The 820 Checklist: 10 essentials you did not know you needed

Feb 25
5 min read

Updated: Mar 3

Applying for the Subclass 820 Partner visa (Temporary) is an exciting yet demanding step for couples aiming to build a shared life in Australia. While many assume a marriage certificate and a few romantic photos will suffice, the Department of Home Affairs requires robust, multi-layered evidence to confirm your relationship is genuine, continuing, and meets the strict criteria under the four key pillars: financial aspects, nature of the household, social recognition, and mutual commitment.

What is Subclass 820?

The Australian Government’s Visa subclass 820 is a temporary visa that enables de facto partners or spouses of Australian nationals, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to reside in, work and study in Australia. You must be onshore when applying for this visa, and if you are qualified, you can travel to Australia to be with your partner while working there. But to obtain this visa, a mere marriage certificate and some adorable pictures of you and your partner are not enough. The Australian Department of Home Affairs looks for four essential “pillars”. While people remember joint bank accounts, many forget the subtle documents that actually prove a shared life between you and your partner. Amongst the various documents required as evidence for the 4 pillars (Social, Financial, Household, and Commitment), the following checklist lists 10 essential paperwork items.

The “Chore” statement (Household aspect)

There must be substantial proof that you and your partner are “in it” together in the division of household tasks. This element includes involvement of both in the division of tasks such as grocery budgeting, tech setups, meal planning, garden maintenance, doing the laundry and so on. The credibility of the task division is further substantiated by written statements (signed by both) detailing the division of household duties.

Superannuation beneficiary nominations

Nominating your partner as a 100% “binding beneficiary” in your superannuation affirms that you desire to have a “long-term” relationship with such a person. It not only shows your desire for a relationship but also a perpetual commitment that the Department of Home Affairs looks for.

The Third-Party Mail

Documents that can further establish your intention for a sustained relationship could also be official mail addressed to both of you from either a utility provider, Bank or even a government body. A few examples of such documents may include a letter from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), a joint Flybus ticket statement, a Vet Bill and so on.

Relationship Registration Certificate

If you and your partner are planning to apply as a de facto couple but have not completed the living- together duration of 12-months, the Department expects a Relationship Registration Certificate from you. In order to acquire this, you must register your relationship with your State’s Births, Deaths, and Marriages. After obtaining the certificate, the 12-month living requirement is waived.

Travel itineraries with “shared seat” selection

Whenever you and your partner travel together, it is essential to be mindful that you sit beside one another. In addition to your tickets, the Department might also seek flight confirmations, boarding passes or a booking screen that shows you selected seats next to each other. This can be substantial proof that you and your partner are not “just friends” or “strangers” travelling together.

History of “Money Transfers (The paper trail)

While the financial aspect carries considerable weight in deciding whether or not to grant you an 820 Visa, not every couple has a joint bank account. In that case, your individual bank statements might also be credible in situations where there is enough evidence of shared rent bills, grocery bills and receipts from date nights. In any case, there must be proof that you and your partner are financially there for each other.

Joint invitations to major life events (Social Pillar)

Relationship, in most cases, is also a union of friends and family of both partners. In order to ascertain that you and your partner have a long-term connection, invitations by peers and family members to major events like weddings and birthday parties are essential. If you are looking to establish a social element for your visa subclass 820, it is best if you keep a physical or digital copy of such invitations.

Digital communication logs (The “Gap” Proof)

In case you and your partner have spent any time apart from one another, there must be satisfactory evidence that you have stayed in touch with one another. In order to justify this, a large array of unnecessary texts is not what the Department asks for. Instead, you may provide a call log screenshot showing the frequency of calls and a few meaningful text screenshots that show your commitment to one another.

Statements from non-Australian citizens

In contrast to the traditional practice of Form 888 that allowed only Australian citizens to fill this form, the Department now accepts statements from anybody who is a witness to your long and ongoing relationship. Form 888 is a statutory declaration used in Australian Partner or Prospective Marriage visa applications to prove a relationship is genuine. You can request the applicant’s parents outside Australia or even friends abroad to testify in a written form and attach a copy of their ID.

Evidence of Deep knowledge:

In your Personal Relationship Statement, you may indicate the knowledge of your partner’s personal circumstances. Here, you may mention your partner’s family history, their health struggles or their career goals. It is always very smart to show that you know the “boring” details of their life. This often proves a level of intimacy between you and your partner.

While the Australian Visa subclass 820 is a remarkable pathway to obtain a more stable life with your partner in Australia, you must always be mindful of what documents you have to submit to the Department of Home Affairs.

Final Thoughts

Securing a Subclass 820 Partner visa is more than just submitting paperwork it's about convincingly demonstrating that your relationship is genuine, continuing, and committed through the four essential pillars: financial aspects, nature of the household, social recognition, and commitment to each other. The 10 essential documents outlined in this post ranging from chore division statements and superannuation beneficiary nominations to third-party mail, shared travel itineraries, money transfer histories, joint event invitations, communication logs, inclusive Form 888 statutory declarations, and personal knowledge details represent some of the most compelling and often overlooked evidence that can strengthen your application.