The Department assesses whether a relationship meets the criteria for an Australian partner visa by considering the application, statements and supporting evidence. Relationship evidence is commonly organised into four areas, but the documents needed depend on the couple's circumstances.
A coherent application usually addresses each area across the relevant period and explains genuine gaps instead of relying on a generic volume of documents.
1. Financial aspects
Evidence that you share your financial lives:
- Joint bank accounts (and everyday use of them, not just an account opened last week)
- Shared bills, rent or a mortgage, insurance, major joint purchases
- How you split expenses if your money is kept separate — that's fine, but explain it
2. Nature of the household
Evidence that you live together and share domestic life:
- A lease or ownership documents in both names, or mail addressed to each of you at the same address
- How you divide chores, cooking and responsibilities
- Joint utilities, and photos of your shared home
3. Social aspects
Evidence that others recognise you as a couple:
- Photos together over time — holidays, family events, everyday life
- Joint invitations, memberships, travel bookings
- Supporting statements: Form 888 is commonly used for adults who know you and the history of your relationship, but some eligible subclass 820 applicants without a substantive visa may instead need two recent statutory declarations. Check the current Form 888 exception before choosing the document.
4. Commitment to each other
Evidence of a long-term, exclusive commitment:
- How you communicate when apart (call logs, messages across the timeline)
- Wills, superannuation or insurance naming each other
- Knowledge of each other's background, plans and families
The gap we see most often
A common gap is evidence that covers only a short window, such as material created shortly before lodgement. Where appropriate, collect and organise evidence across the relationship timeline and explain periods where a usual document type does not exist. The Department may request further information if the evidence is incomplete or unclear.
Evidence must still be matched to the correct application: the 820/801 onshore pathway, 309/100 offshore pathway or subclass 300 prospective marriage pathway. For the practical trade-offs, compare onshore and offshore partner visas. If Home Affairs contacts you about the relationship, use our partner visa interview preparation guide to review the lodged material without rehearsing a script.
For an application involving Filipino civil records, overseas work or residence, biometrics and Philippines departure guidance, use the dedicated Philippines partner visa document guide rather than treating the general checklist as country-specific advice.