Sponsoring a Partner From Cameroon

An Australian who wants to sponsor partner from Cameroon can do so through an Australian partner visa if the sponsor is eligible and the relationship is genuine and continuing. The most important practical issue when you sponsor partner from Cameroon is document integrity: every civil status record, translation and police document must be genuine, consistent and obtained from the proper authority.

This guide is written for the Australian sponsor who plans to sponsor partner from Cameroon. It explains the visa options, the sponsor's own eligibility, how public interest criterion 4020 works, how to handle English and French Cameroonian documents, how to make civil status records consistent before lodgement, and what happens if the Department raises a bogus document or false information concern. For the framework of every partner visa, the firm's complete guide to partner visas in Australia sets out each subclass, and the firm's partner visa lawyers page explains how the firm acts in these matters.

Can you sponsor partner from Cameroon to Australia?

Yes. You can sponsor partner from Cameroon if you are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, you are at least 18, and you and your partner are married, in a de facto relationship, or engaged to marry.

Cameroonian nationals apply under the same partner visa law as every other applicant. There is no country quota and no separate Cameroon stream. What makes a sponsor partner from Cameroon matter distinctive is the evidence the Department examines: identity documents, civil status records in English or French, police documents, and the relationship evidence of a couple who have often spent long periods living in different countries.

The three main visas are:

• the offshore Subclass 309 partner visa, leading to the permanent Subclass 100;
• the onshore Subclass 820 partner visa, leading to the permanent Subclass 801; and
• the Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa, for a couple who will marry in Australia.

The firm's article on the partner visa two-stage process explains how the temporary and permanent stages fit together.

Sponsor partner from Cameroon: is the sponsor eligible?

The sponsor is eligible only if they hold the right status when the application is made and are not stopped by the sponsorship limits in Division 1.4B of the Migration Regulations 1994.

Status is the first check. A sponsor must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. A pending permanent visa does not count. The firm's guide to partner visa sponsor requirements and the short answer on who can sponsor a partner visa cover the basics. Sponsors who came to Australia as refugees or humanitarian entrants should read the answer on a former refugee sponsoring a partner, because earlier declarations about family members can become relevant.

The sponsorship limits are the second check:

• Regulation 1.20J generally limits a sponsor to two approved partner sponsorships in a lifetime and requires five years between sponsorships, with a waiver for compelling circumstances. The firm's sponsorship limitations page explains how waivers are argued.
• Regulation 1.20KB deals with registrable offences involving children.
• Regulation 1.20KC deals with relevant offences such as violence and breaches of protection orders, and allows the Department to request police checks from the sponsor. The firm's article on partner visa sponsor relevant offences explains the list.
• Consent. The sponsor must consent to the Department disclosing relevant offence convictions to the applicant.

A sponsor with any earlier partner sponsorship or criminal history should obtain advice before the evidence is assembled. The firm's partner visa sponsor risk assessment explains what is checked.

The sponsor's own history is part of the integrity picture

A sponsor who was once a visa applicant has their own immigration file. Statements made in that file, for example about marital status, children or earlier relationships, may be compared with the new sponsor partner from Cameroon application. The firm's article on the partner visa sponsor with their own visa history problems explains how earlier statements can affect a new application. Where the sponsor once declared that they were single, but the couple now says their relationship began earlier, that difference must be explained carefully and honestly.

Which partner visa suits a Cameroonian partner?

For most couples who sponsor partner from Cameroon, the offshore Subclass 309 is the realistic option, because the applicant is usually in Cameroon or another country outside Australia when the application is lodged.

The Subclass 309 applicant must be outside Australia when applying and generally when the visa is granted. The applicant does not have to be in Cameroon. A Cameroonian partner living lawfully in France, Nigeria, the United Kingdom or elsewhere can apply from there. The firm's guide to the offshore partner visa explains the process.

An onshore Subclass 820 application requires the applicant to be in Australia on a visa that permits it. Cameroonian passport holders cannot generally obtain an eVisitor or Electronic Travel Authority, so a visit to Australia normally requires a Visitor visa (Subclass 600). A Visitor visa may carry condition 8503 No Further Stay, which prevents an onshore partner visa application unless waived. The firm's article on condition 8503 and the partner visa and the guide to the partner visa 8503 waiver explain the rules. A Visitor visa refusal can also affect later plans, as the article on a partner visa after a visitor visa refusal explains.

