Form 888: How to Complete It Step by Step

Form 888 is the supporting statement that friends and family complete for a partner visa or Prospective Marriage visa application. This guide explains how to complete form 888 step by step, in the order the questions appear, and how the finished statement is checked, signed and uploaded to ImmiAccount.

A form 888 is short. It has a handful of questions and fits on a few pages. That is exactly why it is so often completed badly. Witnesses rush it, leave out the identity evidence, sign the wrong page or copy wording from someone else. The Department of Home Affairs then has a statement in front of it that adds little, or that raises questions about the rest of the application.

This article focuses on the procedure: who completes each part of the form 888, what each question requires, how to attach proof of identity and Australian status, how to choose between typed and handwritten versions, how to upload the completed form 888 in ImmiAccount, and the completion errors that the Department sees most often. If you want to know who is the right person to make the statement and what it should say in substance, read our companion guide on Form 888: who can make one and what it should actually say. If you want sample wording and a list of mistakes in the answers themselves, read Form 888 example answers and common mistakes.

What is Form 888 and who completes it?

Form 888 is the Department of Home Affairs form titled "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application", and it is completed by a person who knows the applicant, their partner and the history of their relationship. It is not completed by the visa applicant and it is not completed by the sponsoring partner. The whole value of a form 888 is that it comes from someone outside the relationship who can describe what they have personally observed.

The current form states that the person making the statement must be at least 18 years of age. It also asks for documentary evidence of the person's current name, age and Australian citizenship or permanent residence. In practice, that means the form 888 witness is an adult Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who has known the couple long enough to give a meaningful account. Family members can complete a form 888. So can friends, colleagues and others who have spent real time with the couple.

Form 888 is used in each of the main partner visa streams:

• the onshore Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa, lodged as one combined application in Australia;
• the offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 partner visa, lodged while the applicant is outside Australia; and
• the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa, where the witness speaks to the couple's genuine intention to marry and live together.

For a broader explanation of how these visas fit together, see our complete guide to partner visas in Australia. The form 888 is one piece of a much larger evidence package, and it should be prepared with that package in view.

Who does what: the witness, the applicant and the sponsor

The witness completes and signs the form 888, and the applicant or the applicant's appointed representative attaches it to the application. That division of responsibility matters, because it is the source of many problems.

The witness

The witness is responsible for the content of their form 888. They fill in their own details, answer the questions in their own words, attach evidence of their identity and status, and sign and date the declaration. The declaration is personal to them. Nobody else can sign it on their behalf.

The applicant and the sponsor

The applicant and the sponsor ask suitable people to complete a form 888, give them a blank copy of the current form, explain the practical requirements, and collect the signed statement and the identity documents. They should not write the answers for the witness. A statement that is clearly written by the couple and signed by someone else is easy for a case officer to spot, and it undermines the credibility of the whole application.

It is entirely appropriate for the couple to confirm basic facts the witness may need, such as the correct spelling of the applicant's full name as it appears in their passport, or the date of the wedding. It is not appropriate to supply the witness with a script.

The representative

Where a lawyer or registered migration agent has been appointed using Form 956 or Form 956A, the representative will usually review each form 888 for completeness and consistency and upload it to ImmiAccount as part of the application. The representative does not write the witness's statement. The review is about making sure the form is complete, signed, accompanied by the right evidence, and consistent with the rest of the file.

Before you start: what the form 888 witness needs to have ready

The witness should gather a few things before they begin, because a form 888 completed in pieces over several weeks tends to contain errors.

The witness needs:

• the current version of Form 888, downloaded from the Department of Home Affairs website, rather than an old copy that has been passed around;
• the full names of both partners exactly as they appear in their passports or identity documents;
• a realistic idea of when they first met each partner, and when they first knew them as a couple;
• a copy of their own identity document showing their current name and date of birth; and
• a copy of evidence of their Australian citizenship or permanent residence.

If the witness's name has changed, for example through marriage, they should also have evidence linking the old name to the current name. A birth certificate in a former surname, without the marriage certificate, does not prove the witness's current name.

The couple should also make sure the witness has the same understanding of the key dates as the application itself. That is not about coaching. It is about avoiding a situation where the witness writes that the couple married "about three years ago" when the marriage certificate shows something different. Our partner visa document checklist sets out how supporting statements sit alongside the other documents the Department expects.

