Partnership Visa Australia
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Partner Visa Relationship Evidence

A partner visa relationship is assessed on 4 factors set by regulations 1.09A and 1.15A of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment), and you should supply evidence dated across the whole relationship, not one month of it.

Last checked 5 primary sources About Partnership Visa Australia

A coin jar, a house key, two invitation cards and two intertwined threads of yarn.

The Department weighs all four together. Regulation 1.09A(2) (de facto partners) and regulation 1.15A(2) (spouses) say the decision maker must consider all of the circumstances of the relationship, including the four matters. So evidence that is strong on finances and silent on the social aspects leaves the application incomplete. It does not count as a partial pass.

This page explains the test and the evidence that meets it. It does not assess anyone's own relationship. The full document list, with certification and upload columns, is the partner visa document checklist.

Factor Where the law sets it What the Department is testing Three strong documents A gap to check for
Financial aspects reg 1.09A(3)(a), reg 1.15A(3)(a) Joint assets and debts, pooled money, shared day-to-day costs Joint mortgage or lease; joint account statements over time; loan for a car or major asset in both names Separate finances with no explanation of who pays what
Nature of the household reg 1.09A(3)(b), reg 1.15A(3)(b) Living arrangements, care of children, shared housework Lease or title in both names; bills in both names at one address; a statement on how you share housework Addresses that do not match across documents
Social aspects reg 1.09A(3)(c), reg 1.15A(3)(c) Whether you present as a couple and how others see you 2 Form 888 statements; joint invitations; records of travel together Photos with no dates, names or places
Nature of the commitment reg 1.09A(3)(d), reg 1.15A(3)(d) Duration, time lived together, support, a long-term intention Written relationship history from each of you; wills naming each other; contact records during time apart Periods apart with no record of staying in touch

What are the four factors a partner visa relationship is assessed on?

A partner visa relationship is assessed on four factors listed in regulation 1.09A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) for de facto partners and regulation 1.15A(3) for spouses. The two lists are the same, except that married couples show they present as married and de facto couples show they present as a de facto couple.

  1. The financial aspects of the relationship: joint ownership of real estate or major assets, joint liabilities, pooling of money for major commitments, any legal obligation one owes the other, and how you share household expenses (reg 1.09A(3)(a)).
  2. The nature of the household: joint care of children, your living arrangements and how you share housework (reg 1.09A(3)(b)).
  3. The social aspects of the relationship: whether you present yourselves to others as a couple, what friends and acquaintances think of the relationship, and how you plan and do social activities together (reg 1.09A(3)(c)). Some guides call this the "social context".
  4. The nature of your commitment to each other: how long the relationship has lasted, how long you have lived together, the companionship and emotional support between you, and whether you both see it as long term (reg 1.09A(3)(d)).

These regulations apply in full to the subclass 820, 801, 309 and 100 visas. For the prospective marriage visa (subclass 300), regulations 1.09A(4) and 1.15A(4) say the Department may consider the same matters. The test behind all four is in the Migration Act 1958 (Cth): a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, a relationship that is genuine and continuing, and living together or not living separately and apart on a permanent basis (ss 5F(2) and 5CB(2)).

Financial aspects of the relationship

This factor asks whether your money is tied together the way a couple's usually is. Home Affairs lists joint mortgage or lease documents, joint loans for major assets such as homes, cars or major appliances, joint bank account statements and household bills in both names.

Which financial documents prove a partner visa relationship?

  • Joint assets: a property title, a car registered to both of you, shares or other investments held jointly.
  • Joint liabilities: a mortgage, a car loan or a personal loan in both names, or one partner acting as guarantor for the other.
  • Pooled income: pay going into a shared account, or a shared savings account for a deposit, a wedding or a move.
  • Shared expenses: rent, utilities, insurance and internet paid from a shared account or split on a set basis.

Do you need a joint bank account for a partner visa?

No. A joint account is not a legal requirement. It is one way to show that you pool your finances. A statement with both names and ordinary spending across many months proves more than an account opened the month before you lodge.

What if your finances are separate?