The Subclass 300 suits a couple who have met in person and intend to marry in Australia. The firm's answer on prospective marriage visa requirements summarises it.

Why is document integrity the main risk when you sponsor partner from Cameroon?

Document integrity is the main risk because a single unreliable document, or a single answer that does not match the records, can lead to refusal under public interest criterion 4020 even where the relationship is completely genuine.

The Department relies on documents to establish identity, age, marital status and family composition. In a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, those facts come from birth certificates, marriage certificates, national identity cards, passports and, sometimes, court judgments. The Department compares each document with the others and with what the applicant writes in the application and Form 80. Where something does not match, the officer asks why.

In a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, most discrepancies have innocent explanations: a registrar's spelling, a late registration, a transcription between French and English, or a date written in a different format. The danger is not the discrepancy itself. The danger is a discrepancy that is unexplained, or a "fix" obtained from an unofficial source that turns an innocent error into a bogus document. The firm's article on partner visa false documents explains how these cases arise.

What is PIC 4020 and how does it apply to a sponsor partner from Cameroon application?

Public interest criterion 4020 in Schedule 4 to the Migration Regulations 1994 requires that the applicant has not given, in the current application or in relation to a visa held in the 12 months before it, a bogus document or information that is false or misleading in a material particular.

PIC 4020 has several parts that matter in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application:

• Bogus documents and false information. A refusal can follow where a bogus document, or information that is false or misleading in a material particular, has been given.
• The three-year period. Where an earlier visa was refused because of PIC 4020, a further visa generally cannot be granted for a period of three years, subject to waiver.
• Identity. The applicant must satisfy the Department of their identity. A refusal for failing to establish identity carries a ten-year period, and that part of PIC 4020 cannot be waived.
• Waiver. The bogus document and false information parts can be waived only where there are compelling circumstances affecting the interests of Australia, or compassionate or compelling circumstances affecting the interests of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The applicant's own interests are not the focus. The sponsor's circumstances often are.

The firm's guide to partner visa PIC 4020 explains each part, and the short answer on PIC 4020 and the partner visa is a summary.

What counts as a bogus document?

Section 5(1) of the Migration Act 1958 defines a bogus document as one the Minister reasonably suspects was not issued in respect of the person, is counterfeit or has been altered by a person without authority, or was obtained because of a false or misleading statement, whether or not made knowingly.

That last limb matters in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application. A certificate can be issued by a genuine office and still be treated as bogus if it was obtained using false information. A replacement birth certificate showing a different date of birth, issued because someone gave a registrar the wrong date, can fall into that category.

Honest mistakes and materiality

Not every error engages PIC 4020. Information is material if it is relevant to a criterion and could affect the decision. A typing error that is corrected elsewhere in the application is usually not material. A wrong answer about previous marriages, children, refusals or the start of the relationship usually is. The firm's answer on an honest mistake compared with PIC 4020 explains the line, and the courts have considered how far the applicant's knowledge matters for false information.

What identity evidence does a sponsor partner from Cameroon application need?

A sponsor partner from Cameroon application needs a current passport, the applicant's birth certificate, the national identity card where held, and any other document that shows the applicant's identity over time.

In a sponsor partner from Cameroon matter, identity is assessed under its own part of PIC 4020, and the identity requirement cannot be waived. That makes identity evidence the foundation of the whole file. The Department looks for a consistent record of the applicant's name, date of birth and place of birth, from the original birth registration through to the current passport.

Useful identity evidence in a sponsor partner from Cameroon file often includes:

• the passport bio-data page and any earlier passports, where still held;
• the full birth certificate and, where the birth was registered late, the court judgment that led to the registration;
• the national identity card, front and back;
• school or university records that show the date of birth; and
• earlier visa applications or residence permits from other countries.

The firm's guide to partner visa sponsor documents covers the sponsor's side, and the article on a partner visa change of passport explains what to do if the applicant receives a new passport during processing. Where the applicant has held a passport in a different identity, the issue must be raised and explained before the Department finds it.

English and French documents: what needs translating when you sponsor partner from Cameroon?

English and French are the official languages of Cameroon, so a sponsor partner from Cameroon application will often contain documents in both. English documents can be uploaded as they are. Every French document needs a complete English translation, uploaded with a clear colour scan of the original.

