Partner Visa Without Family Support

A partner visa without family support is a partner visa application in which one or both families know about the relationship but disapprove of it, refuse to recognise it or have cut the couple off. A partner visa without family support can still be granted. Australian law does not require parents, siblings or relatives to approve of a marriage or a de facto relationship before the Department of Home Affairs grants a partner visa.

The difficulty in a partner visa without family support case is evidence, not eligibility. The Department looks at how the couple presents itself to other people and at what other people think of the relationship. When the people closest to the couple refuse to take part, the usual sources of social evidence are missing, and some case officers will ask why. This guide explains what the law actually requires, why family disapproval is not a ground for refusal, what evidence can take the place of family recognition, who can give Form 888 supporting statements, how to explain the disapproval honestly, and what to do if a relative contacts the Department.

This article is about families who know about the relationship. If the relationship is being kept secret from family or community, the issues are different. For the overall framework, read our complete guide to partner visas in Australia and our page on partner visa lawyers.

Can you get a partner visa without family support?

Yes. A partner visa without family support can be granted because the legal test is whether the relationship is genuine and continuing, not whether the couple's families accept it. Neither regulation 1.09A nor regulation 1.15A of the Migration Regulations 1994 lists family approval as a matter the decision maker must be satisfied of.

The legal test is the same for every partner visa. A spouse must meet the definition in section 5F of the Migration Act 1958 and regulation 1.15A. A de facto partner must meet the definition in section 5CB of the Act and regulation 1.09A. In both cases the couple must have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others, the relationship must be genuine and continuing, and the couple must live together or not live separately and apart on a permanent basis.

These rules apply to the onshore Subclass 820 partner visa and Subclass 801, to the offshore Subclass 309 partner visa and Subclass 100, and in adapted form to the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa. Nothing in any of those visas requires a parent's consent to an adult relationship, a family blessing, or the attendance of family at a wedding.

What a partner visa without family support does require is a different body of evidence. A family that refuses to recognise the relationship will not write supporting statements, will not appear in photographs, and will not send invitations addressed to both partners. The couple must show the social side of the relationship in other ways, and must explain the family position so that the gap does not look like something it is not.

What the law says about family and the social aspects of a relationship

The social aspects of a relationship are one of four aspects that the decision maker must consider. For de facto partners they are set out in regulation 1.09A, and for spouses in regulation 1.15A. The four aspects are:

• 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 areas of the relationship that the decision maker examines. They are not four separate statements. The couple gives its own account in one partner visa relationship statement, and documents are supplied that speak to each aspect.

What the social aspects include

Under paragraph 1.09A(3)(c) and paragraph 1.15A(3)(c), the social aspects include whether the couple represents itself to other people as being in a de facto relationship or as being married, the opinion of the couple's friends and acquaintances about the nature of the relationship, and any basis on which the couple plans and undertakes joint social activities.

The word "family" does not appear in that list. The regulation refers to "other people" and to "friends and acquaintances". That wording is central to any partner visa without family support. It means the social aspects can be fully addressed through people outside the family: friends, colleagues, neighbours, flatmates, community members, and institutions such as employers, banks, landlords and insurers that deal with the couple as a couple.

In practice, many case officers expect to see family involvement because most couples have it. Family evidence is common, not compulsory. A partner visa without family support asks the decision maker to apply the regulation as written, and the regulation looks for recognition by other people generally.

All four aspects are weighed together

No single aspect decides the outcome. The decision maker must consider all the circumstances of the relationship. A partner visa without family support may have little or no family evidence, but strong evidence of a shared home, pooled finances and long-term plans. Those three aspects carry real weight in the assessment.

Our guides to partner visa evidence and how to prove a relationship is genuine and to preparing evidence of a genuine relationship explain how each aspect is usually shown. For a practical list, see the partner visa document checklist.

The Tribunal has accepted social recognition shown in a range of ways in remitted partner visa matters. In 1900090 (Migration) [2023] AATA 3386, a Subclass 820 matter, the issues reported included pooled financial resources, social recognition of the relationship, marriage and cohabitation for over five years, and joint residential property. The case illustrates that social recognition is assessed alongside the other aspects of a settled shared life.

