Eligibility Quiz
Documents Required
Identity Documents
You must provide:
- Birth certificate showing the names of both parents
- Current passport (pages showing photo, personal details, issue and expiry dates)
- National identity card (if applicable)
- Proof of change of name (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or change of name documents from a registry of births, deaths and marriages)
If you cannot provide a birth certificate, alternatives include a family book, government-issued identification document, court-issued identity document, or family census register.
Relationship Evidence
The Department assesses relationships across four key pillars of evidence:
1. Financial Evidence
- Joint mortgage or lease documents
- Joint loan documents for major assets (homes, cars, appliances)
- Joint bank account statements
- Household bills in both names
- Joint superannuation nominations
2. Household Evidence
- Statement about how housework is shared
- Household bills in both names
- Mail or emails addressed to both parties
- Documents showing joint responsibility for children
- Documents proving living arrangements
3. Social Evidence
- Minimum of two statutory declarations or Form 888 statements from witnesses who are 18 years or older, know both you and your partner, and know about your relationship
- Joint invitations or evidence of going out together
- Proof of shared friends
- Proof of telling government, public, or commercial bodies about the relationship
- Proof of joint sporting, cultural, or social activities
- Proof of travel together
4. Commitment Evidence
- Knowledge of each other's background, family situation, or personal details
- Combined personal matters
- Staying in touch when apart
- Proof of not being related by family
- Terms of wills
Relationship History Statement
You must provide a written account of:
- How, when, and where you first met
- How the relationship developed
- When you moved in together, got engaged, or married
- What you do together
- Time spent apart
- Significant events in the relationship
- Plans for the future
Marriage or De Facto Documentation
- Marriage certificate (if married)
- Evidence of de facto relationship (if applicable)
- Evidence of 12+ months cohabitation (if de facto)
Former Relationships
- Divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents, or statutory declarations for any previous marriages, widowhoods, divorces, or permanent separations
Dependent Children
For each dependent child under 18 applying with you:
- Identity documents
- Evidence of relationship (birth or marriage certificate)
- Health examinations
- Character documents (if 16 or 17 years old)
- Adoption papers or parental court orders (if applicable)
- School, college, or university enrolment evidence (if applicable)
- Sole custody evidence (if applicable)
- Form 1229 (Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under 18) from anyone with legal right to decide where the child lives who is not coming to Australia
For dependent children over 18:
- Identity documents
- Documents about other relationships (if applicable)
- Health examinations
- Character documents
- Evidence of financial dependence (bank statements, money transfers, rent receipts)
- Form 47a (Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over)
Health Examinations
You and family members must complete health examinations with approved panel doctors. Health examination results are valid for 12 months from completion.
Document Preparation
Translation
All documents not in English must be translated. Translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI. Translators outside Australia do not need to be accredited but must include their full name, address, telephone number, and qualifications/experience in English on each translation.
Scanning and Certification
Documents must be scanned or photographed in colour and be clear enough to read. Multi-page documents should be saved as a single file. Certification of documents is not required.
Sponsorship Documentation
If you do not hold a substantive visa at the time of application, your sponsor must provide:
- Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia form (completed online)
- Evidence of sponsor's status (passport or birth certificate; driver's licence or Medicare card are not sufficient)
- Minimum of two statutory declarations made within the last six weeks by an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen confirming the married or de facto relationship
- Evidence that declarants are Australian citizens or permanent residents (passport or birth certificate)
Form 888 vs. Statutory Declarations
Form 888 is not a statutory declaration and does not satisfy the requirement for applicants without a substantive visa. However, Form 888 is acceptable for witness statements about the relationship.