Partner Visa Evidence Timeline: How Far Back to Go

A partner visa evidence timeline is the dated record of a relationship from the first meeting to the day the visa is decided. Most couples ask how far back their partner visa evidence timeline needs to go. The short answer is: to the very beginning, and then all the way forward to the decision.

This guide explains how far back a partner visa evidence timeline should go, which dates the Department of Home Affairs tests, and how to build a chronology that matches the relationship statement, the Form 888 supporting statements and the application forms. It also explains how to deal with gaps, how to update the timeline after lodgement and at the permanent stage, and how inconsistent dates lead to refusals. It is written for couples applying in Australia for the onshore partner visa, and it sits within our wider partner visa guide to every subclass. If you want a lawyer to review your evidence, our partner visa lawyers do this work every day.

How far back should a partner visa evidence timeline go?

A partner visa evidence timeline should go back to the first time the couple met or made contact, and it should continue without a break to the date of application and then to the date of decision. There is no rule that evidence older than a certain number of years is ignored. The Department must consider all the circumstances of the relationship, and the history of the relationship is one of those circumstances.

In practice, the partner visa evidence timeline has three parts:

• The history before application. How the couple met, how the relationship developed, when it became committed, when the couple started living together and when they married.
• The position at the date of application. What the relationship looked like on the day the application was lodged: where the couple lived, how they shared money and household duties, and how they presented themselves to others.
• The period after application. Evidence that the relationship continued while the application was processed, up to the decision on the temporary visa and later the permanent visa.

Couples often focus only on the last six or twelve months. That is a mistake. A decision maker reading a file with heavy recent evidence and almost nothing about how the relationship started will ask why. The early part of the partner visa evidence timeline gives the recent evidence its meaning. It shows that the relationship grew in a natural way, over time, between two people who know each other well.

The amount of evidence for each period does not need to be equal. The early stages are usually supported by fewer documents, such as messages, photographs and travel records. The later stages are usually supported by stronger documents, such as a joint lease, joint accounts and a marriage certificate. What matters is that the partner visa evidence timeline has no unexplained holes and that every date in it can be checked.

For a broader explanation of the kinds of documents that prove a relationship, see our guide on how to prove your relationship is genuine.

Why the relationship must be genuine at application and at decision

The relationship must be genuine and continuing on the day the application is made and again on the day the visa is decided, so the partner visa evidence timeline must cover both points and the time in between. This is not a policy preference. It comes from the structure of the law.

The time of application requirement

For the Subclass 820 visa, clause 820.211 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the criteria that must be met at the time of application. For most applicants, this means being the spouse of the Australian sponsor when the application is lodged. Section 5F of the Migration Act 1958 defines a married relationship. The couple must be validly married, have a mutual commitment to a shared life as a married couple to the exclusion of all others, have a relationship that is genuine and continuing, and live together or not live separately and apart on a permanent basis.

That means the partner visa evidence timeline must prove that, on the date of lodgement, all of those things were already true. Evidence created after lodgement can help to show what the relationship was like at lodgement, but the timeline must make the position at that date clear.

The time of decision requirement

Clause 820.221 sets the criteria at the time of decision. In the ordinary case, the applicant must continue to meet the relationship requirements when the decision is made. Department policy states that a delegate may treat this as met without further enquiry only where there is no evidence to the contrary and no significant time has passed since the relationship was assessed. Otherwise, the delegate is expected to take reasonable steps to confirm there has been no material change.

Given the time onshore partner visas take, significant time usually does pass. The Department's own visa processing times guide, as at October 2026, shows 50% of Subclass 820 applications processed in 22 months and 90% processed in 30 months. The Department updates that guide regularly. Over that period, the partner visa evidence timeline keeps growing, and the couple should keep adding to it. Our guide on how long the Subclass 820 visa takes explains the stages in more detail.

The permanent stage is a fresh assessment

For the Subclass 801 permanent visa, clause 801.221 requires the applicant to hold a Subclass 820 visa and to still be in the relationship with the sponsoring partner. In most cases, at least two years must have passed since the application was made. Department policy describes the Subclass 801 relationship assessment as a fresh assessment based on the evidence before the delegate at the time of decision.

