Partner Visa 820: Evidence, Forms and Document Checklist

The Partner visa (subclass 820) is a temporary onshore visa that leads to permanent residence through the subclass 801. The application must be lodged online through ImmiAccount, and the department assesses applications according to Ministerial Direction 117, which gives highest priority to onshore partner applications. There is no separate paper form for the 820; the application is completed digitally, and the supporting evidence — including relationship statements and statutory declarations — is attached to the ImmiAccount application. The critical practical point is completeness: the department states that applications with all necessary supporting documents are processed more efficiently, and that you should submit all required information at the time of applying.

Lodging the application: online only, through ImmiAccount

The subclass 820 application must be lodged online via ImmiAccount. Paper applications are accepted only in limited circumstances and only by invitation. If you submit a paper application without being invited to do so, the application will be invalid and will not be processed.

When you lodge, you will receive an acknowledgement of application received letter. Your Application ID appears in correspondence about your application, including the acknowledgement letter, the notification of visa grant letter, or the email subject line. Keep this ID accessible because you will need it for any enquiries.

If you have technical trouble with ImmiAccount, you can submit the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form. In limited cases you can also request assistance with transferring a Partner visa application into your ImmiAccount by selecting ‘Enquiry/Issue – Unable to import application’ on that form.

The document checklist: what the 820 application needs

The department does not publish a single standalone PDF checklist for the subclass 820. Instead, the checklist is provided inside ImmiAccount when you lodge, and the step-by-step tab on the subclass 820 visa web page sets out the required documents. The practical instruction is to use the ImmiAccount checklist as your guide and to select the step-by-step tab on the visa page for the subclass you are applying for.

The department is explicit that submitting all necessary supporting documents at the time of applying helps processing. Applications that are incomplete, or that require requests for further information, take longer. The processing times page lists “applications have all necessary supporting documents” as the first factor affecting processing times.

Forms and statutory declarations: what the official guidance actually says

The official guidance does not name Form 80, Form 888, or any specific statutory declaration form for the 820. It does not provide a PDF of any form. What the official guidance does establish is the mechanism for providing evidence: you attach information and documents to your ImmiAccount application, and you must respond to any request for further information within the timeframe given.

If you cannot provide requested documents within the specified timeframe, you can request additional time using the Partner processing enquiry form. Your request must include evidence showing the steps you have taken to provide the information, such as a payment receipt or booking confirmation. The department will only consider the request if it is made before the original timeframe expires, and it cannot guarantee that additional time will be given. The outcome is communicated by email.

For any statutory declaration or form required for the 820, the authoritative source is the subclass 820 visa web page on the Department of Home Affairs site, under the step-by-step tab. That page — not this article — is where the current form numbers and requirements are published.

Health examinations: timing and validity

You can complete your health examinations after you apply. The results of your health assessment are valid for 12 months from the time you complete the examinations. If you are asked to sign a health undertaking, it is valid for 6 months.

The department may ask you to provide health examination results again if they expire before your visa is decided. Before completing health examinations, the department advises you to refer to the visa processing times so you can gauge whether your results are likely to remain valid.

Adding a child or withdrawing the application

If you need to add a child to a subclass 820 application, go to the subclass 820 visa web page, select the step-by-step tab, then ‘after you apply’, then ‘add family members’.

You can withdraw your application online using ImmiAccount. If the application includes applicants aged 18 years or over, each of those applicants must provide consent. You must attach a signed statement for each applicant aged 18 years or older. The department also notes that if your application is for a Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801), you must withdraw both subclasses.

Processing times and priority: what to expect

Partner visa processing times vary and applicants may experience longer processing times than expected. The median processing time for Partner (Provisional/Temporary) visas was 23 months as of July 2026, but this is a median across the category and not specific to your application. The department advises using the Visa processing time guide tool for an indication of processing times for recently decided applications.

Under Ministerial Direction 117, applications are generally assessed in the order they are received, with highest priority given to onshore applications for subclass 820 and 801. Lower priority is given to offshore applications for the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) and Partner visas (subclass 309 and 100), which are likely to experience longer processing times.

The department advises you not to contact them if your application is still within the standard processing time. They cannot provide further updates on progress. You can check the status of your application and whether you have provided all supporting documents through ImmiAccount.

Priority processing requests: strict conditions

You may request priority processing under Ministerial Direction 117 if you can show special circumstances of a compassionate nature and compelling reasons to depart from the order of priority. There is no guarantee of a higher priority, because other applicants may have equally or more compelling circumstances.

The department will only consider priority processing requests if all supporting documents and information are submitted with your application. Most requests for priority processing cannot be approved. You must meet all relevant legislative requirements before a visa can be granted.

If you hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820), two years must have passed since you applied for that visa before you are eligible for assessment of the permanent visa. If you are not yet eligible, the department cannot consider your priority processing request.

What to do next

Before lodging, confirm the current requirements on the subclass 820 visa web page, selecting the step-by-step tab. Use the ImmiAccount checklist to assemble your documents, and lodge online. Attach all supporting documents at the time of application to avoid delays. If the department requests further information and you cannot provide it in time, submit the Partner processing enquiry form with evidence of the steps you have taken, before the original timeframe expires.

Verify the current form numbers — including any statutory declaration forms — on the official subclass 820 web page, because the official guidance used here does not list them. Check current processing times using the Visa processing time guide tool, and check the visa pricing table for the fees that apply at lodgement.