Why families disapprove of a relationship

Families disapprove of relationships for many reasons. Understanding the reason matters in a partner visa without family support, because the reason shapes how the disapproval is explained and what evidence fills the gap.

Common reasons include:

• Nationality, ethnicity or culture. A family may want a partner from the same background, the same language group or the same home town.
• Religion. A family may object to a partner of a different faith. Interfaith relationships raise their own questions about ceremonies and conversion, which are separate from the evidence issues discussed here.
• Age difference. A significant age gap can cause disapproval on both sides.
• A previous marriage or divorce. Some families object to a partner who is divorced, widowed or has children from an earlier relationship.
• Suspicion about the visa. Relatives of the Australian partner sometimes believe the applicant is in the relationship to obtain a visa. This is the reason that most often reaches the Department.
• Money, class or education. A family may object to a partner's job, income, education or social standing.
• Sexuality or gender. A family may refuse to accept a same-sex relationship even though it is known to them.
• Family conflict. Sometimes the disapproval has little to do with the partner and more to do with a long-standing conflict within the family.

In each case, the reason belongs to the family. It says something about the family's views, not about whether the couple has a genuine relationship. A partner visa without family support case should make that distinction clear in the couple's own account.

Where the relationship is between partners of the same sex, our page on same-sex and LGBTI partner visas explains how the relationship criteria apply. The legal test is the same for every couple.

Does family disapproval make the Department doubt a relationship?

Not by itself. Family disapproval is not a criterion and is not a ground for refusal. The risk in a partner visa without family support is that a case officer sees missing family evidence, does not see an explanation, and draws the wrong inference.

A case officer reviewing an application usually expects some sign that the couple's families know them as a couple: a family wedding, photographs with parents, a statement from a sibling. When none of this appears, the officer may wonder whether the relationship is hidden, whether it is new, or whether the families know something about it that the Department does not. Each of those questions is answered by a clear explanation and by evidence from other sources. In a partner visa without family support, the explanation is therefore as important as the evidence.

Disapproval can even support the genuineness of a relationship in some cases. A couple who continue together despite sustained pressure from their families, who marry without family attendance, or who give up family contact to stay together, may be demonstrating exactly the mutual commitment to a shared life that the law requires. The decision maker must weigh that commitment with everything else.

The difficulty arises in three common situations:

• The disapproval is not explained at all. The case officer sees no family evidence and has no reason for its absence.
• The explanation is inconsistent. The applicant says the family disapproves, but the sponsor's documents show regular family events, or the two partners describe the family position differently.
• A family member actively opposes the application. A relative tells the Department that the relationship is not genuine.

The first two are evidence problems that are usually solved by careful preparation. The third needs a specific response, discussed later in this guide.

Disapproval on one side only

Many cases of partner visa without family support involve disapproval from one family only. The applicant's family may welcome the relationship while the sponsor's family refuses it, or the reverse. In that situation, the supportive family can still provide evidence, such as photographs, messages and visits. The missing family is explained, and the evidence from the other family is used in the ordinary way.

Supportive relatives who live overseas can still provide evidence of their contact with the couple, such as messages, video calls and visits. Whether they can make a Form 888 statement depends on the requirements of the form, which are discussed below.

Disapproval that changes over time

Family positions change. A family that refused to attend a wedding may later meet a grandchild. A father who cut contact may resume it after several years. A partner visa without family support application describes the position at the time it is made. If the position later changes, the new evidence should be added, and the change can be explained at the permanent stage or in a response to a section 56 request for more information.

A change in family position is not an inconsistency. It is a change in circumstances. What matters is that each account is true at the time it is given.

When a family has cut the couple off

The hardest cases of partner visa without family support involve a complete break: parents who will not speak to their child, siblings who have been told not to visit, or a family that has formally disowned a member for marrying the partner.

A complete break raises three practical issues.

The wedding. Many couples in this situation marry quietly, with a civil celebrant and a few friends as witnesses, or travel to marry elsewhere. A small wedding with no family is still a valid marriage if it meets the legal requirements. The validity of a marriage does not depend on who attended. Photographs of the wedding, the celebrant's documents and the names of the witnesses are evidence of the marriage and of the social circle the couple does have.

