Subclass 801 Visa: Permanent Partner Visa Australia
The Subclass 801 visa is the permanent stage of your partner visa journey. Once granted, you no longer wait. You no longer wonder. You build your future in Australiaātogether, permanently.
You have waited. You have gathered documents, answered questions, and built a life together while your temporary visa was processed. Now, you are ready for the final step!
Key Facts
Status
Permanent Residency
Healthcare
Access to Australia's public health system
Live and Work
Permission to live and work in Australia
Travel Rights
Ability to travel to and from Australia for 5 years
What Is the Subclass 801 Visa?
The Subclass 801 visa is a permanent partner visa that allows the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia permanently.
When you applied for the Subclass 820 visa, you also applied for the Subclass 801(Partner visa). They are a combined application. The 820 gives you temporary residence while your relationship is assessed. The 801 gives you permanent residence once you have demonstrated your relationship is genuine and lasting. Two years after your initial application, the Department assesses whether your relationship continues. If it does, and you meet all requirements, your permanent partner visa is granted.
The 801 is not a new application. You already applied. Now you just have to provide updated evidence and wait for the decision that changes everything.
What You Can Do With the 801 Visa
Living and Working Freedom
You can live anywhere in Australia without restriction. Work for any employer in any role. Study at any institution. Start a business. Buy property. Build the life you have been planning together.
Healthcare and Future Eligibility
You gain access to Medicare. You can sponsor eligible family members to join you. After meeting residency requirements, you become eligible for Australian citizenship.
International Travel Rights
Your travel facility lasts 5 years from the grant date. Travel freely, return home, and know that Australia will always welcome you back. This is what you have been working toward.
Who Is Eligible for the 801 Visa?
Eligibility depends on your current visa, your relationship status, and meeting standard requirements.
- Temporary Partner visa (Subclass 820)
- Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445)
This is usually 2 years after you lodged your 820/801 application. Check your application date in ImmiAccount.
You must still be the spouse or de facto partner of the person who sponsored you. The Department needs to see that your relationship has lasted and remains genuine.
Updated police certificates are usually required. Health examinations may be requested if your previous results have expired.
801 Visa Requirements
Your relationship must be genuine and continuing. The Department looks at whether you and your partner:
- Have a mutual commitment to each other, excluding all others
- Live together (or do not live permanently apart)
- Share financial responsibilities
- Share household duties
- Are recognised socially as a couple
- Have a genuine future together
If your circumstances have changedāyou moved, had children, bought propertyāthis strengthens your case. Real relationships grow. The Department expects to see that growth.
You must demonstrate good character through police certificates.
Certificate Type | When Required |
Australian Federal Police Certificate | Required for all applicants (complete disclosure onlyāstate certificates not accepted) |
Overseas Police Certificate | From any country where you spent 12+ months since your 820 was granted |
Police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue date. If yours have expired, obtain new ones before submitting your Stage 2 documents.
You and any family members on your application must continue to meet health requirements. If your previous health examinations have expired or the Department needs additional checks, they will contact you with instructions.
How to Apply for the 801 Visa
You do not submit a new application. You add documents to your existing application in ImmiAccount.
Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility Date
Log into ImmiAccount and check when you lodged your 820/801 application. Add 2 years. That is your eligibility date.
Do not submit Stage 2 documents before this date. The Department will not assess them early.
Step 2: Gather Your Documents
We prepare and submit a complete, professional application
Provide your current passport showing photo, personal details, and validity dates. If your passport changed since your 820 was granted, include details of your previous passport.
- Australian Federal Police Certificate (complete disclosure National Police Certificate only)
- Overseas police certificates from countries where you spent 12+ months since your 820 grant
lly 2 years after you lodged your 820/801 application. Check your application date in ImmiAccount.
The Department wants to see that your relationship has continued and deepened. Provide evidence across four categories:
Financial Matters
Evidence that you share financial responsibilities: joint bank accounts, joint loans or mortgages, shared bills, joint credit cards, or evidence of financial support for each other.
Household Matters
Evidence that you live together and share domestic life: joint lease or property ownership, utility bills in both names, shared household responsibilities, mail addressed to both of you at the same address.
Social Recognition
Evidence that others recognise your relationship: two statutory declarations from witnesses who know your relationship (Form 888), joint invitations to events, photos together at social occasions, evidence of shared friendships and activities.
