Sponsoring a Partner From Sierra Leone

Australians who want to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone can do so if they are an eligible sponsor and the relationship is genuine and continuing. An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wishes to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone will normally use the offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 partner visa, the onshore Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 partner visa if the partner is lawfully in Australia and able to apply there, or the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa if the couple are engaged.

That is the legal answer. The practical answer is that most problems for Sierra Leonean applicants have nothing to do with the relationship. They arise from identity. A birth certificate issued decades after the birth, a passport that gives one date of birth while a school certificate gives another, and a name spelled three different ways across ten documents are common in Sierra Leone. None of these is fraud. Each one, left unexplained, can lead the Department of Home Affairs to doubt who the applicant is. This guide explains how the law treats identity and document integrity, and how a couple can deal with these issues before a case officer asks. For the wider legal framework, see the complete guide to Australian partner visas.

Can you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone to Australia?

Yes. You can sponsor partner from Sierra Leone if you are an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen aged 18 or over, your partner is your spouse, de facto partner or fiancé, and the Department is satisfied that your relationship is genuine and continuing.

There is no special visa for Sierra Leonean citizens. A Sierra Leonean partner applies under the same partner visa criteria in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 as an applicant from any other country. What differs is the evidence. Sierra Leone's civil registration history means that birth records, names and dates often need more explanation than a case officer would expect from other applicants. The firm's existing guide on the Australian partner visa for Sierra Leonean citizens is written from the applicant's side. This guide is written for the Australian sponsor.

The relationship must fall into one of three categories:

• Spouse. The couple are married under a marriage that is valid and recognised in Australia, and they meet the test of a married relationship in section 5F of the Migration Act 1958.
• De facto partner. The couple are in a de facto relationship under section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958, generally for at least 12 months before the application is made, unless an exception applies.
• Fiancé. The couple intend to marry, have met in person since both turned 18, and apply for the Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa.

The answer on who can sponsor a partner visa sets out the eligibility rules in brief.

Who can sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, and what does the sponsor do?

To sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, the sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over, in a genuine relationship with the applicant, and not prevented by the sponsorship limitations in the Migration Regulations 1994.

The sponsor's evidence depends on the sponsor's status, and the same rules apply to every person who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone. The separate guides for an Australian citizen sponsor, a permanent resident sponsor and a New Zealand citizen sponsor explain what each must provide. The guide on partner visa sponsor eligibility brings the rules together.

The sponsor's legal role

The applicant lodges the visa application first. The sponsor then lodges an online sponsorship application, linked to the applicant's application by its transaction reference number. The guide on lodging the partner visa sponsorship explains the mechanics, and the guide on being a partner visa sponsor explains the role as a whole.

Approval of the sponsorship is a criterion that must be met at the time of decision for the Subclass 309, Subclass 820 and Subclass 300 visas. The Department decides it inside the visa decision. There is no separate letter to the sponsor. If the sponsorship is not approved, the visa is refused. The sponsor also gives an undertaking to provide the applicant with accommodation and financial help, as reasonably necessary, for the first two years. The guide on the partner visa sponsor undertaking explains that obligation.

Why the sponsor should care about the applicant's identity

Sponsors often assume that identity documents are the applicant's business. That is a mistake. A sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone is usually the person who engages a lawyer, collects the evidence and pays the visa application charge. If the applicant's identity is not accepted, the sponsor's whole investment is lost and the couple may be barred from trying again for years. A sponsor is also asked about the applicant's name and date of birth in the sponsorship application. If the sponsor's answers differ from the applicant's documents, the inconsistency is the couple's problem, not just the applicant's.

Which visa should you use to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone?

The right visa depends on where the Sierra Leonean partner is when the application is made and whether the couple are already married. When couples sponsor partner from Sierra Leone while the partner lives in Sierra Leone or another country, the usual pathway is the offshore Subclass 309 and Subclass 100 visa; when the partner is lawfully in Australia and able to apply onshore, it may be the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801 visa; and when the couple are engaged, it is the Subclass 300 visa.

Offshore: Subclass 309 and Subclass 100

The Subclass 309 partner visa is the temporary offshore visa, and the Subclass 100 is the permanent visa that follows. Both are applied for in a single online application. Many Australians who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone use this pathway. The applicant must be outside Australia when the application is made. The guide to the offshore partner visa explains the pathway, and the firm's offshore partner visa lawyer guide explains how offshore matters are run.

Onshore: Subclass 820 and Subclass 801

The Subclass 820 partner visa is the temporary onshore visa, and the Subclass 801 is the permanent visa that follows. The applicant must be in Australia when the application is made. A Sierra Leonean partner who is in Australia as a student or visitor may be able to apply onshore, but conditions such as 8503 and the Schedule 3 criteria can prevent it. The comparison of onshore and offshore partner visas sets out the differences.