So the partner visa evidence timeline is not a document you prepare once. It is a record you keep alive for years. Our comparison of Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 explains how the two stages connect.

The four aspects the Department weighs

Regulation 1.15A requires the decision maker, for a Subclass 820 or Subclass 801 visa, to consider all the circumstances of the relationship, including four aspects: the financial aspects of the relationship, the nature of the household, the social aspects of the relationship, and the nature of the persons' commitment to each other. These are assessed aspects, not separate documents. Under the nature of the commitment, the regulation lists the duration of the relationship, the length of time the couple have lived together, the degree of companionship and emotional support they draw from each other, and whether they see the relationship as a long-term one.

Two of those matters are expressly about time. The duration of the relationship and the length of time the couple have lived together are measured by the partner visa evidence timeline. If the dates are vague or inconsistent, the Department cannot measure them with confidence, and the commitment aspect becomes harder to prove.

The key dates the Department tests

The Department tests a small number of anchor dates: the first meeting, the start of the committed relationship, the date the couple moved in together, the date of marriage, and the start and end of every period apart. Every partner visa evidence timeline should name these dates clearly, and every document in the application should agree with them.

The first meeting

The first meeting is where the partner visa evidence timeline begins. The Department wants to know how, where and when the couple met. If they met online, the date of first contact and the date of first meeting in person are both relevant. If they were introduced by family or friends, the name of the person who introduced them and the date matter. If they met at work, study or a social event, the timeline should say so.

The circumstances of meeting are often tested at interview or in a section 56 request for more information. Both partners must give the same account. A couple who say different things about where they met will face serious questions, even if the rest of the evidence is strong.

The start of the relationship

The start of the relationship is the date the couple regard themselves as being in a committed relationship, which may be different from the first meeting. Some couples became a couple within weeks. Others were friends for years first. The partner visa evidence timeline should explain the shift from friendship or dating to commitment, and the relationship statement should describe it in the couple's own words.

Couples often struggle to pick a single date. That is understandable. What matters is that the same date, or the same description of the period, is used in every document. If one form says the relationship started in March and the other says June, the Department will notice.

Moving in together

The date the couple started living together is one of the most important dates in any partner visa evidence timeline. It goes directly to the nature of the household and to the length of time the couple have lived together. It should be supported by documents such as a lease, a letter from a landlord, utility accounts, bank statements showing the same address, or government records showing a change of address.

The date the couple moved in must match the address history in Form 80 and the residential details in the application form. An incorrect residential history is one of the most common sources of inconsistency in partner visa files. Our Form 80 guide explains how to complete the address history accurately.

The marriage

The date of marriage is fixed by the marriage certificate, and the partner visa evidence timeline must match it exactly. If there was an engagement, a religious or cultural ceremony and a later legal registration, each date should be recorded and explained. The Department needs to know which ceremony created the legal marriage.

For couples who came to Australia on a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa, the marriage date also matters because the marriage must take place within the visa period. Couples in that position should keep the notice of intended marriage and the marriage certificate with the rest of their timeline.

Periods apart

Every period the couple lived apart must appear in the partner visa evidence timeline, with dates, the reason for the separation and the evidence of ongoing contact. Under section 5F, a married couple must live together or not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. A temporary separation for work, study, family duties or visa reasons does not end the relationship, but the couple must show why it was temporary and how they stayed connected.

Department policy says that where the couple claim a separation was not permanent, the decision maker must consider the reasons for it and whether those reasons are consistent with a mutual commitment. That is why the reason for each period apart belongs in the timeline, not just the dates.

Other dates that may matter

Depending on the case, other dates may also matter: the birth of a child, the purchase of a home, the opening of a joint account, the date the couple first travelled together, the date they met each other's families, and the dates of any prior relationships or divorces. Where either partner was previously married, the divorce date must appear in the partner visa evidence timeline, because a marriage cannot be recognised if an earlier marriage had not ended. If the applicant held other visas during the relationship, the visa history should also line up with the timeline. Our guide to moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa explains why visa history and relationship history are read together.

