For a subclass 820 application the fee is usually quoted as a fixed amount for the whole job rather than an hourly rate, and it should be set out in a written agreement before work begins. This page explains what that fee buys, what it never includes, and how to check the lawyer quoting it is entitled to do the work.
Why no one publishes a single figure
Because partner applications are not the same size. A married couple who have lived together for six years, share a mortgage and have never had a visa problem are a different job from a couple who have lived apart for work, whose evidence is mostly in another language, and where one of them is out of status and has to argue Schedule 3. Fees also rise with the number of applicants and with a long residence history. A responsible quote comes after someone has looked at your circumstances, not before.
What you can rely on is the shape of the arrangement: the fee should be disclosed and agreed in writing at the start, and you can ask for an itemised account of what you are paying for. If someone will not put a price in writing before starting, stop there.
What a partner visa fee normally covers
A fixed fee usually covers the work from first assessment to decision:
- Assessing eligibility before anything is lodged — whether you meet the definition of spouse or de facto partner, whether you can validly apply onshore, whether condition 8503 or the section 48 bar affects you, and whether your sponsor can sponsor.
- Working out the evidence strategy — which of the four areas the Department looks at is strong in your case, which is thin, and what can realistically fix the gap.
- Preparing and organising the evidence, including what to leave out, and drafting the relationship statements so they address what the Department must be satisfied about.
- Preparing and lodging the application in ImmiAccount, and making sure the sponsor's separate sponsorship application is lodged as well.
- Acting as your authorised recipient afterwards, and responding to requests for more information or a natural justice letter within the time allowed.
- Keeping the file current during the wait, and preparing the permanent stage when the eligibility date arrives, if the agreement says so. Check that before you sign: agreements differ on whether the 801 stage is inside the fixed fee.
What the fee does not cover
Professional fees are separate from every amount paid to anyone else, and the invoice should separate the two.
| Paid to the lawyer | Paid by you to someone else |
|---|---|
| The agreed fee for immigration assistance | The visa application charge to the Department |
| Any agreed fee for later stages or review work | Health examinations at a panel clinic |
| Police certificates from each country | |
| Translations and certified copies | |
| Courier, postage and document retrieval costs |
Those third-party amounts are explained on 820 visa cost and the other costs of applying. If a quote looks unusually low, check what it excludes.
Watch out
A fee agreement silent on what happens after lodgement is the one that causes arguments. Ask specifically: does the fee cover replying to a request for more information, does it cover the 801 stage, and what happens to the fee if the relationship ends or you withdraw.
What a lawyer's fee also buys
Preparing and lodging a visa application for someone is immigration assistance under s 276 of the Migration Act 1958, and an Australian migration lawyer can do all of it, from the first assessment to the decision. The Department publishes guidance on using a legal practitioner.
Three things come with a lawyer that matter if the case gets hard:
- Scope of work. A lawyer prepares visa applications, can act for you before the Administrative Review Tribunal, and can also act in a court if a tribunal decision has to be challenged on a question of law. If your matter might end up in court, the file does not have to change hands at the worst moment.
- Privilege. Communications with a lawyer for the purpose of legal advice attract legal professional privilege. Where there is a previous refusal or a character issue, that is not academic.
- Regulation. Lawyers are regulated by their state or territory legal regulator, which gives you somewhere to complain.
On cost, compare like for like: what is included, who does the work, and what happens if there is a refusal.
How to check a lawyer before you pay
Do this before you pay anything.
- Check the practising certificate with the legal admission or regulatory body in the state or territory where the lawyer practises. Check it yourself rather than accepting a screenshot.
- Get the agreement in writing before work starts: the fee, what it covers, what it excludes and how money held on your behalf is handled.
- Expect to sign a Form 956, the form that appoints your lawyer (or another authorised adviser). If no one asks you to sign one, no one has been formally appointed.
Unregistered agents
An unregistered agent who gives immigration assistance is acting illegally (Migration Act 1958 s 280). They carry no professional indemnity insurance, so if their mistake costs you a refusal, your fees or your pathway, there is no insurer to claim against. A practising Australian lawyer must hold that insurance.
Why the fee is usually smaller than the alternative
A partner application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed, for specific reasons. Partner refusals cluster around a few avoidable failures: evidence that documents a friendship rather than a partnership, a sponsorship application that is never lodged, an application made while a no further stay condition was in force, an applicant without a substantive visa who does not address Schedule 3, and a request for more information answered late or not at all. Someone who prepares these applications regularly recognises each of those before lodgement, when they can still be fixed.
Now compare the costs. As at 23 September 2026 the Department shows a charge of from A$11,710 for most applicants, and says plainly that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses the application. A refusal therefore costs the charge already paid, plus either a new charge for a fresh application or a fee to apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal, plus the months or years that pass while that runs. Set against that, a one-off fee to get the application right the first time is usually the smaller number, and it is the only one of these costs you can choose in advance.
None of this is a guarantee. No one can promise a grant, and anyone who does is saying something they are not entitled to say. The honest claim is narrower: a well-prepared application is decided on the merits of your relationship rather than on a gap in the paperwork.
Next: if you are weighing up whether to engage anyone at all, read applying yourself or using a migration lawyer. Either way, read decision-ready applications and 820 visa document checklist.
Common questions
How much does a migration lawyer charge for an 820 partner visa?
There is no set fee. Migration lawyers are private providers who set their own prices, and what they charge depends on how complex the application is, how many applicants are included and how much work the evidence needs. Most quote a fixed price for a partner visa rather than charging by the hour, and the price should be set out in a written agreement before work starts. Ask two or three for a written quote and compare what is included.
Does the lawyer's fee include the visa application charge?
No. The visa application charge is paid to the Department of Home Affairs and is separate from any professional fee. Health examinations, police certificates, translations and certified copies are also paid to the providers who supply them. A written agreement should say clearly which amounts are the lawyer's fee and which are third-party costs you pay yourself.
What does a lawyer offer if something goes wrong?
A lawyer can act for you at the Administrative Review Tribunal and also in a court if a tribunal decision has to be challenged on a question of law, and legal professional privilege applies to their legal advice. Where there is a refusal history, a character issue or a possible judicial review, that matters.
How do I check a lawyer before I pay?
Check the practising certificate with the legal admission or regulatory body in the state or territory where they practise. Do it yourself rather than accepting a screenshot, and do it before you sign anything or pay a deposit.
Is it worth paying for help with a partner visa?
That depends on your circumstances, but the arithmetic is worth doing. The visa application charge is not refunded if the application is refused, so a refusal usually means paying a new charge for a fresh application or paying to apply for review, on top of months or years of extra waiting. Where an application involves Schedule 3, a section 48 bar, condition 8503, a previous refusal or thin relationship evidence, preparation by a migration lawyer makes a grant more likely.
Sources
Keep reading
Additional Applicant Charges for Dependent Children
What it costs to include a child in an 820 partner visa application: the additional applicant charge, the different rate for under-18s, and adding a child later.
Read the guide →
The Hidden Costs: Medicals, Police Checks and Translations
The 820 partner visa costs that are not the visa application charge: medicals, police certificates, translations, certificates, registration and travel.
Read the guide →
Paying and Refunding the 820 Visa Application Charge
How the 820 visa application charge is paid in ImmiAccount, the surcharge on some payment methods, and the narrow grounds for a refund under regulation 2.12F.
Read the guide →