190 Partner Evidence 2026: Proving Genuine and Continuing Relationship

A subclass 190 application that includes a partner has to do four things at once: show who your partner is (identity documents and photos), show they meet character requirements, show the legal form of the relationship (a marriage certificate where one exists, plus documents about other relationships where they apply), and — separately — show that the relationship is genuine and continuing. De facto partners take one of two routes to the third point: either evidence that the relationship is registered by an Australian state or territory, or enough documents to prove the de facto relationship existed for at least the 12 months before you apply. Married and de facto applicants then meet the same final requirement. This follows the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) page published by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, as at the July 2026 version of that page.

What does the 190 partner checklist actually ask for?

The partner section of the document list is short, and each item does a different job. Reading them as one undifferentiated "relationship proof" pile is where most applications start to go wrong.

What the page asks for	What it establishes
Identity documents and photos	Who your partner is
Character documents	Whether your partner clears the character requirement
Marriage certificate, if applicable	The legal form of the relationship
Documents about other relationships, if applicable	Whether any previous relationship has been properly disclosed and ended
For de facto: registration, or 12 months of documents	Whether the de facto relationship meets the duration or registration test
For both married and de facto: genuine and continuing evidence	Whether the relationship is real and ongoing, not just documented

Alongside these, the same document-gathering step asks for relationship-status documents where you are or have been married, widowed, divorced or permanently separated — divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents or statutory declarations. And if your partner or dependent children are not included in the application, you must tell the Department the reason why, for example that they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident.

Character documents for a partner follow the same standard as for you: an Australian Federal Police National Police Certificate with complete disclosure if they have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16 (standard disclosure certificates and state or territory police certificates are not accepted, and these certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue), plus an overseas police certificate from every country where they spent 12 months or more in that same period. Military service records or discharge papers are required where applicable, as are Forms 80 and 1221.

Married or de facto: which test applies to you?

Married applicants provide the marriage certificate. That is the easy part, and it is not the end of the inquiry, because the page states plainly that both married and de facto applicants must provide evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship. A certificate proves a marriage happened; it does not, on its own, speak to what the relationship looks like now.

De facto applicants choose between two alternatives. The first is evidence that the relationship is registered by an Australian state or territory. The second is enough documents to prove the de facto relationship has existed for at least 12 months before you apply. The registration route is an alternative to the 12-month document route — not an alternative to proving the relationship is genuine and continuing, which remains required either way.

What counts as evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship?

The official page names four examples, and states that the evidence can include but is not limited to them:

• joint bank account statements
• billing accounts in joint names
• joint leases or mortgages
• documents that show your partner has lived at the same address as you

The first two sit on the money side of a shared life; the second two sit on the housing side. Together they describe a household with shared financial and residential commitments rather than two people who happen to share a postcode.

How do these pieces fit together when someone assesses them?

Suppose an applicant and their partner submit a marriage certificate, a joint lease, and a joint bank statement covering the last month. On paper every named category is touched. What the documents actually show is narrower: one household commitment, one financial link, and no visible history. Nothing on the page sets a minimum number of documents or a required period for married applicants, so the question is not "have I ticked four boxes" but whether the material you submit, read together, supports the claim that the relationship is genuine and continuing.

Because the list on the page is explicitly non-exhaustive, a couple whose shared life is recorded in other kinds of paperwork is not confined to those four items — though the page does not describe what else is accepted, so the safest reading is that additional documents should be doing the same work as the named ones: showing shared commitments that exist over time. Everything in this article is general information about how the published requirements fit together; it is not a professional assessment of your circumstances, and your own case should be checked against the current official page and against advice from someone qualified to give it.

Where 190 partner evidence is usually weakest

• A marriage certificate submitted as if it settles the question. Married applicants are held to the genuine and continuing requirement just as de facto applicants are.
• A de facto registration treated as the whole answer. Registration replaces the 12-month documentation route; it does not replace the genuine and continuing evidence.
• Address proof that shows co-residence but not shared obligations. A document showing your partner lived at the same address is explicitly listed — but a lease or mortgage in both names, or billing accounts in joint names, carries a different kind of weight because it shows commitment rather than presence.
• Joint accounts that exist but are dormant. A joint bank account statement is listed as evidence; a statement showing no shared activity demonstrates that the account was opened, not that it is used.
• Previous relationships left undocumented. "Documents about other relationships, if applicable" is a separate line item, and relationship-status documents — divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents or statutory declarations — are requested in their own right.
• Evidence assembled for the wrong date. The 12-month de facto period is measured before you apply, and the Department has 60 calendar days from invitation as the window to apply, with no extension available. Late evidence in a late application is a problem you cannot fix afterwards.

What if my partner is not applying, or joins later?

If your partner is not included, say why. The page gives the example of a partner who already holds Australian citizenship or permanent residency. Family members who are not coming to Australia still must meet the character requirement, and might have to meet the health requirement.

A partner can also be added after lodgement. Members of the family unit can be added after you apply but before a decision is made, using Form 1436, paying through ImmiAccount, and attaching the form and supporting documents; family members who apply must meet the health and character requirements.

Both routes still run into the same evidence question: whoever is in the application as your partner needs relationship evidence, and if your marital or de facto status changes after you have applied, that is one of the changes the Department asks you to report.

Frequently asked questions

Does a marriage certificate prove the relationship is genuine and continuing?

No. The page requires married applicants as well as de facto applicants to provide evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship. The certificate establishes the marriage; the separate evidence requirement is what speaks to the relationship itself.

Do de facto partners always need 12 months of living together?

Not always. A de facto partner can instead provide evidence that the relationship is registered by an Australian state or territory. Without registration, you need enough documents to prove the de facto relationship existed for at least the 12 months before you apply.

Can a relationship registered outside Australia replace the 12-month evidence?

The page names registration by an Australian state or territory only. If your registration was made elsewhere, the 12-month document route is the alternative the page describes; confirm current practice against the latest official guidance.

Does my partner need police certificates?

Character documents are part of the partner document list. Expect an AFP National Police Certificate with complete disclosure where the Australian residence period is met, and overseas police certificates for any country where your partner spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

Can my partner be added after I lodge the 190 application?

Yes, members of the family unit can be added after you apply but before the visa is decided. Use Form 1436, pay through ImmiAccount, attach the form and supporting documents, and note that added family members must meet the health and character requirements.

What if we separate after the application is lodged?

Changes to your marital or de facto status are among the things the Department asks you to report after applying. A relationship that ends during processing is directly relevant to the genuine and continuing requirement that the application relies on.

My partner is already an Australian permanent resident — do I still mention them?

Yes. If your partner is not included in the application you must tell the Department the reason, with Australian citizenship or permanent residency given as the example. Non-accompanying family members still have to meet the character requirement and might have to meet the health requirement.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)