Subclass 820 — Partner visa (onshore, temporary)

Eligibility snapshot

In general terms: a genuine and continuing spousal or de facto relationship with an eligible sponsor, applying from inside Australia. De facto applicants generally evidence 12 months of cohabitation or a registered relationship. The sponsor applies separately for sponsorship approval and has their own character requirements. General information only — what YOUR application needs is a question for a registered practitioner.

Frequently asked questions

Health and character requirements

Most people applying for an Australian visa must meet a health requirement, and Partner visa applicants are generally no exception. The Department may ask an applicant to complete health examinations so that a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth can assess whether any medical condition would create a significant cost to health and community services or limit other people's access to services that are in short supply. Applicants pay for their own health examinations, and family members are sometimes asked to be examined even when they are not migrating. Applicants are also generally assessed against the character requirements set out in section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. When applying, a person is expected to declare all criminal conduct they have been charged with (and that is awaiting legal action) or convicted of in any country, answer all questions truthfully, and provide all requested information. After an application is lodged, the Department may ask for supporting character documents. These can include a police certificate, Form 80 (personal particulars for character assessment), a Form 1563 statement of character, and, where relevant, military service documents. Police certificates are typically requested from each country a person has lived in for 12 months or more over the past 10 years. They are generally sought where the person is over 17, and a certificate is usually expected to cover the period from when the person turned 16 up to the issue date. An Australian police certificate is obtained through an Australian Federal Police National Police Check (state or territory certificates are not accepted), selecting the immigration/citizenship code (Code 33) and listing all names the person has been known by.

Health cover and Medicare

Once granted, this temporary Partner visa generally lets the holder apply for access to Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme. For that reason, ongoing private health insurance is usually not a standing condition of this particular visa, unlike some temporary visas that carry a health-insurance condition. The Department notes that a person is financially responsible for any health care debts they incur in Australia, and that any outstanding health debts may be considered in future visa applications. Where someone is not covered by Medicare, the Department strongly recommends arranging appropriate private health cover, such as an Overseas Visitor Health Cover product, to reduce financial risk. Where a visa does require evidence of adequate health insurance, the Department publishes a minimum standard for that cover. As a general guide, the Australian Government website Private Health lists registered insurers and helps people compare products and understand what is and is not covered before choosing a policy. Because cover requirements differ between visas, applicants are generally advised to check the specific requirements of the visa they are applying for rather than assume a single rule applies to all situations.

Visa Application Charge and other costs

The government Visa Application Charge for this visa is generally listed from AUD11,710.00 for most applicants, with a reduced amount from AUD1,955.00 for people who already hold a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300). Concessions apply only in limited circumstances. From 1 July 2026, eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application are charged a lower visa cost. This charge covers the combined temporary (subclass 820) and permanent (subclass 801) Partner visa application, which are lodged together as a two-stage process. The Department's Visa Pricing Estimator can be used to work out the charge for a particular situation. The Visa Application Charge is a government fee paid to the Department of Home Affairs. It is separate from, and additional to, other costs an applicant may meet along the way, such as health examinations, police certificates, and document translation. Any fee charged by an independent service or platform is also separate from the government Visa Application Charge and is never part of it.

Validity and key timeframes

This temporary visa generally lets the holder stay in Australia until their permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) application is finalised, or until the application is withdrawn. The permanent stage is usually assessed later. The Department indicates that the processing time for the permanent visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is generally two years after the temporary and permanent Partner visa applications were lodged. Health examination results are generally valid for about 12 months, so timing matters if examinations are completed before applying. Police certificates are also generally valid for 12 months from their issue date, and a new certificate may be requested if a person returns to a country after an earlier certificate has expired. Processing times are not fixed and vary by case. The Department publishes an indicative guide based on recently decided applications through its visa processing time tool, which it describes as a guide only and not specific to any individual application.