Your witnesses must be 18 or older and should know your relationship personally. If they are Australian citizens or permanent residents, provide evidence of their status.
Commitment to Each Other
Evidence of your long-term commitment: knowledge of each other's family and background, combined affairs, communication when apart, wills naming each other, future plans together.
Your sponsor completes a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration describing your relationship. This covers how your relationship began, how it has developed, your living arrangements, shared finances, social life, and future plans.
This declaration carries significant weight. It should be detailed, honest, and reflect the reality of your life together.
For each dependent who holds a Subclass 820 or 445 visa:
- Current passport
- Documents showing any changes to their circumstances
Police certificates (if they are 16 or older)
Step 3: Submit Through ImmiAccount
- Log into ImmiAccount
- Select āNew Applicationā
- Select āFamilyā
- Select āStage 2 ā Permanent Partner Visa Assessmentā
- Complete the application
- Attach your documents
- Submit
Label each document clearly. Attach each document once, even if it supports multiple requirements. The limit is 100 documents per applicant.
4. After You Apply
You can track your application and upload documents through your ImmiAccount. Ensure all required documents are attached to avoid delays, and check ImmiAccount regularly for any requests for additional information.
You must notify the Department if there are changes to your circumstances, such as a new child, changes in your relationship, or updates to your contact or passport details. Dependent children may be added before a decision is made on your permanent visa.
If your relationship ends, or if you experience domestic or family violence, you may still be eligible for the permanent Partner Visa. All information provided is kept confidential, and assistance may be available in eligible cases.
5. Wait for the Decision
The Department reviews your application. If they need more information, they will contact you through ImmiAccount. Respond promptly and thoroughly.
You can be inside or outside Australia when the decision is made.
801 Visa Cost & Processing Time
Visa application fees and time process follow Department of Home Affairs information and may change depending on the complexity of each case.
801 Visa Cost
You already paid for your Subclass 801 when you lodged your combined 820/801 application.
There is no additional visa application charge for Stage 2.
You may need to pay for:
- Australian Federal Police Certificate
- Overseas police certificates
- Health examinations (if required)
- Translation of documents
- Migration agent fees (if you use professional assistance)
801 Visa Processing Time
Processing times vary. The Department publishes indicative timeframes based on recently decided applications, but these are guides only.
Your processing time depends on:
- Whether your application is complete
- How quickly you respond to requests for information
- The time needed to verify your documents
- The complexity of your case
Complete applications with strong, well-organised evidence typically process faster than incomplete ones.
Additional fees apply for each family member included in your application. You may also need to pay for health examinations, police certificates, and biometrics.
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Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801 Visa: What Changes?
Subclass 820 | Subclass 801 | |
Status | Temporary | Permanent |
When Assessed | First stage (immediately) | Second stage (usually 2 years later) |
How Long You Can Stay | Until 801 decision | Indefinately |
Work Rights | FULL | FULL |
Study Rights | FULL | FULL |
Medicare | YES | YES |
Travel | Unlimited (while visa valid) | 5 years from grant date |
Sponsor Family | Limited | YES |
Citizenship Pathway | NO | YES |
The 801 is not a better version of the 820. It is the completion of your journey. Everything you have been waiting for.
What Happens After Your 801 Visa Is Granted?
You are a permanent resident of Australia.
This means you can stay indefinitely. Work without restriction. Study anywhere. Access government services. Vote after becoming a citizen. Sponsor family members to join you.
Your travel facility is valid for 5 years. If you want to travel after that and return as a permanent resident, you will need a Resident Return Visa.
After meeting residency requirements, you can apply for Australian citizenship. Your permanent residency starts on the day your 801 is granted (if you were in Australia) or the day you first enter Australia on this visa (if you were overseas).
For New Zealand Passport Holders:
When you arrive in Australia, tell the immigration officer you hold a permanent visa and do not want a Special Category Visa (Subclass 444). If a 444 is granted, it may override your 801 and affect your citizenship eligibility.
If Your Relationship Has Changed
If Your Relationship Ended
You may still be eligible for the 801 visa if:
- Your partner died during the application process
- You experienced domestic and family violence
- You have children from the relationship and the relationship broke down
You must notify us
If You Are Experiencing Family Violence
Your safety matters more than your visa.
If your relationship ended because of domestic or family violence, you may still be granted your permanent partner visa. All information you provide is confidential. Change your ImmiAccount password immediately. Change your email password. Do not share your login details with anyone.
