Partner Visa Fee Increases: Budgeting for Your Application

A partner visa fee increase changes how much a couple must pay the Department of Home Affairs to lodge a partner visa application. This guide explains what a partner visa fee increase means for a couple planning to apply in Australia: the current charge, which date sets the price you pay, what the charge does and does not cover, and how to plan lodgement so the application is made once and made correctly.

The direct answer is this. The visa application charge is a government charge. The Department states that the cost of visas changes from time to time, and that the cost of your visa depends on the date the Department receives your application. If a partner visa fee increase takes effect between the date you lodge and the date the Department receives the application, you must pay the new charge. The price is not fixed by the date you started gathering documents, the date you opened a draft form or the date you decided to apply.

Every figure in this article is a Department of Home Affairs figure, as shown on the Department of Home Affairs website on 5 October 2026. Government charges can change. Before you pay, check the charge shown on the Department's website and the amount shown in ImmiAccount at the payment step.

This article focuses on the onshore combined application for the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa. For the full picture of every partner visa pathway, see the firm's complete guide to partner visas in Australia. For a breakdown of each cost a couple may meet along the way, see the article on how much a Subclass 820 partner visa costs.

What is a partner visa fee increase?

A partner visa fee increase is a change to the visa application charge that the Department of Home Affairs applies to partner visa applications. The visa application charge is the amount the applicant must pay when the application is lodged. It is a government charge set under the migration legislation and paid to the Department. No private adviser can waive it, discount it or freeze it.

The Department's own wording is plain. It says that "the cost of visas changes from time to time". A couple should therefore treat the charge shown today as the charge that applies today, not as a price that will stay the same while they prepare.

A partner visa fee increase matters for three practical reasons.

• It changes the budget. The visa application charge is usually the largest single payment in a partner visa application. A change to it changes the total amount the couple needs to set aside.
• It can change the timing. Some couples bring their lodgement forward when they hear about a partner visa fee increase. Others delay because they need more time to save. Both decisions carry risk, discussed later in this article.
• It applies by reference to a date. The charge is fixed by the date the Department receives the application. That makes the date of lodgement a legal fact with a cost attached.

A partner visa fee increase does not change the legal criteria for the visa. The relationship must still be genuine and continuing. The sponsor must still be approved. The applicant must still meet the health, character and other public interest criteria. Paying more does not make an application stronger, and paying earlier does not make a weak application safer.

What is the current partner visa charge?

The current onshore partner visa charge is AUD 11,710 for most applicants, as shown on the Department of Home Affairs website on 5 October 2026. The Department's Subclass 820 page shows the cost as "From AUD11,710.00 for most applicants."

That single charge covers both stages of the onshore partner visa. The Subclass 820 temporary visa and the Subclass 801 permanent visa are applied for together, in one combined application, and the charge is paid once when the application is lodged. The firm's article on the difference between the Subclass 820 and the Subclass 801 explains how the two stages fit together.

The word "from" in the Department's figure matters. It signals that AUD 11,710 is the base charge for the main applicant in the most common situation. Some applicants pay less. Some applications cost more in total, because family members are included or because other costs apply. Any partner visa fee increase applies to these charges as they stand on the date the Department receives the application.

Reduced charge for Prospective Marriage visa holders

A holder of a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa generally pays a lower charge of AUD 1,955 for the onshore partner visa, as shown on the Department of Home Affairs website on 5 October 2026. This reflects the fact that a charge has already been paid for the Prospective Marriage visa.

Reduced charge for some former Prospective Marriage visa holders

A former Subclass 300 holder generally pays AUD 2,475, as shown on the Department of Home Affairs website on 5 October 2026, but only in the circumstances the Department states. Those circumstances are that the person entered Australia on a Subclass 300 visa, did not apply for the partner visa before the Subclass 300 expired, and does not hold a substantive visa. A former Prospective Marriage visa holder who falls outside those circumstances should not assume the reduced charge applies. The amount shown in ImmiAccount at the payment step is the amount the system has calculated for that applicant, and it should be checked before payment.

