Partner Visa Change of Address

A partner visa change of address must be reported to the Department of Home Affairs as soon as it happens, whether the applicant is in Australia or overseas, and whether the application is at the first or the second stage. Many couples move house during the long wait for a partner visa. Moving is normal. Failing to report a partner visa change of address is where the problems start.

This guide explains what the law requires when you move, how to report a partner visa change of address in ImmiAccount, why the Department can treat a letter as received even if you never saw it, and why an address change can raise questions about the relationship itself. It applies to onshore applicants for the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa and to offshore applicants for the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 partner visa. If you want a broader overview of the process first, our complete guide to partner visas in Australia explains every stage. If you have already missed a letter or a deadline, our partner visa lawyers can review your position quickly.

Do you have to report a partner visa change of address?

Yes. A partner visa applicant must tell the Department when their address or contact details change while the application is being decided. This obligation comes from section 52 of the Migration Act 1958, and Department policy for the Subclass 801 and Subclass 100 visas states that subsection 52(3B) of the Act requires the applicant to inform the Department of any change in contact information.

The obligation is not limited to a new home. A partner visa change of address includes a change of residential address, a change of postal address, a new email address and a new phone number. The Department treats all of these as contact details, and it relies on the most recent details you have given it when it sends you anything about your application.

The obligation also continues for the whole life of the application. A combined partner visa application often stays open for a long time, first while the provisional visa is decided and then while the permanent visa is decided. Our guide to Subclass 820 visa processing times explains why the wait can be long. Over that period, most couples move at least once, change phones, or stop using an old email account. Each of those events is a partner visa change of address in the sense the Department cares about.

The law behind a partner visa change of address

The law behind a partner visa change of address is found mainly in section 52 of the Migration Act 1958, which deals with communication between visa applicants and the Department, and in sections 494A to 494D, which deal with how the Department gives documents to people and when they are taken to have received them.

Section 52 and the duty to keep your address current

Section 52 requires a visa applicant to tell the Department the address where they intend to live while the application is being dealt with, and to tell the Department when that changes. Department policy for the second stage of the partner visa summarises the rule simply: the applicant must inform the Department of any change in contact information, and delegates should update the system and the case file as soon as a notification arrives.

The same policy tells decision makers that applicants are reminded at several points in the process, including in the grant letter for the provisional visa and on the Department's website, about the importance of keeping their contact details current. In other words, the Department expects applicants to know about the duty. A partner visa change of address that is never reported is very unlikely to be accepted later as an excuse for missing correspondence.

Section 104 is a different obligation

Section 104 of the Migration Act deals with changes in circumstances more generally. If something in your application becomes incorrect after you lodge it, you must tell the Department in writing. This is usually done on Form 1022. A partner visa change of address can be a simple contact update, or it can also be a change in circumstances, depending on why you moved and who you now live with. We explain that difference in detail below, and our guide to Form 1022 for a change of circumstances covers the form itself.

Sections 494B, 494C and 494D: how documents reach you

Section 494B sets out the methods the Department may use to give you a document, including sending it by email to the last email address you provided for receiving documents, or by post to the last address you provided for receiving documents. Section 494C then says when you are taken to have received a document sent by each method. Section 494D deals with authorised recipients. These three sections are the reason a partner visa change of address matters so much: the Department is entitled to rely on the last details you gave it.

How to report a partner visa change of address

The quickest way to report a partner visa change of address is through ImmiAccount, using the update function for the application. The Department's website states that the quickest way to tell it about new contact details is in ImmiAccount, and that contact details include your email address, phone number, and residential or postal address. Changes made this way are recorded straight away.

Updating your details in ImmiAccount

Most partner visa applications are lodged online, so most applicants already have an ImmiAccount linked to the application. To report a partner visa change of address, log in, open the application, and use the option to update your details. Check the residential address, the postal address, the email address and the phone numbers, and update each one that has changed. Keep a screenshot or a saved copy of the confirmation. If you no longer have access to the account, our guide on how to create an ImmiAccount explains how accounts work and how an application can be imported.

If you cannot use ImmiAccount

If an application cannot be imported into ImmiAccount, the Department's website provides an online form to update contact details instead. The website says the Department will update the details within a set period after receiving that form, so the change is not instant. Department policy also refers to Form 929, Change of address and/or passport details, as a way to give written notice of new contact details. Whichever method is used, a partner visa change of address should be made in writing and a copy kept on file.

