How I Prepared for Australian Partner Visa 820/801 | Double Grant

Recently I unexpectedly received a double grant for Partner Visa 820 & 801 four months after lodging my application! 🥳

I decided to make a comprehensive post on how I prepared my documents without hiring an agent/lawyer. I understand it can be a really stressful and challenging process so I hope my post can help.

Having said that, it is always a good idea to consult the professionals. If you don't think you can do this by yourself, don't take the risk. Get help from the professionals.

Anyway, this is how the standard Partner Visa 820 & 801 process looks like:

Our Background

We started our relationship in 2016. It was a long distance relationship until I quit my flying job in Dubai. We were then mainly based in Malaysia and Singapore until he relocated to Perth in 2019.

Never did we plan to apply for a partner visa (at least not so soon). Due to the pandemic, my one-month visit turned into an indefinite stay in Perth. When my ETA visa (Electronic Travel Authority) was expiring in May 2020, I had to apply for Visitor Visa (subclass 600) to extend my stay. This visa allowed me stay in Australia until Jan 2021.

As we were worried about being physically apart due to all the strict border restrictions, we had to find a way for me to extend my stay in Australia from Jan 2021 onwards.

Partner Visa 820/801 was one of our limited options. When consulting a migration agent, he did not support our idea of applying for the Partner Visa 820/801 as he was not convinced that we were eligible. I felt that he did not even bother to have an in-depth review of our case. Instead, he advised me to get a Student Visa or another Visitor Visa (which would let me stay an extra month). 😥

A visitor visa would not make sense obviously given the cost. A student visa means you have to study. All these cost money and I was not sure if we were ready to spend so much on something we didn't want.

After a lot of consideration, planning and research, we decided to lodge the application for Partner Visa 820/801 by ourselves. The visa itself cost us around AUD 7,800 (including PayPal surcharge). Don't forget we also had to pay for my health examination, multiple police clearance, fees for family and friends to certify documents, etc.

We were not really prepared but we pushed ahead. It took me around 6 months to research, plan and get all our documents ready! So plan ahead. The earlier you collect your evidence the better!

I am not against hiring a professional. You definitely should consider seeking their opinion if you think you need help. However, I was convinced that I could do it by myself and provide enough evidence to support our application after a thorough research.

Having said that, do consider that there will be some degree of pressure on your relationship throughout the visa journey. If your relationship breaks down during the process, you might risk losing all your effort, time, money, and visa. You will find yourself feeling stuck and lost at times. Think carefully if you are ready for the possible years of wait. Be open and honest about it with your partner.

My Visa Process Timeline

In this post, I will be sharing how I gathered and prepared all our evidence. I am not covering too much on the online lodgement forms but basically when you first apply online, you will have to create these two applications (one for applicant, one for sponsor) on your ImmiAccount:

1. Stage 1 - Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa (300, 309/100, 820/801)
2. Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia (300, 309/100, 820/801)

These are the names of the Visa Types you will choose from the dropdown menu. After lodging and paying for your online application, you can choose to front load or slowly upload your documents. I would say, don't rush to upload them if you are not ready. Have everything organised and thoroughly checked first. Your attachments cannot be deleted once uploaded.

HOW I PREPARED MY EVIDENCE

Table of Contents (Clickable):

1. Research
2. Establish Timelines
3. Determine De Facto Start Date
4. Prepare Documents & Compile Evidence
• Commitment
• Financial Aspects
• Financial Aspects & Commitment (Combined)
• Nature of Household
• Social Aspects
• Relationship Statements
• Form 888
• Evidence of Character
5. Finalize & Submit Documents
• Reference: Full List of My Attached Documents
6. Wait & Keep Updating

Please understand that I am not a professional and I am not affiliated with any migration agent/lawyer. All the information provided is based on my own experience and understanding.

1. RESEARCH

• Go through your conversation, calls and video calls from day one (I had to spend at least a week going through our Whatsapp from 2016 as we chatted DAILY for years! 🤯).
• Note down every key event, including time/date of flights, meet-ups, etc.
• Screenshot important conversations.
• Go through both your emails from day one - look for ANY and EVERY email related to you both, i.e. tickets, itineraries, bookings, bills, movie tickets, dinner reservations, bank transfers, UberEats you order for each other, Uber rides you took to each other's place, etc.)
• Go through ALL your photos - travels, family events, weddings, etc.
• Go through your social media posts.
• Also try to retrieve all your travel itineraries, accommodation bookings, etc. Think of Bookings.com, Agoda, Airbnb, or any websites that you usually use to book your accommodation. Your bookings should still be there in your accounts!
• Do you also have an account with the airline that you usually book with? Try to log in and check if your past bookings are there.
• Organize all your findings in folders. Label them! You can create a folder in your email too for all the useful emails you have found.