Step 1: The witness's personal details on Form 888

The first part of the form 888 asks for the details of the person making the statement: family name, given names, residential address with postcode, telephone numbers and email address. These fields must be completed in full.

Practical points for this section:

• Use the name on the identity document. The family name and given names should match the identity document attached to the form 888. If the witness is commonly known by a shortened or anglicised name, they should still use their legal name here.
• Give a residential address, not a post office box. The Department may contact witnesses. A full residential address shows the witness is a real, contactable person.
• Include a working phone number and email. Case officers sometimes contact witnesses to confirm a statement. A disconnected number or a mistyped email weakens the statement.
• Write the country code for phone numbers if required. The form provides separate spaces for the country code, area code and number.

These details seem administrative, but they are what make a form 888 verifiable. A statement with half the contact fields blank tells the Department the witness either did not take the form seriously or did not want to be contacted. Neither impression helps.

Step 2: Naming the applicant and the partner, and how long the witness has known each of them

The next two questions on the form 888 ask the witness to name the visa applicant and the applicant's partner or fiancé(e), and to state how long they have known each person. The two questions are separate for a reason. The Department wants to understand the witness's relationship to each partner individually.

Getting the names right

The names should be written exactly as they appear in the applicant's and the sponsor's passports or identity documents. Spelling errors and reversed family and given names are common, particularly where the partners come from countries with naming conventions different from the Australian convention. A form 888 that names the applicant inconsistently with the visa application is not fatal, but it creates avoidable doubt.

"How long have you known this person?"

The witness should answer this as precisely as they honestly can. "Since March 2019" or "about six years" is better than "a long time". If the witness has known one partner since childhood and met the other partner only after the couple started dating, the answers should reflect that difference. It is normal and expected.

The witness should not inflate these periods. A sibling who writes that they have known their brother's wife for ten years, when the couple met four years ago, has created a contradiction that a case officer will notice immediately. The application will contain the relationship history in the partner visa relationship statement, and every form 888 will be read against that history.

Step 3: How the witness knows the couple and how often they are in contact

Question 3 of the form 888 asks the witness to state how they know the applicant and the applicant's partner or fiancé(e), and how often they have been in contact with them. This is where the witness explains the basis of their knowledge.

A good answer to this question on the form 888 covers:

• How the witness first came to know each partner. For example, as a school friend of the sponsor, a work colleague of the applicant, or the sponsor's parent.
• When the witness first knew them as a couple. For example, being introduced to the applicant at a family dinner, or attending their engagement.
• The type of contact. Whether the witness sees the couple in person, visits their home, travels with them, or speaks to them by phone or video.
• The frequency of contact. Weekly dinners, monthly catch-ups, or regular calls when they live interstate or overseas.

Contact frequency is a detail that witnesses often skip. It matters because it tells the Department how much weight to give the witness's opinion. A friend who sees the couple every week can say much more about the nature of their household than someone who met them once at a wedding.

If the witness lives overseas or interstate, that is not a problem, provided the answer honestly explains how the witness keeps in contact and what they have observed. The Department does not expect every form 888 witness to live next door. It does expect each witness to explain how they know what they say they know.

Readers who want to see how this question can be answered well in practice, with worked examples, should refer to our Form 888 example answers. This guide does not repeat those examples. The point for completion purposes is simply that question 3 must be answered in the witness's own words and must explain both how and how often.

Step 4: The witness's belief that the relationship is genuine and continuing

Question 4 of the form 888 asks the witness to state whether they believe the relationship is genuine and continuing, and to give their reasons. This is the heart of the statement. A bare "yes" is of almost no value.

The phrase "genuine and continuing" reflects the legal test the Department applies. For a married couple, the applicant must be in a genuine and continuing married relationship with the sponsor. For a de facto couple, the same is required of the de facto relationship. In both cases, the Department weighs the evidence across four aspects of the relationship: the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects of the relationship and the nature of the commitment. A form 888 is principally evidence of the social aspects, because it shows that the couple present themselves to others as a couple and are accepted as one.