Engaged: Subclass 300

The Subclass 300 visa lets a fiancé travel to Australia, marry the sponsor within the visa period and then apply for the Subclass 820 visa in Australia. The couple must have met in person as adults. The answer on Prospective Marriage visa requirements summarises the criteria.

What it costs and how long it takes

The government charge for a partner visa starts from AUD 11,710 for the main applicant, for both the onshore and the offshore combined applications, as published by the Department and checked on 13 October 2026. The guide to partner visa costs explains the extra charges for dependants.

As published by the Department on 29 September 2026, 50 per cent of Subclass 309 applications were finalised within 21 months and 90 per cent within 32 months. For the Subclass 820, the figures were 22 months and 30 months. Identity questions are one of the most common causes of delay beyond these figures, because each request for information adds months. The guide to partner visa processing times explains what moves an application faster or slower.

Do the sponsorship limitations and sponsor police checks apply?

Yes. Every sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone is subject to the same sponsorship limitations and sponsor police check rules as any other partner visa sponsor, and either one can stop the sponsorship being approved.

Under regulation 1.20J, a sponsor generally cannot sponsor more than two partners in a lifetime, and cannot sponsor a new partner within five years of the last sponsorship, unless there are compelling circumstances. A sponsor who was granted a partner visa as a sponsored partner within the last five years faces a similar limit. The firm's page on partner visa sponsorship limitations explains these rules and the exception, and the answer on sponsoring more than one partner applies them to common situations.

Under regulation 1.20KC, the Department can ask the sponsor for Australian and overseas police checks. If the sponsor has been convicted of a relevant offence and has a significant criminal record for it, the sponsorship can be refused unless it is reasonable to approve it. A sponsor who does not provide requested police checks can also be refused. The guides on the partner visa sponsor police check and on relevant offences for sponsors explain the detail.

A sponsor who has sponsored before, or who has a criminal history, should obtain advice before the applicant lodges anything. These sponsor rules can defeat an attempt to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone even where the applicant's identity and the relationship are beyond question.

Why identity is the main risk when you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone

Identity is the main risk when you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone because the law requires the Department to be satisfied of the applicant's identity, and Sierra Leonean civil records often contain late registrations, differing dates and varied name spellings that make that satisfaction harder to reach.

Public interest criterion 4020(2A) requires every partner visa applicant to satisfy the decision maker as to their identity. In plain terms, the applicant must prove they are who they say they are. Department policy describes identity as resting on three things: the applicant's biometrics, the applicant's documents and the applicant's life story. A case officer compares all three. If the documents disagree with each other, or with what the applicant says about their life, identity is in doubt.

Why Sierra Leonean records need more explanation

Sierra Leone's civil registration is now the responsibility of the National Civil Registration Authority, established under the National Civil Registration Act 2016 to register births, deaths, marriages, divorces and other events across the country. For many adults born before that system, however, a birth was never registered at the time. Figures presented by the National Civil Registration Authority in 2020 showed that the number of births registered was still well below the number of births recorded by the health system. An applicant in their twenties or thirties may therefore hold a birth certificate that was first issued as an adult, often because a passport application required one.

That is the background a case officer may not know. A sponsor who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone should assume the officer will see a recently issued birth certificate and ask why. The answer must be in the application before the question is asked.

What the case officer is looking for

Department policy lists the kinds of things that trigger an identity concern. In practice, for couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, the triggers are usually these:

• A late-issued birth certificate. The certificate was registered or issued many years after the birth, shortly before a passport or visa application.
• Two dates of birth. The passport gives one date, and a school record, an earlier visa application or a work document gives another.
• Name variations. The family name is spelled differently across documents, names appear in a different order, or a name used in one document is missing from another.
• Biometric matches. The applicant's fingerprints or photograph match a record held under different details, for example from an earlier visa application to another country.
• A life story that does not fit. The applicant's account of schooling, work or travel does not match the dates in the documents.

The answer on different names or dates in documents explains how these issues are usually raised, and the answer on an applicant with a different identity in past records deals with the more serious case of a previous application under other details.

Is a late-registered birth certificate a problem when you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone?

No, a late-registered birth certificate is not a problem in itself when you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, but it must be supported by evidence that the date and details it records are true, because the Department may give it little weight on its own.

A late registration is a lawful process. It exists precisely because many births are not registered on time. The certificate it produces is a genuine government document. The difficulty is that a late registration usually relies on what the applicant or a family member told the registrar, years after the event. The certificate proves that the registration happened. It does not, on its own, prove that the date of birth recorded is correct.

What supports a late-registered certificate

When you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone with a late-registered certificate, a case officer will want to see that the details on the certificate are consistent with records made closer to the time of birth. Useful evidence includes:

• Early school records. Primary or secondary school enrolment records, report cards or examination results that show the same name and date of birth.
• Religious records. Baptism or other religious records made in childhood, where they exist.
• Health records. Child health cards or hospital records, where they exist.
• Earlier passports and identity documents. Every earlier passport, national identity card or voter card that shows the same details.
• An explanation. A short written explanation of why the birth was not registered at the time, when and where it was later registered, and what information was given to the registrar.