The firm applies these translation rules:

• Translations made in Australia should be prepared by a NAATI-certified translator, with the practitioner number shown.
• Translations made outside Australia should identify the translator by full name, contact details and qualifications.
• The whole document must be translated, including stamps, marginal notes, registration numbers and any annotation added later.
• No self-translation. The applicant, the sponsor and their families should not translate documents relied on in the application.
• Form 888 statements are completed in English, even where the witness is a French speaker in Cameroon.

The firm's guide to partner visa evidence translation covers these rules in detail. The answer on translating a marriage certificate and the answer on translating messages deal with specific documents.

Translation is an integrity issue, not just a formality

A translation that changes a name, misreads a date or drops a marginal note can create an inconsistency that did not exist in the original. In a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, each translation should be checked against the original and against the passport before it is uploaded. Where a French document records a name in a different order from the passport, the translation should reproduce the original faithfully, and the application should explain the difference. The translator should never "correct" the name to match the passport.

Mixed English and French records for the same person

A person may hold a birth certificate in French, a national identity card in both languages, and later records in English. Each language may render accents, hyphens and compound names differently. The application should treat these as variants of one identity and list them all in Form 80. The firm's answer on different names and dates on documents explains how to present variants.

How do you make Cameroonian civil status records consistent before lodgement?

You make the records consistent by collecting every identity and civil status document first, comparing them line by line, and correcting any genuine error through the official issuing authority before the application is lodged.

This is the most valuable work in a sponsor partner from Cameroon matter, and it should be done before any form is filled in. Fixing an inconsistency before lodgement is usually straightforward. Explaining it after the Department has raised a PIC 4020 concern is much harder.

Step one: gather every document

Collect the applicant's passport, national identity card, birth certificate, any marriage certificate, divorce or death records for earlier marriages, birth certificates of children, and any earlier visa applications to Australia or other countries. The firm's partner visa document checklist lists the standard documents. Where the applicant has applied for an Australian visa before, the couple should consider a partner visa FOI request to see exactly what was said in earlier applications.

Step two: compare the core facts

For each document, record the full name, the order of names, the date of birth, the place of birth, the parents' names and the marital status. Then compare. The most common differences are:

• a different spelling or order of names between the birth certificate and the passport;
• a different date of birth on a school or identity record;
• a place of birth recorded as a village on one record and a nearby town on another;
• a marital status that does not match the date of a marriage or divorce; and
• a child's birth certificate naming a parent differently from the parent's own records.

Step three: correct genuine errors officially

Where a record contains a genuine error, the correction should be made by the authority that issued it, through the proper legal procedure, and the evidence of that procedure should be kept. Where a birth was registered late through a court judgment, that judgment and the record created from it should both be provided. A corrected record without the history of how it was corrected can raise questions. A record obtained through a broker or "agent" who promises a quick replacement can create a bogus document problem.

Step four: explain what cannot be changed

Some differences cannot or need not be corrected, such as a spelling variant between French and English records. These should be explained in a short written statement supported by evidence. The answer on a partner visa where the applicant has used a different identity and the answer on birth or marriage certificates that cannot be obtained explain how to present the explanation.

Step five: make the application match the documents

The visa application, Form 80 and both relationship statements must use the same facts as the documents. The firm's guide to Form 80 for a partner visa explains the personal particulars form, and the article on partner visa conflicting statements explains how inconsistent statements are treated.

Common integrity problems in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application

The integrity problems that arise most often in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application are avoidable with preparation.

• A replacement certificate with new details. A birth certificate issued later that shows a different date or name from the original, without any record of a lawful correction.
• An earlier application with different facts. A previous visa application, to Australia or another country, that gave a different marital status, a different date of birth or a different list of children.
• A relationship start date that moves. Statements that give one date for the start of the relationship while chat records, travel or earlier forms suggest another.
• A translation that changes the record. A translator who standardises a name or date instead of translating it exactly.
• A document obtained through a third party. A police document or certificate delivered by someone outside the official process.

Each of these can be addressed before lodgement. The firm's article on a partner visa previous refusal explains how an earlier refusal is handled, and the article on the partner visa relationship timeline explains how to fix the dates of the relationship before statements are signed. A sponsor partner from Cameroon file that has been checked for these five problems leaves fewer unexplained differences for the Department to raise. The article on partner visa missing documents explains what to do where a document is not yet available.