Long-term partner relationships

The length of the relationship at the date of application can also change how the permanent stage is decided. Under subclause 801.221(6A), the two year waiting period for the Subclass 801 visa does not apply if the couple were in a long-term partner relationship when the application was made. Regulation 1.03 defines this as a relationship of at least three years, or at least two years if there is a dependent child of both partners (other than a step-child).

This is one of the clearest reasons why a partner visa evidence timeline should go back to the start. A couple who can prove a long-term partner relationship at lodgement may be assessed for both stages together. A couple who cannot prove the start date with confidence may lose that benefit, even if the relationship is in fact long. Our Subclass 820 visa guide explains the long-term relationship provision alongside the other criteria.

How to build a dated partner visa evidence timeline

A dated partner visa evidence timeline is built by listing every key event in date order, attaching the evidence for each event, and then checking every date against the relationship statement and the forms. It is the backbone of the application. Every other document is checked against it.

Step one: draft the chronology together

Both partners should sit down together and write out the history of the relationship in date order. Start with the first contact or first meeting. Add each significant event: the first date, the first trip together, meeting each other's families, the start of the committed relationship, moving in, the engagement, the marriage, each period apart, any change of address, the birth of children and any major purchases.

Use calendars, phone records, social media history, email archives, flight bookings and bank statements to confirm each date. Where a date cannot be confirmed exactly, record the best estimate and say that it is an estimate, for example "around early May 2021". The partner visa evidence timeline must never present a guess as a fact.

Step two: organise the chronology by phase

Once the events are listed, organise the partner visa evidence timeline into phases. A common structure is:

• Phase one: meeting and early relationship. First contact, first meeting, early dates, early communication.
• Phase two: commitment. The point the couple became committed, met each other's families and began planning a future together.
• Phase three: shared life. Moving in, combining finances, sharing household responsibilities.
• Phase four: marriage. The engagement, ceremony and legal registration.
• Phase five: application and beyond. The position at lodgement and the evidence after lodgement.

Phases help the decision maker read the file. They also show the couple where their evidence is thin. If phase one has three documents and phase three has sixty, that is normal. If phase three has no documents at all, that is a problem that must be fixed before lodgement.

Step three: match evidence to each phase

Each phase of the partner visa evidence timeline should carry evidence that covers the four aspects in regulation 1.15A, as far as that phase allows. The next section sets out typical evidence for each phase. For a full list of documents, see our partner visa document checklist and our Subclass 820 evidence checklist.

Step four: check the timeline against every other document

The final step is to compare the partner visa evidence timeline with the relationship statement, every Form 888, Form 80, the application form answers, and any earlier visa applications. Every date must agree. Where a date in an older document is wrong, the error must be identified and explained, not ignored. This step is where most problems are found, and it is the step most couples skip when they prepare their own application.

Evidence for each phase of the relationship

The evidence for each phase of a partner visa evidence timeline should be the best records that naturally exist for that stage of the relationship. The Department does not expect a couple who have just met to hold a joint mortgage. It does expect the evidence to grow stronger as the relationship grows.

Meeting and early relationship

Early evidence is usually personal and informal. It may include:

• screenshots of first messages, with dates visible;
• dating app or social media records showing first contact;
• photographs from early dates, with metadata or other proof of date;
• travel bookings for visits;
• call logs and video call records;
• receipts for gifts, meals or events.

Do not submit thousands of messages. Select a sample spread across the period, showing regular contact and the development of the relationship. The purpose is to prove the start of the partner visa evidence timeline, not to overwhelm the decision maker.

Commitment

Evidence of commitment may include photographs with each other's families, travel together, messages discussing future plans, introductions to friends and colleagues, and joint social activities. Statements from people who knew the couple at this stage are useful here, which is why the choice of Form 888 witnesses should reflect the partner visa evidence timeline.

