How Subclass 801 Works
The Subclass 801 Partner Visa is not lodged as a standalone application. It is applied for together with the Subclass 820 Temporary Partner Visa as part of one combined submission, and it is only assessed once you have already been granted the Subclass 820 stage and the Department of Home Affairs determines you have met the prescribed waiting period. This structure exists specifically for applicants who are already in a relationship with an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and who have been living out that relationship in Australia under the temporary visa while their permanent case matures. The outcome of a successful Subclass 801 grant is permanent residency itself, not a further temporary extension, which is what separates this stage from every earlier point in the partner visa pathway.
Case officers look at the length and history of the relationship, how finances and major commitments are shared, whether the couple lives together, how the relationship is recognised by family and friends, and whether the couple continues to plan a shared future. A grant of the Subclass 801 visa also opens a pathway toward Australian citizenship further down the track, provided the standard citizenship eligibility requirements are separately met at that time.
Eligibility Criteria
The Subclass 801 pathway only opens once you have lodged, or already hold, the Subclass 820 Temporary Partner Visa as part of a combined application.
Your relationship with your partner must continue to be genuine, with evidence of its history, shared commitments, and future plans still holding up years later.
Your partner must still be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen at the time your case is assessed.
The Permanent Stage Journey
Your Subclass 801 outcome is built on the foundation laid at the Subclass 820 stage, so the accuracy and depth of that original combined application matters well beyond its initial approval. We review how your relationship history, sponsor details, and early evidence were originally presented, so that nothing in your permanent stage case contradicts or falls short of what was already established.
Once the required period on your Subclass 820 visa has passed, the Department of Home Affairs assesses whether you continue to meet the requirements for permanent residency. This is not a formality; a case officer actively reviews whether your relationship has remained genuine and ongoing, rather than treating the original 820 grant as sufficient on its own. We monitor your file during this period and prepare you for what the Department is likely to ask for next.
Because so much time has usually passed since your original application, you generally need to provide fresh, current evidence rather than relying solely on what was submitted for the Subclass 820 stage. We help you assemble this evidence across the categories the Department expects to see, so your case reads as a continuous, well-documented relationship rather than a series of disconnected snapshots.
Once your Subclass 801 visa is approved, you hold permanent residency in Australia, and a number of practical rights and opportunities open up as a result. We make sure you understand exactly what changes for you once the grant is confirmed, so you can plan the next stage of your life in Australia with clarity.
Tailored Case Review
Before your Subclass 801 assessment period arrives, it is worth knowing whether your current evidence would actually satisfy a case officer today, not just whether it satisfied one at the Subclass 820 stage. We can review your file against what the Department will be looking for now, flag any gaps early, and advise on the right time to start pulling updated evidence together.
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Next Step
Reaching the Subclass 801 stage is a significant point in your migration journey, and getting the evidence and timing right matters as much now as it did at your first application.
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