Partner Visa Evidence: The 4 Factors Home Affairs Actually Weighs
Every Australian partner visa decision turns on regulation 1.15A or 1.09A — four named factors, each with its own sub-factors written into the regulation itself. This explains what each factor actually asks for, and how the two-stage process changes what you need over time. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 One legal test: "genuine and continuing"
- 0:14 Section 5F (married) or section 5CB (de facto)
- 0:27 The 4 factors
- 0:38 Financial + household, in the regulation's words
- 0:50 Social + commitment
- 1:00 Up to 3 Form 888 statements
- 1:10 Living apart doesn't disqualify you
- 1:22 2 stages: temporary first, then permanent
- 1:36 Reassessed over the whole period, not day one
- 1:46 De facto: generally 12 months first
- 1:57 Where to read more
Transcript
Every partner visa decision comes down to one legal test: is the relationship genuine and continuing? Two regulations spell out exactly what gets weighed.
For married couples it's section 5F of the Migration Act. For de facto couples it's section 5CB. Regulations 1.15A and 1.09A set out how each is assessed.
Both regulations list the exact same four factors: financial, household, social, and commitment. Every document you gather should map to one of these.
Financial means joint ownership, joint liabilities, and pooling of resources. Household means care of children, living arrangements, and shared housework.
Social means how friends and family see the relationship. Commitment means duration, time lived together, and whether you see it as long-term.
There's no fixed document count. Form 888's own instructions say you may be asked for up to 3 separate statements — specific and personal beats generic.
The regulation covers couples who don't live together too. It says "do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis" — built for long-distance and FIFO relationships.
This isn't a one-off test. The temporary visa — subclass 820 onshore, or 309 offshore — is granted first. The permanent 801 or 100 is generally assessed at least 2 years later.
At that second assessment, the same four factors apply again, over the whole period since you first applied — not just the day you applied.
Before any of the four factors matter, a de facto couple generally needs 12 months together immediately before applying, unless the relationship is registered or there are compelling circumstances.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- The 4 factors every partner visa decision comes down to (0:33)
- How many Form 888 statements do you actually need? (0:32)
- Your partner visa evidence job isn't done at the temporary stage (0:31)
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