Who this may suit
Couples preparing relationship evidence for the 820/801 or 309/100 Partner visa pathways, including married and de facto partners and couples organising updates for the permanent stage.
Key considerations
- Use this as an evidence organiser alongside the current Home Affairs checklist for your exact visa and stage. Identity, sponsorship, health and character documents need separate attention.
- The four relationship aspects are finances, household arrangements, social recognition and commitment. They are assessed in the context of your circumstances.
- You do not need to manufacture a joint lease, bank account or social-media history. Explain the arrangements you actually have and support them with relevant records.
First establish the relationship and visa stage
Married applicants need evidence of a marriage recognised under Australian law and evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship. A marriage certificate does not by itself establish visa entitlement.
De facto applicants generally need to show the required relationship existed for at least 12 months immediately before applying, subject to exceptions. Dating time is not automatically de facto time. Qualifying Australian state or territory relationship registration can affect the minimum-period requirement, but does not replace proof of the relationship itself. Get the registration, relationship dates and intended application date checked together.
For a prospective marriage application, use the subclass 300 checklist. It addresses an intended marriage and its particular requirements; do not present an engaged couple as already married or living in a de facto relationship unless that is true.
Sources: Home Affairs: Partner visa 820 checklist and relationship requirements · Home Affairs: Partner visa 309 checklist · Home Affairs: Prospective Marriage visa 300 · Migration Regulations 1994: regulations 1.09A, 1.15A and 2.03A, compilation 2 October 2026
Partner sponsorship when unemployed →
Relationship evidence without a joint lease →
Create one reliable relationship timeline
Begin with a simple chronology that both partners can check: first contact, meeting in person, development of the relationship, shared addresses, significant commitments, marriage or registration, and periods apart. Distinguish a first date from the point at which you began sharing a life.
For each event, record the date, a short factual description and a document reference. For example: “July 2024: moved into the Brunswick address; landlord confirmation and addressed correspondence.” If an exact date is uncertain, say so and explain how you estimated it.
Each partner should describe their own experience in their own words. Check apparent inconsistencies against records rather than forcing identical statements. Explain changed names, overlapping travel dates or temporary addresses before they become confusing.
Sources:
1. Financial aspects: explain how money works
The question is how you organise financial responsibilities together. Relevant records can include shared expenses, transfers, joint liabilities, purchases or financial support. If you use a joint account, select material showing its genuine use over time; the account-opening letter alone has limited explanatory value.
Separate accounts may reflect your circumstances. Describe who pays rent, groceries or travel and how you settle shared costs. Where one person earns more or supports the other, explain the arrangement without inventing equal contributions. Tie each example to an ordinary part of your shared life.
- For your organiser: record the expense, who paid, the period covered and the document that supports the explanation.
- Avoid unexplained transfer screenshots. Show enough identifying information and context to explain the payment, while managing unrelated sensitive information carefully.
Sources: Migration Regulations 1994: regulations 1.09A, 1.15A and 2.03A, compilation 2 October 2026 · Home Affairs: examples of relationship evidence, in the family-violence provisions context
2. Household: show the living arrangements
Explain where you live, when that arrangement began and how you share day-to-day responsibilities. A joint lease may help where it exists, but is not a universal mandatory document. Couples living with relatives or in a home owned by one partner should describe that arrangement honestly.
Possible supporting material includes correspondence to the same address, housing records and a statement from a person with direct knowledge of the arrangement. Describe the division of household tasks and, where relevant, responsibility for children. During periods apart, explain the reason, duration and how your shared life continued.
Sources: Home Affairs: Partner visa 820 checklist and relationship requirements · Home Affairs: examples of relationship evidence, in the family-violence provisions context
3. Social aspects: show how others know you
Choose material showing how your relationship is known to friends, family or others: shared invitations, trips, activities or significant occasions. Caption photographs with dates, places and who is present. A small, relevant selection across time can explain more than a large undated album.
Use the current Form 888 for supporting witnesses where appropriate. Its author must be at least 18, know both partners and know the relationship’s history. They should follow the form’s identity-evidence instructions and describe what they personally know. The current Form 888 is a supporting statement, not a statutory declaration.
If the relationship is not widely disclosed for cultural, personal or safety reasons, explain that context. Do not stage social events or pressure someone to make a statement they cannot truthfully support.
