Subclass 820 Partner Visa — Quick Answer

• What it is: The temporary, first-stage visa in Australia's onshore partner visa pathway

• Who it's for: The married or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, who is currently in Australia

• Where you apply: You must be in Australia when you lodge — family members applying with you must be too

• Cost: AUD $11,710 for the main applicant (covers both the Subclass 820 and 801 stages), reduced to AUD $1,955 if you hold a Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa

• Processing time: 50% of applications decided within 20 months, 90% within 25 months of your application date

• What you can do on it: Live, work, and study in Australia, travel freely, and access Medicare if eligible

• What's next: Leads to the permanent Subclass 801 partner visa, generally assessed 2 years after you apply

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What Is the Subclass 820 Partner Visa?

The Subclass 820 visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step toward the permanent Partner visa (Subclass 801).

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You don't apply for the Subclass 820 on its own — you apply for it and the Subclass 801 together, as one combined application, though the Department assesses and grants each stage separately. For the full pathway from lodgement to permanent residency, see our complete partner visa Australia guide.

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Subclass 820 vs Subclass 309 — Which One Do You Need?

Both are temporary partner visas, but where you are when you apply decides which one applies to you:

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• Subclass 820 (onshore): You must be in Australia when you lodge your application

• Subclass 309 (offshore): You must be outside Australia when you lodge your application

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If you're outside Australia, see our Subclass 309 Partner (Provisional) visa guide instead.

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Subclass 820 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, according to the Department of Home Affairs, you must meet all of the following:

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Immigration history

• You must not have had a visa cancelled or an application refused while in certain circumstances. If you don't hold a substantive visa and have had a cancellation or refusal in your history, you may still apply in limited situations, but additional criteria apply

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Location and status

• You must be in Australia when you apply — any family members applying with you must be too

• Your current or previous visa must not carry a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503. A waiver can be requested in some circumstances, but it must be approved before you lodge your Subclass 820 application

• If you hold certain regional visas (such as Subclass 491, 494, or their predecessors), you may need to have held that visa for 2 or 3 years before you're eligible to apply

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Sponsorship

• You and anyone applying with you must have an approved sponsor, both when you lodge and while you hold this visa

• Your sponsor is usually your partner, and must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen

• You cannot change your sponsor — the person who sponsors your Subclass 820 application must be the same person who sponsors you for 2 years after the visa is granted

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Sponsorship approval also depends on the sponsor's character and prior-sponsorship history, including lifetime sponsorship limits. See our partner visa sponsor character requirements guide for the full breakdown.

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Age

• Married applicants must, in most cases, be 18 or older when they apply

• Applicants in de facto relationships must be 18 or older when they apply

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Visa status at lodgement

• If you don't hold a substantive visa and didn't previously hold a Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa, you must show compelling reasons exist for the visa to be granted

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Relationship

• In most cases, you must be the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen

• This must be true both when you apply and while your application is being decided

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Health, character, and other requirements

• You, and any family members applying with you, must meet the health requirement

• You and any family members applying with you must meet the character requirement

• You must have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government, or have arranged to pay it back

• You and any family members 18 or older must sign the Australian Values Statement, after reading (or having explained to you) the Life in Australia booklet

• The Department won't grant this visa if doing so isn't in the best interests of an applicant under 18

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For the type of evidence the Department expects to support your relationship, see our partner visa requirements guide.

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Relationship Requirement — Married or De Facto

You can apply as either:

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• A married partner — your marriage must be legally recognised under Australian law

• A de facto partner — usually, you must have lived together for at least 12 months immediately before applying. This doesn't apply if your relationship is registered with an Australian state or territory authority (such as a registry of births, deaths and marriages), or if your partner holds or held a permanent humanitarian visa and you told the Department about your relationship before that visa was granted

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Forced marriage is a crime in Australia. If you or someone you know is at risk, support is available — see our partner visa relationship breakdown guide if your circumstances have changed.

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If you hold or held a Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa: you may still be eligible for the Subclass 820 and 801 even if your relationship ends or your partner dies before you apply. If you're experiencing domestic or family violence, you may still be eligible for both the temporary and permanent stages under the Family Violence Provisions.

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What Evidence Do You Need for Subclass 820?

The Department assesses your relationship across four areas — you need evidence in all of them, not just the strongest ones:

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• Financial — joint bank accounts, shared bills, joint loans or assets

• Household — shared living arrangements, joint leases or property documents, who handles day-to-day responsibilities

• Social — recognition of your relationship by friends and family, statutory declarations, joint social activities

• Commitment — your knowledge of each other's lives, future plans together, ongoing communication if you've spent time apart

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For a full breakdown of what counts as strong evidence in each category, see our partner visa requirements guide and document checklist guide.

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Can You Include Children in Your Subclass 820 Application?

Yes. You can include a dependent child either when you lodge your application, or afterwards — as long as it's before the Department decides your temporary visa. Family members applying with you must meet the health and character requirements, and must be in Australia. Family members not travelling to Australia with you might still need to meet these requirements. If you have a baby after you apply, you need to let the Department know.