2. ESTABLISH TIMELINES

• Establish a very detailed table timeline with the information you obtained from your research above - I did this for my own reference, which was super helpful for my document preparation. You will find yourself coming back to this document frequently for reference.

• Create a summary timeline chart with key events - this is for submission. Gives the case officer an overall idea of how your relationship develops.

• Create a photo timeline with descriptions - for submission. Visuals are always helpful. Sometimes it's not a bad thing when you like taking pictures. 😛
• I split this into 4 files due to file size limitation. Each file has to be below 5MB. You can use ILovePDF to reduce your file size but make sure your photos are still clear.

An example of how I presented my photo timeline.

3. DETERMINE DE FACTO START DATE

The basic eligibility for Partner Visa 820/801 is that you must be the spouse (married) OR de facto partner of an Australian citizen/permanent resident. What is a de facto relationship?

According to the immigration website,

You and your partner are in a de facto relationship if all these apply:

• you are not married to each other
• you are committed to a shared life to the exclusion of all others
• your relationship is genuine and continuing
• you live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis
• you are not related by family

Usually your de facto relationship must have existed for at least 12 months immediately before you apply for the visa. Time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count as being in a de facto relationship.

Every couple has different circumstances. Some couples assume that moving in together is the start date of de facto. Some assume that meeting parents is when your de facto starts. It's better you do some research and consult an agent/lawyer and discuss with your partner when you think your de facto begins. You could face visa rejection if you do not meet the minimum requirement. A romantic relationship is not necessarily a de facto relationship.

In my case, I determined our de facto start date to be when I decided to resign from my flying job, as that was when we agreed to settle down together. I saw it as a big commitment. I decided to resign in Jan 2018 (de facto started) and officially left the job in July 2018.

We have strong evidence of financial, commitment and social aspects from 2016 onwards and we managed to prove that we were not living separately on a permanent basis.

Remember that you need strong evidence for all 4 pillars - financial aspects, commitment, social matters, and nature of household from when your de facto starts.

Important 4 pillars for Partner Visa 820 & 801

If you have not been in a de facto relationship for 12 months, registering your relationship may be helpful. You still have to provide evidence and prove that you are living together. Unfortunately, relationship registration is not available in Western Australia (where I live) and the Northern Territory for migration purposes.

You might get a double grant for Partner Visa 820 & 801 right away (like my case) if:

• you can prove a de facto relationship for at least three years (counted backwards from the date you apply), or
• you can prove a de facto relationship for at least two years AND you have a dependent child together.

4. PREPARE DOCUMENTS & COMPILE EVIDENCE

Now that you have a clear idea of how your relationship develops and what you have done/been through, time to compile your documents.

Remember you have to organize your documents as neat and clear as possible. Imagine yourself to be a case officer who knows nothing about this relationship presented to you, how would you like the documents to look like? What would make you understand the case easily?

My personal tips:

• Provide/include dates whenever you can!
• Highlight your names, dates, or anything that you think are important as evidence.
• Add a text box on the side to briefly describe what you are presenting.
• We bought a scanner just for this project. A scanner from Kmart cost us around AU$ 20 (on sale) which was really affordable! You can also use your phone apps to scan your documents, but I prefer a real printer/scanner. 😬 And it's still so useful to us even after completing the visa application.
• A Table of Contents would really help the case officer if you have inconsistent information in that particular document!

 1 | COMMITMENT 

SUGGESTED EVIDENCE

• Duration of relationship including knowledge of each other - phone records, chat logs
• Intention to have a long term relationship - terms of wills
• Superfund beneficiary
• Insurance beneficiary
• Correspondence to show that the couple maintain contact during any periods of separation
• Pre-plan wedding

WHAT I PROVIDED

• My flight roster - showing how often we flew to see each other.
• Life insurance beneficiary
• Daily Whatsapp chat from 2016 until current - I attached 2-3 Whatsapp screenshots/month, with a little note on the side describing roughly what the conversation is about. Remember to scroll and hold on your Whatsapp chat so the date will appear before you take a screenshot.