Holidays and family events. Couples who are cut off from family often build their own traditions with friends. Those traditions are evidence. A shared holiday meal with the same friends each year, for example, shows joint social activities and recognition by the couple's circle.

Emotional cost. A complete break often affects the couple deeply. That is part of their story, and it can be described in the relationship statement in the couple's own words. It also shows the decision maker what the couple has given up to stay together, which speaks to the nature of the commitment.

Where a family has cut off one partner, the evidence plan for the partner visa without family support case usually starts with the people who replaced that family: close friends, a partner's own family if they are supportive, colleagues and community members.

Evidence of social recognition in a partner visa without family support

Social recognition in a partner visa without family support is shown through the people and institutions that know the couple as a couple. The aim is to show the decision maker that, family aside, the couple lives an open shared life in front of other people.

Useful sources usually fall into five groups.

Friends and social circle

• photographs with the same friends over time, at different events and in different places;
• messages and group chats that refer to the couple together;
• invitations addressed to both partners, such as wedding invitations, birthday invitations and housewarming invitations;
• evidence of hosting friends at the couple's home; and
• holidays taken with friends.

Photographs work best when they show the progression of the relationship. A small number of well-dated photographs across several years usually helps more than hundreds of photographs from one month.

Work and colleagues

• the couple attending work functions together;
• employer records listing the partner as next of kin or emergency contact;
• workplace benefits extended to the partner, such as health cover or travel; and
• colleagues who know the couple and can describe the relationship.

Community, religious, cultural and sporting groups

• joint memberships of a club, gym, choir, sports team or community association;
• the couple's attendance at a place of worship or cultural centre that is not linked to the disapproving family;
• volunteering together; and
• letters from community leaders or organisers who know the couple.

Institutions and official records

• joint leases, insurance policies and bank accounts in both names;
• each partner listed as beneficiary, next of kin or emergency contact for the other;
• government records showing the relationship, such as tax returns or Centrelink records where they apply; and
• medical or dental records that list the partner.

These records are not "social" in the narrow sense, but they show that the couple presents itself to the outside world as a couple. That is exactly what the first social aspects factor asks about.

Joint social activities and travel

• tickets and bookings for events, concerts, sport and restaurants;
• travel bookings in both names, boarding passes and accommodation records; and
• social media that shows the couple together, where the couple uses social media.

The Tribunal has treated joint social activities as relevant evidence in several remitted matters. In Nguyen (Migration) [2019] AATA 6356, a Subclass 309 matter, the reported issues included shared finances, shared housework, and that the couple planned and undertook joint social activities. In Pham (Migration) [2024] ARTA 107, also a Subclass 309 matter, the reported issues included joint social activities, frequent travel, money transfers and a long-term relationship. Neither case is about family disapproval. Both show that joint social activities are evidence that the decision maker weighs in assessing the social aspects.

Our checklist of evidence for an 820 partner visa lists the documents usually gathered for each aspect. In a partner visa without family support, the social aspects section of that list is simply filled from different sources.

Form 888 statements in a partner visa without family support

Form 888 statements do not have to come from family. A Form 888 supporting statement is made by a person aged at least 18 who knows both partners and knows the history of the relationship. In a partner visa without family support, these statements usually come from friends, colleagues, flatmates or community members.

Form 888 is a supporting statement on the Department's own form. It is not a statutory declaration. The person signing it confirms that its contents are true, and the form asks for evidence of the person's identity and, where applicable, their Australian citizenship or permanent residence. A false statement can have serious consequences, so each person should describe only what they have personally seen and know. Our guide to Form 888: who can make one and what it should say explains the formal requirements, and our article on Form 888 example answers and common mistakes shows the difference between a useful statement and a weak one.

Choosing Form 888 witnesses when family will not help

The best witness in a partner visa without family support case is a person who has known the couple for a long time and has seen the relationship develop. Length and closeness of contact matter more than the person's relationship to the couple.

Good choices often include:

• a friend who has known one partner for many years and met the other partner early in the relationship;
• a friend who has spent holidays, celebrations or regular dinners with the couple;
• a colleague who has met both partners at work events and socially;
• a former or current flatmate or landlord who has seen the couple living together;
• a community leader, coach or organiser who knows the couple through a shared activity; and
• a relative who is supportive, even if the rest of the family is not.