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If you hold or held a Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa, you can also include family unit members who held that Subclass 300 visa at the time you apply for the Subclass 820 — but you cannot add these family members after you submit your Subclass 820 application.

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What Can You Do on a Subclass 820 Visa?

With this visa, you can:

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• Live, work, and study in Australia

• Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want

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

• Apply for access to Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme

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You can stay in Australia until your permanent Partner visa (Subclass 801) application is finalised, or until you withdraw your application.

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Health Insurance While You Wait

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to access Medicare while your application is being decided. If you're not eligible, the Department recommends private health insurance, since you'll be personally liable for healthcare costs otherwise. Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia — check with Services Australia if this applies to you.

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How Much Does the Subclass 820 Visa Cost?

Costs differ depending on your circumstances. The figures below cover both the Subclass 820 and the Subclass 801:

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• Most applicants: AUD $11,710 for the main applicant, AUD $5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over, AUD $2,935 for each additional applicant under 18

• Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa holders: generally AUD $1,955 for the main applicant, AUD $980 for each additional applicant 18 or over, AUD $485 for each additional applicant under 18

• Former Subclass 300 holders whose visa expired before they applied: generally AUD $2,475 for the main applicant (if they entered Australia on the Subclass 300 and don't hold a substantive visa), AUD $1,235 for each additional applicant 18 or over, AUD $625 for each additional applicant under 18

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You may also need to pay separately for health checks, police certificates, and biometrics. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the exact cost for your situation. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost also applies to eligible applicants holding a valid passport from 13 specified Pacific Island nations or Timor-Leste. For the full fee schedule across every partner visa pathway, see our partner visa cost guide.

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How Long Does the Subclass 820 Visa Take to Process?

Per the Department's official processing times guide, from your application date:

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• 50% of Subclass 820 applications are processed within 20 months

• 90% are processed within 25 months

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This is the wait for the temporary Subclass 820 decision itself — it runs alongside, not in addition to, the roughly 2-year eligibility window for the permanent Subclass 801 stage that follows. Processing time depends on the completeness of your application, the strength of your relationship evidence, and health and character checks.

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These figures are current as of the Department's processing times guide (last updated 26 June 2026) and change over time — check the official visa processing times guide tool for the latest estimate. For general guidance across the whole partner visa pathway, see our partner visa processing time guide.

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Subclass 820 — Step by Step

1. Check your eligibility — confirm your relationship, sponsor, and visa status meet the requirements before you lodge

2. Gather your documents — relationship evidence across all four areas, identity documents, and health and character checks. Police certificates are valid for immigration purposes for 12 months from issue

3. Apply online while in Australia — lodge the combined Subclass 820/801 application through ImmiAccount; your sponsor lodges their sponsorship application separately, as soon as possible after you apply

4. Receive a bridging visa — if you apply while holding a substantive visa, you're generally granted a Bridging Visa A, allowing you to stay in Australia lawfully after your current visa expires while your application is processed

5. Visa outcome for the temporary stage — if granted, you receive the Subclass 820 and can stay in Australia while your permanent Subclass 801 application is assessed

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What Happens After You Get the Subclass 820 Visa?

You remain on the Subclass 820 while the Department assesses your permanent Subclass 801 application. In most cases, you become eligible for that assessment around 2 years after you originally applied — sooner if you and your sponsor were in a long-term relationship when you applied. At that stage, the Department reassesses your relationship using updated evidence before granting permanent residency. See our full Subclass 801 permanent partner visa guide for what happens next.

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Common Reasons Subclass 820 Applications Are Delayed or Refused

• Relationship evidence is weak, inconsistent, or missing from one of the four evidence areas

• The sponsor isn't approved due to character or prior-sponsorship issues

• The applicant doesn't hold a substantive visa and can't show compelling reasons

• Required documents or forms are incomplete at lodgement

• A "no further stay" condition applies and no waiver was obtained before applying

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I apply for the Subclass 820 separately from the Subclass 801?

No. You apply for both together as one combined application, for one government fee. The Department assesses and grants each stage separately.

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How long does the Subclass 820 visa take to process?

Per the Department's processing times guide, 50% of Subclass 820 applications are processed within 20 months of the application date, and 90% within 25 months.

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Can I work on a Subclass 820 visa?

Yes. The visa gives you full work and study rights in Australia.

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Do I have to be married to apply for a Subclass 820 visa?

No. You can apply as a de facto partner if you've lived together for at least 12 months, unless an exemption applies — such as having your relationship registered with an Australian state or territory authority.

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Can I apply for the Subclass 820 visa if I'm outside Australia?

No. You must be in Australia when you lodge. If you're outside Australia, the equivalent pathway is the Subclass 309 Partner (Provisional) visa.

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Can I include my children in my Subclass 820 application?

Yes. A dependent child can be included when you lodge, or afterwards, as long as it's before the Department decides your application.

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What happens if my current visa has a "no further stay" condition?

You generally can't apply for the Subclass 820 unless you get a waiver of that condition — such as condition 8503 — approved before you lodge your application.

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Does the Subclass 820 visa lead to permanent residency?

Yes. It leads to the Subclass 801 permanent partner visa, generally assessed around 2 years after you apply, provided your relationship remains genuine and ongoing.