Every partner visa application comes down to one question: is this a genuine and continuing relationship? The Department of Home Affairs does not rely on any single document. It looks at all the circumstances of the relationship, and the Migration Regulations 1994 group those circumstances into four areas, often called the four pillars:
- Financial aspects
- The nature of the household
- Social aspects
- The nature of your commitment to each other
This guide goes through each pillar: what the Department considers, the kinds of evidence that usually help, and the gaps we see most often. It applies to onshore (820/801) and offshore (309/100) partner visas, for married and de facto couples.
1. Financial aspects
What the Department considers: joint ownership of major assets, joint liabilities, pooling of financial resources, any legal obligations you have to each other, and how you share day-to-day household expenses.
Evidence that often helps:
- Statements from a joint bank account that both of you use, over a period of time
- A joint lease, mortgage or loan, or major assets you own together, such as a car
- Household bills in both names, or records showing how you split them
- Regular transfers between you, for example for rent or bills
- Insurance policies, superannuation nominations or wills that name each other
Common gaps: a joint account opened shortly before applying with little activity, or money that only ever flows one way with no explanation. There is no single right way for a couple to manage money. What matters is that your evidence and your statements show how you actually do it.
2. The nature of the household
What the Department considers: joint responsibility for any children, your living arrangements, and how you share the housework.
Evidence that often helps:
- A lease or mortgage, or a letter from the property owner, showing you both live there
- Mail, bills, licences and official records addressed to each of you at the same address
- Documents showing you both as parents or carers of any children
- A description, in your statements, of how you share the housework and run the home
Common gaps: different addresses on different documents for the same period, or living apart with no explanation.
3. Social aspects
What the Department considers: whether you present yourselves as a couple, the views of your friends and acquaintances, and the social activities you share.
Evidence that often helps:
- Supporting statements from people who know you as a couple, on Form 888. The people writing them no longer need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents, and the form does not need to be witnessed
- Invitations, cards or letters addressed to you both
- Travel bookings and holidays taken together
- Photos with family and friends across the whole relationship, with dates and places
- Evidence of family events, celebrations or joint memberships
Common gaps: photos all taken on one trip, or Form 888 statements that say little beyond "they are a lovely couple". A useful statement explains how the person knows you, for how long, and what they have seen of your relationship.
4. The nature of your commitment
What the Department considers: how long the relationship has lasted, how long you have lived together, the companionship and emotional support you give each other, and whether you see the relationship as long-term.
Evidence that often helps:
- A personal statement from each of you telling the story of the relationship: how you met, when it became committed, the key milestones and your plans
- Records of contact while you were apart, such as calls, messages and visits
- Evidence of support through difficult times, such as illness or study
- Plans you have made together, such as buying a home
Make the evidence tell one consistent story
Decision makers read your application as a whole. Inconsistencies usually cause more problems than a missing document. Before you lodge:
- Check that dates, addresses and names match across your documents, forms and statements
- Write a short timeline of the relationship and check every document against it
- Cover the whole relationship, not just the last few months
- Label and organise your evidence by pillar so it is easy to follow
- Choose quality over quantity: a clear, representative selection works better than hundreds of near-identical photos or messages
For more on presenting your relationship, see our 9 practical tips for partner visa applications.
If your situation is different
Not every couple fits the typical pattern, and that does not count against you on its own. Explain your circumstances honestly and support them with the evidence you do have.
- Living apart for work, study or visa reasons: show how you stay connected and why you are apart.
- Cultural or religious reasons for not living together before marriage: explain the practice, and show the relationship through the other pillars.
- Newer de facto relationships: de facto couples generally need to have been in the relationship for at least 12 months before applying, unless an exception applies, such as a relationship registered under state or territory law.
The second stage
Partner visas are granted in two stages. After the temporary (820) or provisional (309) visa, the permanent visa (801 or 100) is assessed later, with updated evidence that the relationship is continuing. Keep collecting evidence after you lodge: it is much easier than reconstructing it later.
How Southern Stone can help
We review your relationship evidence across all four pillars before you lodge, point out gaps, help you prepare your relationship statements and the Form 888 supporting statements, and prepare the application in English or Chinese. Our free Partner Visa Document Checklist lists the documents by category. To talk about your situation, book a consultation.
Reviewed by Kathy Liu, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0958014).