Is a marriage in Cameroon recognised in Australia?

Generally yes. A marriage celebrated in Cameroon is recognised in Australia if it was valid under Cameroonian law where it took place and is not excluded by Part VA of the Marriage Act 1961, for example because a party was already married or did not consent.

For a sponsor partner from Cameroon application based on marriage, the key document is the civil status marriage certificate issued after the marriage was celebrated before the civil status registrar. Where the couple also had a customary or religious ceremony, it should be clear whether and when the marriage was registered as a civil marriage. The firm's article on overseas marriage recognised in Australia explains the test, and the answer on an unregistered marriage and the marriage visa covers ceremonies that were never registered.

Monogamous and polygamous marriage

Australian law does not recognise a polygamous marriage for a spouse visa while another marriage subsists. Where a marriage was celebrated under a system that allows polygamy, the couple should be clear about the marriage regime recorded and whether either party has another spouse. The answer on a polygamous marriage and the spouse visa explains the consequences. Where the marriage cannot be relied on, the couple may still apply as de facto partners. The firm's guide to the de facto partner visa in Australia explains that path.

Earlier marriages

Where either partner was married before, the earlier marriage must have ended before the new marriage. The final divorce judgment or death certificate should be provided and translated in full if it is in French. The firm's article on a partner visa while still married explains the risks where a divorce was not final.

What police certificate does a partner from Cameroon need?

The applicant generally needs a police certificate from Cameroon, and from any other country where they have lived for a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

In a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, the Cameroonian police document is obtained from Cameroonian authorities, and the process can involve more than one step, such as first obtaining an extract of the criminal record before the police clearance is issued. The Department publishes country guidance on each country's certificate, and that guidance should be checked before the applicant applies. An applicant living outside Cameroon may need someone in Cameroon to apply for them, or may need to apply through a Cameroonian embassy, so time should be allowed.

For a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, the certificate itself must be genuine and obtained through the official process. A police document obtained through an intermediary who bypasses the official steps is a significant integrity risk. The firm's guide to partner visa overseas police certificates explains the rule, and the answer on what to do if you cannot get a police certificate explains the steps where one is not available.

Police certificates are generally treated as valid for 12 months. The article on partner visa expired police checks explains how to plan the timing. The sponsor can also be asked for police checks under regulation 1.20KC, as the article on the partner visa sponsor police check explains.

Children and family members: consistency across every record

Every child included in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application must have documents that match the parent's documents on names, dates and parentage.

A child's birth certificate names the parents. If the applicant's name appears differently on the child's certificate from the applicant's own birth certificate or passport, the difference should be explained in the same way as any other variant. Where the other parent of a child is not migrating, the Department will want evidence of consent or custody. The firm's articles on adding children to a partner visa and a partner visa without the other parent's consent explain the evidence.

Children who are not migrating must also be declared. A child left out of the application, or a child declared in an earlier application but not in this one, can raise false information concerns. The article on partner visa non-migrating children explains what to disclose. In a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, a full family list prepared at the start, and checked against every earlier application, is the simplest protection against this risk.

Sponsor partner from Cameroon when the partner lives in another country

Where the Cameroonian partner lives in France, Nigeria, the United Kingdom or another country, the sponsor partner from Cameroon application must account for that country too.

The applicant can lodge the Subclass 309 from the country where they live, provided they are outside Australia. Time spent in that country counts towards the 12-month police certificate test, so a certificate from that country may also be required. Residence permits, leases and work records from that country also help prove where the applicant lived and when, and they should match Form 80. The firm's guide to partner visa offshore lodgement explains lodging from a third country, and the article on a partner visa sponsor living overseas covers sponsors who live abroad with the applicant.

What happens if the Department suspects a bogus document or false information?

Before refusing a visa under PIC 4020, the Department must give the applicant particulars of the adverse information and an opportunity to comment, usually in a letter under section 57 of the Migration Act 1958.

A section 57 letter in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application might identify a birth certificate the Department believes is not genuine, a date of birth that differs from earlier records, or an answer about marital status that does not match another document. The response is often the most important document in the case. The firm's articles on the partner visa section 57 natural justice letter and section 57 adverse information explain the process.

