Using ImmiAccount for a Partner Visa
You create an ImmiAccount with an email address, lodge the partner visa from it, attach every document to it, and the sponsor then links their Form 40SP sponsorship to it using the application's Transaction Reference Number.
The applicant and the sponsor each act in ImmiAccount, so the account is where the two linked applications, the evidence and the Department's letters come together. Every step here was checked on 23 September 2026 against the Home Affairs "Applying online in ImmiAccount" guidance and the subclass 820 and 309 pages. This page explains a government portal; it is not connected with the Department of Home Affairs.
| Step | Who does it | Where in ImmiAccount | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Create the account | Applicant | Create an ImmiAccount, Individual | A username and a confirmation email |
| 2. Lodge the partner visa and pay | Applicant | New application, Family, "Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa" | A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) |
| 3. Lodge the sponsorship | Sponsor | New application, Family, "Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia" | A linked sponsorship |
| 4. Attach evidence | Applicant and sponsor | Attach documents | Documents listed under Received |
| 5. Arrange the health examinations | Applicant | View details, Health assessment | A HAP ID |
| 6. Answer a biometrics request | Applicant | Messages | A request letter with a Visa Lodgement Number |
| 7. Report changes | Applicant or sponsor | Update details | A notification on file |
| 8. Lodge the permanent stage | Applicant | New application, Family, "Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)" | Assessment for subclass 801 or 100 |
How do you create an ImmiAccount for a partner visa?
To create an ImmiAccount for a partner visa, the applicant registers an individual account with their name, a telephone number and an email address, then confirms the email. Home Affairs publishes the field-by-field steps on its "Applying online in ImmiAccount" page. Choose to receive electronic communication, because every request the Department sends about the partner visa arrives in the account.
Does the sponsor need a separate ImmiAccount?
No, although it can help. Home Affairs says the sponsor can lodge using the applicant's ImmiAccount or their own, and can create their own account if they do not have one.
Should you share one account as a couple?
No. Home Affairs tells applicants and sponsors to protect their ImmiAccount and passwords and not share them with anyone. Separate logins also matter if the relationship ends, when the Department advises changing passwords.
How do you lodge the partner visa and link the sponsorship in ImmiAccount?
- The applicant selects New application, then Family, then "Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa".
- The applicant completes the questions, attaches documents and pays. The application is not processed until the charge is paid.
- The applicant notes the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) and gives it, or the Application ID, to the sponsor.
- The sponsor selects New application, Family, "Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia" and completes it using the TRN. This is the online Form 40SP.
- ImmiAccount acknowledges the sponsorship. Its status stays at Submitted, which Home Affairs says is normal for a partner sponsorship.
The full order, from choosing the subclass to the health checks, is on the page about how to apply for a partner visa.
How do you attach partner visa evidence in ImmiAccount?
In ImmiAccount, you pick who the document is for, why you are attaching it, and the document type, then upload. The relationship evidence lines up with the four factors in reg 1.09A(3) and reg 1.15A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth).
| Evidence | What to select as the reason for attaching | Relationship factor it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Joint bank statements, lease, loans, bills in both names | The relationship evidence category for financial aspects | Financial aspects of the relationship |
| Shared address records, household bills, care of children | The relationship evidence category for the household | Nature of the household |
| Form 888 statements, joint invitations, shared travel | The relationship evidence category for social aspects | Social aspects of the relationship |
| Relationship statement, contact while apart, wills | The relationship evidence category for commitment | Nature of the persons' commitment to each other |
| Passport, birth certificate, change of name | Identity and name categories | Not a relationship factor: identity |
| Police certificates, Form 80 | Character categories | Not a relationship factor: character |
Pick the exact label from the upload screen's dropdown (this guide could not view the live partner labels). If nothing fits, use "Other Documents".
The rules Home Affairs sets:
- Up to 100 documents per person. The limit cannot be raised, but you can attach to another person on the same application.
- File sizes: identity documents up to 500KB, others up to 5MB; no encrypted PDFs.
- One file per document, attached once and clearly labelled.
- Colour scans or clear photos; certified copies are not needed, and nothing goes by email.
- No deleting after lodgement.
Can you add documents after you lodge?
Yes, until the application is finalised, and Home Affairs asks partner applicants to keep updating their relationship evidence. If you hit the limit or cannot upload, use the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
Where do the partner visa health examinations and biometrics fit in ImmiAccount?
Health. Open View details, then Health assessment. If it shows "Organise health examinations", generate the HAP ID there and book the visa medical for a partner visa with it.
Biometrics. A request to provide personal identifiers arrives as a letter in the account's messages and under "Actions required". What to do next is on the page on biometrics for a partner visa.