If you need help, contact us. We understand these situations require sensitivity, discretion, and expertise.
Why Clients Choose The Migration
Partner visas are personal. Your relationship, your family, your futureāthese are not just documents to us. We understand what is at stake. We handle and lodge your visa application with expert care, delivering a fast, accurate process and complete confidentiality of your personal documents and relationship information.
We have helped couples navigate straightforward applications and complex situations. Relationships that started overseas. Partners with previous visa refusals. Cases involving children from prior relationships. Applications where things changed mid-process.
Eligibility Review
We confirm you meet requirements before you invest time gathering documents
Document Assessment
We review your evidence and identify gaps before submission
Evidence Strategy
We help you present your relationship authentically and compellingly
Department Communication
We manage correspondence and respond to requests on your behalf
Evidence Organization
We structure your relationship evidence for maximum impact
Complication Management
We handle difficult situations with experience and care
What Is Your Role as a Sponsor?
When your partner applied for the Subclass 820/801 visa, you agreed to sponsor them. That sponsorship carries through to the permanent stage.
You do not submit a new sponsorship application for the 801 visa. Your original sponsorship continues. However, you do need to provide updated documents and a statutory declaration confirming your relationship remains genuine.
Your support helps the Department assess whether the relationship has lasted and whether your partner qualifies for permanent residency.
Sponsor Eligibility for the 801 Visa
You must be the same person who sponsored your partner for the Subclass 820 visa. Sponsorship cannot be transferred to another person.
You must still be married to or in a de facto relationship with your partner. The Department needs to see that your relationship has lasted through the eligibility period.
The Department approved your sponsorship during the 820 visa processing. This approval carries forward to the 801 stage.
If your circumstances have changedāyou married, had children, moved houseāthese changes can strengthen your partner's application. Real relationships evolve. The Department expects to see that growth.
Your Obligations as a Sponsor
You must assist your partner financially. This means contributing to their living expenses while they settle in Australia. You do not need to be their sole source of income, but you must be willing and able to support them if needed.
You must assist your partner with accommodation. This typically means living together, but if circumstances require you to live apart temporarily, you should be able to explain why.
If your partner included dependent children or other family members in their application, your sponsorship covers them too. You must assist all applicants included in the visa application.
Documents You Need to Provide
Provide one of the following:
- Personal details page of your most recent passport (showing your signature)
- Australian driver's licence
This is your opportunity to tell your story. Complete a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration covering:
- Whether you and your partner have a mutual commitment to each other, excluding all others
- Whether your relationship is genuine and continuing
- Whether you live together (or do not live permanently apart)
- When your relationship began and how long you have lived together
- The financial commitments you share
- The nature of your household, including joint responsibility for children
- The social aspects of your relationship
- The nature of your commitment to each other
- Your plans for the future
This declaration carries significant weight. Write it thoughtfully. Be detailed. Be honest. Describe the reality of your life togetherāthe ordinary moments as much as the milestones.
Attach your documents to your partner's application in ImmiAccount. You do not submit a separate sponsorship application.
How Long Does Sponsorship Last?
If Your Relationship Has Changed
If you were in a de facto relationship when you lodged the 820 and have since married, this strengthens the application. Update the Department through ImmiAccount and provide your marriage certificate with the Stage 2 documents.
Children born during the application process demonstrate commitment. Update ImmiAccount when your child is born. Your child can be added to the application before the decision is made.
Temporary separations happen. What matters is that your relationship is genuine and continuing now. Be honest in your statutory declaration. Explain what happened and how you reconciled. The Department assesses the full picture.
If your relationship has ended, you need to consider your options carefully.
You cannot withdraw as a sponsor after the 801 visa is granted. If you wish to withdraw before the decision, contact the Department through ImmiAccount.
However, withdrawing sponsorship does not automatically end your partner's application. They may still qualify under other provisionsāsuch as family violence or having children from the relationship.
If you are considering withdrawing sponsorship, speak with a migration agent first. The implications affect both of you.
If You Are Experiencing Family Violence
Family violence can occur in any relationship. If you are experiencing violence from your partner, support is available.Your safety matters. You are not obligated to continue sponsoring someone who is harming you.
The Department has Family Violence Provisions that may apply to your situation. Contact us or reach out to support services for confidential assistance.
What Happens After the 801 Visa Is Granted?
