Priya has been in Australia on a student visa for three years. Daniel, her partner, is an Australian citizen. They share a lease, a Netflix login and a dog, and they assume that is enough for the partner visa 820. It might be. But Home Affairs doesn’t assess couples on assumptions. It assesses them on evidence. That gap between a real relationship and a documented one is where most onshore applications succeed or stall.

Two visas, one application

The subclass 820 is the onshore partner visa for spouses and de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens. You lodge it as a combined 820/801 application. The 820 is the temporary stage, and the 801 is the permanent stage that follows.

Home Affairs processes onshore partner applications ahead of offshore ones under Ministerial Direction 117. That makes the onshore route the faster of the two partner pathways, but “faster” is relative. Processing times for recently decided cases are published in the department’s monthly visa processing time guide, and they are an indication only. They do not predict your case.

Who can apply

You must be in Australia when you apply, and you need a sponsor who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Your relationship must be genuine and ongoing, either as a married couple or as de facto partners.

For de facto couples, the general rule is 12 months living together before you lodge. Exceptions exist, such as a registered relationship or compelling circumstances. Your current visa also matters. Conditions like “No Further Stay” (condition 8503) can block an onshore application, so check your visa conditions in VEVO before you pay anything.

What the $11,710 actually covers

From 1 July 2026, the application charge for most main applicants is A$11,710, up from A$9,365. That single charge covers both the 820 and the 801 stage, so there is no second visa fee when you apply for permanence. Additional adult applicants and children pay lower charges, and the amount depends on the lodgement date, so confirm it against the Home Affairs pricing table before you submit.

The visa charge is not your whole budget. Health examinations, police certificates, document translations and any professional fees come on top, so plan for more than the headline number.

Proof: the four things Home Affairs weighs

The department looks at four areas of your relationship. Strong files tell the story across all four rather than leaning on one.

Financial aspects: joint bank accounts, shared bills, shared debts or assets, and how you split expenses.

Nature of the household: a shared address, a joint lease or mortgage, and who does what at home.

Social context: how friends and family see you, joint invitations, and photos together over time, not just from last month.

Nature of the commitment: how long you’ve been together, your future plans, and how you’ve supported each other.

You will also need Form 888 statutory declarations from Australian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or over who know you as a couple. Choose witnesses who can describe specific moments, because a vague “they seem happy together” adds little.

The waiting period: bridging visa, work and the 801

If you apply while holding a substantive visa, you will generally be granted a bridging visa that lets you stay lawfully while the 820 is decided. Work rights on a bridging visa depend on your conditions, so check them rather than assume. Once the 820 is granted, you get full work and study rights.

The 801 permanent visa becomes assessable once two years have passed since you lodged the combined application. At that point you submit your updated documents through ImmiAccount under “Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment”. You don’t pay a second application charge.

Mistakes that slow a file down

• Thin evidence. One lease and a few photos rarely carry a file on their own.
• Late health and character documents. Health results are valid for 12 months, so doing them far too early can mean repeating them.
• Unchecked visa conditions. A condition you missed can make the application invalid.
• Inconsistent timelines. If your forms, declarations and evidence disagree on dates or addresses, a case officer will notice.
• Ignoring change. If your circumstances change, you must tell the department through ImmiAccount.

Where Edvise Hub fits

Edvise Hub is a Melbourne-based migration consultancy that helps couples prepare partner visa applications. It checks visa conditions before lodgement, builds an evidence checklist across the four relationship areas, and reviews the file for gaps and inconsistencies before it reaches Home Affairs. If you want a second set of eyes on your 820 application, contact Edvise Hub at contact@edvisehub.com or +61 424 295 050.

Partner Visa 820: Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does the partner visa 820 cost in 2026?
The charge is A$11,710 for most main applicants from 1 July 2026, covering both the 820 and 801 stages.

2. How long does the partner visa 820 take to process?
Times vary by case, so check Home Affairs’ global visa processing times guide for the current indication.

3. Can I work while on a partner visa 820?
Yes, the granted 820 carries full work rights, while work on a bridging visa depends on its conditions.

4. When can I get the permanent partner visa 801?
You become eligible for the 801 assessment two years after you lodged the combined application.

5. Do we need to live together for 12 months to apply?
De facto couples generally need 12 months together before lodging, unless they have a registered relationship or compelling reasons.