Partner Visa (Onshore) — Subclass 820/801

If you're the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen and you're in Australia, the onshore Partner visa lets you stay and build your life together. It's a two-stage visa — a temporary Subclass 820 followed by the permanent Subclass 801 — and strong, well-organised relationship evidence makes a real difference. We help you put it together.

Who this visa is for

You generally need to show that:

• You're married to, or in a genuine de facto relationship (usually of at least 12 months) with, an eligible partner
• You and your partner are in a mutually exclusive, genuine and continuing relationship, and live together or apart only temporarily
• Your sponsor meets the sponsorship requirements, including police clearances and sponsorship-history limits
• You meet the health and character requirements

You must generally be in Australia when the application is lodged. If you're unlawfully in Australia, additional requirements apply — talk to us early.

How the two stages work

Stage 1 (Subclass 820). We lodge your combined application with the Department. You and your partner may be asked to attend an interview or provide further relationship checks. If successful, you're granted the temporary 820 visa, letting you remain in Australia while the permanent stage is decided.

Stage 2 (Subclass 801). Around two years after lodging the combined application, you become eligible to submit the second-stage (801) application with updated evidence of your ongoing relationship. This is a formal submission, not an automatic step — we diarise the date, prepare the updated evidence, and lodge the second stage for you.