What the reasons should be based on

The reasons the witness gives in a form 888 should be things the witness has personally seen or heard. Examples include:

• visiting the couple at their home and seeing how they share it;
• spending holidays, birthdays or religious and cultural celebrations with them;
• seeing them introduced to others as partners;
• hearing them discuss future plans together;
• observing how they supported each other through a difficult period, such as an illness in the family or a job loss; and
• attending their wedding, engagement or another event that marked the relationship.

The witness should not try to prove matters they have no personal knowledge of. A friend does not need to comment on the couple's joint bank account. Those matters are proved by the financial evidence in the application, as explained in our guide to partner visa relationship evidence.

Credible witnesses carry weight

Tribunal decisions show that a credible witness can matter. In Vitebski (Migration) [2019] AATA 4228, a Subclass 300 matter, the Tribunal's findings on whether the parties genuinely intended to live together as spouses referred to joint social activities, how the parties represented themselves as being in a genuine and continuing relationship, and a credible witness. That is exactly the kind of social evidence a well-completed form 888 is designed to provide.

Additional matters

Some versions of the form 888 also give the witness space to mention any other matters they believe support the application. This is optional. If the witness has nothing further to add, it can be left blank or marked "not applicable". It should not be filled with repetition of the earlier answers. If the space provided on any question is not enough, the witness can attach an additional page, signed and dated, which clearly identifies the question number it relates to.

Step 5: Attaching evidence of identity and Australian citizenship or permanent residence

Every form 888 must be accompanied by documentary evidence of the witness's current name, age and Australian citizenship or permanent residence. The form itself asks the witness to confirm whether that evidence is attached. A form 888 without it is incomplete, and a missing attachment is a common reason a supporting statement has to be redone.

This is the step that witnesses most often miss. The witness assumes their name and signature are enough. They are not. The Department needs to be able to confirm that the person making the statement is real, is the person named, is an adult and holds the required Australian status.

Which documents prove citizenship or permanent residence

The form 888 refers to documents such as a birth certificate, a passport or a visa document. In practice, the documents commonly used are:

• Australian passport. The biographical page of a current Australian passport usually proves name, date of birth and Australian citizenship in one document.
• Australian birth certificate. An Australian birth certificate can be used, but it does not always establish citizenship on its own, depending on when and in what circumstances the person was born. It is best combined with a photo identity document.
• Australian citizenship certificate. For a witness who became a citizen by conferral, the citizenship certificate is direct evidence of citizenship. It should be paired with photo identification showing the current name.
• Evidence of permanent residence. For a witness who is a permanent resident, a visa grant notice for their permanent visa, together with their passport, is the usual combination.

If the witness's current name differs from the name on the citizenship or status document, the link document must also be attached, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate.

Does the identity document need to be certified?

For a form 888 attached to an online application in ImmiAccount, the Department generally accepts clear colour scans of the original documents rather than certified copies. The witness should scan the original document, not a photocopy, and every page provided should be legible, with no part of the document cut off.

Where a paper copy is being given to the couple, or where a representative requests it, some witnesses choose to have the copy certified as a true copy of the original by a person authorised to certify documents under the law of their state or territory. Certification does not hurt, but it is not a substitute for a legible, complete copy, and an uncertified clear colour scan is usually what is needed for upload. If there is any doubt about what the Department requires for a particular application, it is better to check before lodgement than to have the statement questioned later.

Privacy and the witness's documents

Some witnesses are reluctant to hand over a copy of their passport. That is understandable. The couple should explain that the document is required by the form 888 itself, that it will be provided only to the Department as part of the visa application, and that a statement without it is incomplete. Where the witness remains uncomfortable, it is better to ask someone else than to lodge a form 888 without the identity evidence.

Step 6: The declaration, signature and date

The final part of the form 888 is the declaration. The witness confirms that they understand that giving false or misleading information is a serious offence, refers to section 234 of the Migration Act 1958, and declares that the statements in the form are true in every particular. The witness then signs and dates the form.

The declaration is not a formality. Section 234 of the Migration Act 1958 deals with false or misleading statements and documents in connection with visas, and the warning on the form 888 is there to make the witness pause before signing. The witness should read the completed statement carefully, correct anything that is wrong and only then sign.