A supportive relative is a valuable witness in a partner visa without family support. A sibling, cousin, aunt or grandparent who accepts the relationship can describe the family position from the inside, including the disapproval of other relatives, and can confirm that the couple is known within part of the family.

What a witness can say about the family position

A witness may mention the family's disapproval if they know about it. A short, factual reference is usually enough, for example that the witness knows the sponsor's parents do not accept the relationship and that the couple spend family occasions with friends instead.

Witnesses should not speculate about the family's motives, attack the family or repeat what they have only heard second hand. The focus of each Form 888 statement should remain on what the witness has seen of the relationship itself: how the couple met, how long the witness has known them, what they have done together, and why the witness believes the relationship is genuine.

The Tribunal regularly gives weight to credible witness evidence. In Bateman (Migration) [2019] AATA 394, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included a genuine de facto relationship, credible witnesses, and that the Tribunal had more information available to it than was available to the delegate. In Vitebski (Migration) [2019] AATA 4228, a Subclass 300 matter, the reported issues included whether the parties represent themselves as being in a genuine and continuing relationship, joint social activities and a credible witness. These cases show the value of witnesses who genuinely know the couple.

Mistakes with Form 888 statements

The most common mistakes in a partner visa without family support case are:

• using witnesses who barely know the couple, simply to replace family;
• using identical or near-identical wording across several statements;
• statements that contradict the couple's own dates or account; and
• statements that focus on criticising the family rather than describing the relationship.

Explaining family disapproval in the relationship statement

The family disapproval should be explained honestly in the relationship statement. A partner visa without family support case is weakened by silence, because silence leaves the case officer to guess.

There is one relationship statement. It covers how the couple met, how the relationship developed, the living arrangements, how money is shared, the couple's social life and their plans for the future. The family position is part of that story and usually belongs in the parts that describe the couple's social life and the development of the relationship.

The statement is the couple's own evidence. It must be their own account, in their own words, and it must be true. My Migration Lawyers reviews the statement with the client, the client corrects it, and the firm presents it in the form the law requires. The firm does not shape or create the account.

What to include

An honest explanation of disapproval usually covers:

• which family members disapprove, and which do not;
• when the family learned of the relationship and how they reacted;
• what the disapproval looks like in practice, such as no contact, refusal to attend the wedding, or contact with one partner only;
• whether either partner has tried to reconcile with the family; and
• how the couple's social life works without the family, and who the couple spends time with.

The explanation does not need to be long. A few clear paragraphs are usually enough. The rest of the social aspects part of the statement should describe the positive evidence: friends, events, travel, community and work.

What to avoid

A partner visa without family support statement should avoid:

• exaggerating the conflict, or describing threats or events that did not happen;
• attacking the family or making allegations that cannot be supported;
• giving a different explanation from the partner's own account; and
• leaving out a family member's objection because it is uncomfortable.

If the family's objection is that the applicant wants a visa, the statement can say so plainly. The couple can then point to the evidence that answers that concern: the length of the relationship, the shared home, the shared finances and the shared plans. Trying to hide the objection is a mistake, especially if the family has already contacted the Department.

Both partners must give a consistent account. Where the applicant and the sponsor describe the family position differently, a case officer may doubt both accounts. The partners should each read the full statement before it is signed, and correct anything that is not accurate.

What if a family member contacts the Department?

A relative who disapproves of a relationship may contact the Department and claim that the relationship is not genuine. This is one of the most stressful parts of a partner visa without family support, but it is not the end of the application.

The Department can receive information from anyone. It must decide what weight to give it. An allegation from a hostile relative is information to be assessed, not a finding. The relative may have no first-hand knowledge of the relationship, may have a motive to end it, or may simply be wrong.

Where the Department proposes to rely on adverse information in refusing an application, it will generally give the applicant particulars of that information and invite a response under section 57 of the Migration Act 1958. Our guide to responding to an S57 natural justice letter for a partner visa explains the process. A response in a partner visa without family support case usually:

• explains the relative's relationship with the couple and the reason for the disapproval;
• identifies what the relative actually knows first hand, and what they do not;
• answers each specific claim with evidence; and
• adds further evidence of the relationship, including additional Form 888 statements from people who know the couple well.

