The 820/801 pathway is the principal onshore Partner Visa route for eligible spouses and de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens.
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The onshore Partner Visa pathway is usually a combined application for a temporary Subclass 820 visa and a permanent Subclass 801 visa. The legal test is not simply whether a couple is married or lives together: the Department must be satisfied that the relationship meets the relevant partner criteria and is genuine and continuing.
Eligibility depends on the facts of the relationship, immigration status, sponsorship requirements and other statutory criteria. A strong application addresses each element deliberately rather than relying on a marriage certificate alone.
You are generally the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
The 820/801 pathway is designed for applicants applying in Australia. Your current visa status, conditions and any bars must be checked before lodgement.
The relationship evidence should demonstrate a real shared life across financial, household, social and commitment factors, not just isolated documents.
The sponsor normally lodges a sponsorship application and must satisfy sponsorship requirements. Limitations can apply in some cases.
Applicants must address applicable health and character requirements, police checks and any further information requested by the Department.
No Further Stay conditions, Schedule 3, section 48 or other immigration history issues can materially change the strategy and should be assessed before lodgement.
The easiest way to understand the onshore Partner Visa pathway is to separate the temporary stage from the permanent stage.
The first decided stage of the onshore Partner Visa pathway.
The permanent-residence stage of the same combined Partner Visa pathway.
A persuasive Partner Visa application tells a coherent story and supports it with documents across the recognised relationship factors. Evidence should be consistent across forms, statements and supporting records.
Your bridging visa arrangements depend on your existing visa and application circumstances. Do not assume that lodgement gives immediate work or travel rights; check the actual bridging visa grant and conditions.
If you are on a Bridging Visa A, overseas travel can cause serious problems. A Bridging Visa B may be required before departure. Obtain case-specific advice before booking travel.
Continue saving joint financial records, leases, travel evidence, correspondence, major life-event documents and other material that may be needed at the 801 stage.
Some 820/801 matters turn on validity, sponsorship, immigration history or exceptions rather than ordinary relationship evidence. Those issues should be identified before an application is lodged.
Applicants without a substantive visa may face Schedule 3 criteria and potentially need to establish compelling reasons, depending on the case.
Explore our Schedule 3 hub →Prior sponsorships, timing rules and other restrictions can affect whether a proposed sponsor can be approved.
Partner Visa sponsorship limitations →If a relationship has ended because of family violence, there are circumstances in which a Partner Visa applicant may still be able to continue toward permanent residence.
Family violence Partner Visa hub →A current visa carrying a No Further Stay condition can prevent a valid onshore Partner Visa application unless the condition is waived or another legal pathway applies.
Get advice before lodgement →A relationship ending after lodgement does not always mean the case ends automatically. Children of the relationship, family violence or death of the sponsor can be legally significant.
Discuss a changed relationship →Previous immigration or character issues may trigger additional legal criteria, procedural fairness or strategic questions.
Request a legal assessment →Government charges change periodically. The figures below reflect Home Affairs information current from 1 July 2026 and should be checked again immediately before lodgement.
Government fee source: Australian Department of Home Affairs, Subclass 820 page, updated 1 July 2026. Always use the official Visa Pricing Estimator before payment.
Every relationship and immigration history is different. Our team can assess the legal pathway, identify risk before lodgement and build an evidence plan for the 820 stage and the later 801 permanent stage.
Reviewed by Madhab Kharel, Principal Lawyer