Telling the Department is not the same as telling your representative

If you have a lawyer or registered migration agent acting for you, tell them about your partner visa change of address as well. The representative may also be your authorised recipient, and the Department will send letters to them, but your own residential address is still part of your application and still has to be correct. A representative cannot update details they do not know about.

When to report the change

Report a partner visa change of address as soon as the move happens, and ideally before it happens if you know the new address in advance. Do not wait until you have settled in, and do not wait until the next time you upload documents. Letters can be sent at any time, and a request for information can arrive in the first week after you move.

Residential address, postal address and email: what counts?

A partner visa change of address covers three different kinds of contact detail, and each one does a different job in the application. The residential address is where you actually live. The postal address is where you want paper mail to go. The email address is where the Department sends almost everything.

Your residential address

Your residential address is the place you actually live. It is not a post office box. The Department's older paper partner visa form told applicants that a residential address was required for a valid application and that a post office box was not acceptable as a residential address. In a partner visa, the residential address also has evidentiary value. It shows where the couple live and whether they live together, which is part of the nature of the household, one of the four aspects the Department assesses.

Your postal address

Your postal address, sometimes called the address for correspondence, can be different from your residential address. Some couples use a family member's address, a business address or a post office box for mail. That is acceptable, but the postal address must still be kept current. If you move and your postal address was your old home, your partner visa change of address must update the postal address as well as the residential address.

Your email address

Your email address is the most important contact detail in a modern partner visa application. The Department prefers to communicate electronically, and most applicants agree to receive documents by email when they lodge. Once you have agreed to electronic communication, the Department can send letters, requests and decisions to the last email address you gave it. A new email account is a partner visa change of address in every practical sense, and it must be reported. An email account you have stopped checking is just as dangerous as a house you have moved out of.

Your phone number

A phone number is less central, because the Department rarely makes decisions by phone. However, an officer may try to call to arrange an interview or to clarify something simple. Keep your phone number current as part of every partner visa change of address.

Why missed letters matter: deemed receipt

Deemed receipt means the law treats you as having received a document at a certain time, whether or not you actually read it. Section 494C of the Migration Act sets those times. For a document sent by email or other electronic means, you are taken to have received it at the end of the day on which it was transmitted. For a document sent by post, you are taken to have received it after a fixed number of working days from the date of the document, provided the letter is sent within the time the Act allows.

This is the legal reason a partner visa change of address cannot be left until later. If the Department sends a request to your old email address or your old home, and that was the last address you gave it, the document can be taken to have reached you. The response period then starts to run, even though you are unaware of it.

Deemed receipt does not depend on whether the email went to a junk folder, whether a new tenant threw the letter away, or whether you were overseas at the time. The question is whether the Department used a method in section 494B and sent the document to the last address you provided for receiving documents. If it did, the deemed receipt rules usually apply.

There are limits. The Department must actually use a correct method and the correct address. If it sends a document to an address you never gave it, or makes an error in the notification, the deemed receipt rules may not operate in the usual way. Whether a notification was valid is a technical legal question, and it can matter a great deal after a refusal. For the applicant who is planning ahead, the lesson is simple: report every partner visa change of address promptly, and keep checking the email account the Department has on file.

Department policy also tells officers what to do if they learn of a different address from another source. The officer should resend the written communication and request written confirmation of the change of address, and Form 929 may be used for that purpose. That is a safety net used at the officer's discretion. It is not something an applicant can rely on.

How a missed letter can lead to a partner visa refusal

A missed letter can lead to a partner visa refusal because the Department can decide the application without the information it asked for once the response period ends. That is why a partner visa change of address that is not reported is one of the most avoidable causes of refusal in partner visa matters.

Section 56 requests for more information

Under section 56 of the Migration Act, the Department may invite an applicant to give additional information. In a partner visa this is commonly a request for police certificates, health examinations, updated relationship evidence or a sponsor document. The letter states how long the applicant has to respond. If no response is received by the end of that period, the Department can make a decision on the information it already has.

If the request was sent to an old email address because the applicant never reported a partner visa change of address, the applicant may not know the request exists. The period runs, nothing is received, and the decision maker may conclude that a criterion is not met. Our guide to responding to a section 56 request for more information explains these requests in detail.