The response should be measured. It should correct the record, not escalate the family conflict. A calm, evidence-based response usually serves a partner visa without family support far better than a counter-attack on the relative.

When the allegation concerns a previous relationship or earlier application

Sometimes a relative's allegation points to something real, such as an earlier relationship, an undissolved marriage or an inconsistency in an earlier visa application. In that case the issue must be dealt with on its own merits. If an earlier application contains information that was not correct, specific rules may apply, including the integrity criterion in PIC 4020. That situation needs advice before any response is sent.

Section 56 requests

The Department may also respond to family information by asking for more evidence under section 56. A section 56 request for more information has a deadline and should be answered fully. It is an opportunity to strengthen a partner visa without family support application before any decision is made.

Strengthening the other three aspects

A partner visa without family support relies more heavily on the financial aspects, the nature of the household and the nature of the commitment. When social evidence from family is missing, these three aspects should be as complete as the couple's real life allows.

Financial aspects. Joint accounts that are actually used, shared bills, a joint lease or mortgage, transfers between the partners, and nominations of each other as beneficiaries. A joint account opened shortly before lodgement with few transactions adds little.

Nature of the household. Documents showing the same address over time, correspondence to both partners at that address, and a clear description of how the household runs, including chores and any children.

Nature of the commitment. The length of the relationship, contact during any periods apart, knowledge of each other's lives, joint plans, and the decisions the couple has made together. In a partner visa without family support, the decision to stay together despite family pressure is itself relevant to the commitment, and can be described honestly in the statement.

The Tribunal has considered relationships in which the financial, household and social aspects were limited because the couple lived in different countries. In Koroma (Migration) [2026] ARTA 200, a Subclass 309 matter, the reported issues included a genuine and continuing relationship, a valid marriage in the home country, and limited financial, household and social aspects of the relationship while the couple lived in different countries. In Marcos (Migration) [2023] AATA 103, also a Subclass 309 matter, the reported issues were similar, together with the nature of the commitment. Limited evidence on one aspect is assessed with all the other evidence.

Where the couple is de facto rather than married, the de facto relationship must generally have existed for 12 months before the application, unless an exception applies, such as registration of the relationship in a listed Australian state or territory, or compelling and compassionate circumstances. Our guides on the de facto partner visa and the 12-month rule and on whether you really need 12 months of de facto relationship for a Subclass 820 visa explain the rule.

Applying onshore or offshore without family support

A partner visa without family support can be made onshore or offshore. The family position does not change the visa pathway. The location rules, the Schedule 3 criteria and visa conditions do.

An onshore Subclass 820 applicant must be in Australia when applying. An offshore Subclass 309 applicant must be outside Australia when applying and when the Subclass 309 is granted. For a full overview of the onshore visa, see our Subclass 820 partner visa complete guide. Our guides to the Subclass 820 onshore partner visa and the 820 visa requirements, documents and application steps explain the onshore pathway.

Where an applicant in Australia does not hold a substantive visa, Schedule 3 may apply. Family conflict sometimes contributes to a person losing their visa status, for example where a family withdrew support for study. Whether that history is relevant to compelling reasons depends on the facts. Our Schedule 3 waiver page explains how these cases are approached. Visitors who met their partner in Australia should read our guide on moving from a tourist visa to a partner visa in Australia.

Family pressure on the sponsor during processing

Family pressure does not always stop when the application is lodged. In some partner visa without family support cases, the sponsor's family continues to pressure the sponsor to end the relationship or to withdraw the sponsorship while the application is being processed.

The Australian partner's sponsorship is part of the application. If the sponsor withdraws the sponsorship, or the relationship ends, the application will usually be refused unless special provisions apply. Those provisions cover limited situations, including where the sponsor has died, where there is a child of the relationship and certain custody or access arrangements apply, or where the relationship has ended and the applicant or a family member has suffered family violence committed by the sponsor. Our article on what happens to a Subclass 820 application if the relationship breaks down explains those provisions, and our family violence partner visa page explains how the family violence provisions work.