Shared life

Once the couple live together, the evidence becomes stronger and more documentary. Typical evidence includes:

• a joint lease or a lease in one name with evidence of the other partner living there;
• joint bank accounts and statements showing shared expenses;
• utility, internet and phone bills at the shared address;
• correspondence to both partners at the same address;
• insurance policies naming both partners;
• evidence of shared household duties and, where relevant, shared care of children;
• superannuation or will nominations naming the other partner.

Department policy gives joint ownership of property, joint leases, joint utility accounts and correspondence to both parties at the same address as examples of evidence of the nature of the household. These documents prove both the address and the date the shared household began, which is why they are central to the partner visa evidence timeline.

Marriage

The marriage certificate fixes the marriage date. Photographs of the ceremony, wedding invitations, guest lists, and evidence of any cultural or religious ceremony help show the social side of the marriage. If the ceremony and the legal registration occurred on different dates, both must be explained.

The period after application

After lodgement, the couple should keep collecting evidence of the continuing relationship: updated bank statements, new leases, bills, photographs, travel, and any significant changes such as a new home or a child. This part of the partner visa evidence timeline is often forgotten. It becomes critical at the Subclass 801 stage. Our guide to preparing evidence of a genuine relationship explains how to keep this evidence organised.

Matching the timeline with the relationship statement, Form 888s and forms

The partner visa evidence timeline, the relationship statement, every Form 888 and every form answer must tell the same story with the same dates. Inconsistency between these documents is one of the most common reasons decision makers doubt a relationship.

The relationship statement

The relationship statement is the couple's own account of their relationship in their own words. It is evidence, and it must be true and accurate. The partner visa evidence timeline gives the statement its structure: the statement should follow the same phases and use the same dates. Where the statement describes an event, the timeline should show where the evidence for that event can be found.

There is one relationship statement, not a separate statement for each aspect. The statement should address the history of the relationship and, within that history, the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment. Our guide to writing a partner visa relationship statement explains how to do this.

Form 888 supporting statements

A Form 888 is a supporting witness statement from someone who knows the couple. Each Form 888 should describe how long the witness has known the couple, how the witness knows them, and what the witness has observed. The dates in each Form 888 must be consistent with the partner visa evidence timeline. If a witness says they have known the couple as a couple since 2019, but the timeline says the relationship began in 2021, the Department will ask which is correct.

Witnesses should write from their own knowledge and in their own words. They should not copy dates from the timeline that they do not personally know. A witness who met the couple only after they married should say so. Our guides to who can make a Form 888 and what it should say and to Form 888 example answers and common mistakes explain this in detail.

Form 80 and the application form

Form 80 asks for personal particulars, including address history, travel history, employment history and relationship history. The application form asks its own questions about the relationship, including when it started and where the couple have lived. Every answer must match the partner visa evidence timeline.

Section 101 of the Migration Act requires visa applicants to fill in or complete their application form so that all questions are answered and no incorrect answers are given. Incorrect answers can have serious consequences, including under public interest criterion 4020, which deals with false information and bogus documents. Small errors, such as the wrong month for a change of address, are usually explainable. Patterns of errors, or errors about key events, can damage credibility. Our guide to Form 80 personal particulars shows where most errors occur.

Earlier visa applications

Earlier visa applications are part of the record the Department holds. If the applicant told the Department in a previous application that they were single, or gave a different address, that earlier answer is now part of the partner visa evidence timeline whether the couple like it or not. If an earlier answer was wrong, the inconsistency should be identified and explained before the Department raises it. This is especially important for applicants who have had a previous visa refusal or who held visitor or student visas during the relationship.

How to handle gaps in a partner visa evidence timeline

Gaps in a partner visa evidence timeline are handled by explaining them honestly and supporting the explanation with the best alternative evidence available. Almost every relationship has gaps. A gap is not fatal. An unexplained gap, or an explanation that does not fit the other evidence, can be.