Former Prospective Marriage visa holders who do not hold a substantive visa also face other questions, including whether additional criteria apply. These are discussed in the section on Schedule 3 later in this article.

Additional charge for each family member

There is an additional charge for each family member who applies with you. The Department states that there is a fee for each family member that applies with the primary applicant. The amount depends on the family member, including their age. This article does not state a figure for family members. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to calculate the total for your family, and check the final amount in ImmiAccount before paying.

Where children are included, a partner visa fee increase affects each person's charge, not only the main applicant's charge. A family of three or four will feel the effect of a partner visa fee increase more than a single applicant will. The firm's partner visa document checklist covers the identity and relationship documents needed for each person included.

Lower charge for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens

From 1 July 2026, the Department states that a lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. The countries listed by the Department are Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant. This article does not state the reduced figure. Check the Department's website and ImmiAccount for the amount that applies.

A couple who may be eligible for this lower charge should make sure the passport details entered in the application are correct and match the passport the primary applicant holds. A data entry error can affect the charge that is calculated.

Which date sets the price after a partner visa fee increase?

The date the Department receives the application sets the price you pay. The Department states that "the cost of your visa is dependent on the date we receive your application". It goes on: "If there is a price increase between the date you lodge your application and the date we receive your application, you will need to pay the new application charge."

This is the most important rule for a couple worried about a partner visa fee increase. On the Department's own statement, the price is set by the date of receipt. It is not set by:

• the date the couple first spoke to an adviser;
• the date the relationship evidence was gathered;
• the date the online form was started or saved as a draft in ImmiAccount; or
• the date the couple intended to lodge.

What counts is the date the application is received. A couple who leaves the payment step until the last day before a partner visa fee increase takes effect is relying on everything working perfectly that day: the online system, the payment card, the internet connection and the accuracy of every answer in the form.

Lodging and receipt

Most partner visa applications are lodged online through ImmiAccount. If you have not yet set up an account, the guide on how to create an ImmiAccount walks through the process. The application is submitted and the visa application charge is paid as part of the online lodgement. Keep the payment receipt and the acknowledgement of the application. These documents record what was paid and when the application was received.

If a partner visa fee increase is close, the couple should check the acknowledgement as soon as it arrives. If the date or the amount paid is not what was expected, that should be raised promptly, not months later when a case officer is assessing the file.

Why the lodgement date also matters for eligibility

The lodgement date is not only a pricing date. It is also the date at which several legal criteria are tested.

• An applicant who does not hold a substantive visa when the application is made faces additional criteria under Schedule 3. The firm's article on Schedule 3 criteria for partner visa applicants explains how these work.
• An applicant whose current visa carries condition 8503 cannot apply until a waiver is granted. The article on applying for a Subclass 820 with a no further stay condition explains the waiver process.
• An applicant who arrived on a visitor visa needs to check the conditions of that visa before lodging. The article on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa covers the questions to check first.
• The date of application also starts the clock for the permanent stage assessment, discussed in the next section.

So a couple should not choose a lodgement date only because of a partner visa fee increase. The right date is the date on which the application is ready, eligible and valid. If that date falls before a partner visa fee increase, the couple pays the current charge. If it falls after, the couple pays the new charge, but lodges an application that is ready to be decided.

Do you pay the charge again at the permanent stage?

No. There is no further visa application charge at the second stage of the onshore partner visa. The charge paid at lodgement covers both the Subclass 820 temporary visa and the Subclass 801 permanent visa. A partner visa fee increase that takes effect after lodgement does not require the couple to pay a second visa application charge when the Subclass 801 is assessed.

The Department states that the applicant becomes eligible for assessment of the permanent visa two years after the combined application was lodged. The Department calls this the "date of eligibility". The permanent visa may be granted earlier in some cases, for example where the couple was already in a long-term partner relationship when they applied. The firm's complete guide to the Subclass 820 partner visa explains this stage in more detail.