Family pressure on its own is not family violence by the sponsor for the purposes of those provisions. Where the conduct comes from relatives rather than the sponsor, the position is different and needs specific advice. Anyone who is unsafe should contact the police or emergency services first.

Where the relationship continues despite the pressure, nothing about the visa changes. The couple should keep building evidence, and should notify the Department of any relevant change in circumstances, such as a change of address, using Form 1022 to notify changes in circumstances.

Temporary separation caused by family pressure

Some couples live apart for a time because of family pressure, for example while one partner cares for an unwell parent who will not accept the relationship. A temporary separation is consistent with a genuine and continuing relationship if the couple can show that the relationship continued during the period apart and that they intend to live together again. Regular contact, visits and financial support during the separation are the usual evidence. In a partner visa without family support, the reason for the separation should be explained in the same honest way as the disapproval itself.

Questions about family at interview or at the Tribunal

Case officers and Tribunal members commonly ask about family. In a partner visa without family support case, applicants should expect questions such as:

• Have you met your partner's parents and siblings?
• How did each family react when they learned about the relationship?
• Who attended your wedding, and why did family members not attend?
• How do you spend holidays and family occasions?
• Who are your closest friends as a couple?
• Has anyone in either family tried to stop the relationship?

The best answer is always the true one, given simply. Applicants do not need to defend their families or criticise them. They need to describe what has happened, consistently with the relationship statement and with what the other partner says.

Each partner should be familiar with the other's family history, even where they have never met the family. Knowing the names of a partner's parents and siblings, where they live, and the history of the disagreement is part of knowing each other. Limited knowledge of each other's lives is a common reason for doubt in any partner visa case.

The Tribunal has given weight to consistent evidence about family knowledge. In Mohammad (Migration) [2023] AATA 4620, a Subclass 309 matter, the reported issue was that the parties gave consistent evidence that reflected a sound knowledge of each other's family and their health conditions, and that they were validly married. In Jeong (Migration) [2020] AATA 1820, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included substantial corroborative evidence, a genuine and continuing relationship, and a truthful and credible witness.

Where the matter reaches a hearing, our guide on what to expect at an ART review explains the process.

Partner visa without family support at the permanent stage

The relationship is assessed again before the permanent Subclass 801 or Subclass 100 is granted. A partner visa without family support case should keep collecting social evidence after lodgement, because the permanent stage asks whether the relationship is still genuine and continuing.

The permanent stage is also where a change in the family position is often shown. If a family has reconciled with the couple, that is new evidence of the social aspects, and it can be provided with the updated documents. If the family position has not changed, the couple should show that their social life with friends, colleagues and community has continued and grown. Our article on Subclass 820 vs Subclass 801 explains the two stages, and our guide to how long the onshore Subclass 820 takes explains how processing works without giving fixed figures.

The account given at the permanent stage must be consistent with the first relationship statement. Any change in the family position should be described as a change, with the date it happened.

Common mistakes in a partner visa without family support application

The most common mistakes in a partner visa without family support application are:

• Saying nothing about the family. Silence invites the case officer to guess.
• Overstating the conflict. An exaggerated account may be contradicted by the other partner, by documents or by a relative.
• Inconsistent accounts. The applicant and the sponsor describe the family position differently.
• Weak substitute witnesses. Form 888 statements from people who barely know the couple add little.
• Thin social evidence. The couple relies on the family explanation and does not provide positive evidence of friends, events and community.
• Ignoring an allegation. A relative's complaint to the Department is not answered properly when an opportunity to respond is given.
• Neglecting the other aspects. The couple focuses on the family issue and does not complete the financial, household and commitment evidence.
• Earlier inconsistencies. An earlier visa application described the applicant as single, or described the relationship differently, because of family pressure at the time.

The last point needs care. Some applicants have given incorrect information in an earlier application because of family pressure. That issue must be dealt with directly and honestly, because it may engage PIC 4020. It is a separate legal issue from family disapproval.

Our articles on why Subclass 820 partner visas are refused and why partner visas get refused set out the common grounds of refusal more generally.

If a partner visa without family support is refused

A refused partner visa without family support may be reviewable at the Administrative Review Tribunal. The deadline to apply for review is short and strictly applied, so the refusal letter should be read immediately and advice obtained without delay.