Sources: Home Affairs: current Form 888 supporting statement · Home Affairs: Partner visa 820 checklist and relationship requirements · Home Affairs: examples of relationship evidence, in the family-violence provisions context
4. Commitment: connect the history with your future
Describe the support you give each other, your knowledge of each other’s circumstances and how you approach a future together. Relevant examples might include decisions about accommodation, caring responsibilities, work moves or visits during a separation. Explain what happened and why it matters.
Messages or call records can help show communication when apart. Choose dated examples that retain their context and connect to the timeline. Do not submit intimate images or an entire private message history simply to increase volume. Future plans should reflect genuine discussions, without presenting hopes as completed arrangements.
Sources: Migration Regulations 1994: regulations 1.09A, 1.15A and 2.03A, compilation 2 October 2026 · Home Affairs: examples of relationship evidence, in the family-violence provisions context
Two worked evidence plans
These invented examples demonstrate organisation, not outcomes. The right evidence depends on the couple, and neither example establishes eligibility.
Living with family: Alex and Sam share a room in Sam’s parents’ home and have no joint lease. Their plan records the move-in date, correspondence showing the address, the parents’ first-hand explanation and how groceries and chores are shared. Separate bank records support the described contributions. They flag the missing formal housing agreement and explain why it never existed.
Married but temporarily apart: Priya and Daniel live in different countries while Daniel completes a work contract. Their chronology identifies shared visits, the marriage and the period apart. They organise travel records, relevant contact evidence and genuine financial support, with a clear account of their present arrangements and future intentions. They do not describe visits as continuous cohabitation.
For either plan, add a final column headed “What still needs explanation?” This turns a document pile into a useful consultation agenda.
Sources:
A practical file-preparation checklist
Use a working index with columns for aspect, date range, fact being supported, filename and missing information. A document can support more than one aspect; cross-reference it in the index rather than uploading repeated copies. Keep an unaltered original and check that every submitted page is readable.
- Translate non-English documents into English and provide the original-language document as well. Follow Home Affairs requirements for the translator’s details, including a NAATI practitioner number for translations completed in Australia.
- Use clear filenames such as “Household_Address_2024-07_to_2025-06”. Check the current ImmiAccount file types, sizes and attachment limits rather than relying on an old checklist.
- Keep identity, previous-relationship, sponsor and any dependent-child requirements on a separate task list. A complete relationship section does not make the whole visa application complete.
- Review privacy before sharing: use an agreed secure channel, avoid unnecessary third-party details and do not share account passwords. Do not hide required information, change documents or remove context. Ask about any proposed redactions before submission.
Sources: Home Affairs: preparing and translating family visa documents · Home Affairs: Partner visa 820 checklist and relationship requirements
Keep the account current
For the permanent 801 or 100 stage, organise evidence showing the relationship continues and what has changed since the earlier application. Update the chronology, addresses and relevant documents. Follow the current stage-specific checklist rather than assuming the first-stage file is sufficient.
If the relationship ends, a partner dies or family violence affects your circumstances, seek individual advice promptly. Different provisions may apply. Do not submit a statement claiming the relationship is unchanged when that is no longer true.
Sources: Home Affairs: Partner visa 801 relationship updates · Home Affairs: Partner visa 100 relationship updates
Plan Partner visa application costs →
How we can help
Ausdirect can help check the relevant pathway, identify gaps and organise an evidence plan that reflects your circumstances. Bring the timeline and an index first; the team can agree which sensitive documents are needed and how to share them securely.
Questions to consider
Do we need every example of evidence listed here?
No. These are possibilities, not a universal shopping list. Provide the documents the official checklist requires and a coherent account of your particular relationship. A gap may need an explanation or advice rather than a newly created document.
Is there a required number of photographs or messages?
This guide sets no quota. Select material that explains relevant facts over time and follow any specific Home Affairs request. More uploads do not automatically resolve an unclear timeline or missing required evidence.
Does registration guarantee a de facto Partner visa?
No. A qualifying registration can affect the minimum relationship-period requirement. You still need to establish the genuine de facto relationship and meet the other visa and sponsorship requirements. Read about the onshore Partner pathway
Is this checklist also suitable for an offshore application?
The organising method is useful for both pathways, but the application requirements and circumstances still need checking. Use the current 309/100 checklist for an offshore Partner application. Read about the offshore Partner pathway
What if we are engaged and planning to marry?
Check which pathway fits your actual circumstances before collecting documents. A Prospective Marriage application has its own requirements and should not be treated as an ordinary married-partner checklist. Explore the Prospective Marriage visa
Your next step
Prepare your relationship timeline and evidence index, then book a consultation to discuss the pathway, any gaps and the safest way to provide documents.