How do you import a partner visa application into your ImmiAccount?
You cannot import a partner visa application yourself. Home Affairs lists partner visa applications, including partner sponsorship applications, among those that cannot be imported. The alternatives are:
- Share it. The account that lodged the application can use Share to let another ImmiAccount view it and attach documents. You can share an application with the status Received, Initial Assessment, Further Assessment or Finalised.
- Ask for a transfer. The Partner Visa FAQs say to use the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form and choose "Enquiry/Issue – Unable to import application".
Your application was lodged by an agent
It sits in the agent's organisation account, and Home Affairs encourages agents to share applications with clients. If the appointment ends, use the transfer route above. Whether to use an agent at all is covered on the page about a migration agent for a partner visa.
How do you check your partner visa status in ImmiAccount?
The status shows next to the application in "My applications summary":
- Incomplete or Ready to submit: not yet lodged.
- Submitted: lodged; a partner sponsorship always stays here.
- Received: the Department has it and will assess it within its processing times.
- Initial assessment: an officer is assessing it.
- Further assessment: the Department is assessing information it asked you for.
- Finalised: decided.
How do you tell the Department about changes to your partner visa through ImmiAccount?
Open the application, select Update details, and choose the notice that fits: "Notification of changes in circumstances" (the online Form 1022), "Notification of incorrect answer(s)" (the online Form 1023), or the change of address, email or passport options. The Partner Visa FAQs call this the "Update Us" tab. If the relationship ends, the Department may need the "Notification of Relationship Cessation" form in the same place.
Questions about ImmiAccount and a partner visa
Does the second stage use the same ImmiAccount?
Use the account you lodged from. Two years after you applied, select New application, Family, "Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)" and enter your Application ID. If you did not lodge through ImmiAccount, the FAQs say to create an account for this step.
What happens to the ImmiAccount after the visa is granted?
The application stays in the account with the status Finalised, and the decision letter is in its messages. Documents can no longer be attached to it. The permanent stage is lodged as a new "Stage 2" application when you become eligible.
Can an authorised recipient see your ImmiAccount?
Not automatically. An authorised recipient receives the Department's letters. They see the application in ImmiAccount only if you share it with their account.
Help with lodging in ImmiAccount
ImmiAccount lets you lodge a partner visa yourself, but it will not warn you that the evidence under one factor is thin, that a document needs a translation, or that a request letter has a short deadline. A registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner builds the evidence file against reg 1.09A and reg 1.15A before it is uploaded and tracks every request. That makes an application they prepare more likely to succeed, though no one can promise a grant.
ImmiAccount and the rest of the partner visa application
- The page on how to apply for a partner visa sets out all eight steps, of which ImmiAccount is the tool.
- The page on biometrics for a partner visa covers the request letter, the collection centre and the Australian Immi App.
- The visa medical for a partner visa page covers booking with the HAP ID from ImmiAccount.
- The page on a migration agent for a partner visa helps couples decide whether to lodge in ImmiAccount themselves.
If you are looking for the ImmiAccount login screen or have a login problem, the Department's Applying online in ImmiAccount page links to the login and explains its account help.
Questions people ask
Does the sponsor need a separate ImmiAccount for a partner visa?
No, it is optional. Home Affairs says the sponsor can lodge the sponsorship using the applicant's ImmiAccount or their own, and can create their own account if they do not have one. Either way the sponsor needs the applicant's Transaction Reference Number or Application ID.
How many documents can you attach to a partner visa in ImmiAccount?
Up to 100 documents for each person on a partner visa application, compared with 60 for most other visas. The limit cannot be increased. Identity documents can be up to 500KB each and other documents up to 5MB each, and encrypted PDF files are not accepted.
Can you import a partner visa application into ImmiAccount?
No. Home Affairs lists partner visa applications, including partner sponsorship applications, among those that cannot be imported. The Department's FAQs say to ask for help transferring one through the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, choosing the enquiry type about being unable to import an application.
Why does the partner sponsorship always show Submitted in ImmiAccount?
Home Affairs says a partner sponsorship form always displays the status Submitted and does not change to Received. That is normal and does not mean the sponsorship has been ignored. The applicant's visa application shows the moving status.
Can you lodge a partner visa on paper instead of in ImmiAccount?
Only if the Department invites you to. The Partner Visa FAQs say a paper partner visa application lodged without an invitation is invalid and will not be processed.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Home Affairs, Applying online in ImmiAccount immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801), step by step immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, ImmiAccount Technical Support Form immi.homeaffairs.gov.au