- They can live, work, and study in Australia indefinitely
- They can travel freely for 5 years from the grant date
- They become eligible for Australian citizenship after meeting residency requirements
- They can sponsor eligible family members
- Your formal sponsorship obligations end (2 years after visa grant or arrival)
- You have helped your partner achieve permanent residency
- You continue building your life together as equals
This is the outcome you have been working toward together.
Sponsor Document Checklist
Document | Purpose |
Passport (personal details page with signature) OR Australian driverās licence | Confirms your identity |
Commonwealth Statutory Declaration | Describes your relationship in detail |
How Long Does Sponsorship Last?
Your sponsorship obligations have a defined timeframe.
If your partner was in Australia when the 820 was granted:
Your sponsorship ends 2 years after the visa grant date.
If your partner was outside Australia when the 820 was granted:
Your sponsorship ends 2 years after their next arrival in Australia.
This applies even if the Department grants the permanent partner visa 801 immediately after the temporary visa. After this period, your formal sponsorship obligations end. Your partner becomes a permanent resident with full rights to live and work in Australia independently.
Sponsorship Limits
The Department limits how many people you can sponsor for partner visas.
Limit Type | Requirement |
Lifetime limit | Maximum 2 partner visa sponsorships in your lifetime |
Time between sponsorships | Usually 5 years between sponsorships |
Exceptions | Limited exceptions for compelling circumstances |
If you have sponsored a previous partner, these limits may affect your current sponsorship. The Department assessed this when they approved your 820 sponsorship.
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Support Your Partner's Final Step
You have already invested time, effort, and commitment into this process. The 801 visa is the final stage.
We help sponsors provide strong, complete documentation that supports their partnerās application. Whether your situation is straightforward or complex, we guide you through with expertise and care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit a new sponsorship application for the 801?
No. Your sponsorship from the Subclass 820 continues to the 801 stage. You do not submit a new application. You provide updated documentsāyour ID and a statutory declarationāthrough ImmiAccount.
My partner and I now live in different cities for work. Will this affect the application?
Not necessarily. The Department understands that couples sometimes live apart for work, study, or family reasons. What matters is that you do not live āpermanently apartāāmeaning you intend to reunite and maintain your relationship. Explain your circumstances clearly in your statutory declaration.
I sponsored my ex-partner for a partner visa 6 years ago. Can I sponsor my current partner?
Yes, provided you meet the requirements. You can sponsor a maximum of 2 people for partner visas in your lifetime. If your previous sponsorship was more than 5 years ago, you should be eligible to sponsor again. The Department assessed this when they approved your 820 sponsorship.
What should I include in my statutory declaration?
Be specific and personal. Describe how your relationship has developed since the 820 application. Include milestones (marriage, children, property purchases), everyday details (how you share responsibilities, spend time together), and your future plans. Avoid generic statements. The Department wants to see your actual life together.
My partner is worried I might withdraw sponsorship. Can I reassure them?
Once the 801 visa is granted, you cannot withdraw sponsorshipāitās permanent. Before the decision, you technically can withdraw, but this does not automatically end their application. If your partner qualifies under family violence or dependent child provisions, they may still receive their visa. Open communication with your partner is the best reassurance.
I previously had a criminal conviction. Does this affect my ability to sponsor?
It depends on the nature and timing of the conviction. Certain convictionsāparticularly those involving violence or offences against family membersācan affect sponsorship approval. The Department assessed your character when they approved your 820 sponsorship. If your situation has changed, contact us for specific advice.
Do I need to attend an interview?
Usually not. Most partner visa applications are decided based on documents alone. However, the Department may request an interview in some cases. If this happens, we can help you prepare.
What happens if I am overseas when my partner's 801 is being assessed?
You can be inside or outside Australia during the assessment. Your location does not affect your partnerās eligibility. However, ensure you can be contacted through ImmiAccount and respond promptly to any requests.
My income has decreased since the 820 application. Is this a problem?
Your income level is not a strict requirement for sponsorship. What matters is your willingness and ability to assist your partner financially if needed. If your circumstances have changed, explain this honestly. The Department understands that financial situations fluctuate.
We are going through a rough patch. Should we delay submitting Stage 2 documents?
Every relationship has difficult periods. If your relationship is continuing despite challenges, you should still submit your documents when eligible. Be honest in your statutory declaration about your circumstances. Delaying unnecessarily extends the wait for permanent residency. However, if your relationship has genuinely ended, you need to consider your options carefully before proceeding.