Practical points for the declaration:

• The witness signs personally. No one else can sign a form 888 for the witness, even with permission.
• Sign and date every page that requires it. If the witness has attached additional pages, each should be signed and dated as well.
• Use a real date. The date should be the date the witness actually signed. Backdating or leaving the date blank to be filled in later creates problems.
• Do not alter the form after signing. If an error is found after signing, the safest course is for the witness to complete and sign a fresh form 888 rather than strike through and amend the signed version.

Electronic signatures

Whether a typed name or an inserted image of a signature is acceptable on a form 888 is a question that comes up often. The safest practice is for the witness to sign by hand, either on a printed version of the completed form or on the signature page, and then scan the signed pages. A wet signature removes any argument about whether the witness personally adopted the statement.

Typed or handwritten: which Form 888 format to use

A form 888 can be completed either way. The form instructs that it can be typed in English using the fillable fields, or printed and completed in English using a pen and BLOCK LETTERS. Both are acceptable.

When typing is better

Typing is usually better where the witness has a lot to say in question 4, where the witness's handwriting is hard to read, or where the witness is completing the form 888 remotely and sending it back by email. A typed answer is easier for a case officer to read, and a legible statement is more likely to be given its proper weight.

When handwriting is fine

Handwriting is fine where the witness writes clearly and the answers fit the spaces provided. The instruction to use block letters is important. Cursive writing in a small box is often illegible after scanning.

Language

The form 888 must be completed in English. If the witness is more comfortable writing in another language, the usual approach is for the witness to make the statement in that language and attach an English translation by a qualified translator. Where a form 888 is completed in English for a witness whose English is limited, the witness must still understand everything they are signing. A statement in polished English that the witness cannot read is a risk, not an asset. The translation requirements that apply to the rest of the application are covered in our 820 visa requirements and documents guide.

How to upload Form 888 in ImmiAccount

Once completed, the visa applicant or their appointed representative attaches the form 888 to the partner visa or Prospective Marriage visa application in ImmiAccount. Partner visa applications are lodged online, and supporting statements are uploaded as attachments in the same way as other evidence.

If the couple do not yet have an account, our guide on how to create an ImmiAccount explains the steps.

Uploading step by step

• Scan the signed form 888 in colour. Every page should be included, in order, including any additional pages.
• Scan the witness's identity and status documents in colour. Include all relevant pages and any name change document.
• Combine or keep together. It is generally clearer to combine the signed form 888 and that witness's identity documents into one file, so the Department sees the statement and its evidence together.
• Name the file clearly. A file name such as "Form 888 - Jane Citizen - friend of sponsor" tells the case officer immediately what the document is.
• Select the right evidence category. In ImmiAccount, attach the file under the evidence type for supporting statements or relationship evidence, as the attachment list for the application describes it.
• Check the upload. After uploading, open the attachment list to confirm the file is attached to the correct applicant and is readable.

Uploading before or after lodgement

Form 888 statements are best uploaded at the time of lodgement, as part of a decision-ready application. If a witness's statement arrives after the application has been lodged, it can still be attached in ImmiAccount later. The Department may also ask for supporting statements in a section 56 request for more information, and when that happens the request will specify how and by when to respond.

File size and format

ImmiAccount accepts common file types, including PDF, and imposes limits on file size. A long form 888 with high resolution scans can exceed those limits. Scanning at a reasonable resolution, rather than photographing pages with a phone at an angle, usually solves the problem and keeps the document legible.

How many Form 888 statements should be provided?

The Department asks for statements from people who know the couple, and there is no advantage in collecting statements from people who do not. The Department's partner visa guidance has commonly referred to at least two form 888 statements from Australian citizens or permanent residents who know the couple. The precise requirement should be checked against the current document checklist for the specific subclass at the time of lodgement.

In practice, quality matters more than quantity. Two detailed statements from people who genuinely know both partners are worth more than six one-line statements from acquaintances. That said, a couple with an established social circle in Australia will often be able to provide more than the minimum, and it can be useful to have statements from both sides of the relationship, for example one from the sponsor's family and one from a mutual friend.

Choosing which witnesses to use

When deciding which form 888 witnesses to include, the couple should consider:

• whether the witness knows both partners, not just one;
• whether the witness has seen the couple together over a meaningful period;
• whether the witness will still be in contact with the couple when the permanent stage is assessed; and
• whether the witness can honestly describe concrete things they have observed.