Long distance periods

Many couples spend part of their relationship in different cities or countries. During a long distance period, the partner visa evidence timeline should show regular contact (call logs, video calls, messages), visits (flight bookings, passport stamps, accommodation), financial support where it exists (money transfers), and plans to be together again. The reason for the distance should be stated clearly: work, study, family responsibilities, visa restrictions or travel restrictions.

The Department's policy recognises that there is no fixed time within which a married couple must live together, but the couple must satisfy the decision maker that any separation is temporary and that they intend to live together. A clear long distance section in the partner visa evidence timeline goes a long way to doing that.

Separations and reconciliations

Some couples separate for a period and then reconcile. A past separation must be disclosed if it is relevant to any question in the forms or if the Department may find out about it. The partner visa evidence timeline should record the dates of the separation and the reconciliation, the reason for each, and the evidence that the relationship was rebuilt.

Hiding a separation is far more dangerous than explaining it. If a separation appears in other records, such as a change of address or a statement from a third party, and the couple have not disclosed it, the Department may doubt the whole relationship. If a separation occurs after lodgement, see our guide on what happens if the relationship breaks down during the Subclass 820 process. Where a relationship ended because of family violence, special provisions may apply, and our family violence partner visa lawyers can advise.

An early relationship with little paperwork

The early stage of a relationship rarely produces formal documents. That is normal. The partner visa evidence timeline should rely on what does exist: messages, photographs, social media, travel records and witness accounts. The relationship statement should explain why there are few documents, for example because the couple lived with their families, or because they were saving money and did not travel.

Department policy notes that decision makers should take into account the extent to which laws or traditions in the applicant's home country may discourage couples from openly admitting the existence of a relationship. If cultural or family circumstances explain a lack of early public evidence, the partner visa evidence timeline and the relationship statement should say so plainly. Couples in same-sex relationships may have particular reasons for limited early evidence, and our LGBTI partner visa page explains how these relationships are assessed on the same terms.

Lost records

Records are lost when phones break, accounts are closed, or documents are left behind in a move. Where a record is lost, the couple should try to obtain a replacement: banks, telecommunications providers, landlords and government agencies can often reissue statements or confirm historical details. Where a replacement is not available, the partner visa evidence timeline should note what is missing, why, and what other evidence covers the same period.

Never reconstruct a document or alter a date to fill a gap. Fabricated or altered evidence can lead to refusal under public interest criterion 4020 and can affect future visa applications. An honest gap is far safer than a false record.

Updating the partner visa evidence timeline after lodgement

The partner visa evidence timeline must be updated after lodgement because the Department assesses the relationship again at the time of decision, and the decision may be made many months or years later. Section 55 of the Migration Act allows an applicant to give the Department further information until the decision is made, and the Department must have regard to information it holds when it decides.

What to add and when

After lodgement, the couple should add evidence at regular intervals, for example every few months, and whenever something significant changes. Useful updates include new bank statements, a renewed or new lease, updated bills, new insurance policies, travel together, and photographs of family events. Each update should be dated and should extend the partner visa evidence timeline from the point the last update ended. Documents are usually uploaded through the applicant's ImmiAccount. Our guide on how to create an ImmiAccount explains the basics.

Changes of circumstances

Section 104 of the Migration Act requires an applicant to tell the Department in writing if their circumstances change so that an answer in the application form becomes incorrect. Department policy gives examples such as the relationship ending, or the family unit changing through a birth, a death or a change of relationship status. A change of address is also a change that should be recorded. Form 1022 is the usual way to notify these changes. Each notification becomes part of the partner visa evidence timeline. Our guide to Form 1022 change of circumstances explains when it is required.

Requests from the Department

The Department may ask for more information under section 56, or may put adverse information to the applicant under section 57 before refusing. A request of either kind is often a sign that the decision maker has found a gap or an inconsistency in the partner visa evidence timeline. The response should address the concern directly, with dated evidence, and should not introduce new inconsistencies. Our guide to responding to a section 57 natural justice letter for a partner visa explains how to approach these letters.

