Sponsor Character Documents for Australian Partner Visas in 2026

Yes. If you sponsor a partner for a subclass 820, 309 or 300 application, you are expected to provide police certificate(s) as part of meeting the additional sponsor requirements. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states on its Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions page that these certificates are to be provided when you submit your Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia, or as soon as possible after you apply; that page was current as at October 2026. The FAQ does not reproduce the document list itself. It directs sponsors to the relevant visa page, with the toggle set to 'For Sponsors', the step-by-step tab, and the 'Character documents' section.

Which partner visa subclasses involve sponsor character documents?

The department attaches this step to three subclasses:

Subclass	Lodged	Where the sponsor's documents are set out
Partner (Temporary) visa (subclass 820)	Onshore	Subclass 820 page → For Sponsors → step-by-step → Character documents
Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309)	Offshore	Subclass 309 page → For Sponsors → step-by-step → Character documents
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)	Offshore	Subclass 300 page → For Sponsors → step-by-step → Character documents

The permanent-stage subclasses (801 and 100) are not in that list. The FAQ refers to the 'Visa Requirements' sections of the subclass 100 and subclass 801 pages only for checking when you become eligible for the permanent Partner visa assessment; it does not direct sponsors to character documents there.

Where does the department publish the actual list?

It publishes it per subclass, not in one consolidated place. That distinction matters, because a sponsor reading a general FAQ can easily assume a single checklist covers every case.

The published path is always the same:

Open the visa page for your subclass (820, 309 or 300).
Change the toggle to 'For Sponsors'.
Select the step-by-step tab.
Open 'Character documents'.

Inside ImmiAccount there is also a document checklist built into the online application. The FAQ recommends using it to make sure the required information is included before lodgement. This article describes published requirements in general terms and is not advice on any individual case; the subclass page you are lodging against, and current departmental guidance, govern what you actually need to submit.

When does the sponsor have to provide them?

The trigger is the sponsorship itself, not a later request. The department's wording gives two points: with the sponsorship form, or as soon as possible after the application is made. Read that as a direction to front-load the documents rather than to wait for a case officer to ask.

The contrast with other post-lodgement items is instructive. Health examinations, for example, can be completed after you apply. Sponsor police certificates are described differently, because they are tied to the sponsorship. If something is lodged later, the FAQ's route is to attach documents to the application in ImmiAccount.

Timing pressure is not evenly distributed across the subclasses. Under Ministerial Direction 117, onshore Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801) applications receive highest priority, while offshore Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) and Partner (subclass 309 and 100) applications receive lower priority and are likely to experience longer processing times. A sponsor on an offshore subclass therefore has more reason to have the certificates ready before the sponsorship goes in.

What if the certificate cannot be obtained within the timeframe?

The department has a specific route for this, and it is time-limited.

Collect evidence of the steps you have already taken, such as a payment receipt or a booking confirmation.
Complete the Partner processing enquiry form.
Submit it before the original response timeframe expires.

The request must be made before the deadline passes, and additional time is not guaranteed. The department says it will tell you the outcome by email once the request has been considered.

What providing them does and does not do

Submitting police certificates discharges a documented step in the sponsorship; it does not decide anything on its own. The department's position on partner visa grants is that all relevant legislative requirements must be met before an application can be granted. The same reasoning applies to requests for priority processing, which the FAQ says are only considered where all supporting documents and information have already been submitted, and which are mostly not approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all partner visa sponsors need police certificates?

The department lists this requirement for sponsors on subclass 820, subclass 309 and subclass 300 applications. Those are the three subclass pages it directs sponsors to for 'Character documents'. The FAQ does not list sponsor character documents for the permanent subclasses 801 or 100; it refers to those pages' 'Visa Requirements' sections only for checking when you become eligible for the permanent Partner visa assessment.

How many certificates does a sponsor need?

The official wording is 'police certificate(s)', which signals that more than one may be expected depending on the circumstances. The FAQ does not state how many are needed; for more information about police certificates it directs sponsors to the 'Character documents' section of the relevant subclass page under the For Sponsors toggle.

Can the certificates be submitted after the application is lodged?

Yes. The FAQ's stated timing is with the sponsorship or as soon as possible after you apply, and documents can be attached to the application through ImmiAccount afterwards. Treat the "as soon as possible" wording as the operative instruction rather than an open-ended extension.

What happens if the issuing authority is slow?

Request more time through the Partner processing enquiry form, before the original response timeframe expires. Include evidence of what you have already done, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation. Additional time is not guaranteed, and the outcome is sent by email.

Can a sponsor withdraw after providing character documents?

Yes. A sponsorship can be withdrawn at any time before the department decides the permanent Partner visa application. The FAQ points sponsors experiencing domestic and family violence to the department's information for Partner visa sponsors.

Does providing the certificates fast-track the visa?

No. Documents being complete is a precondition for a priority processing request to be considered at all, but most such requests cannot be approved. All relevant legislative requirements must still be met before the visa can be granted.