Section 57 natural justice letters

Under section 57, the Department must in certain cases give an applicant particulars of adverse information and invite them to comment before refusing the application. In partner visa matters, these letters often raise doubts about whether the relationship is genuine and continuing, or point out inconsistencies between documents. The response is often the applicant's last chance to address the problem before a decision. Our article on the section 57 natural justice letter for a partner visa explains how to respond.

A section 57 letter sent to an address the applicant no longer checks is a serious risk. The applicant loses the chance to answer the concern, and the decision is then made on the adverse information alone. A properly reported partner visa change of address keeps that chance open.

An example from the Tribunal remittals

The risk is not theoretical. In Bobadilla (Migration) [2022] AATA 232, a Subclass 820 matter that was remitted by the Tribunal, the reported issues were that there was no response to the Department's request for further information, together with a visit to the applicant's home country and a change of contact details. The case shows how travel, a partner visa change of address and a missed request can combine to produce a refusal at the Department, which then has to be corrected through review. A correctly reported partner visa change of address would have avoided that path.

Health examinations, police certificates and interviews

Many requests in a partner visa have practical steps attached: booking a health examination, applying for a police certificate, or attending an interview. These requests usually come with a reference number and a response period. A request that is missed because of an unreported partner visa change of address can leave the applicant without the health or character clearance the decision maker needs. Our partner visa document checklist and our 820 partner visa evidence checklist explain what is usually needed.

Missing a refusal letter: the effect on review rights

A missed refusal letter can cost an applicant the time they need to seek review, because the time to apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal starts from the date the applicant is taken to have received the decision, not the date they actually read it. Review deadlines are short and strictly applied.

This is the most serious consequence of an unreported partner visa change of address. A refusal sent by email to an address on file can be taken to have been received at the end of the day it was sent. If the applicant does not see it for some time, part or all of the review period may already have passed. The Tribunal cannot extend the time limit for most partner visa reviews.

What to do if you think a letter went to an old address

If you have just discovered that you have a partner visa change of address that was never reported, act straight away. Report the new details in ImmiAccount. Then check every email account and postal address you have given the Department, including old ones, for letters you have not seen. Look in junk and spam folders. If you find a request with a response period still running, respond within the period or ask for more time before it ends. If you find a refusal, read the date on it and get advice on the review deadline the same day.

If a refusal has arrived and the review period is still open, our guide to partner visa refused appeal options and our article on what to expect at an ART review explain the next steps. Our partner visa refusals service acts in these matters, and a visa appeal lawyer can explain how the Tribunal process works. Where the question is whether a notification was valid at all, our judicial review practice may also be relevant.

Notification errors can matter

The Tribunal's remittals show that notification itself can be in issue. In NGAOSRI (Migration) [2020] AATA 1956, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included the notification period and defective notification. In FAHME (Migration) [2023] AATA 3079, another Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included that the primary notification was affected by error. These cases show that the Department must get notification right. They do not change the basic rule: an applicant who reports every partner visa change of address promptly removes the most common reason a letter goes astray.

Bridging visas after a refusal

A refusal also starts the clock on the bridging visa held with an onshore application. If the applicant does not apply for review in time, the bridging visa will cease after a set period. Our guide to bridging visas in Australia explains how bridging visas end. A missed refusal letter can therefore affect not only the partner visa but also the applicant's lawful status.

Authorised recipients, Form 956 and Form 956A

An authorised recipient is a person appointed to receive documents from the Department on the applicant's behalf, and documents given to the authorised recipient are treated as if they had been given to the applicant. This rule is in section 494D of the Migration Act. The Department's form instructions also make this clear: written communication about the visa matter is sent to the authorised recipient, and the applicant is deemed to have received it.

A lawyer or registered migration agent is appointed using Form 956, and is usually also the authorised recipient. A family member or friend can be appointed as an authorised recipient only, using Form 956A. Our guide to Form 956 and 956A explains both forms.

Why an authorised recipient does not remove the need to report a move

Appointing an authorised recipient does not remove the need for a partner visa change of address to be reported. The authorised recipient receives the letters, but the application still records where the applicant lives. That residential address is part of the evidence about the relationship, and the applicant must keep it accurate.

An authorised recipient also creates a new risk: their own contact details. If a friend acting as authorised recipient changes email address, moves house or stops paying attention, letters can be deemed received while sitting unread in their inbox. If you have appointed an authorised recipient who is not a lawyer, make sure they understand that their own partner visa change of address details matter too, and that you can withdraw the appointment in writing or on Form 956A if the arrangement is no longer reliable.

