How Often Should You Upload New Relationship Evidence After Lodging a Partner Visa?

Home Affairs tells Partner Visa applicants to keep their documents and relationship evidence updated during long processing periods. But there is no published rule requiring applicants to upload evidence every week, every month or on a fixed schedule.

The better approach is to keep the application current, organised and decision-ready without flooding ImmiAccount with repetitive screenshots and duplicate documents.

What does “update regularly” mean?

Home Affairs specifically says applicants should update documents and evidence of their relationship regularly because Partner Visa processing can be lengthy. The Department may decide an application without asking for every missing document, so applicants should not assume they will always receive a request first.

There is no official monthly upload rule

No Home Affairs instruction says you must upload one new bank statement every 30 days or photographs every three months. A practical legal strategy is to upload when something material changes and to provide curated periodic updates where processing is lengthy.

Events worth updating promptly

• Marriage after lodging as de facto.
• Moving into a new joint home.
• A new joint lease or mortgage.
• Birth of a child.
• Major joint travel.
• New joint financial commitments.
• Change of passport, address or contact details.
• Periods of living apart that need explanation.
• A material change in the relationship.

What evidence should you not keep uploading?

Avoid dozens of almost identical bank statements, hundreds of chat screenshots or every photograph taken together. Home Affairs limits attachments in ImmiAccount, and duplicate material can make the important evidence harder to identify. Select evidence that demonstrates development and continuity across time.

A practical update rhythm

For a straightforward application with no major changes, many couples keep a private evidence folder and make a sensible consolidated update after meaningful developments or periodically during a long wait. The exact timing should reflect the case rather than an artificial calendar rule.

Case example

An 820 applicant uploaded a complete relationship bundle at lodgement and then did nothing for 14 months. During that period the couple moved house, travelled overseas together and bought a car jointly. Rather than uploading hundreds of miscellaneous files, they added a concise update covering the new lease, selected travel records, the joint purchase and a short updated relationship statement.

What about the 801 or 100 permanent stage?

The permanent Partner Visa stage requires fresh evidence that the relationship continues. Home Affairs tells eligible applicants not to submit Stage 2 documents before the relevant two-year point. Keep evidence as you go so you are not trying to reconstruct two years of relationship history at the last minute.

For the complete process, see our 820/801 Partner Visa hub, 309/100 Partner Visa hub and 801/100 Stage 2 document checklist.

General information only. Evidence strategy should reflect the complexity and processing stage of the individual application.