Partner visa applications in Australia (subclasses 820/801 onshore and 309/100 offshore) require applicants to demonstrate that their relationship with the sponsoring Australian citizen or permanent resident is genuine. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) assesses the relationship across four aspects: the financial aspects of the relationship, the social aspects, the household arrangements, and the commitment of each partner to the other. No single aspect is determinative — DHA considers the overall weight of evidence across all four. This page explains what DHA looks for in each aspect, how to support the application with evidence, and the role of Form 888 statutory declarations from third parties.

For current partner visa requirements, application forms, and processing information, refer to the DHA partner visa (onshore) page and the DHA partner visa (offshore) page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 2, Subclass 820 and Subclass 309 — the criteria for genuine relationship and evidence requirements for partner visas
• Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 1.09A — definition of spouse/de facto partner for migration purposes
• Migration Act 1958, s 5CB — de facto relationship definition
• DHA: Evidence of relationship — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/relationship-evidence
• DHA: Partner visa (apply in Australia) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/partner-onshore

The four aspects — overview

DHA's assessment of relationship genuineness is structured around four aspects. For each aspect, DHA looks for evidence that demonstrates the nature of the relationship. The evidence does not need to be exhaustive — what matters is that the overall picture across all four aspects is convincing.

Aspect 1 — Financial aspects of the relationship

The financial aspect covers the degree to which the couple has combined their financial lives. Evidence in this category typically includes:

• Joint bank accounts showing regular transactions by both parties
• Joint ownership of property or shared mortgage documentation
• Joint insurance policies (home contents, vehicle, health)
• Joint investments or joint financial commitments
• Evidence that one partner financially supports the other (payments, transfers)
• Joint loan agreements or shared credit obligations

Couples who maintain separate finances are not automatically rejected — DHA recognises that some couples, particularly those who are recently together or where cultural practice involves separate finances, may have less financial integration. The overall pattern of financial interdependence is what matters, not the presence of any specific document.

Aspect 2 — Household aspects of the relationship

The household aspect examines whether the couple shares a domestic life together. Evidence in this category typically includes:

• Lease agreements, rental receipts, or mortgage documents showing a shared address
• Utility bills (gas, electricity, water, internet) addressed to both parties at the same address
• Electoral roll registration at the same address
• Correspondence addressed to both parties at the same address
• Evidence of shared responsibilities (shopping receipts, household maintenance records)

For couples who are living apart at the time of application — for example, because of work, study, or while awaiting the visa — DHA considers the history of cohabitation and the reasons for the current separation. Long-distance or physically separated couples need to provide more weight of evidence in the other three aspects to compensate.

Aspect 3 — Social aspects of the relationship

The social aspect covers how the couple presents themselves to others and participates in social life as a couple. Evidence in this category typically includes:

• Joint social media presence — photos, tagged posts, shared events showing the couple together over time
• Photographs of the couple at family gatherings, holidays, social events, and celebrations
• Evidence that families of both partners know about and accept the relationship
• Invitations or event records where both partners are named (weddings, formal events)
• Evidence of joint social activities — travel bookings, event tickets, etc.
• Knowledge of each other's circumstances — visa officers may ask detailed questions about the other partner's personal history, family, workplace, and routines

DHA places significant weight on whether each partner knows detailed information about the other's life — at interview, a visa officer may ask questions that only a genuine partner would be expected to answer correctly.

Aspect 4 — Commitment to each other

The commitment aspect covers the nature of each partner's commitment to the other and to the relationship's future. Evidence in this category typically includes:

• Length of the relationship — longer relationships generally provide stronger evidence of commitment
• Plans for the future — evidence of shared plans (property purchase, family plans, joint travel plans)
• Registration of the relationship under an Australian state or territory law (a registered relationship removes the 12-month cohabitation requirement for de facto couples and provides strong evidence of commitment)
• Cultural or religious recognition of the relationship (wedding ceremonies, engagement)
• Evidence that the partner has met and been accepted by the other's family
• Any periods of separation and how they were managed (correspondence, visits)

Form 888 — statutory declarations from third parties

Form 888 (Statutory declaration by a supporting witness for a partner or prospective marriage visa) is a statutory declaration made by a person who knows both the applicant and the sponsor and can attest to the genuineness of the relationship. Key points about Form 888:

• At least two Form 888 declarations are expected to be lodged with a partner visa application — one from a person who knows the Australian sponsor, and one from a person who knows the applicant
• The witness must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen
• The witness must have known both the applicant and the sponsor personally — a declaration from someone who only knows one party is of limited value
• Witnesses should be different people — ideally from different parts of the couple's social network (family member, friend, colleague)
• The witness must complete and sign the form before a person authorised to witness statutory declarations (e.g. Justice of the Peace, solicitor, commissioner for declarations)
• Form 888 statements are sworn evidence — false statements are a criminal offence

Holistic assessment — no checklist approach

DHA explicitly does not apply a checklist approach to relationship evidence. A couple with strong evidence in three of the four aspects but limited evidence in one aspect may still succeed, depending on the explanation for the gap. Couples should provide a written statement from both the applicant and the sponsor explaining the history of the relationship, how they met, key events, and any aspects of their relationship that may not be well-documented. The personal statement is an important part of the application — it ties together the documentary evidence and explains the relationship narrative.

Two-stage visa — evidence at both stages

Partner visas are granted in two stages: a temporary visa first (subclass 820 or 309), followed by the permanent visa (subclass 801 or 100) approximately two years after the temporary visa was granted. The relationship must be genuine and ongoing at both stages. At the permanent stage, DHA re-assesses the relationship — couples who no longer live together or whose relationship has ended are not granted the permanent visa (unless the family violence provisions apply). For details on the partner visa pathway and stages, see the partner visa pathway page.

The four-aspect assessment framework gives flexibility — DHA does not demand specific documents and recognises that relationships take many forms. However, this flexibility cuts both ways: a sparse application with little evidence across all four aspects is unlikely to succeed even if no specific required document is missing. The most common weakness in partner visa applications is insufficient third-party evidence — Form 888 declarations from witnesses who can speak to the relationship across multiple aspects (not just "they seem happy together") add significant weight. For couples applying from a long-distance situation, or where there has been a period of physical separation, a clear written explanation of the circumstances — supported by evidence of communication (messages, call logs, visit records) — is particularly important. For current application requirements and the partner visa processing guide, refer to the DHA partner visa page.