The permanent stage still has costs, even though there is no second visa application charge. At the second stage:

• the sponsor completes a Commonwealth statutory declaration about the relationship;
• an Australian Federal Police certificate is usually needed;
• an overseas police certificate is needed for any country where the applicant has spent 12 months or more since the Subclass 820 was granted; and
• health examinations may be required again.

These costs are paid to police services and health providers, not to the Department as a visa application charge. A partner visa fee increase does not change them, but a couple's budget should still allow for them.

Protect the charge you have already paid

The Department states that if the applicant is granted any other visa while holding the Subclass 820, they lose eligibility for the Subclass 801. A couple who has paid the full charge should protect that payment by not applying for another visa without advice. New Zealand citizens on a Subclass 820 should tell the border officer that they do not want a Special Category visa, because the grant of a Subclass 444 overrides the Subclass 820 and ends eligibility for the Subclass 801.

What the Subclass 820 gives you while you wait

While the application is processed, the Subclass 820 lets the holder live, work and study in Australia, travel to and from Australia as many times as they want, and apply for access to Medicare. Before the Subclass 820 is granted, an applicant who held a substantive visa when they applied is granted a Bridging visa A, which starts if their current visa expires before a decision is made. The article on the Bridging visa A, its work rights and conditions and the article on working while waiting for a Subclass 820 explain these rights.

The Department states that processing times for partner visa applications vary. The article on Subclass 820 processing times explains what affects the timeframe. For a step by step view of the application itself, see the firm's guide to Subclass 820 requirements, documents and how to apply, and the Partner Visa Lawyers page for an overview of how the firm acts on these applications.

What happens if the charge is not paid correctly after a partner visa fee increase?

The Department cannot process a partner visa application if the correct visa application charge has not been paid. The Department's Subclass 820 page states: "We cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge."

This is where a partner visa fee increase can cause real trouble. If a partner visa fee increase has taken effect and the amount paid reflects the old charge, the application has not been paid at the correct rate for the date it was received. The same problem can arise where a family member was left out of the calculation, where a reduced charge was assumed without checking the conditions, or where a payment failed part way through.

Common causes of an incorrect payment include:

• relying on a figure from an old screenshot, an old article or a friend's application instead of the current Department figure;
• assuming a reduced charge applies, for example the former Prospective Marriage visa holder rate, when the applicant does not meet the circumstances the Department states;
• not including the charge for a family member who is applying;
• entering passport or citizenship details incorrectly, which can affect a lower charge that depends on the primary applicant's passport; and
• a payment that is declined, reversed or disputed after lodgement.

Each of these is avoidable. The cheapest protection against an incorrect payment is to check the Department's current figure, run the Visa Pricing Estimator for the whole family, and compare both with the amount ImmiAccount shows before you pay.

What to do if the Department says the charge was not paid correctly

If the Department says the charge was not paid correctly, act on the Department's correspondence promptly and do exactly what it asks within the time it allows. Do not ignore the letter, and do not assume the issue will resolve itself while the application waits in the queue.

A practical sequence is:

• Read the correspondence carefully. Note what the Department says is outstanding and the time allowed to respond.
• Check the ImmiAccount payment record, the payment receipt and the bank or card statement.
• Check the date the Department received the application, and whether a partner visa fee increase took effect around that date.
• Check whether every applicant and every family member was charged, and whether any reduced charge or lower charge was properly applied.
• Pay any amount the Department says is owing, by the method and within the time the Department states, and keep proof of payment.
• If you believe the Department is wrong, respond in writing within the time allowed, with the receipt and a short, clear explanation.

The Department often asks for missing information or documents by a formal request. The firm's article on responding to a section 56 request for more information explains how those requests work and why the response deadline matters. Where the Department proposes to rely on adverse information that could lead to refusal, it may instead send a natural justice letter, explained in the article on responding to a section 57 natural justice letter for a partner visa.