Changing representatives

If you change your lawyer or migration agent, the new representative lodges a fresh Form 956 and the Department updates its records. Until that happens, letters may still go to the previous representative. Our article on hiring an immigration lawyer after visa lodgement explains how a lawyer can step into an application that is already under way.

What a partner visa change of address can signal about the relationship

A partner visa change of address can signal a change in the relationship, because where the couple live is part of the evidence the Department uses to decide whether the relationship is genuine and continuing. When one partner moves and the other does not, the Department may ask why.

Living together and living apart in the law

For a married couple, section 5F of the Migration Act requires, among other things, that the spouses live together, or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. For a de facto couple, section 5CB has a similar requirement. The law does not require couples to share the same roof every night. It does require that any time apart is not a permanent separation. Our article on the de facto partner visa and the 12 month rule explains the de facto test.

This is why a partner visa change of address is never just an administrative event. If only the applicant's address changes, and the sponsor's address stays the same, the file now shows two people living in two places. The Department is entitled to ask whether the relationship is still continuing.

Temporary separation for work, study or family

Many couples live apart for good reasons. One partner takes a job in another city or a regional area. One partner goes overseas to care for a sick parent. One partner studies in another state. These are temporary separations, and they do not end a genuine relationship. They do need to be explained.

The Tribunal remittals include several matters of this kind. In Leow (Migration) [2023] AATA 2645, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included a work related separation. In Mandeep Singh (Migration) [2024] AATA 1442, also a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included a period of separation for employment. In Ryu (Migration) [2026] ARTA 840, the reported issues included that the couple first lived together and then lived separately, spending time with each other at both homes. In each of these matters the Tribunal remitted the application to the Department. They show that living apart can be consistent with a genuine relationship, but only when it is properly explained and supported by evidence.

Where a partner visa change of address reflects a temporary separation, the explanation should cover why the couple are living apart, how long the arrangement is expected to last, how they stay in contact, how they continue to share finances and responsibilities, and when they expect to live together again. Our guide to partner visa relationship evidence and our article on preparing evidence of a genuine relationship explain what evidence helps.

When the move reflects a breakdown

Sometimes a partner visa change of address happens because the relationship has ended. That situation is different. The applicant must tell the Department about the change in circumstances, and the consequences depend on the stage of the application and the reason for the breakdown. Special provisions can apply where the relationship ended because of family violence, or where the sponsor has died. Our article on what happens if the relationship breaks down during a Subclass 820 application explains the position, and our family violence partner visa lawyers act in those matters. Do not hide a separation by reporting a new address without explanation. Giving incorrect information creates its own serious problems.

When a partner visa change of address also needs Form 1022

A partner visa change of address also needs Form 1022 when the move means that information in the application is no longer correct, for example because the couple no longer live together. Section 104 of the Migration Act requires an applicant to notify the Department in writing of a change in circumstances that makes an answer in the application incorrect. Form 1022 is the form the Department provides for this.

A simple move together to a new home is usually a contact detail update only. Both partners move, they still live together, and the application answers about the relationship remain correct. Updating the address in ImmiAccount for each person is normally enough, although it is sensible to upload a short explanation and evidence of the new shared address.

A move that changes the household is different. Examples include:

• One partner moving out, even temporarily.
• The couple moving in with family, or family moving in with them.
• A child of either partner coming to live with the couple, or leaving.
• One partner moving overseas for a period.
• The couple separating.

In each of these cases, the partner visa change of address should be reported in ImmiAccount and the change in circumstances should be notified on Form 1022, with an explanation and supporting evidence. Where the change affects the relationship claims, a short updated statement from the applicant can help. Our guide to the partner visa relationship statement explains how that statement is structured.

Keeping your partner visa change of address consistent with Form 80 and your evidence

Every partner visa change of address should match the address history in your Form 80 and the addresses shown in your relationship evidence, because decision makers compare these documents and treat unexplained differences as a credibility issue.

Form 80 address history

Form 80, Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment, asks for a detailed address history. Many partner visa applicants complete it at lodgement or when the Department asks for it. If you later report a partner visa change of address, the new address and the date you moved should fit with the history already given. If you are asked to complete a new Form 80, the history must include the move. Our guide to Form 80 explains how to complete the address section without errors.

