The Ups and Downs of My Partner Visa 820 Journey

When my partner and I first started talking about visas and paperwork, the partner visa sounded… well, terrifying. I mean, I’m just a normal person, not some legal expert. And when you google this stuff, half of what comes up sounds like a robot wrote it. But here’s my human take on it—no fancy jargon, no government speak, just what it’s actually like.

What the heck is the Partner Visa Subclass 820?

So basically, if you’re in Australia and in a serious relationship with an Aussie citizen (or PR, or eligible Kiwi), this visa lets you stick around while they decide whether to give you permanent residency later. You’re applying for a temporary visa first (partner visa subclass 820) and then later down the track, you can apply for the permanent version (subclass 801). Kind of like a trial period, but way more expensive and way less fun.

If you’re outside Australia, by the way, you’d be looking at a different visa (subclass 309). So this one’s only for people already in the country.

Who can apply?

Honestly, the requirements sound simple, but proving them takes effort. You need to be either

• Married
• In a de facto relationship (basically living together for at least 12 months, give or take depending on your situation)

But here’s the catch: it’s not enough to say you’re together. They want proof. Lots of it. Stuff like

• Joint leases, bills, and bank accounts
• Photos of you two at events, holidays, even chilling at home
• Messages, emails, travel together… the more, the better.

I won’t lie, it feels weird gathering proof of your relationship like it’s some kind of assignment. But that’s how they check that you’re legit.

What do you get with it?

Once your partner visa subclass 820 gets granted, you can:

• Work in Australia (thankfully)
• Study (although fees aren’t always cheap)
• Access Medicare (so important, especially if you get sick waiting in the visa process)
• Stay in the country legally while your permanent visa application is processing

After about two years, if you’re still happily together, you apply for the permanent one (the 801). And then you can finally breathe.

What’s the process actually like?

In a word? Exhausting. I remember sitting down to create my Immi Account and already feeling overwhelmed. You’ll spend hours gathering documents.
You’ll need:

• Your passport and your partner’s
• Police checks (which can take a while, so start early)
• Health checks
• Stat decks  from friends or family who’ll swear you’re a legit couple
• And then… all that relationship evidence I mentioned earlier

Once you hit submit (and pay that eye-watering fee), you’ll get a Bridging Visa that lets you stay in the country legally while they process your partner visa subclass 820. And by “process,” I mean take their sweet time.

The cost. Ouch.

Look, no way to sugarcoat this. The application fee is around $8,850 AUD. It’s… a lot. And then you’ve got other costs on top—police certificates, medical checks, translations if needed, maybe even a migration agent if your case is complicated.

So yeah, start saving.

How long will you wait?

Honestly, no one knows. Some people get approved in six months. Others? Two years. Depends on your case and how busy Immigration is. Ours took about a year and a half, and that felt like forever. The waiting period really tests your patience and your relationship sometimes.

My advice if you’re going through this:

Okay, here’s what I wish someone told me upfront:

• Start gathering evidence BEFORE you apply. Don’t scramble at the last minute.
• Keep screenshots of random stuff like you ordering food together or texting about laundry. I’m serious—it all helps.
• Be honest in your personal statements. Don’t try to sound official. Just tell your story.
• Expect to feel frustrated at times. It’s normal.
• And seriously, get a bottle of wine for when you finally hit “submit” because you’ll need it.

The emotional side they don’t tell you about

No one talks enough about how mentally it is draining. You will feel in limbo. You really can’t plan your life far ahead, and that can be difficult. But try to focus on the fact that you are doing it for love. Super tacky, I know, but it’s true.

Talk to other people who go through the same thing – it helped me move. There are Facebook groups, forums and blogs, where people share schedules, collapse and give advice.

Final thoughts

If you are applying for Visa Partner’s 820 subclass, wait there. It’s a huge process, but it’s worth it. Australian partners’ visas are not perfect (they are expensive and slow), but give people a way to stay with the person they love.

And when you finally get that approval email? It’ll feel like winning the lottery… if the lottery also cost you 9 grand and two years of waiting.

Anyway, this is my opinion. I hope this helps someone out there in the middle of it. Feel free to leave a comment if you are going through the same mountain -Russia -this helps you know that you are not the only one.