Notes on the side for easier understanding.
It also helps to add reference to other files so they can cross check.

• Evidence of video calls - screenshots of Skype calls with dates.
• Proof of gifts - photos and gift receipts
• Evidence of future planning - Proof of our application in 2018 to get me a Singaporean long-term pass so I could stay with him in Singapore.
• Evidence for time apart
• This was for me to explain why we were physically apart in some periods (longest 1-2 months). You want to convince the case officer that your relationship is continuing.
• One example was, he was supposed to fly to me and attend two weddings with me (my good friend and sister), and to go on a trip with me, but he could not travel out of Australia as his RRV was not approved in time. Evidence I provided - flight tickets, accommodation bookings, invitation cards, Whatsapp wedding group chats between him and my friends, friend's and sister's wedding photos without him.

 2 | FINANCIAL ASPECTS 

SUGGESTED EVIDENCE

• Joint ownership of a house
• Joint names on a lease
• Sharing of household bills and expenses - joint utility accounts
• Joint ownership of a car
• Disclosure of relationship to government agencies/financial organisation - Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink
• Financial correspondence addressed to the couple at the same address - medical bills, bank statements, letters from government/schools

WHAT I PROVIDED

• Evidence of bank transfers - confirmation emails
• Both our bank statements
• Each of us have multiple bank accounts 🤦🏻‍♀️ and I included ALL bank statements of ours. We had to call our banks to try to retrieve all our old bank statements and ship them from home.
• I also highlighted EVERY SINGLE relevant transaction (joint expenses, bank transfers, expenses on each other, travel expenses, etc.) and added a description note on the side.
• These documents took me the longest to complete as we also had to figure out what each transaction was, including finding old receipts that match the amounts. I was 1000% dedicated lol.

Every relevant transaction highlighted with a description note on the side.
Yes it takes A LOT of time and effort but I believe this has played an important part in convincing our case officer that we have been sharing financial matters since years ago (crucial for a double grant).

• Joint bank statements - joint account opened in Aug 2020
• Evidence of sponsor paying for applicant's phone bills
• Joint electricity account and bills - electricity account with both our names
• Joint gas bills
• Personal records of joint travel expenses - these are notes I personally made during all our travels on how much each of us spent and owed each other.
• Disclosure of relationship to Centrelink
• Additional evidence of sponsor's support - More proof of him contributing to my daily expenses.
• Food delivery receipts
• GrabPay transaction history (I had to contact Grab a few times to obtain this information)
• Fave purchase history and receipts
• Proof of him paying for my medical bills and visas

The case officer most likely couldn't understand what GrabPay and Fave are. So I also included a brief description on what they are before going into the evidence (not shown here).

 FINANCIAL ASPECTS & COMMITMENT (Combined) 

WHAT I PROVIDED

• Evidence of travels & visits from 2016 till 2020
• I split this into 12 files according to year as we traveled a lot. It includes trips where we spent money to travel to see each other.
• All itineraries I created for travels, flight tickets, accommodation bookings, tour bookings, car rentals, etc.
• Highlighted who made payments (with reference to bank statements).

Include whatever tickets or bookings you have as supporting evidence.
I had a total of 12 files. 30 - 40 pages per file.

*Airbnb Tip: If you have booked your accommodation with Airbnb, you can retrieve your past bookings and:

1. Get your receipts - A receipt will show both your names if that is what you entered when booking.
2. But if you did not include your partner's name when booking, you can choose to get a PDF for visa purposes! You enter your names and they will generate a PDF for you!

For me, I always try to go for Receipts first as they look more proper and official. They also include your payment method (card number), which will be another good evidence for your Financial matters.

Remember that only the person making the booking can retrieve a receipt. So check both your Airbnb accounts!

 3 | NATURE OF HOUSEHOLD 

SUGGESTED EVIDENCE

• Supporting documents from landlord/real estate agent showing you are living together
• Joint building/content insurance policies
• Car insurance policy - Partner/spouse listed as a secondary driver
• Any joint responsibility for care and support of any children
• Joint health insurance cover

WHAT I PROVIDED

• Evidence of shared address - our mails sent to the same address
• Car insurance policy - me being listed as a secondary driver
• Joint loyalty cards - Flybuy and Rewards cards with both our names. Below are how I presented my evidence (except all the added shapes and texts which are just for your reference, not the case officer).