Life during processing

While the application is processed, the applicant in Australia usually holds a bridging visa. Travel and work during that period create records that become part of the timeline: passport stamps, flight bookings and employment records. Our guides to bridging visas in Australia, the Bridging Visa A, the Bridging Visa B for travel and work rights while waiting for a Subclass 820 visa explain those rules. Any time the couple spend apart because of travel should be recorded in the partner visa evidence timeline with the reason.

The partner visa evidence timeline at the permanent stage

At the Subclass 801 stage, the partner visa evidence timeline must show that the relationship has continued from the original application to the permanent visa decision. The Department will usually invite the applicant to provide updated information and evidence when the application becomes eligible for the permanent stage, which is in most cases at least two years after lodgement.

The permanent stage evidence should cover the same four aspects as before: finances, household, social aspects and commitment. It should also include fresh Form 888 supporting statements where requested, and it should be consistent with everything provided earlier. A couple who moved house, changed jobs or had a child since the temporary visa was granted should make sure those events appear in the partner visa evidence timeline with the correct dates.

The most common problem at this stage is a gap between the last update before the Subclass 820 grant and the request for permanent stage evidence. Couples relax once the temporary visa is granted and stop keeping records. Then, two years later, they have little to show. Keeping a running partner visa evidence timeline avoids this. Our complete Subclass 820 partner visa guide and our article on how long the onshore partner visa takes explain the two-stage process from start to finish.

Inconsistent dates that cause partner visa refusals

Inconsistent dates cause refusals because a decision maker who cannot rely on the couple's account of their own history may not be satisfied that the relationship is genuine and continuing. The inconsistency does not have to be large. It has to be unexplained.

The most common date problems in a partner visa evidence timeline are:

• Different dates for the start of the relationship in the relationship statement, the application form and Form 888s.
• Address histories that do not match. Form 80 shows one address, the lease shows another, and the bank statements show a third.
• Move-in dates that do not match the documents. The statement says the couple moved in during January, but the lease starts in June and no other evidence covers the gap.
• Undisclosed periods apart. Travel records show one partner overseas for months, but the timeline does not mention it.
• Prior relationships overlapping the current one. A divorce date or the end of a previous relationship falls after the claimed start of the current relationship, with no explanation.
• Earlier visa applications with different answers. A previous application listed the applicant as single at a time the couple now say they were together.
• Interview answers that differ. Each partner gives a different account of the first meeting or the engagement.

Each of these problems can be prevented by checking the partner visa evidence timeline against every document before lodgement. Many can be explained after lodgement if they are found early. Our article on the most common reasons Subclass 820 visas are refused and our broader guide on why partner visas get refused show how often credibility and evidence problems sit behind a refusal.

What Tribunal decisions show about relationship timelines

Tribunal decisions show that problems with the history, development and length of a relationship, and with the dates in the application, are regularly reviewed and can be resolved when the evidence is properly presented. In each decision below, the Tribunal remitted the matter. "Remitted" means the Tribunal sent the matter back to the Department to reconsider with a direction or finding in the applicant's favour on that issue. The descriptions below are limited to the issues recorded for each decision.

• In BUI (MIGRATION) [2026] ARTA 1339, the Tribunal remitted an onshore partner visa refusal where the issues included whether the relationship was genuine and continuing, the four aspects of the relationship, and the development and length of the relationship and the valid marriage.
• In Salise (Migration) [2024] AATA 1932, the Tribunal (then the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) remitted an onshore partner visa refusal where the issues included the circumstances of meeting and the progress of the relationship, previous visits on tourist visas, and a valid marriage.
• In Le (Migration) [2025] ARTA 2423, the Tribunal remitted an onshore partner visa refusal where the issues included incorrect residential information in the visa application, a joint bank account and shared education expenses.
• In Tang (Migration) [2023] AATA 1244, the Tribunal (then the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) remitted an onshore partner visa refusal where the issues included evidence of events after the date of the visa application, and the financial and social aspects of the relationship.
• In Tran (Migration) [2023] AATA 3870, the Tribunal (then the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) remitted an onshore partner visa refusal where the issues included a genuine and continuing relationship, a valid marriage, the four aspects of the relationship, and limited evidence at the time of application.
• In Vashevnik (Migration) [2018] AATA 5789, the Tribunal (then the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) remitted a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa refusal where the issues included the time of application and time of decision criteria, the couple's genuine intention to marry and live together, and a long distance relationship.

