Partner visa guide · Updated 18 September 2026
A convincing relationship history is easier to understand when the documents are organised. This partner visa evidence checklist helps you prepare a clear record of your life together, rather than an unsorted collection of photographs and screenshots.
First confirm the correct visa pathway. For the onshore partner pathway, applicants apply for subclasses 820 and 801 together, with the temporary stage generally considered first. Eligibility and where you must be when applying need individual attention. See the official onshore partner visa overview.
Start with one relationship timeline
Write down the important dates: first meeting, when the relationship became committed, periods living together, travel, marriage or relationship registration where relevant, and periods living apart. Note the document that supports each event.
Both partners should check the timeline against their own records. If a date is approximate, say so. Do not force uncertain memories into a precise date or rewrite genuine records to remove an inconsistency.
Four useful evidence folders
Home Affairs’ subclass 820 document guidance explains the relationship evidence it asks applicants to provide. Organise your material around finances, the household, social recognition and commitment.
| Folder | Examples to consider | Preparation tip |
|---|---|---|
| Financial arrangements | Shared expenses, account records, joint commitments or evidence of how you support each other. | Explain how your actual arrangements work, including separate accounts. |
| Life at home | Housing records and an explanation of living arrangements and shared responsibilities. | Keep a dated address history and explain periods at different addresses. |
| Social recognition | Relevant travel or event records, photographs and supporting statements from people who know you. | Label selected examples with dates, people and context. |
| Commitment | Evidence of maintaining the relationship, supporting one another and making plans together. | Show continuity across time, including any periods apart. |
These are examples, not a requirement to produce every type of document. The right evidence depends on the relationship and visa pathway.
Make the file easy to follow
- Give files useful names. For example, “2026-06 shared housing records” is more helpful than “scan004”.
- Keep originals. Work from copies when preparing an index or selecting representative material.
- Explain the relevance. Add a short, truthful description of what each item shows.
- Check consistency. Compare names, addresses and dates across forms, statements and supporting records.
- Keep a gap list. Record what is missing, why it is missing and whether other genuine evidence explains that period.
A shorter, well-organised file can be easier to assess than repeated copies of the same event. Organisation helps someone understand the evidence; it cannot turn an ineligible application into an eligible one.
When living together is not straightforward
Work, study, family responsibilities or travel may explain a period apart. Prepare a factual account and the records that support it. Do not assume that a genuine relationship automatically satisfies every visa criterion, or that marriage or registration removes every other requirement.
De facto timing rules, exemptions, prior refusals, visa conditions and onshore status problems need separate assessment. Raise these issues early, before paying for travel or choosing a lodgement date.
Common questions about partner evidence
How many photographs should we include?
There is no universal “winning” number. Choose relevant examples across the relationship and explain their context. Photographs should support the wider record of your shared life.
What if we do not have a joint bank account?
Describe your real financial arrangements and gather the evidence you do have. Do not create artificial transactions or documents to imitate another couple’s application.
Should we keep updating evidence after applying?
Home Affairs advises partner applicants to update their relationship documents regularly through ImmiAccount while the application is being processed. Follow any requests and deadlines sent in your own case.
Prepare for an individual assessment
Bring your timeline, current visa details and an initial document index to our partner and family visa assessment. If your situation is complex, read our guide to partner applications with more complicated circumstances and identify the questions you need answered.
Get a plan for your circumstances
Cornerstone Migration is based in Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane. For an individual assessment, call 07 3737 7649 or contact our team.
Nathan Joo
Principal Migration Agent, Cornerstone Migration Australia Pty Ltd
MARN 1173091
General information checked against the official sources linked in this article on 18 September 2026. It is not individual migration advice. Eligibility, exemptions and transitional rules depend on your circumstances and the rules applying when you lodge.