Visa conditions that generally apply

The subclass 820 (the temporary onshore Partner visa) is generally granted with full permission to work and study in Australia. Unlike some temporary visas, it does not usually carry a work-limitation condition (such as conditions that cap working hours), so holders are generally free to work and study while the permanent stage of their application is assessed. Eligible holders may also attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program. Any conditions that do apply to a particular grant are set out in the visa grant notification letter and can be viewed online through Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). Because conditions are recorded against each individual visa, applicants are generally expected to check these two sources rather than rely on general information. A mandatory health-insurance condition (condition 8501) is not a standard feature of this visa, and this visa is not generally subject to a 'no further stay' style restriction. Holders are, however, generally expected to keep the department informed of relevant changes in their circumstances, such as a change of address or a change in the relationship, while a decision is pending. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Eligibility in detail

This is the onshore pathway. Applicants are generally required to be in Australia when they lodge the application, along with any family members applying with them. For the temporary stage, applicants can generally be either in or outside Australia at the time the department decides it. The temporary stage (820) and the permanent stage (801) are lodged together as a single combined application, with the permanent stage assessed later. There are two relationship streams: married applicants (a spouse relationship) and de facto partners. Decision-makers must be satisfied the relationship is genuine and continuing, and they generally weigh four broad areas set out in the regulations, being the financial aspects of the relationship, the nature of the household, its social aspects, and the couple's mutual commitment to a shared life. De facto applicants are generally asked to show they have been in the relationship for at least 12 months before applying, unless an exception applies (for example a registered relationship or compelling circumstances). The Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen partner generally acts as the sponsor, and the sponsorship must be approved. Sponsors are generally required to provide Australian and overseas police checks and to consent to certain criminal-history information being disclosed to the applicant; limits also apply on how many people, and how often, a person may sponsor for a partner visa. Applicants are generally assessed against health and character requirements. There is no points test, no skills assessment and no occupation list for this family visa; the central question is the genuineness of the relationship rather than skills. English language ability is not a threshold eligibility test here, although it can affect the charge payable (see the costs information). This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Family members and life after grant

Members of the applicant's family unit, such as dependent children, can generally be included in the application. Dependants can generally be added when applying and, in some situations, afterwards; for example, a child may be able to apply for a Dependent child (subclass 445) visa and then be added to the partner application. Once the 820 is granted, holders generally have full permission to work and study in Australia and can travel in and out of the country while the visa is valid. Applicants who are waiting on a bridging visa should note that a Bridging visa A does not by itself permit re-entry after leaving Australia; travel in that situation generally requires a Bridging visa B arranged before departure. People who have applied for a permanent partner visa can generally enrol in Medicare. Enrolment is handled by Services Australia and is separate from the visa grant itself. The 820 is the first step toward the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801). Generally, two years after the original application was lodged the permanent stage is assessed, though it can be considered earlier in limited situations, such as the death of the sponsoring partner, shared children following a relationship breakdown, or family violence. Holders are generally expected to keep the department updated with current relationship and contact details. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Refusal reasons and review rights

Applications of this type are commonly refused where the decision-maker is not satisfied the relationship is genuine and continuing, or where the evidence provided is not enough to establish the relationship factors the regulations require. Refusals also occur where sponsorship is not approved, for example where required police checks or consents are not provided, or where health or character requirements are not met. If a decision is unfavourable, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal. The applicant's decision letter states whether review is available and who is entitled to apply. Strict time limits apply, and the deadline is set out in the decision letter; missing it generally means the Tribunal cannot consider the application. An application fee applies, although a fee reduction may be available in some circumstances, and a partial refund is generally made if the decision is set aside, varied, or sent back to the department for reconsideration. On review, the Tribunal can generally affirm the decision, vary it, set it aside and substitute a new decision, or send it back to the department. This is a neutral factual outline only and is not advice or a prediction of any outcome. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Costs in detail

The government Visa Application Charge is separate from any service or platform fee. It is generally payable in two instalments: a first instalment when the application is lodged and, in some cases, a second instalment before the visa is granted. The main applicant pays a base application charge, and an additional applicant charge applies for each other person included, generally at different rates for those aged 18 and over and those under 18. A second instalment can apply where an applicant aged 18 or over has not demonstrated functional English by the time of decision; where it applies, it must be paid before the visa can be granted. Because charges change from time to time (typically each 1 July) and depend on the date the department receives the application, current amounts should be confirmed using the department's official Visa Pricing Estimator rather than relied on from third-party sources. A subsequent entrant charge can apply where a family member is added after the original application is lodged. Visa Application Charges are generally non-refundable, even if the application is refused or withdrawn, and a surcharge generally applies to payments made by credit card or PayPal. Applicants who previously held a Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa generally pay a reduced charge for this application. Other costs are generally separate from the Visa Application Charge and are paid to other providers, for example health examinations and police clearances. Because this is a family visa, there is no skills assessment and therefore no skills-assessment fee. Any fee charged by an independent service for assistance with an application is separate again from the government charge. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.