Screenshot from the everyday rewards website. 'My Account -> Cards & Accounts'. You apply for the cards separately but later you can link your cards.

Scanned copy of the new card that comes in a mail.

Screenshot from the flybuys website under 'Account Details'. You have to call them to add an additional member.

Scanned copy of the new card that comes in a mail.

• Ikea receipts - proof of the kitchen makeover I talk about in our statement
• Statutory Declaration from sponsor's mother - partner's mother provided a Statutory Declaration to support that I lived with them whenever I was in Singapore. This was certified and signed by Australian High Commission in Singapore. Please refer to 'Form 888' below for more details.
• House lease - with both names
• Landlord's statement - to prove that I have been living in the same house
• Photos of our home

 4 | SOCIAL ASPECTS 

SUGGESTED EVIDENCE

Evidence that the couple is generally accepted and recognised as a couple socially.

• Invitation cards addressed to both names
• Cards/letters addressed to both names
• Joint participation in sports, cultural and social activities - joint gym membership
• Form 888 - statutory declarations made by family members, relatives and friends.

WHAT I PROVIDED

• Joint correspondence - mails, cards and wedding invitations addressed to both our names
• Joint gym membership - gym membership contracts to show that we go to the same gym
• Proof of movies and dates - movie tickets, dinner reservations, etc.
• Social media posts - Instagram and Facebook posts with both our names tagged, and comments from friends/family. 
• Correspondence on behalf - highlighted both our names
• For example, he booked me flights and mails were sent to him, but passenger is my name.
• A police report he made for me in Singapore when I lost my money in the hotel.
• When I applied for my visitor visa back in 2020, all correspondence emails were sent to him.

 RELATIONSHIP STATEMENTS 

WHAT I PROVIDED

Individual Statements

Development of the Relationship - describing:

• How, when and where you first met
• How the relationship developed
• When you moved in together, got engaged or married
• What you do together
• Time you spent apart
• Significant events in the relationship
• Your plans for the future

• One statement from me - Applicant (5 pages)
• One statement from him - Sponsor (4 pages)

Joint Statements (4 Pillars)

• Nature of the Commitment (3 pages)
• Financial Aspects of the Relationship (2 pages)
• Nature of the Household (2 pages) - Living arrangement, housework
• Social Aspects of the Relationship (2 pages)

All statements were just typed out, signed and dated at the bottom.

I put all my statements in point form and added a reference at the end of each section to back up the info with evidence. It definitely helps make everything more credible! For instance:

On 2 Jan 2016, xx and I first got to know each other. I was based in Dubai and he was based in Singapore. We started talking on Whatsapp on 5 Jan 2016. (Please see attached ‘Commitment_Evidence Of Daily Contact_Whatsapp 2016-2017’.) 

After talking daily for almost 2 months, we met for the first time in xx when I had an operational flight to that destination. (Please see attached ‘Commitment_Applicant_Crew Flight Roster’.) 

I’m happy to share a sample of my joint statement (Social Aspects of the Relationship) if you need a better reference. Just leave your email address in the comments below and I’ll send it your way. :) 

This sample shows exactly how I structured mine, including where to place the signatures and all the details.

Note:

In the 'Relationship Details' section of the online lodgement form, you will be asked to give details of the four pillars. The limit is 2000 characters for each pillar.

What I wrote in the answer boxes was - 'Please see attached [file name]' to direct the case officer to my attached statement files.

 FORM 888 

WHAT I PROVIDED

• 3 forms by Australians
• 3 forms by non-Australians

It is advisable to get at least two Australian citizens/PRs to fill out this form for you. It can be your colleagues, friends, your partner's family or anyone who knows about your relationship. Ask them if they are willing to do it for you as it requires time and effort. They might need to redo it if a mistake is found.

Since I did not know many people in Australia, I thought it would be helpful for me to get my mother, my partner's mother, and a good friend of mine in Singapore to fill out the form as well even though they are not Australians.

Take note that the forms have to be witnessed, certified and signed by prescribed persons listed in the form. IDs have to be certified too.

• Australia - ours was done at Justice of the Peace.
• Singapore - partner's mom and my good friend got certification done at Australian High Commission for SGD 75 per certification. Form 888 is counted as one, ID is counted as one. 😦 And super thankful they were willing to take a day off from work just to get this done. 😢
• Malaysia - my mom got her form and ID certified by a Notary Public. It cost her around RM50 for one document.