If you lodged the application yourself and now face a payment problem after a partner visa fee increase, the article on hiring an immigration lawyer after lodging your own application explains how a lawyer can step in. The guide to Form 956 and Form 956A explains how a representative or authorised recipient is appointed so the Department sends correspondence to them.

Card and PayPal surcharges

The Department states that a surcharge may apply when a visa application charge is paid by credit card or PayPal. The surcharge is added on top of the visa application charge. It is not part of the charge itself, and it should be included in the budget.

Where a partner visa fee increase has taken effect, the total shown at the payment step will reflect the new charge, and any surcharge is added to that total. Check the payment options and any surcharge shown on the Department's website and in ImmiAccount at the time of payment.

A few practical points help the payment go through first time:

• Confirm with the bank or card provider that a large government payment will not be blocked as unusual activity.
• Check that the card limit covers the full amount, including family member charges and any surcharge.
• Make sure the card details are entered correctly.
• Save the payment receipt in a safe place with the application acknowledgement.

A declined payment on the last day before a partner visa fee increase can mean the application is received after the increase takes effect. A couple who has planned around a partner visa fee increase should not leave the payment to the final hours.

Is the partner visa charge refunded if the application is refused?

No. The Department states: "We will not refund the application fee if we refuse your application." A couple who pays the charge and is refused loses that money.

This is the single most important budgeting fact in this article. A partner visa fee increase is a known and limited cost. A refusal costs the entire visa application charge. It may then lead to the cost of a review application, and the cost of a new application later if one is possible. Any new application attracts the charge that applies when the Department receives it, which may reflect a partner visa fee increase that has happened in the meantime.

The firm's article on why Subclass 820 partner visas are refused sets out the most common reasons. Most of them are preventable before lodgement. The firm also acts on partner visa refusals and on visa refusals more generally.

Costs that are not part of the visa application charge

The visa application charge is not the whole cost of a partner visa. Other costs are paid separately, to other bodies, and the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator does not include them. The Department lists health checks, police certificates and biometrics as other costs. Translations are another common cost. This article does not state figures for these items, because they are set by providers and can change.

Health examinations

The applicant pays for their own health examinations. The Department may ask the applicant to have health examinations and gives a list of the examinations required, together with a HAP ID. In Australia, examinations are arranged with the Department's migration medical services provider, Bupa Medical Visa Services. Outside Australia, examinations are done by approved panel physicians and clinics.

The examinations depend on age. Partner visa applicants aged 15 or over are generally asked for a medical examination, a chest x-ray, an HIV test and a serum creatinine (kidney function) test, with a hepatitis B test if they were born in a country with a higher risk of hepatitis B. Younger applicants have fewer tests. Further tests may be needed if a condition is identified.

The Department states that the results of a health assessment are valid for 12 months from the time the examinations are completed. If the Department asks the applicant to sign a health undertaking, that undertaking is for 6 months.

Police certificates

An applicant who has spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16 needs a complete disclosure National Police Certificate from the Australian Federal Police. State police certificates are not accepted. An overseas police certificate is needed from every country where the applicant has spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16. Police certificates are valid for 12 months for immigration purposes. The Department may also ask for Form 80. The firm's Form 80 guide explains how to complete it without errors.

Biometrics

The Department lists biometrics as a separate cost. Where the Department asks for biometrics, the applicant attends a collection point and pays any cost that applies at that point.

Translations

Documents that are not in English must be translated. In Australia, translations must be done by a NAATI accredited translator. Documents are uploaded in colour, and certification is not needed. A couple with many documents in another language should budget for translation early, because translation time can affect when the application is ready.

Timing these costs around a partner visa fee increase

The Department suggests checking processing times before doing health examinations and police certificates, because they may need to be done again if they expire. A couple who rushes to obtain health results and police certificates to lodge before a partner visa fee increase, and then finds the application is not ready, may pay for them twice.