At review, the Tribunal considers the application afresh. It can consider new evidence, including evidence from witnesses who were not heard by the Department. In a partner visa without family support case, this often means additional Form 888 statements, oral evidence from friends who know the couple well, and a clearer explanation of the family position. The Tribunal decides on the evidence before it at the time of its decision.

The Tribunal has accepted the social aspects of relationships on the evidence before it in many remitted matters. In Tang (Migration) [2023] AATA 4625, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues were that the parties see their relationship as a long-term commitment and that the social aspects of the relationship are consistent with a de facto and married relationship. In Varhelyi (Migration) [2024] AATA 320, a Subclass 820 matter, the reported issues included the 12-month relationship requirement, international travel and work, considerable documentary evidence and supporting statements, and a child who was a member of the family unit.

Our partner visa refusals page, our guide to partner visa appeal options and our visa refusals page explain the next steps. A visa appeal lawyer can assess whether the decision maker applied the social aspects test correctly. Where the Tribunal itself has made a legal error, judicial review may be available. Where a person is considering a fresh application instead, our article on applying for a partner visa after a visa refusal explains the rules that may apply.

Second opinions and existing applications

Couples who have already lodged a partner visa without family support application sometimes realise that the family position was not explained, or that the social evidence is thin. It is usually possible to add evidence during processing. Our articles on hiring an immigration lawyer after lodging your own visa application and on getting a second opinion from an immigration lawyer explain how that works. A lawyer can be appointed to an existing application using Form 956.

Couples deciding whether to get help at all can read partner visa lawyer vs doing it yourself, our guide to partner visa lawyer services in Australia and our article on when you need an immigration lawyer for a partner visa. Our guide to booking an immigration lawyer consultation explains what happens at a first meeting.

Partner visa without family support advice across Australia

My Migration Lawyers advises couples across Australia by video, so the couple's location does not limit the advice available. Couples in New South Wales often contact us through our pages for partner visa lawyers in Sydney and partner visa lawyers in Parramatta. Couples in Victoria and Queensland often start with partner visa lawyers in Melbourne, partner visa lawyers in Brisbane and partner visa lawyers on the Gold Coast. Couples in Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania can read about partner visa lawyers in Perth, partner visa lawyers in Adelaide, partner visa lawyers in Canberra and partner visa lawyers in Hobart.

Where a matter involves more than a partner visa, our pages for immigration lawyers in Sydney, immigration lawyers in Melbourne, immigration lawyers in Brisbane and immigration lawyers in Perth explain the wider services. Couples comparing firms may find our guides to choosing the best partner visa lawyer in Australia, the best partner visa lawyer in Sydney and the best partner visa lawyer in Melbourne useful for knowing what to ask. The same law applies to a partner visa without family support wherever the couple lives, because partner visas are governed by Commonwealth law.

How My Migration Lawyers helps with a partner visa without family support

My Migration Lawyers acts in many partner visa matters where one or both families disapprove of the relationship, refuse to recognise it or have cut the couple off. These cases can be complex and emotionally difficult, and the firm is capable of handling them carefully, including where a relative has contacted the Department or where an application has already been refused.

On a partner visa without family support matter, My Migration Lawyers usually:

• reviews the full history of the relationship and the family position, including which relatives disapprove, why, and what has happened since;
• maps the evidence for each of the four aspects of the relationship and identifies where social evidence is thin, so the client can gather what genuinely exists;
• advises on suitable Form 888 witnesses, including supportive relatives, long-standing friends and colleagues, and on what makes their statements useful;
• reviews the relationship statement with the client so that the family position is explained honestly and consistently, in the client's own words, with the client correcting anything that is not accurate;
• checks every earlier visa application for statements about relationship status that may need to be addressed;
• prepares responses to section 56 requests and section 57 natural justice letters where a relative has made allegations, with the lawyer deciding how the legal arguments are put; and
• represents clients at the Administrative Review Tribunal where a partner visa without family support has been refused and review is still available.

The firm is led by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. You can read more about My Migration Lawyers and about our work as immigration lawyers in Australia. If your family does not support your relationship and you want your evidence checked before you apply, or you have received a request or a refusal, book a consultation or call 1300 040 300.