These decisions do not mean every timeline problem will be resolved on review. Each case turns on its own facts. They do show that the history of a relationship, incorrect residential details, limited early evidence and events after lodgement are matters the Tribunal examines closely, and that a well-organised partner visa evidence timeline is central to that examination. If a partner visa has already been refused, see our guides to partner visa refusal appeal options and what to expect in an ART review, and our partner visa refusals service. Review deadlines are short and strictly applied, so act quickly.

When to get legal help with a partner visa evidence timeline

Legal help with a partner visa evidence timeline is most valuable before lodgement, when inconsistencies can still be corrected, and at any point where the Department has raised a concern about the relationship history. Couples who prepare their own application often do a good job collecting documents but miss conflicts between documents. Our article on a partner visa lawyer versus doing it yourself and our guide on when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa explain where the risks lie.

Legal help is also useful where the history is complicated: a previous refusal, a visa cancellation, a past separation, an earlier marriage, an applicant without a substantive visa, or a long period of living apart. Applicants without a substantive visa may need to address the Schedule 3 criteria for partner visas and may benefit from our Schedule 3 waiver service. Applicants who have had a visa cancelled should read about our visa cancellations service, and those with an earlier refusal can see our visa refusals service.

If you have already lodged and want a review of your partner visa evidence timeline, see our guides on hiring an immigration lawyer after lodging your own application and getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer. A representative is appointed through Form 956, explained in our guide to Form 956 and Form 956A. If you are comparing advisers, our guides on what a partner visa lawyer does, how to choose a partner visa lawyer in Australia, the differences between a migration agent and a lawyer for partner visas and what a fixed-fee quote should include set out what to look for. If the Department has set a short deadline, our guide to urgent immigration lawyer advice explains what to prepare.

Where we act

My Migration Lawyers acts for couples across Australia, with consultations by video. We assist couples through our Sydney partner visa lawyers, Melbourne partner visa lawyers, Brisbane partner visa lawyers, Perth partner visa lawyers, Adelaide partner visa lawyers, Gold Coast partner visa lawyers, Canberra partner visa lawyers, Hobart partner visa lawyers and Parramatta partner visa lawyers. For other migration matters, see our immigration lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Parramatta, or visit our immigration lawyers Australia home page.

How My Migration Lawyers helps with your partner visa evidence timeline

My Migration Lawyers deals with complex partner visa matters, acts in many applications where the relationship history is the central issue, and is capable of handling timelines with long distance periods, separations, earlier marriages, prior refusals and limited early evidence. The work is led by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer.

On a partner visa evidence timeline, our work is specific and practical:

• We map the key dates. We identify the first meeting, the start of the relationship, the move-in date, the marriage and every period apart, and we confirm each date against your records.
• We check every document against the timeline. We compare the relationship statement, each Form 888, Form 80, the application form answers and your earlier visa applications, and we identify every conflict before lodgement.
• We address gaps honestly. Where evidence is thin, we advise on which records you can realistically obtain, and we present your own explanation of the gap in the form the law requires.
• We present your account, not ours. Your relationship statement is your own evidence. We review it for completeness and consistency, and you correct and confirm it.
• We keep the timeline current. We advise on updates after lodgement, change of circumstances notifications and the evidence needed for the Subclass 801 stage.
• We respond to Department concerns. Where a section 56 request or section 57 letter raises the relationship history, we prepare a focused response built on dated evidence.

A partner visa evidence timeline that is complete, consistent and honest gives the decision maker what they need to be satisfied about the relationship. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers, browse more guides on our blog, learn about our immigration lawyer consultations, or contact us. To have your partner visa evidence timeline reviewed, Book a Consultation, or call 1300 040 300.