The better approach is to obtain these items when the application is close to ready, or when the Department asks for them. The firm's 820 partner visa evidence checklist shows how the documents fit together.

Should you rush to lodge before a partner visa fee increase?

No, not if the application is not ready. Rushing a weak application to beat a partner visa fee increase is a false economy. The amount saved is the difference between the old charge and the new charge. The amount at risk is the entire charge, because the Department does not refund it on refusal, plus the cost and delay of review, plus a possible new charge on a later application.

A couple who hears about a partner visa fee increase should ask one question first: if we lodged today, could a case officer decide this application in our favour on what we have provided? If the honest answer is no, lodging today does not save money. It moves the cost from the budget to the risk column.

What a ready application looks like

A partner visa application is ready when it addresses every criterion with evidence the Department can rely on. The Department assesses 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 couple's commitment to each other.

A ready application usually includes:

• one relationship statement that tells the history of the relationship in the couple's own words: how, when and where they met, how the relationship developed, when they moved in together, became engaged or married, time spent apart and their plans for the future. The firm's article on writing a partner visa relationship statement explains what it should cover;
• evidence across all four aspects of the relationship, explained in the article on partner visa evidence and how to prove the relationship is genuine;
• Form 888 statements from two witnesses aged 18 or over, as explained in the guide to who can make a Form 888 and what it should say and the article on Form 888 example answers and common mistakes;
• identity documents, clearly labelled, with each document attached only once; and
• answers in the application forms that match the evidence and the couple's earlier visa applications.

The Department allows up to 100 documents per person in ImmiAccount. A ready application uses that space well. It does not upload everything the couple owns. It uploads clear, labelled documents that prove the relationship. The firm's guide to preparing evidence of a genuine relationship explains how to select and organise it.

Tribunal decisions that show the cost of an unprepared application

Two published Tribunal decisions illustrate the point. In ZHANG (Migration) [2025] ARTA 2853, the recorded issue was that no documentation or submissions were provided with the application. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The practical lesson is that an application lodged without supporting material does not save time or money. The couple had to go through review before the application was sent back for a fresh decision.

In Magallanes (Migration) [2025] ARTA 1331, the recorded issues were an age difference, limited evidence provided to the Department, and detailed statements and documentation provided to the Tribunal. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The lesson is that the detailed evidence which ought to have been before the Department at the start was only put forward at review. Evidence that is ready at lodgement is evidence that can be relied on at the first decision.

Neither decision is a My Migration Lawyers matter. Both are described only by the issues recorded for them. Both show the same thing: the time and cost of an unprepared application are far greater than the cost of a partner visa fee increase.

Can evidence be added after lodgement?

Yes, evidence can be added after lodgement, and the Department encourages it. The Department states that, because partner applications can have long processing times, applicants should update their documents and evidence regularly through ImmiAccount. But that is not a reason to lodge an empty application to beat a partner visa fee increase. The Department can assess an application on the material it holds, and there is no promise that a case officer will wait for evidence that has not yet been provided.

Schedule 3, condition 8503 and other issues to resolve before lodging

Before choosing a lodgement date because of a partner visa fee increase, check for issues that affect whether the application can be validly made or granted. These issues are where an early lodgement can do the most damage.

Condition 8503

An applicant whose current visa carries condition 8503 (no further stay) cannot apply for a partner visa in Australia unless a waiver of the condition is granted first. A couple who tries to lodge before a partner visa fee increase while condition 8503 still applies has not solved the problem. The waiver must come first. The article on applying for a Subclass 820 with condition 8503 explains the order of steps.

No substantive visa and Schedule 3

An applicant who does not hold a substantive visa when the application is made must satisfy Schedule 3 criteria 3001, 3003 and 3004, unless the Department is satisfied there are compelling reasons for not applying them. A substantive visa is a visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa. A person who holds only a bridging visa is therefore in a Schedule 3 position.

