You are already here. The house is shared, the routines are real, the life is genuinely Australian: everything except the visa. The onshore partner pathway, Subclass 820 leading to 801, exists to fix exactly that: one application, two stages, and permanent residency without leaving the country.
Applying onshore brings real advantages, and real traps. Here is how the 820/801 works in 2026, and how couples get it right the first time.
The onshore partner route is one application, assessed twice:
You must be in Australia when you apply and when the 820 is granted. From lodgement you are anchored: most applicants receive a bridging visa that keeps them lawfully in Australia (usually with full work rights) the moment their current visa ends. Couples together three or more years, or two with a child of the relationship, are frequently granted the permanent 801 immediately.
The tests mirror every partner visa, with an onshore twist:
Before anything is lodged, we audit your current visa status and history, the single most important onshore check there is.
The onshore pathway’s quiet superpower is the bridging visa:
Managed well, the waiting period simply feels like living your life. Managed badly, a single overseas trip or lapsed visa can undo the entire strategy.
Since April 2026 the Department expects partner applications to be decision-ready at lodgement: complete evidence, first time:
Our partner visa hub explains the four pillars in depth, and our former immigration officials audit your file the way a case officer will.
Cost: AUD 11,710 for the primary applicant from 1 July 2026 (one charge covering both the 820 and 801 stages) plus AUD 5,860 per additional adult and AUD 2,935 per child.
Processing: around half of onshore cases are decided within 17 months, with nine in ten finalised inside roughly two years. The bridging visa makes the wait livable; long-standing couples may skip straight to permanent residency.
Onshore or offshore? If you are weighing both, our offshore 309/100 guide covers the other road, and our assessment tells you which one your circumstances favour.
Discuss your eligibility and explore your options with a dedicated migration specialist.
Your current visa grant, conditions and full Australian immigration history: the onshore-specific evidence that decides whether and when you can lodge. Any “no further stay” conditions or past refusals are addressed here, first.
Certified passports and birth certificates for both partners, marriage or relationship registration, divorce or death certificates ending prior relationships, and name-change evidence, consistent to the letter.
The four-pillar file: joint finances, the shared household (lease, bills, correspondence), social recognition (Form 888 declarations, photos across time, travel), and commitment: your statements, plans and communication history.
Sponsorship forms, the sponsor’s citizenship or PR evidence, sponsor police certificates, and disclosure of previous sponsorships, screened before lodgement, not after.
Immigration medicals for applicant and dependants, plus police certificates from every country of 12+ months residence in the past decade since turning 16, sequenced early where issuing is slow.
Nearly three decades guiding successful emigrations to Australia.
Former Emigration Officials with deep, current knowledge of Australian immigration law.
Considered, discreet guidance tailored precisely to your circumstances.
Yes. That is exactly what the 820/801 pathway is for. You must be in Australia when you lodge and when the temporary 820 is granted, on a visa that permits the application.
In most cases, yes. Lodging onshore typically generates a bridging visa that keeps you lawfully in Australia with full work rights once your current visa ends.
Generally yes. The bridging visa associated with an onshore partner application usually carries unrestricted work rights.
Partner applicants typically become eligible to enrol in Medicare after lodging the onshore application, one of the pathway’s most valuable, least-known benefits.
Only with the correct bridging arrangement in place before you leave. Travelling on the wrong bridging visa can compromise your application; always check before booking.
About half of 820 applications are decided within 17 months, with the permanent 801 stage assessed from two years after lodgement, or immediately for long-established couples.
AUD 11,710 from 1 July 2026 for the primary applicant, covering both stages, plus AUD 5,860 per additional adult and AUD 2,935 per child.
A waiver may be possible in limited circumstances, but timing and strategy are everything: get advice before your current visa expires, not after.
You may be granted the permanent 801 at the same time as the 820: one decision, straight to permanent residency.
Book an assessment and our team will assess your options.
Receive tailored advice and a clear migration strategy built entirely around you.
Let us manage your application from lodgement to decision, or choose to be guided.
Whether you have questions or need guidance on your Australian immigration path, our specialists are ready to listen and advise. Contact us today.