A strong response usually:

• meets the deadline, or seeks an extension before it passes;
• addresses each document or answer identified, one by one;
• explains how each document was obtained, by whom and when;
• provides independent evidence, such as registry records or court documents, where available;
• addresses materiality, explaining whether the information could have affected the decision; and
• addresses the waiver, explaining the compassionate or compelling circumstances affecting the Australian sponsor and any Australian children.

The explanation must be the couple's own account, reviewed and corrected by them. An explanation that is inaccurate, or that changes when challenged, makes the problem worse. The firm's article on partner visa false information refusals explains what happens if the response does not succeed.

Correcting an error before the Department finds it

Where the couple discovers an error in a sponsor partner from Cameroon application after lodgement, the applicant should correct it in writing, usually with Form 1023, as soon as they become aware of it. The firm's article on Form 1023 for a partner visa and the article on partner visa incorrect answers explain how. A voluntary correction is usually the strongest position from which to argue that an error was honest.

Should you use an intermediary to obtain Cameroonian documents?

No. The applicant should obtain every Cameroonian document directly from the issuing authority, or through a properly authorised representative using the official process, and should keep evidence of how each document was obtained.

Intermediaries who promise to "speed up" a birth certificate, police clearance or marriage record are a common source of PIC 4020 problems in partner visa applications from many countries. If the document they deliver was not properly issued, the applicant can face refusal even if they did not know. The answer on what happens when a partner visa agent gave false documents explains the consequences, and the article on a partner visa refused because of an agent's mistake explains the options after the fact.

For a sponsor partner from Cameroon application, the safer course is to allow time, apply through the official channel, and keep receipts, correspondence and copies of every form submitted. If a document genuinely cannot be obtained, an honest explanation with evidence of the attempts is far better than a document of uncertain origin.

How do you prove the relationship when you sponsor partner from Cameroon?

The Department assesses four aspects of the relationship: financial aspects, the nature of the household, social aspects and the nature of the commitment. A sponsor partner from Cameroon application should give evidence on each, together with detailed statements from both partners.

Each aspect matters when you sponsor partner from Cameroon, because a strong file on one aspect does not cure gaps in another. The firm's guide to the partner visa four pillars explains the framework. Many couples have spent most of the relationship living in different countries, which makes the commitment evidence especially important. The article on the partner visa long-distance relationship explains what helps, and the article on partner visa nature of commitment explains the commitment factor.

Couples who met online

Where the couple met online, the Department looks closely at how the relationship developed, when the couple first met in person, and how often they have spent time together. That is not a reason for concern if the history is documented. The article on a partner visa where the couple met online explains the evidence that helps, and the article on partner visa travel evidence covers visits.

Money transfers and financial support

Regular transfers from the sponsor to the applicant are common when couples sponsor partner from Cameroon, and they are relevant financial evidence. The transfers should be explained in the statements, including what they were for. The firm's article on partner visa financial evidence explains how to present them.

Statements from both partners and from others

The relationship statements must match each other and the documents on dates, places and key events. The firm's guide to the partner visa relationship statement explains what to cover. Family and friends in Cameroon and Australia can provide Form 888 statements, and the firm's answer on overseas friends' statements explains how overseas witnesses can help.

What does it cost to sponsor partner from Cameroon?

The Department's visa application charge for the combined Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 application is AUD 11,710, applying from 1 July 2026. The same amount applies to the combined Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 application.

Other costs in a sponsor partner from Cameroon matter include translations of French documents, police certificates, health examinations, biometrics and travel. The firm's article on partner visa cost explains these components. The firm does not quote processing times, and the Department does not guarantee them. The answer on biometrics for a partner visa explains when biometrics may be requested.

Refusals and review: what happens if the visa is refused?

A partner visa refusal can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, and for a Subclass 309 refusal the visa applicant is the person who applies for review, in their own name under regulation 4.02(5)(raa) of the Migration Regulations 1994. For a Subclass 300 refusal, the Australian sponsor applies.

The application for review must be made within 28 days after the applicant is notified of the decision, or 7 days if the applicant is in immigration detention. The Tribunal fee for review of a partner visa refusal is AUD 3,727, applying from 1 July 2026, and half is refunded if the Tribunal sets aside, varies or remits the decision. The firm's answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal, the article on the partner visa ART review process and the firm's partner visa refusals page explain the process.