Relationship evidence and addresses

Bank statements, leases, utility bills, insurance policies and letters from government agencies all show addresses. When a decision maker reviews the file, they look at whether both partners' documents show the same address over the same period. A partner visa change of address that is reported to the Department but not to your bank, or the other way around, can make the evidence look inconsistent.

The same applies to Form 888 statements from friends and family. A witness who says the couple live in one suburb when the latest documents show another suburb can raise unnecessary questions. Our guides to Form 888 for partner visas and Form 888 example answers and common mistakes explain what witnesses should cover.

Explaining gaps and overlaps

Moving often creates small gaps and overlaps in records. A lease may end a week after a new one starts. A bank may take time to update. These are ordinary. A short explanation uploaded with the partner visa change of address, together with the new lease and the end date of the old one, usually answers any question before it is asked. Our Subclass 820 partner visa guide explains the wider evidence requirements.

Partner visa change of address during the second stage (Subclass 801 and Subclass 100)

A partner visa change of address during the second stage is just as important as one during the first stage, because the Department contacts applicants at the second stage using the contact details already on file. The provisional visa grant does not end the application. The permanent visa application stays open until it is decided.

The second stage reminder email

Department policy for the Subclass 801 and Subclass 100 visas states that, when the application becomes ready for second stage assessment, the Department sends a reminder email to the applicant's nominated email address. That email tells the applicant they can be considered for the permanent visa and asks them to upload information through ImmiAccount. If the email address on file is no longer used, the applicant may never see the invitation. The policy also says that delegates should check whether the applicant or their authorised recipient has advised updated contact details before sending correspondence.

The older paper partner visa form asked applicants for a separate address for second stage processing and warned that they needed to tell the Department if that address changed. Online applications work differently, but the principle is the same. A partner visa change of address at any time before the permanent visa is decided must be reported.

Offshore applicants who move to Australia

A Subclass 309 holder who enters Australia and settles with their partner has had a partner visa change of address in the most obvious sense: from an overseas home to an Australian home. That move must be reported. The Subclass 100 application is still open, and the Department will need to contact the applicant at their Australian address and email. Our article on Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801 explains the two stage structure, which works in a similar way offshore.

Onshore applicants who travel

Onshore applicants who travel overseas during processing often keep their Australian address but are not there to receive mail. Before travelling, make sure the email address on file is one you can check from overseas. If you will be away for a long period and staying at another address, report that as a partner visa change of address. Our guide to the Bridging visa B explains the travel rules for onshore applicants.

Updating the Australian partner's details

The Australian partner's contact details also need to be kept current, because the sponsor is part of the application and the Department may need to contact them directly. A partner visa change of address for the couple usually means both people's details need updating.

Why the sponsor's details matter

The sponsor gives their own contact details when the sponsorship is lodged. The Department may write to the sponsor to request police certificates, further information about the relationship, or comment on a concern. If the sponsor moves or changes email and does not report it, those requests can be missed in exactly the same way as requests to the applicant. Our guides to when a sponsor cannot sponsor a partner visa and our sponsorship limitations service explain the sponsor's role in more detail.

When only one partner's address changes

If the applicant reports a partner visa change of address and the sponsor does not, or the other way around, the Department's records will show the couple at different addresses. Sometimes that is accurate, because they are living apart for a period, and then it should be explained. Sometimes it is simply an oversight, and the couple have moved together but only one person updated their details. Either way, both sets of details should be checked and updated together.

Updating Services Australia, banks and the electoral roll

A partner visa change of address should be followed by updating the same address with every organisation that produces documents you may use as relationship evidence. The Department is not the only record that matters.

Services Australia

If either partner deals with Services Australia, for example for Medicare or for any payment, update the address there as well. Letters from Services Australia are often used as evidence of a shared address. If one partner's records show the old address for months after the move, the evidence becomes less useful, and in some cases it can raise questions about whether the couple are living together.

Banks, utilities and insurers

Update the address on joint and individual bank accounts, credit cards, energy and internet accounts, insurance policies and phone plans. These documents are the core of the evidence for the financial aspects and the nature of the household. When both partners' statements show the new address from the same month, the evidence supports the claim that the couple moved together.

The electoral roll

Only Australian citizens can enrol to vote. If the Australian partner is a citizen and enrolled, their enrolment should be updated with the new address. An electoral enrolment record showing the sponsor at the shared address can be part of the evidence that the couple live together.

