Who Can Sign a Form 888 for a Partner Visa
A Form 888 may be made and signed by anyone aged 18 or over who knows both of you and the history of your relationship; the current edition needs no witness and no certification, and the prescribed witnesses listed below apply only to the Commonwealth statutory declarations elsewhere in a partner visa application.
Making a statement and witnessing one are different roles. On Form 888 only the first exists: the person who knows you writes, signs and dates it. Witnessing applies to the Commonwealth statutory declarations in a partner visa file: the sponsor's second-stage declaration, the 2 at-lodgement declarations some onshore applicants need, and any declaration the couple chooses to make. Those must be made before a prescribed person, and this page hosts the full list, checked against the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023 (Cth) on 23 September 2026.
Who can make a Form 888 statement?
A Form 888 can be made by a person who, in the form's words, knows the visa applicant and their partner or fiancé(e) and the history of their relationship, and is at least 18 years of age. That is the whole eligibility rule on the form. How to complete it is covered in Form 888 for a partner visa.
Can a family member make a Form 888?
Yes. A parent, sibling, adult child or other relative can make one. Family often know the relationship's history best. A file made only of family statements is less independent than a mix of family and friends, so many couples include at least one supporter from outside the family.
Can a friend, employer, neighbour or landlord make one?
Yes, if they know both of you and the relationship. A landlord who has dealt with you both as tenants, or a colleague who has socialised with you as a couple, can give useful first-hand detail. Someone who knows only one partner cannot answer the form's questions about the other.
Does the person making it have to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident?
No. The form asks for documentary evidence of current name and age and, "where applicable", of Australian citizenship or Australian permanent residency. Home Affairs says to provide that evidence if the person is a citizen or permanent resident. Supporters living overseas can make one. This differs from the 2 at-lodgement statutory declarations for onshore applicants without a substantive visa, whose declarants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Does the person have to have met you both in person?
The form does not say so in terms. It asks how long the person has known each of you and how often they are in contact, and it warns they may be contacted for an interview. A supporter who has met you both can answer those questions with far more conviction.
Who can witness a Form 888?
No one needs to. The current Form 888 has no witness section: the supporter signs a warning that giving false information is an offence under section 234(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and dates it. The list below is for the Commonwealth statutory declarations in a partner visa application, which are covered on the partner visa statutory declaration page.
Under section 6 of the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023 (Cth), which replaced the 2018 Regulations from 1 January 2024, a Commonwealth statutory declaration can be witnessed by:
(a) A legal practitioner enrolled on the roll of the Supreme Court of a state or territory or the High Court of Australia. Overseas: must still be enrolled on an Australian roll.
(b) A person currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia in one of these 17 occupations (Schedule 1, Part 1):
| Occupation | Condition attached | Where the requirement comes from | Notes for an overseas witness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 1 | Australian registration must be current |
| Chiropractor | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 2 | Australian registration must be current |
| Dentist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 3 | Australian registration must be current |
| Financial adviser or financial planner | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 4 | Australian registration must be current |
| Legal practitioner | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 5 | Australian registration must be current |
| Medical practitioner | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 6 | Australian registration must be current |
| Midwife | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 7 | Australian registration must be current |
| Migration agent registered under Division 3 of Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958 | Currently registered | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 8 | Australian registration must be current |
| Nurse | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 9 | Australian registration must be current |
| Occupational therapist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 10 | Australian registration must be current |
| Optometrist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 11 | Australian registration must be current |
| Patent attorney | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 12 | Australian registration must be current |
| Pharmacist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 13 | Australian registration must be current |
| Physiotherapist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 14 | Australian registration must be current |
| Psychologist | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 15 | Australian registration must be current |
| Trade marks attorney | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 16 | Australian registration must be current |
| Veterinary surgeon | Currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia | Sch 1 Pt 1 item 17 | Australian registration must be current |
(c) A person in one of these 40 categories (Schedule 1, Part 2):
| Person | Condition attached | Where the requirement comes from | Notes for an overseas witness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Fellow of the National Tax Accountants' Association, or member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, the Association of Taxation and Management Accountants, CPA Australia or the Institute of Public Accountants | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 1 | Membership must be current |
| Agent of the Australian Postal Corporation | In charge of an office supplying postal services to the public | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 2 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| APS employee | Ongoing, 5 or more years of continuous service, not covered by another item | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 3 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer | Within the meaning of the Consular Fees Act 1955 | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 4 | The main overseas option, at an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate |
| Bailiff | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 5 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Bank officer | 5 or more continuous years of service | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 6 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Building society officer | 5 or more years of continuous service | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 7 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Chief executive officer of a Commonwealth court | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 8 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Clerk of a court | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 9 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Commissioner for Affidavits | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 10 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Commissioner for Declarations | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 11 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Credit union officer | 5 or more years of continuous service | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 12 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Employee of a Commonwealth authority | Permanent, 5 or more years of continuous service, not covered by another item | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 13 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Employee of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission | Outside Australia, authorised under paragraph 3(d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955, exercising that function there | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 14 | Overseas only |
| Employee of the Commonwealth | Outside Australia, authorised under paragraph 3(c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955, exercising that function there | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 15 | Overseas only |
| Engineer | Member of Engineers Australia (not student grade), Registered Professional Engineer of Professionals Australia, registered as an engineer under Australian law, or on the National Engineering Register | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 16 | Membership or registration must be current |
| Finance company officer | 5 or more years of continuous service | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 17 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Holder of a statutory office | Not covered by another item | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 18 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Judge | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 19 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Justice of the Peace | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 20 | Must hold the appointment when witnessing |
| Magistrate | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 21 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Marriage celebrant | Registered under Subdivision C of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961 | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 22 | Registration must be current |
| Master of a court | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 23 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Member of the Australian Defence Force | An officer; a non-commissioned officer with 5 or more years of continuous service; or a warrant officer | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 24 | Must be serving when witnessing |
| Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 25 | Membership must be current |
| Member of the Governance Institute of Australia Ltd | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 26 | Membership must be current |
| Member of a parliament or local government authority | Commonwealth Parliament, a state Parliament, a territory legislature or a local government authority | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 27 | Must hold office when witnessing |
| Minister of religion | Registered under Subdivision A of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961 | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 28 | Registration must be current |
| Notary public | Includes a notary public, however described, exercising functions outside Australia and its external territories | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 29 | Can be registered by an overseas body |
| Permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation | 5 or more years of continuous service, in an office providing postal services to the public | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 30 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Permanent employee of a state, territory, state or territory authority, or local government authority | 5 or more years of continuous service, not covered by another item | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 31 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Person authorised under state or territory law | A person before whom a statutory declaration may be made under the law of the state or territory where the declaration is made | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 32 | Applies only when you sign in that state or territory |
| Police officer | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 33 | Must be serving when witnessing |
| Registrar or Deputy Registrar of a court | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 34 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Senior executive employee of a Commonwealth authority | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 35 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Senior executive employee of a state or territory | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 36 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| SES employee of the Commonwealth | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 37 | Must hold the position when witnessing |
| Sheriff | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 38 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Sheriff's officer | None stated | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 39 | Must hold the office when witnessing |
| Teacher | Employed on a permanent full-time or part-time basis at a school or tertiary education institution | Sch 1 Pt 2 item 40 | Must be employed on that basis when witnessing |
A quick answer
For a quick answer: a Justice of the Peace, a legal practitioner, a medical practitioner, a pharmacist currently registered in Australia, a police officer, or a bank officer with 5 or more years of continuous service.
Can the sponsor, the applicant or another witness sign the form?
Not a Form 888 about their own relationship. The form is a third party's account of the couple, so a statement made by the applicant or the sponsor is not a supporting statement at all. Nor should the couple fill in a supporter's answers for them to sign. For a Commonwealth statutory declaration, a person can never witness their own declaration, even if they hold a prescribed occupation.
What details must the witness write down?
On a witnessed Commonwealth statutory declaration, the Attorney-General's Department says the witness signs and writes, types or stamps their name, their personal or professional address, and their qualification as a witness, for example "Pharmacist" or "Justice of the Peace". On Form 888 there is no witness to fill anything in. The supporter completes their own name, address and contact details at the top of the form.
Do the video and overseas witnessing rules apply to a Form 888?
No, because Form 888 has no witness. A supporter anywhere in the world completes and signs it. The rules for witnessing by video link, executing a declaration digitally through myGov, and witnessing outside Australia apply to the Commonwealth statutory declarations in the application. They are set out on the witness page linked at the end of this page.
