Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801) Australia — 2026 Guide

What Is the Subclass 801 Permanent Partner Visa?

The Subclass 801 visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia permanently. It's usually only available to people who currently hold, or have held, the temporary Partner visa (Subclass 820).

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You apply for the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 together, as one combined application — but the Department of Home Affairs assesses and grants each stage separately. For the full onshore process from lodgement to permanent residency, see our Subclass 820 partner visa guide and our complete partner visa Australia guide.

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How Much Does the Subclass 801 Partner Visa Cost?

There is no additional government application fee for the Subclass 801 stage if you already paid for the combined 820/801 application. If you are applying for the 820/801 pathway for the first time, the fee starts from AUD11,710 for most main applicants, covering both stages. Health checks, police certificates, translations and migration assistance may cost extra.

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Do I Need to Pay Again When Moving From the 820 to the 801?

No. The Department of Home Affairs confirms that the Subclass 801 visa was paid for when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together.

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The current combined application price is therefore not a new bill for someone progressing to the permanent stage. However, you still need to complete the permanent-stage assessment and meet the visa requirements; payment for both stages does not make the 801 grant automatic.

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Source: Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 801 Partner visa.

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What If I Have Not Applied for the 820/801 Yet?

For most new applicants, the combined Subclass 820/801 government application charge is AUD11,710 for the main applicant.

An eligible family member applying with you adds:

• AUD5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over.

• AUD2,935 for each additional applicant under 18.

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Your sponsoring partner is not an additional visa applicant simply because they sponsor you.

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Different charges apply to certain applicants, including eligible Prospective Marriage visa holders. Check the Home Affairs visa pricing table for the category that applies to your circumstances.

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What Additional Costs Should I Budget For?

For the Subclass 801 stage, possible expenses include:

• Updated health examinations: Home Affairs will tell you if further examinations are needed after the checks completed for your 820 visa.

• Police certificates: Allow for any new certificates needed to meet the permanent-stage character requirements.

• Document translations: Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by English translations.

• Migration assistance: If you engage a migration agent, check whether your existing service agreement includes the 801 stage and what any separate quote covers.

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These costs vary, so there is no single fixed total for every applicant. See the official Subclass 801 requirements for health, character and document requirements.

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If you are paying the initial combined 820/801 charge, also allow for a payment surcharge. Home Affairs currently lists 1.40% for Visa and Mastercard, including debit cards, and 1.01% for PayPal.

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For example, a single applicant paying the standard AUD11,710 charge by Visa or Mastercard would pay AUD11,873.94 including the surcharge, before other expenses. This example applies to the initial application payment.

Source: Home Affairs — payment surcharges.

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For other application categories and fee breakdowns, visit our Partner Visa Cost Guide.

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Fee information checked on 2 September 2026. Government charges can change; confirm the applicable amount before lodging.

Need help preparing for the permanent stage? Speak with RACC Australia about your Subclass 801 application and request a quote explaining the services included.

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How Long Does the Subclass 801 Partner Visa Take to Process?

For the Subclass 801 Partner visa, Home Affairs’ processing times guide shows 50% of applications processed within 5 months and 90% within 12 months, checked on 2 September 2026. These timeframes are measured from your eligibility date for the permanent stage—generally two years after you lodged your combined 820/801 application.

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If you already hold an 820 visa, you do not count another two years from the date it was granted. Reaching your eligibility date allows your permanent-stage application to be assessed; it does not mean your 801 visa is automatically approved.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Visa Processing Times Guide.

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When Does the Subclass 801 Processing Time Start?

Home Affairs states that permanent Partner visa processing time starts from the date of eligibility, normally two years after the original combined application.

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For example, if you lodged your 820/801 application on 10 September 2024, your usual eligibility date would be 10 September 2026, provided you meet the relevant requirements. A later 820 grant date does not restart that two-year period.

Some applicants may be granted the permanent visa earlier if they were already in a long-term partner relationship when they originally applied.

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Source: Home Affairs — Subclass 801 Partner Visa.

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Does This Mean My 801 Visa Will Be Granted Within 12 Months?