Tribunal decisions on relationship evidence

For anyone who plans to sponsor partner from Cameroon, published decisions show that the Tribunal looks closely at the evidence of the relationship. Each case turns on its own facts, and none predicts the result of another matter.

• In Nguyen (Migration) [2025] ARTA 1653, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were the genuine and continuing relationship, the financial, household and social aspects and the nature of the commitment, and the start and progress of the relationship as older divorcees. The matter was remitted, meaning it was sent back to the Department for reconsideration.
• In Truebody (Migration) [2024] AATA 2831, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were the genuine and continuing relationship, a valid marriage, and significant additional information and documentation. The matter was remitted to the Department.
• In Bayram (Migration) [2024] AATA 2818, a Subclass 300 matter, the recorded issues were that the parties genuinely intended to marry, shared responsibility for household and finances, and social recognition of the relationship. The matter was remitted to the Department.

These decisions show that significant additional documentation provided at review can matter, and that the Tribunal considers all four aspects of the relationship. They do not change the practical point for a sponsor partner from Cameroon application: a document integrity problem is far easier to prevent than to cure at review. The firm's articles on partner visa ART evidence and how to appeal a partner visa refusal explain how evidence is presented.

What happens after the visa is granted?

After a Subclass 309 is granted, the applicant must make first entry to Australia by the date in the grant, and the permanent Subclass 100 is assessed later on updated evidence.

Integrity obligations continue after grant. Any change in circumstances, such as a new passport, a change of address or the birth of a child, should be reported. The article on partner visa change of circumstances explains the obligation, and the article on partner visa second stage documents lists what is requested at the permanent stage. A sponsor partner from Cameroon application that was consistent at the first stage should stay consistent at the second, because the Department compares the two. The firm's answer on the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 stages explains the transition.

A pre-lodgement integrity check for a sponsor partner from Cameroon application

A short integrity check before lodgement is the most effective protection against a PIC 4020 problem when you sponsor partner from Cameroon.

• List every name the applicant has used, in every language, and confirm each one appears in Form 80.
• Confirm one date of birth across the passport, birth certificate, identity card and any earlier visa application.
• Confirm marital status at every relevant date, with divorce or death records for earlier marriages.
• Check every translation against the original, line by line, including stamps and notes.
• Confirm how each document was obtained, by whom and from which office, and keep the evidence.
• Check earlier applications to Australia and other countries for statements that conflict with the new application.
• Align both relationship statements with the documents on dates, places and events.
• Check the sponsor's own file for earlier declarations about relationships or children.

The firm's articles on partner visa application mistakes and an independent partner visa application review explain how a review before lodgement works. Where the Department later asks for documents, the article on the partner visa section 56 request explains how to respond.

How My Migration Lawyers helps sponsors with a partner from Cameroon

My Migration Lawyers deals with complex partner visa cases and acts in many matters for Australian sponsors whose partners come from overseas, including partners from Central and West Africa whose documents are issued in English, French or both. The firm has the experience to manage a sponsor partner from Cameroon application where document integrity is the central concern.

On a sponsor partner from Cameroon matter, the firm:

• checks the sponsor's status and Division 1.4B position, including earlier sponsorships, relevant offences and the sponsor's own visa history;
• collects and compares every Cameroonian identity and civil status record, in English and French, against the passport and Form 80;
• identifies inconsistencies before lodgement and advises how a genuine error should be corrected through the official authority;
• checks each French translation against the original, so that no inconsistency is created in translation;
• reviews earlier applications, through a freedom of information request where needed, so that the new application does not contradict them;
• advises on the Cameroonian police certificate and any other certificates needed, and their timing;
• presents the couple's own account and evidence of the relationship, which the couple reviews and corrects before lodgement; and
• responds to section 56 requests and section 57 letters, including PIC 4020 concerns and waiver submissions, and acts at the Administrative Review Tribunal if the visa is refused.

Every sponsor partner from Cameroon file is prepared with the same care, whatever the visa subclass. The firm's Principal Lawyer, Weiwei Zhang, oversees the firm's partner visa work. The firm acts for clients across Australia, including through its partner visa lawyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. Sponsors can read more about My Migration Lawyers, the answer on getting a lawyer for a PIC 4020 concern, or the short answers in the firm's partner visa FAQ centre.

Anyone preparing to sponsor partner from Cameroon should have the documents checked for consistency before anything is lodged. Book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.