A witness who knows only the sponsor and has met the applicant once is a weak choice, however close they are to the sponsor. This topic, including who can and cannot sensibly make a statement, is covered in detail in Form 888: who can make one and what it should actually say.

How Form 888 fits into the rest of the partner visa application

A form 888 is supporting evidence. It does not stand alone, and it cannot make up for gaps elsewhere in the application. The Department reads every form 888 alongside the relationship statement, the financial and household evidence, the identity documents and the answers in the application form itself.

That has three practical consequences for completion.

First, the witness's account of key dates must sit comfortably with the dates in the application. When the couple met, when they started living together, when they married or registered their relationship, and when the applicant arrived in Australia are all facts a witness may refer to. If the witness gets them wrong, the inconsistency is on the file.

Second, the form 888 statements should cover the social side of the relationship that documents cannot. Joint leases and bank statements prove finances and household. Witnesses prove that the couple are known and accepted as a couple. Our guide to preparing evidence of a genuine relationship and the 820 partner visa evidence checklist explain how the different categories of evidence work together.

Third, a form 888 should not be used to fix a problem that needs legal analysis. If the couple have lived together for less than 12 months and are relying on an exception, as explained in whether you really need 12 months of de facto relationship, witness statements alone will not resolve the issue. If the applicant does not hold a substantive visa and must meet Schedule 3 criteria, the form 888 statements may be relevant to the compelling reasons, but the waiver argument itself needs to be built properly, as our Schedule 3 waiver page explains. If the sponsor has sponsored before, the sponsorship limitations must be addressed directly.

Form 888 and other Department forms

Applicants often confuse Form 888 with the other forms they encounter in a partner visa application. In brief:

• Form 888 is the supporting statement from a person who knows the couple.
• Form 80 is the applicant's personal particulars form, which the Department may request. Our Form 80 guide explains how to complete it.
• Form 1022 is used to notify the Department of a change in circumstances after lodgement. See Form 1022 change of circumstances.
• Form 956 and Form 956A appoint a representative or authorised recipient.

Each form has a different author and a different purpose. A form 888 is the only one of these completed by a third party.

When updated Form 888 statements are needed at the permanent stage

A form 888 is often needed twice in a partner visa process: once when the combined application is lodged, and again when the permanent stage is assessed. Partner visas are granted in two stages. The temporary visa (Subclass 820 or Subclass 309) comes first, and eligibility for the permanent visa (Subclass 801 or Subclass 100) is generally assessed about two years after the combined application was lodged.

At that point the Department asks for updated information and evidence showing that the relationship is still genuine and continuing. Updated supporting statements, including new form 888 statements, may be requested as part of that evidence. Our guide to Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801 explains the two stages in more detail.

Can the same witnesses be used again?

Yes. The same witnesses can complete a new form 888 at the permanent stage, and there is often value in doing so, because a witness who has known the couple for an additional two years can speak to the relationship continuing over time. New witnesses can also be used, particularly if the couple have moved or their social circle has changed.

Do not resubmit the original statement

An updated form 888 should be a fresh statement, freshly signed and dated, with current identity and status evidence. Re-uploading the form 888 that was lodged two years earlier does not show the relationship is continuing. The new statement should reflect what the witness has observed since the original application, such as the couple moving house, having a child, or marking other milestones together.

Long-term relationships and relationship breakdown

In some circumstances, including certain long-term relationships, the permanent visa may be considered without the usual waiting period. Where the relationship has ended, special provisions may still allow a permanent visa in limited cases, including where family violence has occurred, which is explained on our family violence partner visa page. If the relationship has broken down, the question is no longer how to complete a form 888, and the applicant should read what happens to a Subclass 820 application if the relationship breaks down and seek advice promptly.

Common Form 888 completion errors that weaken an application

Most problems with a form 888 are completion errors, not legal ones. They are avoidable. The errors seen most often are listed below.

1. The form is unsigned or undated

An unsigned form 888 is not a statement by the witness at all. It is a document someone typed. Missing dates and missing signatures on additional pages are equally common. Every form 888 should be checked page by page before upload.

2. No proof of citizenship or permanent residence

The witness completes the questions carefully and forgets the attachment, or provides a driver licence that proves identity but not Australian status. The form 888 then fails to show that the witness is eligible to make the statement.

