Partner Visa (Subclass 820)
The subclass 820 partner visa costs A$11,710 for the main applicant as at 23 September 2026 and took a median of 23 months to decide in the Department's guide updated on 4 September 2026; you apply from inside Australia and it leads to the permanent subclass 801.
- Stage 1
- Temporary. Live, work and study while the permanent stage waits.
- Eligibility date
- Two years after the day you lodged. The Department then asks for fresh relationship evidence.
- Stage 2
- Permanent. Stay indefinitely and, when eligible, apply for citizenship.
- Subclass 300
- Engaged couples only. Marry within the visa's life, then lodge the 820 in Australia.
You lodge subclass 820 and subclass 801 as one application and pay once.
| Subclass 820 at a glance | As at 23 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Visa application charge, main applicant | A$11,710 |
| Additional applicant aged 18 or over | A$5,860 |
| Additional applicant under 18 | A$2,935 |
| Second instalment, per person | Nil |
| Where you must be when you apply | In Australia |
| Where you must be when it is granted | In or outside Australia |
| Bridging visa granted on lodgement | Bridging visa A, if you held a substantive visa |
| Work rights while you wait | Those of your current visa, then of your Bridging visa A |
| Travel rights while you wait | On a Bridging visa A, only with a Bridging visa B |
| 50% of applications decided within | 23 months (guide updated 4 September 2026) |
| 90% of applications decided within | 29 months (guide updated 4 September 2026) |
| Subclass 801 eligibility date | 2 years after the day you lodged |
Who can apply for a subclass 820?
- Be in Australia on the day you apply. Item 1214C of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) requires it, and family members applying with you must be in Australia too.
- Hold a substantive visa, or satisfy Schedule 3. See below.
- Be the spouse or de facto partner of an eligible sponsor who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen (cl 820.211(2)). De facto partners usually need 12 months as a couple before applying, unless the relationship is registered in an Australian state or territory.
- Be 18 or over, in most cases.
- Meet the health and character requirements and sign the Australian values statement.
- Have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government, or an arrangement to repay it.
- Not be barred by s 48 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).
- Holders of certain regional visas must have held a subclass 491 or 494 for at least 3 years, or some older regional visas for 2 years, before applying (item 1214C(3)(g) and (h)).
What if you do not hold a substantive visa?
Clause 820.211(2)(d) requires you to satisfy Schedule 3 criteria 3001, 3003 and 3004, unless the Department is satisfied there are compelling reasons not to apply them. In short: you applied within 28 days of your last substantive visa ending, or you show that you are without a visa because of factors beyond your control, that there are compelling reasons to grant the visa, and that you substantially complied with your last visa's conditions. Former subclass 300 holders are exempt. The rules are set out on Schedule 3 partner visa waiver.
What is the section 48 bar?
Section 48 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) limits the visas you can apply for in Australia if you hold no substantive visa and have been refused a visa, or had one cancelled, since you last entered. A partner visa is one of the permitted classes, but item 1124B(3)(e) requires that you have not been refused a partner visa since you last entered and that you lodge the sponsor's form and two statutory declarations with the application, or it may be invalid.
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.
Who can sponsor you?
Who is an eligible sponsor?
Your sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, usually your partner, and aged 18 or over; a parent or guardian may sponsor if your spouse is under 18. The Department must approve the sponsorship, and you cannot change sponsor: the same person sponsors you until 2 years after the subclass 820 is granted.
What limits apply to sponsors?
The Department may refuse if this would be the sponsor's third partner or prospective marriage sponsorship, or if in the last 5 years they sponsored another partner or were sponsored as one. Exceptions include a dependent child of you both, the death of a previous partner, and a long-standing relationship.
Does the sponsor need a police check?
Yes. The sponsor gives an Australian Federal Police complete-disclosure certificate, overseas certificates for 12 months or more spent in any country in the last 10 years since turning 16, and consent to disclose convictions for relevant offences to you. The sponsor requirements page covers each point.
What conditions are attached to a subclass 820?
| Condition | What it requires | Whether it applies to you |
|---|---|---|
| Conditions on the subclass 820 itself | None: clause 820.6 of Schedule 2 lists them as nil | Every holder |
| Condition 8503 on your current visa | No further substantive visa while you stay in Australia | Only if your current visa carries it |
| Conditions on your Bridging visa A | Set by clause 010.611, and can follow your previous visa | Onshore applicants on a Bridging visa A |
What does condition 8503 "no further stay" mean?