Your lease or property records

Put the new lease or property document in both names where possible. If only one partner is on the lease, keep other evidence that the other partner lives there, such as mail, bills and records from employers or education providers. Our guide on whether you really need 12 months of de facto relationship explains how evidence of living together is assessed.

Common mistakes with a partner visa change of address

The most common mistakes with a partner visa change of address come from treating it as a minor administrative task rather than part of the evidence in a long application. The mistakes that most often cause problems are:

• Moving house and not updating ImmiAccount at all.
• Updating the residential address but not the postal address or email.
• Changing email provider and leaving the old address on file.
• Forgetting that a friend appointed as authorised recipient has moved or changed email.
• Updating the applicant's details but not the sponsor's.
• Reporting a new address for one partner without explaining why the couple are living apart.
• Treating a separation as a contact update instead of notifying a change in circumstances on Form 1022.
• Leaving bank, Services Australia and other records at the old address.
• Not checking spam and junk folders for Department emails.

Each of these mistakes is easy to avoid. Each can lead to a missed request, a refusal, or an inconsistency that takes time and evidence to repair. Our overview of why partner visas get refused and our guide to why Subclass 820 partner visas are refused explain the wider causes of refusal. If you already have a refusal from an earlier application, our article on applying for a partner visa after a visa refusal explains the options, and our broader visa refusals practice covers other refusals.

Getting advice on a partner visa change of address

Advice on a partner visa change of address is most useful when the move changes the household, when the couple will be living apart, or when a letter may already have been missed. A simple move together rarely needs a lawyer. A move that tells a new story about the relationship often does.

If you lodged the application yourself and are worried about what the Department has on file, a second opinion from an immigration lawyer can check your contact details, your evidence and any correspondence you may have missed. If you are deciding whether you need help at all, see when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa and our guide to choosing a partner visa lawyer in Australia. Where a response period is running now, urgent immigration lawyer advice explains what to prepare, and our article on booking an immigration lawyer consultation explains how a consultation works.

Applicants without a substantive visa who must also address Schedule 3 face extra scrutiny of their history, including where they have lived. Our article on the Schedule 3 criteria for partner visas and our Schedule 3 waiver service explain that issue. Same-sex couples have exactly the same obligations, and our LGBTI partner visa page explains how we act for them. Engaged couples on a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa must also keep their details current, and if a visa is at risk because of a missed letter or a condition breach, our visa cancellations practice can help.

Where My Migration Lawyers acts on partner visa matters

My Migration Lawyers acts for partner visa applicants and sponsors across Australia, with consultations by video, so a move to another city or state does not mean changing lawyers. Couples can find our local partner visa pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Parramatta. Where a partner visa sits alongside other visa issues, our general immigration pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Parramatta explain our wider practice. Couples comparing representatives may find our guide on how to choose a partner visa lawyer in Australia useful. More of our partner visa writing is on the My Migration Lawyers blog, and our immigration lawyers Australia home page lists all our practice areas.

How My Migration Lawyers helps with a partner visa change of address

My Migration Lawyers acts in many partner visa matters where a partner visa change of address is part of a larger problem, and many of those matters are complex. They include couples living apart for work or family reasons, applicants who moved and missed a request for information, sponsors whose details were never updated, applicants who have just found a refusal in an old inbox, and couples whose move reflects a change in the relationship. The firm deals with complex cases as a regular part of its partner visa practice and is capable of handling them.

When a client tells us about a move, the firm checks the contact details recorded for the applicant, the sponsor and any authorised recipient, and makes sure each partner visa change of address is reported in the correct way. Where the move changes the household, the firm advises whether Form 1022 is needed and prepares the notification, presenting the couple's own account and evidence of the change in the form the law requires. The firm also reviews the Form 80 address history and the relationship evidence on file, so that the new address fits the documents the Department already holds.

Where a letter may have been missed, the firm checks the Department's correspondence, works out the deemed date of receipt and the time left to respond, and acts within that time. If a refusal has already been made and the review period is still open, the firm advises on review at the Administrative Review Tribunal and acts in the review. As the firm is usually the authorised recipient for its clients, Department letters come to us, and we pass them on and diarise every deadline.

Our work is led by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers, see our partner visa lawyers page or send us a message through our contact page.

If you are planning a move, have already moved, or are worried that a partner visa change of address was missed, get advice before a deadline passes. Book a consultation or call 1300 040 300.