Make sure you check the forms before they get them certified to avoid troubles.

 EVIDENCE OF CHARACTER 

Police Clearance

You will also need to provide police clearance from countries you have lived in for a total of 12 months or more in the past 10 years.

Make sure to do research on how to obtain police clearance from countries relevant to you. Every country procedure is different and some can get really tricky or take very long to deliver. For example in my case, Japan Police Clearance took the longest, 2 months to deliver from Japan to Perth.

If you plan to front-load for quicker visa processing, you should consider applying for your police clearance earlier. Don't make a mistake like me - I only applied for Japan Police Clearance at the end of my document submission. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Form 80

Some say this form is necessary, some say they got their visas granted without even providing Form 80. However, I filled it out without being asked, even though 19 pages of questions can be quite tiresome. 😅

'Have any of the applicants visited any countries for less than 12 months in the past 10 years?'

Are/were you a flight attendant? Imagine getting requested to list ALL the countries you have been in the past 10 years with entry and exit dates. 🤯 This is one of the questions in your online lodgement form. I nearly gave up here.

But thank God I managed to figure out all my old personal travels and travels from recent years. And fortunately, I have my Crew Duty Report which I requested from my ex company. It listed all the destinations I operated throughout my four years of flying.

Yes, it is doable if you have these records. My list came up to 200+ entries. If you have troubles retrieving your travel records, you might want to do some research/get advice from the professionals.

5. FINALIZE & SUBMIT DOCUMENTS

Now you have all the documents compiled. Make sure these things are checked before you upload them to your Immi account as they cannot be deleted once attached:

• Review all your documents. Go through your documents like you are the case officer. Do you understand what you are presenting? Re-read your statements. Get your partner to read them. Make sure there are no mistakes in information you want to provide.
• File names - be consistent with your file naming. It makes it easier for the case officer. After your file names have been finalized, double check the references ('Please refer to [file name]') you use in your documents, i.e. statements.
• File size - maximum size of each file is 5MB. I use ILovePDF to compress my files. Also, make sure your pictures are still clear after compression.
• Page number - After finalizing on my docs, I added page numbers to my pdf files (only for those with Table of Contents) with ILovePDF.
• Number of files - you are allowed to attach a maximum of 100 files under your name (applicant) in your Immi account. It's unusual to have to upload more than 100 files, but if it's necessary, I believe you will have the option to attach your files under the sponsor's name.

I submitted all my documents around two months after I first lodged the application. I thought I could have front-loaded everything, but it actually took longer than expected to complete my documents.

To make it easier for myself, I created a checklist of all the documents I uploaded for my Partner Visa 820/801 application. It also shows the sections I uploaded them to on ImmiAccount so I wouldn't get confused. Organising all my files this way was incredibly helpful in keeping everything on track.

Full List of My Documents for Partner Visa 820/801

Excel Checklist Update 2024:
The Excel file of the list is now available for download right here for a fee. I’ve also created a Numbers file format for MacBook users, so you’ll receive both files and can choose what works best for you! 

I'd love to keep this blog ad-free for your best reading experience. Your support by purchasing these files really helps me maintain the blog and support my finances, especially if you find my posts helpful. 💖 Thank you so much! 

If you'd like me to share a PDF sample of my joint statement for the Social Aspects of the Relationship, just leave your email address in the comment section! :)

6. WAIT & KEEP UPDATING

If you have not booked your medical examination yet, book an appointment as soon as you can. You might have to wait for weeks/months until you get an available slot. This is only if you choose to front-load. I completed my medical examination around the time I uploaded my documents, which was just nice.

Others also advice to update your evidence every 3 months while waiting for the result. I received my grant before I managed to do any update. 💕

Now wait for your RFI (Request for more information) or your grant!

I received an RFI for my Japan Police Clearance (it was on the way from Japan), which I was really relieved about! That means they were happy with the rest of my evidence! 😭 Not long after I submitted my Japan Police Clearance, I got my double grant! 💖

This is my extensive guide on the application for Partner Visa 820 & 801. I hope you find my post helpful as I know how overwhelming it is to prepare for the application by yourself.

All the best! xx

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Disclaimer: This is not any kind of official advice/checklist for Partner Visa 820/801. This is only my personal experience getting through the application.