Separate accounts can be explained. Show regular transfers between you, one partner paying the rent while the other pays the bills, a shared debt, or support for a partner who cannot work, and say in your written account how you split costs.

Nature of the household

This factor asks how you actually live. Home Affairs lists a statement about how you share housework, household bills in both names, mail or emails addressed to you both, documents showing joint responsibility for children, and documents proving your living arrangements.

Do you have to live together for a partner visa?

No, not always. Sections 5F(2)(d) and 5CB(2)(c) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) require that you either live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. A temporary separation for work, study, visa status or family reasons does not defeat the application on its own. Explain it and document it: why you are apart, for how long, how you stay in contact, and when you plan to live together again. De facto applicants also have to meet a separate 12-month relationship requirement unless an exception applies.

Social aspects of the relationship

This factor asks whether the people around you know you as a couple. Home Affairs asks for statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 or older and who know you both and know about your relationship. Those statements are made on Form 888 for a partner visa. Other evidence includes joint invitations, proof of friends in common, travel together, joint sporting or cultural activities, and proof you have told government, public or commercial bodies, such as Medicare or a bank, about the relationship.

What photos should you submit, and how many?

No official number exists. Choose a small set that is dated, captioned and spread across the whole relationship: when you met, milestones, family events, trips, ordinary days. Each caption should say who is in the photo, where it was taken and when. A small dated set proves more than a large undated one.

Do messages and call logs count?

Yes, as evidence of contact, especially during time apart. Export dated samples across the whole period with a short summary; a bulk dump adds little.

Nature of the commitment

This factor asks whether you both see the relationship as long term. Home Affairs says the evidence must show you know each other's background, family situation or other personal details, have combined your personal matters, stay in touch when apart, and are not related by family. It adds that the terms of your wills can be evidence.

The core documents are the written accounts of the relationship, from how you met to your plans. How to write one is covered in the partner visa relationship statement guide. Other useful documents include superannuation death-benefit nominations, insurance and emergency-contact nominations naming each other, and a power of attorney.

How much evidence is enough for a partner visa?

No law or Home Affairs page sets a number of documents. The practical rule has four parts:

  1. Cover all four factors. One strong factor does not make up for an empty one.
  2. Spread the dates from the start of the relationship to the date you lodge.
  3. Prefer documents created at the time over documents written for the application.
  4. Prefer third-party records (banks, landlords, agencies) over documents you made yourselves.

Attach each document once, even if it proves two things, and label every file clearly, as Home Affairs asks.

Which evidence is strongest, and which adds nothing?

Carries weight Carries little weight
Records from third parties: banks, lenders, landlords, utilities, government agencies Documents you created yourselves with nothing to back them up
Dated documents showing both names Undated photos, or photos with no people or places named
Records created at the time events happened Letters written for the application by people who cannot say how they know you
A spread of dates across the whole relationship A bundle concentrated in the few weeks before lodgement
Messages exported with dates and summarised Thousands of screenshots with no dates or context

The Department can refuse a partner visa if it is not satisfied the relationship is genuine. What makes it doubt a relationship, and how that doubt is answered, is covered on the contrived relationship page.

What happens at a partner visa interview?

A partner visa interview is not a routine step, and being asked to attend one is not a sign of refusal. Home Affairs publishes no guide to partner visa interviews, but the law and the forms say this:

  • Section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) lets the Department invite an applicant to give more information orally or in writing, so an interview is one way it can gather information.
  • Form 888 tells each supporting witness they may be contacted for further comment or interview about what they wrote.
  • The questions test the same four factors already in your file: how you met, how you live, your finances, who knows you as a couple and your plans.

To prepare, re-read your written account and your documents. Answers that match the file matter more than polished ones.

What evidence does the second stage need?

At the second stage (the subclass 801 or subclass 100 assessment), the evidence shows that the relationship has continued since you applied, so do not resend the first bundle. Home Affairs says to send second-stage documents once two years have passed since you applied, and not before. The sponsor must attach a Commonwealth statutory declaration, and Home Affairs asks again for statements from 2 witnesses.

