801 Stage 2 Lodgement in 2026: Attachment Limits and Document Allocation Tactics

Yes — the cap is real, and it is the one constraint you should plan around before you open ImmiAccount. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs step-by-step page for the Partner visa (Permanent) (subclass 801), as of October 2026, you can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the attachment limit cannot be increased. The page does offer two relief valves: if one applicant hits the limit, you can attach further documents to other clients on the same application, and if you cannot upload the relevant documents at all, you are directed to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. This article is general information about published requirements rather than advice on any individual case, so treat the official page as the controlling text and check it again before you lodge.

How many documents can you actually attach, and can the limit be lifted?

The limit is 100 documents per person on the application, and the Home Affairs page states plainly that it cannot be increased. There is no request process, no paid extension, and no discretion mentioned on the page.

Two details on the same page matter as much as the number itself:

Attach a document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing.
Clearly label your documents.

Together, those two rules are the whole basis for allocation tactics: one well-labelled file is expected to do several jobs at once, so the constraint is not "100 pieces of evidence" but "100 files".

When can you lodge Stage 2 at all?

You become eligible for consideration of the permanent Partner visa two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together. The page tells you to confirm the date you submitted that combined application in ImmiAccount, and it says not to send permanent-stage documents before the two years have passed.

If you were granted the subclass 801 immediately after your subclass 820 was granted, you do not need to do anything further. Use VEVO to confirm which visa you currently hold if you are unsure.

What has to fit inside those 100 slots?

The Home Affairs page groups Stage 2 material into a few categories, and knowing them helps you decide what competes with what:

Identity — a copy of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and passport issue and expiry dates.
Character — an Australian police certificate, if you did not attach one with your subclass 820 application, plus overseas police certificates from any country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more since your 820 was granted.
Relationship — evidence that you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary visa, given as relationship documents and supporting evidence of the relationship.
Family members — for every family member who holds a subclass 820 or 445 visa, copies of their passport, documents showing changes to their situation, and police certificates for dependants aged 16 or older.

Note the character detail that catches people out: for immigration purposes police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted, and standard disclosure certificates or certificates issued by state or territory police are not accepted.

How do you make one file prove several things?

The official instruction to save a multi-page document as one file is the single biggest lever you have. A joint bank statement spanning twelve months, a lease, or a phone bill history should be one attachment, not twelve.

Practical consequences of the "attach once, label clearly" rule:

Group by theme, not by month. A file named "Joint bank statements 2025-2026" carries the same evidentiary weight as twelve separate uploads and costs one slot.
Never upload the same document into two categories. The page says to attach it only once even when it supports more than one point.
Spend the saving on naming. Because one file is doing more work, a vague filename makes it harder for a case officer to see which requirement it answers.
Scan or photograph everything in colour, and make sure scans and photos are clear enough to read. Documents do not need to be certified.
Budget for translations. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters; translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in that language, in English.

This is also where you should keep headroom. The page advises updating documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount because Partner visa applications can have long processing times, so leaving unused slots at lodgement is deliberate, not wasteful. The page does not state whether documents added after lodgement draw on the same 100-document allowance, so the cautious reading is to assume they might.

What if the main applicant runs out of room but another applicant has not?

The Home Affairs answer is to attach the extra documents to other clients on the application. Suppose an application lists the main applicant and a dependent child who holds a subclass 445 visa: the child's own passport, change-of-situation documents, and police certificates belong on the child's record anyway, and any overflow of shared material can sit there rather than being squeezed into the main applicant's exhausted allowance.

The allocation choices, in short:

Where the file goes	What the official page says	When it applies
The applicant's own record	Up to 100 documents; limit cannot be increased	Default for identity, character and relationship material
Another client on the application	You can attach more documents to them	Once one applicant reaches the limit
Partner Processing Enquiry Form	Use it if you cannot upload to ImmiAccount	Upload failures, blocked updates, or notification after upload

What if ImmiAccount will not take the documents at all?

The Partner Processing Enquiry Form is the channel named on the official page for every version of this problem: when you cannot upload relevant documents to the application, when you cannot update the application after a mistake, when you have attached Form 1002 for a subclass 445 dependent child, after you have updated your details in ImmiAccount following the birth of a baby, and when you no longer have access to ImmiAccount at all.

Treat it as the fallback after a genuine upload failure, not as a substitute for lodging. The same page also says not to contact the department for progress updates while your application is within the current standard processing time, and points to the global processing times page for those timeframes.

What happens after the documents are in?

You can track and manage the application in ImmiAccount, and if you did not attach everything when you applied, the page says to attach the rest as soon as you can. It also says to tell the department about changes after you lodge but before a decision — changes to marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and any other changes relevant to the application.

On outcome, the decision is given in writing, you can be in or outside Australia when it is made, and the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the 100-document attachment limit be increased?

No. The Home Affairs page states you can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application and that the attachment limit cannot be increased. The only published way to add more is to attach documents to other clients on the same application.

Can I put the main applicant's overflow documents on my partner's record?

The page refers to attaching more documents to other clients on the application, which includes any other applicant listed, such as a family member holding a subclass 820 or 445 visa. There is no published option to lift the cap for the individual who has reached it.

Should I upload one document twice if it proves two different things?

No. The official instruction is to attach a document only once, even when you are using it to show more than one thing, and to label your documents clearly instead. Duplicating a file consumes slots without adding information.

What do I do if ImmiAccount rejects or blocks my upload?

Use the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. The Home Affairs page names that form for situations where you cannot upload relevant documents to your application, cannot update the application in ImmiAccount, or no longer have access to ImmiAccount.

When am I allowed to lodge the permanent stage?

You are eligible for consideration two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together. Confirm your submission date in ImmiAccount and do not send permanent-stage documents before the two years have passed.

Do documents need to be certified, and what about translations?

Documents do not need to be certified. Everything must be in English, translators in Australia must be NAATI accredited, and translators outside Australia must include their full name, address, telephone number, and qualifications and experience in the language, in English, on each translation.

Does the 100-document cap also cover documents added after lodgement?

The official page does not say. It states the per-person limit and separately says to attach anything you missed as soon as you can and to keep updating relationship evidence, so the safe approach is to plan your initial upload as though later additions will compete for the same allowance.