Every page is written from Australian government sources, carries a date, and answers one question rather than trying to cover the whole visa at once.
What this guide is not
It is not a law firm. It is not a migration practice. It does not hold any professional registration or practising certificate. No immigration assistance is given through this site, and nothing published here is legal advice or advice about anyone's own situation.
That distinction matters legally, not just as a formality. Preparing your application, advising you on it or dealing with the Department on your behalf is immigration assistance under s 276 of the Migration Act 1958, and an unregistered agent who gives it breaks s 280. This guide does none of those things. It explains how the rules work; what an Australian migration lawyer does for you is set out in full on working with a migration lawyer.
There are no named experts here, no invented history, no testimonials, no case studies and no statistics that are not taken from a government source. If a figure is not published by the Department or another Australian government body, this guide tells you how to look it up yourself rather than guessing at it.
Where the facts come from
The primary source for the visa itself is the Department of Home Affairs, whose pages for the subclass 820 partner visa and the subclass 801 permanent visa set out the cost, the eligibility criteria and the steps. Behind that sit the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, which contain the actual legal tests — the definitions of spouse and de facto partner, the Schedule 2 criteria for each subclass, Schedule 3, and the visa conditions. Where a page turns on a legal test rather than a summary, the legislation is the source. Other Australian government bodies are used where they own the subject: the Administrative Review Tribunal for review, Services Australia for payments and Medicare, the Attorney-General's Department for statutory declarations.
Outbound links go only to Australian government and education sources. There are no links to firms, directories, news sites or forums anywhere on this site. The full method — how pages are checked, how moving figures such as the visa application charge are dated, and how proposals are labelled — is on how this guide is researched.
How the guide is funded
The guide is free to read and carries no advertising. It is funded by connecting readers who ask for it with people who can actually advise them: if you send a message through the enquiry form and ask to be put in touch with an Australian migration lawyer, that referral may generate a fee for the guide.
Two things follow, and they are worth stating plainly. Your message is not passed to anyone unless you ask for that. And the guide's editorial position — that you are more likely to succeed if an Australian migration lawyer prepares a difficult application, and that a straightforward case can reasonably be lodged by the couple themselves — is applied the same way on every page, including the pages that say you probably do not need to pay anyone. How the enquiry form is handled, and what happens to the information in it, is set out in the privacy policy.
How the site is organised
The guide is a map of one visa rather than a blog. It runs in the order people meet the problem:
- Requirements — the relationship tests, the sponsor, onshore presence, Schedule 3, condition 8503, the section 48 bar, health, character and age.
- Evidence — the four matters the Department weighs, the relationship statement, statutory declarations, and what to do when you have lived apart.
- Applying — the 820 visa cost, lodgement in ImmiAccount, the sponsor's part, and applying yourself or using a migration lawyer.
- After lodgement — processing times, bridging visas, requests for information, interviews, and what you can do on the visa once it is granted.
- When things change — relationship breakdown, family violence, the death of a sponsor, refusal, review and cancellation.
- The permanent stage — when the 801 is assessed, what it needs, and the road to citizenship.
Around that sit comparison pages, a sponsor's guide, country notes, the law section and a partner visa glossary. If you would rather describe your situation in your own words than browse, use ask about your situation.
Corrections
If something on this site is wrong, out of date or unclear, say so through the contact form. Name the page, quote the sentence, and point to the government page or provision that gives the correct position. Factual corrections are made as a priority and the page's review date is updated when the change goes live.
Common questions
Is 820visa.com.au a law firm or a migration agency?
No. It is an information guide. It is not a law firm and not a migration practice, and no immigration assistance or legal advice is given through this site. Nothing published here is advice about anyone's own case. If you want advice or representation on your own case, get it from an Australian migration lawyer.
Who writes this guide?
The pages are written and maintained by the people who run 820visa.com.au, working from the Department of Home Affairs' own published pages, the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994. The guide does not claim any professional registration, qualification or title, and it does not publish invented biographies, awards or client numbers. What it does claim is a method, which is set out on the editorial standards page.
Is the information free?
Yes. Every page is free to read, there is no account to create and there is no paywall. The enquiry form is also free to use. If you ask to be put in touch with an immigration lawyer, that lawyer sets their own fees and you agree those directly with them in writing.
How do I get something corrected?
Use the contact form and say which page, which sentence and what the correct position is, with a link to the government page or the legislation that supports it. Corrections to facts that are wrong or out of date are made as a priority, and the page's review date is updated when the change is published.
Sources
Keep reading
Subclass 820 Partner Visa: Complete Guide
What the subclass 820 partner visa is, who can apply, what it costs, what evidence Home Affairs wants, and how the permanent 801 follows it.
Read the guide →
Ask About Your Partner Visa Situation
Jev search page. Describe a situation, get the pages that answer it.
Read the guide →
Working With a Migration Lawyer on a Partner Visa
Who may lawfully give immigration assistance in Australia, what a migration lawyer does on a partner visa, and how to check a lawyer before you pay.
Read the guide →