Subclass 801 — Partner visa (onshore, permanent)

Eligibility snapshot

General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. The subclass 801 is the permanent stage of Australia's onshore partner pathway. In general terms, it is not a fresh, standalone application: most people reach it because they earlier lodged a combined onshore partner application that covered both the provisional (820) and permanent (801) stages at once, and were granted the provisional 820 visa while the permanent stage stayed pending. Broadly, the permanent stage is concerned with whether the partner relationship has continued to be genuine and ongoing over time, rather than re-testing the relationship from scratch. Typically the department begins assessing the 801 stage some time after the original lodgement — commonly described as around the two-year mark — and at that point the applicant is usually asked to supply updated evidence about the relationship. The sponsoring partner (generally an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen) usually remains part of the picture at this stage. As with most permanent visas, character and other standard requirements can be relevant, and an applicant's individual history matters. Exact criteria, relationship-evidence expectations, and any time thresholds change and depend heavily on personal circumstances, so check the official Home Affairs page for current requirements, and a registered practitioner can advise on how the rules apply to a specific situation.

Common questions

Health and character requirements

The subclass 801 is the permanent stage of the onshore Partner visa, granted to people who generally already hold the temporary subclass 820. As with most Australian visas, applicants are usually expected to meet the health requirement, and family members can sometimes be asked to meet it too depending on the application. Health examinations may be required, and results are typically arranged through approved providers and assessed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth. Where health examinations are needed, the Department indicates that examinations completed in the previous 12 months may not all have to be repeated, so timing is often considered against expected processing. Meeting the health requirement generally means being free from conditions that would be a significant cost to Australia's health and community services or that would limit access to services in short supply. The assessing officer considers the medical situation itself and does not take into account matters such as private insurance or personal funds. Applicants are generally also expected to meet the character requirement set out in the Migration Act 1958. This typically involves declaring any criminal charges or convictions in any country and answering all questions truthfully. After applying, the Department may ask for supporting material such as a police certificate, Form 80, or other character-related forms. Character is assessed against the character test, and serious criminal history or other listed matters can affect an application. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Health cover and Medicare

The onshore Partner visa pathway is linked to Australia's public health system rather than to overseas visitor or overseas student insurance. Official information indicates that holders of the temporary subclass 820 can apply for access to Medicare while their permanent Partner visa is being processed. More generally, people who have permanent residency or who have applied for permanent residency in Australia are usually eligible to apply for interim or full Medicare benefits and can also take out Australian residents' private health insurance. Because of this, the compulsory Overseas Student Health Cover and Overseas Visitors Health Cover arrangements that apply to some student and temporary working visas are not the standard requirement for this partner pathway. Where someone does not hold Medicare benefits, or holds only reciprocal Medicare cover, Overseas Visitors Health Cover can be purchased; those with an interim or full Medicare card can generally buy residents' private health insurance instead. Cover levels, waiting periods, and exclusions vary between policies. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Visa Application Charge and other costs

The onshore Partner visa is applied for as a combined temporary (subclass 820) and permanent (subclass 801) application, with a single government Visa Application Charge covering both stages. For the subclass 801, the Department notes that this charge was paid at the time the temporary and permanent applications were made. The Department lists the combined charge as starting from AUD 11,710.00 for most applicants, and from AUD 1,955.00 for holders of a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300). Concessions apply only in limited circumstances, and from 1 July 2026 a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. The official Visa Pricing Estimator can be used to work out an individual charge. The government Visa Application Charge is separate from any professional service fee or platform fee, and is also separate from other costs an applicant may incur, such as health examinations, police certificates, and document translation. Additional family members included in an application can change the total charge. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Timing, eligibility date and visa validity

The onshore Partner visa is a two-stage process. Applicants generally lodge the temporary (subclass 820) and permanent (subclass 801) applications together, and become eligible to be assessed for the permanent subclass 801 about two years after that application was lodged. For the permanent stage, the Department states that processing time is measured from this date of eligibility (two years after applying) rather than from the original lodgement date. Indicative processing times are shown through the Department's visa processing time guide tool and are a general guide only. The Department also indicates that a person may still be eligible for the permanent Partner visa in some circumstances even if the relationship ends or the sponsoring partner dies, and that people experiencing domestic and family violence may still be eligible for grant of the permanent visa. Once granted, the subclass 801 is a permanent visa allowing the holder to live, work, and study in Australia indefinitely. Where health examinations are required, examinations completed within the previous 12 months may not all need to be repeated, which can affect timing. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Visa conditions on the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801)

Unlike some Australian visas that carry mandatory conditions such as 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance), 8503 (no further stay) or study and work limitations, the Department of Home Affairs conditions tool shows that no visa conditions are attached to the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801). The same tool shows that no conditions are attached to its temporary precursor, the subclass 820. Because the subclass 801 is a permanent residence visa, it does not generally impose work, study, reporting or stay restrictions. Holders can generally live, work and study in Australia without the limitations that attach to many temporary visas. The details that apply to any individual grant are those set out in that person's visa grant notification and shown in VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online). Applicants are generally encouraged to check their own grant letter and VEVO record rather than assume, because the department records what applies in a particular case. Even though the visa itself is not condition-bound, permanent residence still carries general obligations, such as being truthful in dealings with the department and telling the department about relevant changes in circumstances. The travel facility on a permanent visa is also time-limited, which is covered in the family and after-grant information. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Who the onshore Partner visa (820/801) is for and how eligibility is assessed