Does Form 888 need to be certified?
No, Form 888 does not need to be certified. A certified copy is a copy of an original document that an authorised person has checked against the original. Form 888 is itself the original: the supporter's own signed statement. Upload a clear colour scan of the whole signed form, with the supporter's identity evidence.
Which other partner visa documents need to be certified?
Certification is a question about copies of other documents, not about Form 888, and it is answered on the certified copies for a partner visa page, with a per-document column in the partner visa document checklist.
What happens if the wrong person signs a Form 888?
If the applicant or sponsor completed it, or the supporter does not know both of you, it will carry little or no weight as a supporting statement. The Department can ask for a replacement under section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) or contact the supporter. The fix is a fresh current-edition form completed by a proper supporter; see Form 888 for a partner visa. For a Commonwealth statutory declaration witnessed by someone who is not a prescribed person, the witness page linked below explains the consequence.
Questions about signing and witnessing a Form 888
Does the witness charge a fee?
A Form 888 has no witness, so there is no fee. For a Commonwealth statutory declaration, nothing in the Regulations sets a fee, so ask the witness before you book.
Can a Justice of the Peace witness it anywhere in Australia?
A Justice of the Peace is listed in item 20 of Part 2 without any condition about place. Item 32 separately covers anyone authorised under the law of the state or territory where you sign. Check that the JP holds a current appointment.
Does a pharmacist need to be registered?
Yes. Part 1 occupations, including pharmacist, count only if the person is currently licensed or registered to practise in Australia when they witness.
Can the same person witness all your declarations?
Yes. Nothing in the Act or the Regulations stops one prescribed person witnessing several Commonwealth statutory declarations in the same application, each signed in front of them.
Does a Form 888 expire?
The form does not state an expiry. The Department can ask a supporter for up to 3 statements during processing, and expects fresh statements at the second stage. Separately, the at-lodgement statutory declarations for onshore applicants without a substantive visa must be made within the last 6 weeks.
Form 888 and the other partner visa declarations
- The Form 888 for a partner visa page: how to complete the supporting statement, with example answers.
- The partner visa document checklist page: every document with its certification and upload details.
- The certified copies for a partner visa page: when a partner visa document needs a certified copy at all.
- The who can witness a statutory declaration page: video, myGov and overseas witnessing for Commonwealth declarations.
The difference between a supporting statement and a statutory declaration looks small but has real consequences: using Form 888 where a Commonwealth declaration is required can make an onshore application invalid. An application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner is more likely to succeed. They know which of your documents needs a prescribed witness, check each witness against the Schedule, and make sure every supporter's statement stands as independent evidence. No adviser can promise a grant.
Questions people ask
Does Form 888 need to be certified?
No. Form 888 is an original statement signed by the person who makes it, not a copy of another document, so there is nothing to certify. The current edition also has no witness section.
Who can witness Form 888?
No one needs to. The current Form 888, titled a supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application, is signed and dated by the person making it, who confirms they understand that a false statement is an offence under section 234 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Witnessing applies to Commonwealth statutory declarations, not to Form 888.
Who can fill out an 888 form?
Anyone who is at least 18 and knows the visa applicant, their partner or fiance, and the history of their relationship. Friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours can all make one if they know both of you. The applicant and sponsor cannot complete one about their own relationship.
Does the person making a Form 888 have to be an Australian citizen?
No. The form asks for evidence of current name and age and, where applicable, of Australian citizenship or permanent residency. Home Affairs asks for that evidence only if the person is a citizen or permanent resident. The separate statutory declarations some onshore applicants must lodge do require Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen declarants.
Who can witness a Commonwealth statutory declaration for a partner visa?
A prescribed person under the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023 (Cth), which lists 17 occupations in Part 1 of Schedule 1 and 40 other categories in Part 2, plus legal practitioners on a Supreme Court or High Court roll. The list includes Justices of the Peace, pharmacists, police officers, teachers and bank officers with 5 years' service.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Home Affairs, Form 888 (PDF) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023 (Cth), s 6 and Schedule 1 www.legislation.gov.au
- Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Cth) www.legislation.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 820), statutory declarations and Form 888 immi.homeaffairs.gov.au