Key points
- The onshore partner visa is one combined application for the temporary Subclass 820 and the permanent Subclass 801.
- You are usually assessed for the 801 about two years after you lodged the combined application.
- There is one fee for both stages: $11,710 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026.
- Long-term relationships, the death of the sponsor, family violence and child custody cases can allow an earlier 801 grant.
A partner visa is broken down into two stages: Subclass 820 (Temporary) and Subclass 801 (Permanent). Under the current regulation, an applicant applies for both temporary and permanent visa on the one combined application form. In most cases, applicants are ineligible to be granted the permanent visa until two years after their applications is made. That is, Subclass 820 visa holders usually have to wait two years before their Subclass 801 application is finalised.
Processing Time:
When this article was first published in 2020, the processing time was:
- Subclass 820: 23 to 27 months
- Subclass 801: 11 to 22 months
Processing times change often, so check our partner visa processing times page for the latest figures. Where the Subclass 820 takes around two years to decide, DoHA may also grant the Subclass 801 as you have already waited two years. However, if you are not granted Subclass 801 immediately after the grant of Subclass 820, you would have to send extra documents to DoHA to show genuineness and continuity of the relationship.
Therefore, the wait for a subclass 801 ranges from two to 3.5 years.
Exceptions
While regulations stipulate that applicants must wait two years between Subclass 820 and Subclass 801, this is not always the case. In limited circumstances, applicants can bypass the two-year waiting period.
- Subclass 801 can be granted if the applicant is in a long-term relationship with the sponsor. A long-term partner relationship is defined as:
- The applicant and the sponsor have a dependent child and they have been together for not less than two years, or
- In any other case, the partner and the sponsor have been together for at least three years.
- If the sponsor died after the grant of Subclass 820, the applicant may not have to wait two years for the grant of Subclass 801. DoHA will still consider genuineness of relationship before granting the visa.
- If the applicant is successful in their claims of family violence, the applicant is not required to wait out the two years.
- If the case involved issue of custody of the applicant and sponsor’s child, the applicant may not have to wait for two years.
In most cases, you will have to write to DoHA informing them your change of circumstances.
Above are the possible exceptions to the two years waiting period.
Related guides
The 820 to 801 process, step by step
- Lodge one combined application for the 820 and 801 visas while you are in Australia and pay one fee (from 1 July 2026 the base charge is $11,710 for the main applicant; see our visa fee guide).
- You are usually granted a bridging visa so you can stay lawfully while the application is processed. See our bridging visas guide.
- Home Affairs assesses your relationship and grants the temporary Subclass 820 visa if you meet the requirements.
- About two years after you lodged the combined application, you become eligible for the permanent stage assessment.
- You provide updated evidence that your relationship is still genuine and continuing, usually through ImmiAccount, along with any police certificates Home Affairs asks for.
- Home Affairs grants the permanent Subclass 801 visa. There is no second application fee.
Evidence for the permanent stage
Home Affairs looks at the same four aspects of your relationship as at the first stage. Prepare fresh evidence that covers the period since your 820 visa was granted.
Financial evidence
Joint bank account statements, shared bills, joint loans or leases, and evidence that you share day to day expenses.
Household evidence
Proof that you live together, such as a joint lease or mortgage, mail to the same address and a description of how you share household tasks.
Social evidence
Evidence that friends and family know you as a couple, such as photos over time, invitations addressed to both of you and Form 888 statutory declarations from Australian citizens or permanent residents. See our Form 888 guide.
Commitment evidence
Updated personal statements from both partners about your relationship since the 820 grant, plans for the future and evidence of time spent together.
Character documents
New police certificates if Home Affairs requests them, especially if you have lived in another country since you applied.
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