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Partner visa 820-801

Subclass 820 → 801

The 820 and 801 Partner Visa: Stay Together in Australia.

If you're in Australia with your Australian partner, the onshore partner visa lets you stay while your case is processed and build towards permanent residence together. It all rests on showing your relationship is the real thing.

Apply and stay in AustraliaBridging visa while you waitLeads to permanent residence
Book a Partner Visa ReviewSpeak With a Registered Agent
What the 820 and 801 Are

You don't have to leave. That's the main advantage.

The onshore partner visa comes in two parts. The 820 is the temporary stage, granted first, and the 801 is the permanent stage that follows after a waiting period. You lodge them together as one application while you're in Australia, and pay the one combined charge. The 820 lets you live, work and stay here - and the 801 makes your residence permanent once you've shown the relationship has continued.

When you lodge, you're generally granted a bridging visa that keeps you lawful and lets you stay with your partner while the application is processed, usually with work rights. The long processing times are far less stressful than they sound because you can keep living your life here while you wait.

Check what your bridging visa allows before you travel. Including whether you can leave Australia and return. We'll confirm this for you so there are no nasty surprises.

What You'll Need

Five things have to line up.

  • A genuine, continuing relationshipMarried or de facto. For de facto couples, generally at least 12 months living together - though there are exceptions like a registered relationship.
  • An eligible sponsorYour partner - an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen - who meets the sponsorship requirements.
  • To be in Australia when you lodge and when the 820 is grantedTiming matters. If you plan to travel during the application, talk to us first.
  • Strong evidence across all four areasFinances, household, social life and commitment. Case officers want to see the full picture, not just the easy parts.
  • Health and character requirementsThe standard requirements for a partner visa.
The Two Stages

Step by step.

  1. Lodge both the 820 and 801 together

    One application, one fee. You're granted a bridging visa straight away to stay in Australia while it's processed.

  2. The 820 is granted

    You're on the temporary stage, with full work and study rights. You continue your life in Australia.

  3. After the waiting period, you provide updated evidence

    Showing that you're still together. This second-stage evidence is important and worth preparing for from the start.

  4. The 801 permanent visa is granted

    You're a permanent resident. The path to citizenship opens up from here.

The two stages, side by side.

One application, one combined charge, with a bridging visa carrying you through the middle. Here is how the three pieces fit together.

Stage What it gives you Cost & timing
Subclass 820 (temporary)The first stage, granted onshore. Live, work and study in Australia with your partner while your case continues. Covered by the one combined charge of around AUD 3,100, paid once at lodgement.
Bridging visa (in between)Granted when you lodge. Keeps you lawful and lets you stay while the application is processed, generally with work rights. No separate application charge. Conditions vary by grant, so check yours before you travel.
Subclass 801 (permanent)The second stage. Permanent residence once you've shown the relationship has continued. Citizenship can follow. No further application charge. Granted after a waiting period, on updated second-stage evidence.

The figure above is the combined government charge, indicative and conditional. It is a single Home Affairs charge that covers both stages, paid once at lodgement, and it can change - we confirm the current charge for your circumstances. Our own professional fee is separate, and we quote it in writing. How we quote our fees →

Compare

Other partner visa options.

309 / 100 Offshore Partner Visa

Applying from outside Australia? The offshore partner visa is the same two-stage journey, started from abroad.

About the 309/100 →

Family Violence Provisions

If your relationship has become unsafe, you do not have to stay with your sponsor to keep your hope of permanent residence.

Your protections →
Common Questions

820/801 onshore partner visa questions.

Yes. When you lodge the 820 onshore, you're generally entitled to a bridging visa that lets you stay lawfully in Australia while the application is processed. That bridging visa commonly carries work rights. The key is to check your bridging visa conditions before you travel overseas, because leaving without the right travel facility can end it.
No. You lodge the 820 and 801 together and pay the one combined government charge at the start, then move from the temporary to the permanent stage without a second application fee. The fee is significant, so we'll make sure you understand the costs up front, alongside our own fee, which we quote in writing.
There's a waiting period between the temporary 820 and the permanent 801, and processing times vary on top of that. Some long-term relationships can move to permanent residence faster. We'll give you a realistic picture for your situation and make sure your second-stage evidence is ready when the time comes so nothing stalls.
It depends on the circumstances. If a relationship ends because of family violence, there are provisions that may still allow permanent residence, and your safety always comes first. If you're in this situation, talk to us in confidence. See how those protections work →
As a guide, the combined Home Affairs application charge is currently around AUD 3,100, and it covers both stages - you pay it once at lodgement rather than twice. It is indicative and can change, and it can be higher where dependants are included, so we confirm the current charge for your circumstances before you lodge. That government charge is separate from our own professional fee, which we always quote in writing. How we quote our fees →
Typically yes - the bridging visa granted when you lodge onshore commonly carries full work rights. That said, conditions vary from grant to grant, so the safest course is to confirm the exact work rights stated on your own grant before you rely on them. Travel rights vary in the same way: leaving Australia without the right travel facility can end your bridging visa, so always check the conditions before you go.
For most couples the full journey runs in the order of 12 to 24 months or more, because there is a waiting period built in between the temporary 820 and the permanent 801, and processing times shift with case complexity and department queues. Some long-term relationships move to permanent residence sooner. These are general ranges, not promises, so we give you a realistic estimate for your situation upfront and prepare your second-stage evidence early so nothing stalls.
Case officers look across four areas. Finances - joint accounts, shared bills and how you handle money together. Household - living arrangements and shared domestic responsibilities. Social - how friends, family and the wider community recognise you as a couple. And commitment - declarations, the length of the relationship and your plans together. A strong application shows all four, not just the easy ones, and we help you build that portfolio so the full picture is clear.
Often yes. Dependent children and certain other dependent family members can usually be included in your partner visa application, each subject to their own eligibility, evidence and the standard health and character requirements. Including dependants can add to the combined charge, so it is worth mapping out early who you want to include and what each person needs. We will work through your family situation with you so everyone is covered correctly in the one application where possible. Compare all partner visa options →
Related Help

Where to from here.

Overseas?309/100 Offshore Partner VisaFor partners lodging from outside Australia.Safety concernsFamily Violence ProvisionsProtections for partners in difficult circumstances.All partner optionsPartner Visa OverviewEvery partner pathway in one place.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

Already here together?

Let's build an onshore application that keeps you here and gets you to permanent residence with the least stress.

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