Evidence when your circumstances are unusual

You have been together less than 12 months

Married couples have no minimum period. De facto applicants usually need 12 months together before applying, unless the relationship is registered with an Australian state or territory registry or compelling and compassionate circumstances apply.

You have lived in different countries

Show the reason for the distance, visits in person (boarding passes, bookings), regular contact, money sent between you, and the plan to live together.

You have children together

  • Each child's birth certificate naming both parents.
  • Documents showing joint care: school or childcare enrolments, Medicare listings, medical records.
  • Parenting arrangements if you live apart.

You are not married and your relationship is not registered

  • Evidence covering the 12 months before you applied.
  • A lease, bills and mail at a shared address across that period.
  • Stronger social evidence, because no certificate records the relationship.

You are in a same-sex relationship

The four factors apply in exactly the same way. The Migration Act 1958 (Cth) defines both a spouse and a de facto partner "whether of the same sex or a different sex" (ss 5F(1) and 5CB(1)).

Your relationship has ended

Some applicants can still continue when a relationship ends. See the page on what happens when a partner visa relationship breaks down.

Questions about partner visa evidence

Can you submit evidence after you lodge?

Yes, through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs asks partner visa applicants to update their evidence regularly.

Does evidence have to be certified?

Generally no. The Home Affairs partner visa pages say you do not need to have any documents certified; upload colour scans. Form 1229, the consent form for a child, is an exception: it asks for certified copies of its attachments.

Do documents in another language need a translation?

Yes, uploaded with the original. Translators in Australia must be NAATI-accredited; translators overseas must add their name, contact details and qualifications.

Does the Department contact your referees?

It can. Form 888 warns each supporting witness that they may be contacted for further comment or an interview.

Partner visa evidence documents and forms

Getting each document ready

The decision maker sees only what is in the file. An application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner is more likely to succeed. They can check each factor against the regulation, spot a gap such as an unexplained separation or unmatched addresses before the Department does, and answer a section 56 request in the form the Department expects. No adviser can promise a grant.

Questions people ask

What evidence is needed to prove a relationship for a partner visa?

The Department looks at four areas set by regulations 1.09A and 1.15A of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth). They are the financial aspects of the relationship, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of your commitment to each other. Evidence should cover all four and be spread across the whole relationship, with third-party records created at the time carrying the most weight.

Can I apply for a partner visa without living together?

Yes, in some cases. Under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) a couple must either live together or not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. A temporary separation for work, study, visa or family reasons does not by itself defeat the application, but it needs to be explained and backed by evidence of contact during the time apart.

Do you need a joint bank account for a partner visa?

No law requires a joint bank account. It is one of several ways to show that you pool your finances. Statements showing both names and real transactions over time prove more than an account opened just before you lodge, and couples with separate accounts can show money transfers, shared bills and shared debts instead.

How many Form 888 statements do you need for a partner visa?

Home Affairs asks for statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 or older, know both of you and know about your relationship. The statements are made on Form 888, which the applicant attaches in ImmiAccount. The Department can ask a witness for up to 3 statements while the application is processed.

Can you submit more evidence after you lodge a partner visa?

Yes. Home Affairs tells partner visa applicants to update their documents and relationship evidence regularly through ImmiAccount while they wait, because processing can take a long time. Under section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) the Department can also invite you to provide more information.

Sources

Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.

  1. Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), regs 1.09A and 1.15A (Federal Register of Legislation) www.legislation.gov.au
  2. Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 5CB, 5F and 56 (Federal Register of Legislation) www.legislation.gov.au
  3. Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 820), step-by-step documents immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  4. Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 801), evidence of your relationship immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  5. Home Affairs, Relationship evidence (family violence provisions) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

Have a registered professional check your application

The relationship is judged on what you upload. A missing declaration, an untranslated document or a thin record for one of the four factors can be enough for a refusal, and the charge is not refunded.

An application prepared or reviewed by a registered migration agent or an immigration lawyer is more likely to succeed: they read the criteria against your facts, spot the gaps before you pay, and answer the Department’s requests on time. No one can promise a grant.

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