309/100 begins outside Australia; 820/801 begins inside
Home Affairs describes Partner (Provisional) 309 as the first stage for a spouse or de facto partner applying from outside Australia, followed by permanent Partner (Migrant) 100 assessment. Partner (Temporary) 820 is the first stage for an applicant applying in Australia, followed by permanent Partner 801 assessment. These paired numbers describe different stages, not four interchangeable applications.
If you are in Australia, check your current visa and conditions in VEVO before considering an 820 application. A “No Further Stay” condition or lack of a substantive visa can materially affect what you can lodge and what extra criteria apply. Do not enter Australia as a visitor assuming you can automatically switch to a Partner visa. Prospective Marriage 300 is another route for eligible people intending to marry; it is not the same as either Partner pair.
Official partner visa overview · Partner 309 · Partner 820 · Prospective Marriage 300
Check who can sponsor and what relationship you claim
The sponsoring partner is generally an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Home Affairs must approve the sponsorship. If relying on eligible New Zealand citizen status, check what protected SCV status means before assuming an ordinary SCV is enough. Read the exact sponsor requirements, including any character documents and sponsorship history, on the route's “For Sponsors” instructions. A marriage, de facto relationship or engagement leads to different questions; a certificate or promise by itself does not decide eligibility.
For a de facto application, check the current relationship-duration rules and any exception described on the chosen visa page. If children or former relationships are involved, use the route-specific identity, custody and relationship instructions. Each person's actual documents matter more than a generic evidence bundle.
309 applicant and sponsor requirements · 820 applicant and sponsor requirements
Show the relationship's history and day-to-day reality
Home Affairs asks for a written relationship history: when and how you met, how the relationship developed, living arrangements, time apart, significant events and future plans. Its Partner visa page gives examples across four areas: shared financial matters, household arrangements, social recognition and commitment to each other. Use evidence that truthfully exists in your relationship, such as relevant bills, residence records, contact while apart or witness statements.
Check the selected visa page for identity records, marriage or de facto evidence, former relationships, dependants, translations and the current witness-statement instructions. Do not fabricate joint accounts, trips or social evidence merely to fill an example list. Keep sensitive records in your own application, not in a MyAusVisa form.
Official relationship-evidence examples · Family application preparation
Applicant and sponsor each have an online step
Home Affairs says Partner applications are lodged through ImmiAccount. Select the correct first-stage Partner route, follow its prompts and note the application ID or Transaction Reference Number. The sponsor completes the online “Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia” form using that reference. Check the current visa charge with the official estimator; it can change and other costs may apply.
After lodgement, monitor ImmiAccount for requests and report changed contact, passport, family or relationship circumstances as Home Affairs directs. A temporary 309 or 820 grant does not mean the permanent 100 or 801 stage is complete. Check the Partner FAQ for when and how to submit the later permanent-stage information; do not rely on a promised decision date.
Partner application and later-stage FAQ · Official visa pricing estimator · After you apply →
Get current guidance before withdrawing or assuming the case ends
Home Affairs says some Partner applications can continue after a relationship ends, including in certain situations involving family violence, the sponsor's death or a shared child. The applicable rules are case-specific. Its Partner FAQ explains how to report a relationship change and links to confidential help and online-safety advice. If your safety or visa status is at issue, use those official channels and qualified assistance promptly.
Official relationship-change information · Partner FAQ and support · Who can help with an application
Organise evidence on your own device
Save a plain-text planning worksheet with the route, sponsor, relationship history and evidence prompts. It is not an official form or a submission checklist.