Criterion 3001 sets a time limit of 28 days within which the application must be made by a person who does not hold a substantive visa. Under the other criteria, the applicant must show, in summary, that they became unlawful because of factors beyond their control, that there are compelling reasons for granting the visa, that they substantially complied with the conditions of their last substantive visa, and that they would have been entitled to the visa had they applied before becoming unlawful.

Department policy says that, as a general rule, a genuine relationship and the hardship of separation if the applicant had to apply outside Australia are not, by themselves, compelling reasons. A Schedule 3 case needs a properly prepared argument and evidence. The firm's article on the Schedule 3 partner visa waiver and its Schedule 3 waiver service page explain the requirements.

The Tribunal decision in 2003271 (Migration) [2024] AATA 4140 records the issue as an application made more than 28 days after the last substantive visa was held. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department. The lesson for a couple watching a partner visa fee increase is that the dates that matter most may be the dates of the applicant's own visa history, not the date of a price change.

Statutory declarations for applicants without a substantive visa

An applicant who does not hold a substantive visa must include, at lodgement, the sponsorship form, evidence of the sponsor's status, and a minimum of two statutory declarations. Each must be made within the last six weeks by an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, confirming the relationship. The Department states that a Form 888 is not a statutory declaration and that if this information is not included at lodgement, the application may be deemed invalid. A couple who lodges in a hurry before a partner visa fee increase, without these documents, risks paying for an application that cannot proceed.

Previous refusal or cancellation

A person in Australia without a substantive visa who has had a visa refused or cancelled might not be eligible to apply for some visas in Australia. A partner visa can still be applied for in some of these cases. This needs to be checked before any payment is made. See the article on applying for a partner visa after a visa refusal and the firm's page on visa cancellations.

Sponsor eligibility

The sponsor must be approved. Limits apply to some sponsors. These are explained on the firm's partner visa sponsorship limitations page. A sponsorship problem discovered after the charge has been paid is a costly discovery.

How to budget for a partner visa fee increase

The way to budget for a partner visa fee increase is to plan for the charge that will apply on the day the Department receives the application, not the charge you saw when you first started planning. A sound budget has a clear structure. It starts with the government charge, adds every other cost, and allows for the possibility that the charge changes before the application is ready.

A practical budget works through these steps.

• Check the current charge. Look up the charge on the Department of Home Affairs website on the day you budget, and write down the date you checked it. The charge shown on the Department of Home Affairs website on 5 October 2026 is AUD 11,710 for most applicants.
• Check whether a reduced or lower charge applies. Prospective Marriage visa holders, some former holders, and eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens may pay less. Do not assume a lower charge applies without checking the conditions.
• Add each family member. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to calculate the charge for each family member applying with you.
• Add any payment surcharge. A surcharge may apply for credit card or PayPal payments.
• Add the costs outside the charge. Health examinations, police certificates, biometrics and translations are paid separately.
• Allow a margin for a partner visa fee increase. No one outside government can tell you the size or date of a future change. A sensible budget does not rely on the current figure staying the same, and leaves room to pay a higher charge if the application is not ready before a change.
• Allow for the second stage. There is no second visa application charge, but police certificates and health examinations may be needed again for the Subclass 801.
• Allow for the unexpected. Requests for further documents, translations of new evidence, and travel plans that need a Bridging visa B can all add cost.

A budget built this way means a partner visa fee increase becomes a planned variable rather than a crisis. The couple can then make a lodgement decision based on readiness, not panic.

Do not let a partner visa fee increase dictate the evidence

A couple under price pressure sometimes trims the evidence to save time. That is the wrong place to save. The relationship evidence is what the visa is decided on. If the budget is tight, it is better to delay lodgement and pay a higher charge than to lodge an application that is likely to be refused. The firm's guide on the Subclass 820 visa as the onshore partner visa explains what the Department needs to see.

Spouse or de facto partner: check the relationship basis first

The applicant must be the spouse or de facto partner of the sponsor. Where the couple is in a de facto relationship, the relationship requirements must be met at the time of application unless an exception applies. The article on the de facto partner visa 12-month rule and exceptions explains this point. A couple should not lodge before a partner visa fee increase if the relationship basis is not yet established, because the charge will not be refunded if the visa is refused.