3. Generic or copy-paste wording

When two or three form 888 statements contain the same sentences, the Department will reasonably infer that the witnesses did not write them. Identical phrasing across statements is one of the clearest signs of a prepared script. Each witness should write in their own words, even if their English is simple. Plain, specific and personal wording is more persuasive than polished, generic wording.

4. Inconsistent dates and facts

A witness who says the couple have lived together since 2021, when the application says 2022, has created a discrepancy. The same applies to the place the couple met, the date of the wedding or the city they live in. Tribunal decisions show that incorrect information can become an issue in its own right. In Yeung (Migration) [2020] AATA 4137, a Subclass 820 matter remitted by the Federal Circuit Court, the issues included incorrect information in the visa application and in Department interviews, and the non-disclosure of how the couple met. In Le (Migration) [2025] ARTA 2423, the issues before the Tribunal included incorrect residential information in the visa application. These decisions are not about a form 888 itself, but they show why every document on the file, including each form 888, must be consistent with the rest.

5. A witness who does not actually know both partners

A form 888 from someone who knows only one partner, or who met the couple once, adds little and may invite questions. The witness should be able to describe the couple together.

6. The applicant or sponsor completing the form

Neither partner can make a form 888 about their own relationship. The couple's own account belongs in the relationship statement.

7. Outdated versions of the form

Using an old version of Form 888 downloaded years ago, or a copy circulated online, risks missing questions or declarations in the current version. Always download the current version from the Department of Home Affairs website.

8. Illegible scans

A form 888 photographed on a kitchen table with shadows across the page is hard to read. If the case officer cannot read it, it carries no weight.

Several of these errors also feature in our broader analysis of why Subclass 820 partner visas are refused and why partner visas get refused. A weak form 888 is rarely the sole reason for a refusal, but it is often part of a pattern of thin or inconsistent evidence.

Form 888 is not a statutory declaration

Form 888 is a Department of Home Affairs supporting statement form, not a statutory declaration. It does not need to be witnessed by a justice of the peace or another authorised witness, and it is not made under the statutory declarations legislation. The witness signs a declaration on the form itself, acknowledging the offence provisions in the Migration Act 1958.

This distinction matters in two ways.

First, a statutory declaration is not a substitute for a form 888 in an ordinary partner visa application. A friend who signs a general statutory declaration instead of completing the form 888 has not answered the questions the form asks, and has not provided the identity and status evidence the form requires.

Second, there are limited special cases in partner visa law where the requirement is reversed. In some applications that rely on special provisions, the law requires statutory declarations in a particular form rather than Form 888 statements, and lodging form 888 statements instead can mean the requirements for a valid application are not met. These cases are uncommon and the rules are technical. Where an application relies on any special provision, the evidence requirements should be confirmed with a lawyer before anything is lodged.

What happens if a Form 888 contains false or wrong information?

A form 888 that contains false or misleading information can cause serious problems for the witness and for the application. The declaration on the form refers to the offence provisions in section 234 of the Migration Act 1958, and the witness signs on the basis that the statements are true in every particular.

For the application, false or misleading information can engage public interest criteria that allow refusal, and in some cases can affect future applications. TRUONG (Migration) [2024] AATA 680 is an example of a Subclass 820 review in which the issues included false or misleading information in a material particular in a previous visitor visa application about marital status. The lesson for form 888 witnesses is simple: write only what is true and what you have observed.

Honest mistakes are different from false statements, but they still need to be corrected. If a witness realises after lodgement that their form 888 contains an error, the safest course is to provide a corrected, newly signed form 888 and to explain the correction. Ignoring an error in the hope it will not be noticed is the wrong approach. If the Department raises concerns about a statement through a section 57 natural justice letter, the response needs to be carefully prepared, and legal advice is strongly recommended.

Form 888 for Subclass 820, Subclass 309 and Subclass 300 applications

The same form 888 is used across the partner visa streams, but the context differs slightly in each.

Onshore Subclass 820 applications

For an onshore application, the couple are usually living together in Australia, and witnesses can describe their household and social life directly. Our Subclass 820 visa guide and the Subclass 820 partner visa complete guide set out the wider requirements. Applicants who came to Australia as visitors should also read tourist visa to partner visa in Australia and check whether a No Further Stay condition 8503 affects them. After lodgement, many onshore applicants hold a Bridging Visa A, and the general rules are explained in our guide to bridging visas in Australia.

