa sponsor report changes too?
Yes, for their own details and the relationship. The Home Affairs "For Sponsors" instructions ask the sponsor to report changes to their contact details, address or passport, their marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and the end of the relationship. A sponsor who wants to withdraw uses the Partner Processing Enquiry Form with a signed statement.
What happens to your partner visa if you do not report a change?
For an application still being decided, Form 1022 says the information you give is taken into account in assessing it, so an unreported change leaves the decision resting on facts that are out of date. After grant, s 107 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) lets the Department give notice of possible noncompliance with s 104. Section 109 then allows the visa to be cancelled after your response is considered. Form 1022 warns that a visa "is liable to be cancelled" for not complying, and Home Affairs says, "If you do not tell us when your situation changes, we may cancel your visa." Reporting promptly avoids the issue.
Form 1022, Form 1023 or Form 929 for a partner visa?
| Form | What it is for | How a partner visa applicant uses it |
|---|---|---|
| 1022, Notification of changes in circumstances | An answer that was right but is no longer right | Update details, "Notification of changes in circumstances", or the PDF |
| 1023, Notification of incorrect answer(s) | An answer that was wrong when you gave it (s 105) | Update details, "Notification of incorrect answer(s)", or the PDF |
| 929, Change of contact and/or passport details | Contact and passport changes | ImmiAccount now handles these on its own screens; the Department's Form 929 PDF address redirects as at 23 September 2026 |
The full list of forms is on the partner visa forms page.
Questions about Form 1022 and a partner visa
Is there a fee for Form 1022?
No. There is no charge to notify a change.
Do you report a new job on a partner visa?
Report it if an answer in your application depended on it, such as your employment or your finances as a couple. Section 104 turns on whether an answer has become incorrect.
Do you report overseas travel on a partner visa?
Travel on its own is not a change of circumstances. Report it if it changes an answer, for example a new residential address abroad for more than 14 days.
Does reporting a change delay the partner visa?
Not in itself. It keeps the file accurate, so the officer does not have to ask.
Getting notifications right
A late or missing notification can cost a partner visa after it is granted, and a relationship change can alter which criteria apply. A registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner works out what must be reported, on which form, and what it means for the application. That makes an application they prepare more likely to succeed, though no one can promise a grant.
Form 1022 and the partner visa application
- The partner visa forms page lists Form 1022 with every other form in the application.
- The page about a name change after marriage covers the documents that prove a new name.
- The page on how to apply for a partner visa shows the full application; Form 1022 keeps it accurate until the decision.
Questions people ask
How do I submit Form 1022 online for a partner visa?
Open the application in ImmiAccount, select Update details, then Notification of changes in circumstances, which is the online version of Form 1022. You can also complete the Form 1022 PDF and attach it. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, attach the signed form to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
What is the purpose of Form 1022?
Form 1022, Notification of changes in circumstances, is how you meet the duty in section 104 of the Migration Act 1958 to tell the Department in writing, as soon as practicable, when a change makes an answer in your visa application incorrect.
Is there a fee for Form 1022?
No. Neither the Form 1022 PDF nor the ImmiAccount update screen carries a charge.
Is Form 1221 required for a partner visa?
Only if the Department asks for it. Form 1221, Additional personal particulars information, is a supplementary form, and the Home Affairs partner visa pages do not list it as a standard document.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Home Affairs, Form 1022 Notification of changes in circumstances immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Applying online in ImmiAccount (Update details) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Family Violence Provisions immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 104, 105, 107 and 109; Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), reg 2.08 www.legislation.gov.au