A lodgement checklist before the next partner visa fee increase

The best protection against a partner visa fee increase is an application that is ready to lodge at any time. A couple who keeps their file ready can lodge when it suits them, rather than when a price change forces the decision. Before paying, a couple should be able to answer yes to each of these questions.

Eligibility and validity

• Does the applicant hold a substantive visa today, and if not, have the Schedule 3 issues been assessed and the required statutory declarations obtained?
• Does the applicant's current visa carry condition 8503, and if so, has a waiver been granted?
• Has the applicant had a visa refused or cancelled while in Australia, and if so, has it been confirmed that a partner visa application can be made?
• Is the applicant in Australia, together with any family members applying with them? The applicant must be in Australia when the onshore application is made.
• Has the sponsor's eligibility been checked, including the limits on who can sponsor a partner?

Evidence and forms

• Is there one relationship statement, accurate and consistent with every other document?
• Are there two Form 888 statements from witnesses aged 18 or over?
• Is there evidence across the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment?
• Are all documents in colour, clearly labelled, attached only once and translated where needed?
• Do the dates and addresses in the forms match the evidence and the couple's earlier visa applications?

Payment

• Has the current charge been checked on the Department's website on the day of payment?
• Has the total for every family member been checked with the Visa Pricing Estimator and against the amount shown in ImmiAccount?
• Is the payment method ready, with enough limit for the charge and any surcharge?
• Is there a plan to save the receipt and acknowledgement as soon as the application is received?

If any answer is no, the application is not ready to lodge before a partner visa fee increase. The right step is to fix that item first.

What happens if the partner visa is refused after you have paid?

If the partner visa is refused, the visa application charge is not refunded, and the decision may be reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal. An application fee applies to a Tribunal review. This article does not state that figure. The time limit to apply for review is short and strictly applied, and it is set out in the refusal letter.

The refusal letter should be read the day it arrives. It explains the reasons for the decision and the review rights. The firm's article on partner visa refusal appeal options explains the choices available, and the article on what to expect in an ART review after a visa refusal explains the Tribunal process. The article on when you need a visa appeal lawyer explains how legal representation works at that stage.

The cost picture after a refusal makes the point of this article clear. The original charge is gone. A review fee is payable. If review is not available or not successful, a new application, if one can be made, attracts the charge that applies on the date it is received, which may reflect one or more partner visa fee increases since the first application. A couple who rushed to save the difference made by a partner visa fee increase can end up paying several times that difference.

A couple who is unsure whether their application was properly prepared can ask for an independent view before a decision is made. The article on getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer explains what that involves.

Changes after lodgement that can add cost

Changes after lodgement can add cost, and the couple should plan for them. A partner visa application can be open for a long time. During that time, the couple's circumstances will change, and some changes have a cost.

Notifying changes of circumstances

The applicant must tell the Department about changes, such as a change in relationship status or the birth of a child. Changes of circumstances are notified using Form 1022. Incorrect answers are corrected using Form 1023. The firm's article on Form 1022 and when to lodge it explains the process. Whether a new family member can be added to an existing application, and whether a further charge applies, should be checked before any step is taken.

Travel during processing

An applicant who holds only a Bridging visa A and wants to travel overseas must be granted a Bridging visa B before leaving Australia. The Department says to apply no more than 3 months and not less than 2 weeks before the travel date, and to give substantial reasons for travel. A Bridging visa B has its own charge, which this article does not state. The article on the Bridging visa B, how to apply and what it costs and the overview of bridging visas in Australia explain the rules.

If the relationship changes

If the relationship ends before the permanent visa is granted, the permanent visa may still be available in limited circumstances, including family violence, the death of the sponsor, or where there is a child of the relationship. The article on what happens to a Subclass 820 if the relationship breaks down and the firm's family violence partner visa page explain these provisions.