No. The published figures describe recently decided applications. They are not a guaranteed approval date or a maximum waiting period.

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The five-month figure is not a minimum wait, and some applications take longer than twelve months. The guide also does not predict the outcome of your application or how much longer your individual case will take.

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What Can Delay a Subclass 801 Application?

Processing can take longer when documents are missing, further information is needed, or checks take additional time. Complex circumstances and external health, character or security checks can also affect the timeframe.

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Provide complete, accurate supporting evidence and respond promptly to requests from Home Affairs. These steps can help avoid preventable delays, but they do not guarantee faster processing.

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Source: Home Affairs — Factors Affecting Processing Times.

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How Can I Check My Application’s Progress?

Use ImmiAccount to check your application status, supporting documents and any requests for information. Home Affairs will contact you when a decision is made.

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The Department advises against contacting it for routine progress updates while your application remains within standard processing times.

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Source: Home Affairs — Partner Visa FAQs.

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Processing figures checked on 2 September 2026. Times can change; check the official guide for the latest information.

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Do You Automatically Get the Subclass 801 After 2 Years?

No. Reaching the 2-year mark makes you eligible for assessment — it does not guarantee approval. The Department reassesses your relationship at this point, based on updated evidence, before granting permanent residency. Many applicants assume permanent residency is automatic once the waiting period passes, but a relationship that has broken down, or evidence that's inconsistent with your Subclass 820 application, can still result in refusal at this stage.

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When Do You Become Eligible for Subclass 801?

You must hold (or have held) a temporary Partner visa (Subclass 820), or a Dependent Child (Subclass 445) visa, to be eligible.

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In most cases, you become eligible for assessment 2 years after the date you applied for the combined Subclass 820 and 801 visas — not 2 years from when the 820 was granted.

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You may be granted the Subclass 801 in less than 2 years if you and your sponsor were in a long-term partner relationship at the time you applied for the 820 and 801 visas. If this may apply to you, our registered migration agents can assess whether you qualify for early assessment.

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What Does the Department Reassess for Subclass 801?

To be eligible, you must, in most cases, continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored your Subclass 820 visa. The Department checks that your relationship is still:

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• Genuine

• Continuing

• Consistent with the evidence you originally submitted, updated to reflect the last 2 years

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You must also continue to meet the health requirement, the character requirement, and have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government — for you and any family members applying with you.

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What Evidence Do You Need for the Subclass 801 Stage?

You'll need to submit updated relationship evidence, not simply resend what you provided for the Subclass 820. The Department is looking for continuity across the same four areas used throughout the partner visa program:

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• Financial — ongoing joint accounts, shared bills, or financial support between you and your partner

• Household — current living arrangements and shared domestic responsibilities

• Social — continued recognition of your relationship by family and friends, and evidence of shared social life

• Commitment — how your relationship and future plans have developed since your Subclass 820 application

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For the type of evidence the Department expects across the full partner visa program, see our partner visa requirements guide.

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What If Your Relationship Has Changed?

If your relationship ends, or your circumstances change significantly before the Subclass 801 is granted, you may still be eligible in some situations — including if you're experiencing family violence, or if you have a dependent child from the relationship. Each case is assessed individually under migration law. If this applies to you, seek registered migration advice as early as possible — see our partner visa relationship breakdown guide for your options.

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What Do You Get With the Subclass 801 Visa?

In addition to everything your Subclass 820 visa allowed, the Subclass 801 lets you:

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• Live, work, and study in Australia indefinitely

• Access Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme

• Sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia

• Travel to and from Australia as many times as you like for 5 years from the date of grant

• Attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible

• Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

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You become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. Once your initial 5-year travel facility ends, you'll need to apply for a Resident Return visa to keep re-entering Australia as a permanent resident — check your travel facility end date using VEVO.

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Path to Australian Citizenship

Once you hold the Subclass 801 visa, you can work toward Australian citizenship by conferral. The general residence requirement is at least 4 years of lawful residence in Australia immediately before you apply, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident — with limits on time spent outside Australia during that period. You'll also need to meet the character requirement and pass the citizenship test. Confirm your exact eligibility using the Department's Residence Calculator before applying.