The onshore Partner visa is a two-stage visa. Applicants generally lodge the temporary (subclass 820) and permanent (subclass 801) applications together in the one application, are first assessed for the temporary 820, and are usually assessed for the permanent 801 from the date of eligibility, which the department describes as two years after they applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. To be eligible, an applicant is generally the spouse (married) or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and that partner acts as the sponsor. Applicants generally need to be in Australia, along with any family applying with them, when they lodge the temporary 820. This is a relationship-based visa with a single pathway rather than separate skilled, points-tested or occupation-list streams. Decision-makers focus on whether the relationship is genuine and continuing, looking at matters such as how the couple share their finances and household, the social aspects of the relationship, and the nature of their commitment to each other. The relationship generally needs to still be genuine and ongoing when the permanent 801 stage is assessed. The sponsoring partner generally needs to be approved as a sponsor, and sponsorship limitations can apply, such as limits on how many people a person can sponsor as a partner and how often. Applicants, and any family members included in the application, generally also need to meet the health requirement and the character requirement. Limited provisions can apply where the relationship changes before the permanent stage is decided. The department indicates that a permanent visa may still be possible where the relationship ends or the sponsoring partner dies before the permanent visa is granted, and separate family violence provisions can apply where an applicant has experienced family violence and the perpetrator was the former sponsoring partner. Each case is assessed on its own facts. This information is general and is not an assessment of any individual's eligibility. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Including family members and what the visa allows after grant

Applicants can generally include dependent family members, such as dependent children, in the application. Each person included generally needs to meet the health and character requirements, and additional applicant charges apply for them, which are set out in the fees information. In some cases a family member who did not apply at the outset can be added later, before a decision is made. While the temporary subclass 820 is in effect, holders can generally live, work and study in Australia while the permanent Partner visa is processed, travel to and from Australia as many times as they want, apply for access to Medicare (Australia's public health care scheme), and, if eligible, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program. Once the permanent subclass 801 is granted, holders can generally live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia, and, if they meet the separate citizenship requirements, apply for Australian citizenship. As with other permanent visas, the travel facility is time-limited. A permanent resident who wants to re-enter Australia after that travel facility has expired generally needs a further travel visa, known as a Resident Return visa. Newly arrived permanent residents may also need to wait before they can access some Australian Government payments and benefits. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

If an application is refused, and review at the Administrative Review Tribunal

Applications of this type are commonly refused for factual reasons such as the decision-maker not being satisfied that the relationship is genuine and continuing, sponsorship requirements not being met (including sponsor approval or sponsorship limitations), the health requirement not being met, the character requirement not being met, or the supporting evidence being incomplete or insufficient. If a Partner visa application is refused, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which can look at the decision again. For migration decisions made under Part 5 of the Migration Act 1958, an application fee of AUD3,727 generally applies, with a reduced fee of 50 per cent of the full fee available in cases of financial hardship. Strict time limits apply. The time limit for applying is stated in the department's decision letter, and for these migration decisions the fee generally must be paid before that deadline. Applicants are generally expected to both lodge and pay within the time limit that applies. The ART may affirm the decision, or set it aside, which can include making a new decision or sending the matter back to the department to be decided again. For these migration reviews, the ART refunds the fee in full if it decides the application was invalid, and generally refunds 50 per cent of the fee where the decision under review is set aside or varied, or the matter is remitted to the department. This is a neutral description of the process only. It is not a prediction of any outcome and does not indicate whether review is available or worthwhile in any particular case. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Costs: the government Visa Application Charge and other departmental costs

The government Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the onshore Partner visa is a single first instalment that covers both the temporary (820) and permanent (801) stages. For most applicants the base charge is from AUD11,710.00. A reduced base charge applies to some applicants, for example from AUD1,955.00 for people applying as a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holder, AUD2,475.00 for certain ceased Prospective Marriage visa cases, and AUD700.00 for certain transitional-visa holders. From 1 July 2026 a lower cost also applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants. Where family members are included in the application, additional applicant charges apply on top of the base charge. On the standard pathway these are generally AUD5,860.00 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD2,935.00 for each additional applicant under 18, with reduced amounts on the concessional pathways. A second instalment of the visa application charge can apply to some applicants. It is payable after an application is made but before the visa can be granted, and it may be nil. The department notifies applicants if and when a second instalment is due, and it is not payable if the application is refused or withdrawn before it is paid. The Visa Pricing Estimator can be used to work out the charges for a specific situation. The visa application charge is generally not refunded, even if the application is refused or withdrawn. If the charges are paid by credit card or PayPal, a payment surcharge applies, currently 1.40 per cent for Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB, 1.01 per cent for PayPal, and 1.90 per cent for Union Pay. Other costs are usually payable to third parties rather than the department, for example health examinations with a panel physician and police clearance certificates. These are separate from the VAC and are generally paid directly to the provider. Any fee charged by a migration agent, lawyer or an independent service is separate again from the government Visa Application Charge and from these third-party costs, and should always be considered on its own. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.