Keeping the evidence up to date

The Department asks partner applicants to update their documents and evidence regularly through ImmiAccount. Updating evidence has little direct cost, but translations of new documents do. Keeping the file current also means the application is ready if the Department asks for more information.

Two generic examples of planning around a partner visa fee increase

The two examples below are generic illustrations. They are not client stories and do not describe any real person.

Example one: a couple who is ready

A couple has lived together for several years. The applicant holds a valid student visa without condition 8503. Their relationship statement is written, their two Form 888 statements are signed, and their joint lease, bank statements and household bills are labelled and ready. They learn that a partner visa fee increase is expected. Their application is ready, so lodging before the partner visa fee increase is a sensible decision. They check the charge on the Department's website, confirm the amount in ImmiAccount, pay on a working day well before the change, and save the receipt and acknowledgement.

Example two: a couple who is not ready

A different couple has a short relationship history and very little joint evidence. The applicant's last substantive visa expired many months ago, so Schedule 3 applies. They hear about a partner visa fee increase and want to lodge within the week. Lodging that week would not solve their real problem. The application needs a properly prepared argument on compelling reasons, the required statutory declarations, and stronger evidence of the relationship. If they lodge an unprepared application before the partner visa fee increase and it is refused, they lose the whole charge. In their situation, the timing of the application should be decided by legal advice on Schedule 3, not by the price change.

The difference between the two couples is not the price. It is readiness.

Partner visa advice wherever you live in Australia

My Migration Lawyers acts for partner visa applicants across Australia, with consultations held by video. Couples planning lodgement around a partner visa fee increase can obtain advice wherever they live, including through the firm's partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Parramatta, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart.

Couples comparing their options can read the firm's guide on how to choose a partner visa lawyer in Australia, the article on when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa, and the comparison of using a partner visa lawyer and doing it yourself. Same-sex couples can also read the firm's page on LGBTI partner visas. Where a deadline is close, the article on urgent immigration lawyer advice explains what to prepare.

How My Migration Lawyers helps couples plan lodgement around a partner visa fee increase

My Migration Lawyers helps couples plan lodgement around a partner visa fee increase by making sure the application is ready, eligible and correctly paid, so it is lodged once and lodged correctly. The firm acts in many partner visa matters, including complex cases where timing, visa history and eligibility interact. It is equipped to handle applications where a partner visa fee increase is approaching and the couple needs a clear, early answer on whether to lodge now or later.

The firm's work on this kind of matter follows a clear sequence.

• Readiness review. The firm reviews the couple's relationship history, documents and visa history, and tells them plainly whether the application is ready to lodge before a partner visa fee increase or whether specific gaps must be fixed first.
• Eligibility checks. The firm checks whether the applicant holds a substantive visa, whether condition 8503 applies, whether Schedule 3 is engaged, whether any earlier refusal or cancellation affects the right to apply in Australia, and whether the sponsor is eligible.
• Preparing the application. The firm prepares the application so that it addresses every criterion. The relationship statement is the couple's own account of their relationship, reviewed and corrected by them. The firm makes sure it, the Form 888 statements and the supporting documents are consistent, complete and presented in the form the Department requires.
• Checking the charge. Before payment, the firm checks the charge shown in ImmiAccount against the Department's current figure, including family members and any reduced or lower charge, so the application is not held up by an incorrect payment after a partner visa fee increase.
• Lodgement and receipt. The firm lodges the application, confirms the date of receipt and keeps the payment receipt and acknowledgement on file.
• After lodgement. The firm responds to Department requests, keeps the evidence current, and advises on travel, changes of circumstances and the Subclass 801 stage.

The partner visa practice is overseen by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers, see the firm's guide to working with a partner visa lawyer in Australia, and learn how the firm acts on partner visa applications.

If you are planning a partner visa application and want to know whether to lodge before a partner visa fee increase, the first step is a consultation. Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers. You can also call 1300 040 300.