Schedule 8 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) says the holder "will not, after entering Australia, be entitled to be granted a substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while the holder remains in Australia". Check your visa in VEVO before you apply.
How do you get condition 8503 waived?
- Check that your circumstances fit regulation 2.05(4): compelling and compassionate circumstances that developed after your visa was granted, were beyond your control and caused a major change.
- Ask in writing, using the Department's online No Further Stay waiver request form or Form 1447, with evidence.
- Wait for the decision. The Department says a waiver must be approved before you can apply for the subclass 820.
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.
How much does a subclass 820 cost?
As at 23 September 2026 the charge is A$11,710 for the main applicant, A$5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and A$2,935 for each under 18, and it covers the subclass 801 as well. A subclass 300 holder who has married the sponsor pays A$1,955; a former holder whose subclass 300 ended after the marriage, and who holds no substantive visa, pays A$2,475. Eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders have paid a lower charge since 1 July 2026. The full charge table, the second instalment and the total-cost scenarios are on partner visa cost.
How long does a subclass 820 take?
The median is the time within which half of recently decided applications were finalised. In the Department's guide updated on 4 September 2026, half of subclass 820 applications were decided within 23 months and 90% within 29 months. Onshore partner applications have the highest priority under Ministerial Direction 117. The processing time page tracks the figures month by month.
What can you do while you wait?
- Stay lawfully: your Bridging visa A comes into effect only when your current substantive visa ends.
- Work and study: under your current visa's conditions, then your Bridging visa A's, which you can check in VEVO.
- Use Medicare: the Department says you may be eligible, depending on your circumstances, while you wait.
- Travel: once you are on a Bridging visa A, apply for a Bridging visa B before you leave, or you may not be able to return.
What documents do you need?
| Document | Required or optional | Which factor in regulation 1.09A it proves | Certified copy needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate and passport | Required | Identity | No |
| Marriage certificate, or evidence of 12 months as de facto partners | Required | The relationship | No |
| Joint lease, mortgage, loan or bank statements | Strongly advised | Financial aspects | No |
| Bills and mail in both names | Strongly advised | Nature of the household | No |
| Two supporting statements (Form 888) | Required | Social aspects | No |
| Your relationship history | Required | Nature of the commitment | No |
| Police certificates and Form 80 | As asked | Character | No |
The Department's subclass 820 page says you do not need to have documents certified; scan them in colour and translate any not in English. The full list is on the document checklist page.
How do you prove the relationship?
The financial aspects of the relationship
Show money moving in both directions over time: a joint account opened in, say, March 2024 with both salaries paid in from that month, a car loan in both names, and a statement showing who pays the rent.
The nature of the household
Show one address over time: a joint lease running from the start of your cohabitation to the date you lodge, utility bills in both names across that period, and a short statement on how you share housework.
The social aspects of the relationship
Show that other people treat you as a couple: two Form 888 statements from people aged 18 or over, invitations addressed to you both, and photos from events across different years.
The nature of the commitment
Show that you plan a shared future: your relationship history in your own words, wills naming each other, and evidence of staying in touch during any time apart.
What happens after you lodge a subclass 820?
- Month 0: the Department acknowledges receipt; if you held a substantive visa, you are granted a Bridging visa A.
- Months 1 onwards: health examinations and police certificates when asked. Both are valid for 12 months, so time them against the processing times guide.
- Any time: requests for further information under s 56 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), each with a deadline.
- Around month 23: the median decision on the subclass 820, as at 4 September 2026.
- Month 24: you become eligible for the subclass 801 assessment and submit the second-stage documents.
When does the subclass 801 assessment start?
Two years after the day you lodged, not after the subclass 820 was granted. If you lodged on 1 March 2025, you become eligible on 1 March 2027. The dates, documents and exceptions are on from subclass 820 to subclass 801, and the permanent visa itself is covered on partner visa subclass 801.
What happens if a subclass 820 is refused?
- Read the refusal letter: it gives the reasons and says whether you can seek review.
- Apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal, which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 14 October 2024, within 28 days of being notified (s 347 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)). You must be in Australia when you apply (s 347A(2)).
- Pay the review fee, set by regulation 4.13 at a base of A$3,496 and indexed every 1 July.
The visa application charge is not refunded. The refusal page covers the grounds and remedies.
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.
Subclass 820 compared with subclass 309 and subclass 300
| Subclass 820 | Subclass 309 | Subclass 300 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you lodge | In Australia | Outside Australia | Outside Australia |
| Relationship when you lodge | Married or de facto | Married or de facto | Engaged |
| Bridging visa while you wait | Bridging visa A | None | None |
| 50% decided within (4 September 2026) | 23 months | 21 months | 14 months |
| Leads to | Subclass 801 | Subclass 100 | Subclass 820, then 801 |
The full matrix is on onshore or offshore partner visa.
Questions people ask about the subclass 820
Is a subclass 820 permanent residence?
No; it is temporary, and permanent residence comes with the subclass 801.
How long can you stay on a subclass 820?
Until your subclass 801 application is decided or withdrawn (cl 820.511). There is no fixed expiry date.
Can you work on a subclass 820 before it is granted?
Only as your current visa or Bridging visa A allows; the grant brings full work rights.
Can you leave Australia on a subclass 820?
Yes, as often as you want once it is granted; before that, a Bridging visa A holder needs a Bridging visa B.
Can you apply for a subclass 820 from a tourist visa?
Yes, unless it carries an unwaived condition 8503; if it has expired, Schedule 3 applies.
What happens to a subclass 820 if the relationship ends?
It is refused unless the sponsor has died or a family violence or child-related exception applies, and the exceptions carry into the second stage described in from subclass 820 to subclass 801. 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.
Can you withdraw a subclass 820 application?
Yes, online in ImmiAccount. You withdraw the subclass 820 and 801 together, with a signed statement from each applicant aged 18 or over. The sponsor can separately withdraw the sponsorship before the subclass 801 is decided.
What changed for the subclass 820, and when
- 1 July 2026: a lower charge began to apply to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders, according to the Department of Home Affairs subclass 820 page.
- 25 July 2026: Ministerial Direction 117 replaced Direction 102, keeping onshore partner applications at the highest priority, according to the Department's family visa processing priorities page.
- As at 23 September 2026: a proposal to stop visitor visa holders applying for a partner visa in Australia had not become law.
More on waiting in Australia: the bridging visa on an onshore partner visa, the rules to travel overseas while your partner visa is undecided, and the overview of every subclass on the Australian partner visa page.
A subclass 820 depends on your visa status on one day, and an unwaived condition 8503, a missed Schedule 3 criterion or a s 48 problem can make the application invalid or refused, with no refund. An application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner is more likely to succeed, because they check your visa history in VEVO and the relationship evidence against each criterion before you lodge. No one can promise a grant, but professional preparation catches the problems that cannot be fixed after lodgement.
Questions people ask
Is partner visa 820 permanent residency?
No. The subclass 820 is a temporary visa that lets you live, work and study in Australia until your subclass 801 application is decided or withdrawn. Permanent residence comes with the subclass 801, which you can be assessed for two years after you lodged.
How much does a subclass 820 visa cost?
As at 23 September 2026 the charge is A$11,710 for the main applicant, A$5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and A$2,935 for each additional applicant under 18. It covers both the subclass 820 and the subclass 801. A subclass 300 holder who has married the sponsor pays A$1,955.
Do you get a bridging visa for a partner visa?
If you held a substantive visa when you lodged your subclass 820 application, you are granted a Bridging visa A. It comes into effect when your current visa ends and keeps you lawful in Australia while the Department decides your application.
What does condition 8503 mean on a partner visa application?
Condition 8503 means the holder is not entitled to be granted a substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while they remain in Australia. If your current visa carries it, the Department must approve a waiver before you can apply for a subclass 820.
Can you withdraw a subclass 820 application?
Yes. You can withdraw it online in ImmiAccount. You must withdraw both the subclass 820 and the subclass 801, and attach a signed statement from each applicant aged 18 or over who is included in the withdrawal.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 820) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Global visa processing times guide immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Estimator immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au
- Migration Act 1958 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au