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Can You Include Children in Your Subclass 801 Application?

Yes, but the process depends on timing:

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• You can include your dependent child in your application when you apply for the temporary Subclass 820 visa

• If your child doesn't hold a Subclass 820 visa, they must first apply for and be granted a Dependent Child (Subclass 445) visa, and be in Australia

• Once your child holds the Subclass 445 visa, you complete Form 1002 and attach it to your ImmiAccount before your Subclass 801 is decided

• You cannot add any family members after the Subclass 801 visa is granted — so any additions must happen before the decision

• If you have a baby after applying, you need to let the Department know

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The Dependent Child (Subclass 445) visa itself has a base government fee of AUD $4,040 (AUD $2,020 for an additional applicant aged 18 or over, AUD $1,015 for one under 18). If your child holds a Subclass 445 visa and is then included in a Partner visa application, the Partner visa charge for that child is nil.​​​

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Subclass 801 vs Subclass 100 — Which "Permanent Partner Visa" Do You Need?

Both are the permanent stage of Australia's partner visa program and grant the same rights. The difference is which temporary visa led you there:

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• Subclass 801 — the permanent stage for people who held the onshore Subclass 820 (you applied for both while in Australia)

• Subclass 100 — the permanent stage for people who held the offshore Subclass 309 (you applied for both while outside Australia)

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You don't choose between them directly — your permanent visa subclass follows from whichever temporary visa (820 or 309) you were granted first. See our Subclass 100 Partner (Migrant) visa guide if your pathway started offshore.

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Subclass 801 — Step by Step

1. Lodge the combined application — you apply for the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 together, in Australia, as one application with one fee

2. Hold the Subclass 820 — once granted, you can live, work, and study in Australia while your relationship continues

3. Reach your eligibility date — generally 2 years after your original lodgement date

4. Provide updated evidence — submit current relationship evidence covering the period since your Subclass 820 application; you don't need to wait for an invitation to do this

5. Receive a decision — if granted, you become a permanent resident from that day; if refused, the Department will tell you why and whether you have review rights

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Common Reasons Subclass 801 Applications Are Delayed or Refused

• Updated relationship evidence is weak, inconsistent, or contradicts what was submitted at the Subclass 820 stage

• Required documents or forms are missing or incomplete

• The relationship no longer meets the genuine and continuing requirement at the time of assessment

• Family members were added to the application after the process began, without following the correct Subclass 445/Form 1002 steps

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I automatically get the Subclass 801 after 2 years?

No. You must still meet all requirements, and the Department reassesses your relationship — based on updated evidence — before granting permanent residency.

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How long does the Subclass 801 visa take to process?

Processing starts from your eligibility date — 2 years after you lodged your combined Subclass 820/801 application. From that date, the Department processes 50% of Subclass 801 applications within 3 months, and 90% within 11 months.

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Do I need to pay again for the Subclass 801?

No. The cost is included in your original combined Subclass 820/801 application fee. You may still need to pay for updated health or police checks if requested.

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Can I get the Subclass 801 in less than 2 years?

Yes, in some cases — if you and your sponsor were in a long-term partner relationship when you applied for the Subclass 820 and 801 visas.

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What happens if my relationship changes before the Subclass 801 is granted?

Your eligibility depends on your situation. You may still qualify in some circumstances, including family violence or where a dependent child is involved — each case is assessed individually.

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Can I include my children in my Subclass 801 application?

Yes. Children already included in your Subclass 820 application can proceed with you. A child who doesn't hold a Subclass 820 visa must first be granted a Dependent Child (Subclass 445) visa before being added via Form 1002 — and this must happen before your Subclass 801 is decided.

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Does the Subclass 801 visa lead to Australian citizenship?

It can. Once you hold the Subclass 801, you can work toward citizenship by conferral once you meet the general residence requirement — at least 4 years of lawful residence, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident.

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Can I travel outside Australia on a Subclass 801 visa?

Yes. You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you like for 5 years from your grant date. After that, you'll need a Resident Return visa to keep re-entering Australia as a permanent resident.