Spouse Visa Australia Checklist: Special Requirements to Prepare

Please note that the information we provide in this article about the spouse visa Australia checklist is current as of the date of publication, and the DHA regularly updates rules and regulations. Kindly ensure that you check the official updates before making any decisions, or speak with an immigration lawyer for the most up-to-date information, as laws and conditions are subject to change.

Having a spouse visa Australia checklist can be a lifesaver. In this article, we will lay down the additional documents that you must prepare when applying for a partner visa in Australia. These additional documents are those that are not generally required if you’re applying for this visa. 

In the later part of this article, we will share a list of these documents so that when you start applying for a partner visa, you can create your own requirements list ahead. These additional documents are important because the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) may base their decision on these requirements. 

Spouse Visa Australia Checklist: General Requirements

The Partner visa allows a spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen to avail of certain privileges in the country. There are four types of subclasses for this visa:

1. Partner visa (temporary) – subclass 820
2. Partner visa (permanent) – subclass 801
3. Partner visa (provisional) – subclass 309
4. Partner visa (migrant) – subclass 100

Generally, the DHA will ask you to submit the following list of requirements:

1. Sponsorship requirement – your Australian partner or spouse must sponsor you
2. Age requirement – 18 years or older
3. Relationship requirement – Australian citizen or permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
4. Health examinations
5. Character requirement – Australian police certificate
6. No debt to the Australian government
7. Execute the Australian values statement
8. Best interests of the child requirement
9. Visa application online submission

There are other requirements for visas like the following personal documents:

• Passport
• Biodata
• Birth certificates
• Driver’s licence
• Employment records
• School records
• Bank statements

CHECKLIST: To know more about the general requirements, here’s a Partner visa checklist.

Spouse Visa Australia Checklist: Additional Requirements

To reiterate, the documents under this spouse visa Australia checklist are special requirements. The DHA may require a visa applicant to submit these if their circumstances are special and needs supporting documents. They will just advise the applicant whether they should submit these documents. However, if they did not receive any advise, contact a migration lawyer immediately for a consultation.

Here’s a spouse visa Australia checklist of additional requirements that the DHA may request:

1. Relationship documents
2. For married applicants:

• Proof of marriage 
• Genuine and stable relationship evidence (a statutory declaration from friends or relatives about your de facto relationship)
• Circumstances of marriage
• Other relevant documents that will prove that:

1. Firstly, you have a mutual and exclusive commitment with your spouse.
2. Secondly, you live together or don’t live permanently apart.
3. Lastly, you are not related by family.

2. For de facto partners:

• Relationship registration
• Proof of 12-month relationship
• Sufficient evidence that you’ve been living together
• Sufficient evidence of relationship such as:

• Joint bank accounts, leases, or mortgage agreements
• Shared utility bills, phone contracts, or insurance policies
• Photos together in various settings and over time
• Correspondence (emails, letters, messages)
• Travel itineraries and booking confirmations
• Social media profiles (if applicable)
• Witness statements from friends and family

2. Character Documents

• Police certificates from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more in, in the last 10 years since you turned 16;
• Military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country.
• Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment)

Spouse Visa Australia Checklist: Changes in Situation And  Including Family Members Requirements

Here are additional items that you can add in your spouse visa Australia checklist: 

Changes in Situation

The DHA requires you to inform them if there are changes in your situation, such as divorce, birth of a child, or marriage. This is important because this will determine whether they will grant or reject the visa. Report the following changes to the DHA immediately:

• Changes to your contact details, address or passport
• Changes to your marital or de facto status
• The birth of a child
• Any other changes relevant to your application
• A request to withdraw your application.
• If your relationship has ended, kindly answer this form.

Usually, you must upload these documents through the ImmiAccount. However, if you do not have access to ImmiAccount, you can notify the DHA using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.

Other Forms

You may also have to submit the following forms under the spouse visa Australia visa checklist:

1. Receive your correspondence – complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient.
2. Provide immigration advice – complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).Including Family Members

If you’re planning to include your family members in your partner visa application, you must have the following:

1. Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) – for your child

• Once your child holds a subclass 445 visa, complete and attach to your ImmiAccount this form: Form 1002 – Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa.
• After you have attached the form to your ImmiAccount, inform the DHA through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
• Birth certificates
• Education certificates

2. If you have a dependent child who does not hold a subclass 309 visa, add them to your permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) application before the DHA can make a decision on your permanent visa application.
3. If you have a newborn child after your submission of your application, inform the DHA immediately through the Enquiry Form.

Consult a Migration Lawyer

If you encounter issues when submitting your requirements to the DHA, the best step to resolve this is to seek legal advice from JB Solicitors’ migration lawyers. Migration law experts can explain the necessity of these requirements and its implications if you fail to submit these. 

We can also help you with the following:

• Assessing your eligibility for a valid partner visa application;
• Compiling additional requirements or evidence;
• Understanding partner visa options;
• Assisting with partner visas and other visa applications; and
• Appealing visa refusals with the Adminstrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).

Would you like to know more about the partner visa checklist? Submit an enquiry today and schedule a consultation with one of our migration lawyers.