Offshore Subclass 309 applications

For an offshore application, the couple may be living apart. Form 888 witnesses in Australia may know the sponsor well and the applicant mainly through visits and video calls. The witness should explain honestly how they know the applicant, including any time spent together overseas or during the applicant's visits to Australia.

Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage applications

For a Prospective Marriage visa, the form 888 refers to the applicant's fiancé(e), and the witness speaks to the couple's genuine intention to marry and live together. Witnesses who are aware of wedding plans, family involvement or engagement events can speak to them.

Same-sex couples

The form 888 process is the same for same-sex couples. Some couples have witnesses who know the relationship well but who may not be known to every member of the family. That is a matter to discuss in advice. Our LGBTI partner visa page has further information.

Where a form 888 issue becomes a refusal issue

Most form 888 problems are caught before lodgement. Some are not. Where the Department has refused a partner visa because it was not satisfied that the relationship was genuine and continuing, the supporting statements are often part of the reasoning. Our partner visa refusals page and the article on partner visa refused appeal options explain what follows. Review by the Administrative Review Tribunal is subject to short deadlines that are strictly applied, so anyone who has received a refusal should act immediately. Our guide on what to expect at an ART review and our general visa refusals page set out the process. Fresh and properly completed form 888 statements can form part of the evidence at review.

Couples who lodged their own application and are now worried about the quality of their supporting statements can still get help. Our article on hiring an immigration lawyer after lodging your own visa application explains how that works, and getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer explains what a review of an existing file involves.

Getting help with form 888 wherever you live in Australia

My Migration Lawyers acts for partner visa clients across Australia, and consultations are held by video, so location is not a barrier. We regularly assist couples through our partner visa lawyers Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Parramatta pages. Form 888 witnesses are often spread across different states, which is no obstacle when statements are completed and scanned for upload.

Couples comparing their options may find it useful to read how to choose a partner visa lawyer in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, or our national guide on choosing a partner visa lawyer in Australia. Those with wider immigration questions can visit our immigration lawyers Sydney, immigration lawyers Melbourne and immigration lawyers Brisbane pages. For a broader view of whether legal help is worthwhile on a partner visa, see partner visa lawyer vs doing it yourself and immigration lawyer for a partner visa: when you need one.

How My Migration Lawyers checks every form 888 before it is lodged

My Migration Lawyers acts in a large number of partner visa matters, including complex applications involving Schedule 3, previous refusals, sponsorship limitations and relationships with limited documentary evidence. The firm is equipped to handle these matters, supporting statements are a routine part of that work, and every form 888 in a matter we handle is checked before it is lodged.

Our review of each form 888 covers the following:

• Version and completeness. We confirm the witness has used the current form and answered every question, including contact details and how long they have known each partner.
• Identity and status evidence. We check that each form 888 is accompanied by evidence of the witness's current name, age and Australian citizenship or permanent residence, and that any name change is linked by documents.
• Signature and date. We check every signed page, including additional pages, and ask for a fresh form where a statement has been altered after signing.
• Consistency with the file. We compare each form 888 against the relationship statement, the application form and the documentary evidence, and we raise any discrepancy in dates or facts with the couple before lodgement. Where a witness's recollection differs from the documents, the witness is asked to check and correct their own statement. We never write the witness's statement for them.
• Independence of wording. We look for repeated phrasing across statements, because statements that read as prepared scripts weaken an application.
• Fit with the legal issues. Where the application raises a legal issue, such as a Schedule 3 waiver, a de facto exception or a special provision requiring statutory declarations instead of form 888 statements, we confirm the right documents are being used for that issue.
• Upload. We upload each form 888 with its identity evidence as a single clearly named file under the correct evidence category in ImmiAccount.

The same review applies when updated form 888 statements are requested at the permanent stage, and when statements are needed in response to a Department request or at Tribunal review.

Our partner visa work is supervised by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. To learn more about how we act on partner visa matters, visit our partner visa lawyers page or read about My Migration Lawyers. If you are preparing a partner visa application and want each form 888 checked before lodgement, book a consultation online or call 1300 040 300.