Not every applicant will have all of these. Many people do not, and that alone does not stop a couple who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone. The aim is to provide whatever exists and to explain honestly what does not. The guide on partner visa missing documents and the answer on what to do if you cannot get a birth or marriage certificate explain how to deal with gaps.

The danger of "fixing" a certificate

This is the most important warning in this guide for anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone. Sometimes an applicant discovers that the date of birth on a new birth certificate differs from the date on an older document, and a relative suggests obtaining a fresh certificate with the "right" date. That is the most dangerous thing an applicant can do. Under section 5(1) of the Migration Act 1958, a bogus document includes a document that was obtained because of a false or misleading statement. A certificate obtained by giving the registrar a date the applicant knows is wrong can be a bogus document even though it was issued by the proper authority on official paper. Couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone must never try to correct an inconsistency by obtaining a new document with different details. The inconsistency must be explained, not replaced.

How do you explain different dates of birth and name spellings?

You explain different dates of birth and name spellings by declaring every version openly, stating which details are correct, giving the reason each other version exists, and attaching the documents that show the correct details, all before the Department asks.

Dates of birth

Two dates of birth often arise for ordinary reasons. A school may have recorded an estimated age at enrolment. A family may have remembered a birth by a season or event rather than a calendar date. An earlier passport may have been issued on the basis of a document that was later corrected. Some applicants were given a 1 January date of birth because the exact day was unknown.

When you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone and the applicant has two dates of birth, the application should use the date in the current passport, list the other date as an alternative date of birth where the form allows it, and explain the difference in a short statement. The explanation should be factual and specific. "There was a mistake" is not enough. "My primary school recorded my age from my mother's estimate when I enrolled in 1999, and the date was corrected when my birth was registered in 2016" is the kind of answer a case officer can test and accept.

Names and spellings

Sierra Leonean names may appear in different forms for many reasons. An applicant may use a Christian or Muslim given name in one setting and a family or traditional name in another. Spelling may have changed between documents prepared by different officials. A woman may use her husband's family name on some documents and her own on others. A name may be shortened in everyday use.

When you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, all names the applicant has used must be declared in the visa application and in Form 80, where it is requested. The guide on Form 80 for a partner visa explains why the Department compares that form closely with the main application. The answer on a name change after marriage for a partner visa explains how a married name is shown.

Preparing an identity explanation

For couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone with identity complications, a short identity explanation attached to the application is often the single most useful document in the file. It should:

• State the applicant's full name, date of birth and place of birth as shown in the current passport.
• List every other name, spelling and date of birth that appears in any document, and where each appears.
• Explain, for each variation, why it exists.
• Explain when and how the birth was registered, if it was registered late.
• Attach the supporting documents in a logical order.
• Be consistent with what the applicant says in Form 80, the relationship statement and any interview.

The explanation is the applicant's own evidence. It must be true and in their own words, reviewed and corrected by them. Its purpose is to remove the need for the case officer to guess.

How does PIC 4020 affect couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone?

PIC 4020 affects couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone in two ways: the applicant must not give a bogus document or false or misleading information, and the applicant must satisfy the Department of their identity, with a refusal on either ground carrying a bar on future visas.

The two limbs of PIC 4020

Public interest criterion 4020 has two key parts for a partner visa:

• Bogus documents and false information, PIC 4020(1). There must be no evidence that the applicant gave a bogus document, or information that is false or misleading in a material particular, in relation to the current application or a visa held in the 12 months before it. Department policy states that a bogus document includes one that purports to have been issued for the person but was not, one that is counterfeit, one altered without authority, and one obtained because of a false or misleading statement.
• Identity, PIC 4020(2A). The applicant must satisfy the decision maker as to their identity.

The consequences are different

For anyone who wants to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, the difference between the two limbs matters. A refusal under PIC 4020(1) carries a three-year period during which a further visa of many kinds cannot be granted, under PIC 4020(2). The decision maker can waive PIC 4020(1) and (2) where compelling circumstances affect the interests of Australia, or compelling or compassionate circumstances affect the interests of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. For a partner visa, the Australian sponsor's interests can be relevant to that waiver.

A refusal under PIC 4020(2A) is more serious. Department policy states there is no waiver for the identity requirements. A refusal for failing to satisfy PIC 4020(2A) then triggers PIC 4020(2B), which means a further visa cannot be granted for 10 years. That is why identity evidence must be right the first time when you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone.

Natural justice before refusal

Before refusing on PIC 4020 grounds based on information the applicant has not seen, the Department must generally give the applicant an opportunity to comment, usually by a section 57 letter. That letter is the last chance to explain an identity problem before a decision. The guides on the section 57 natural justice letter and on partner visa PIC 4020, and the answer on an honest mistake versus PIC 4020, explain how to respond. The guides on partner visa false documents and on a partner visa refused for false information explain what happens if the response does not succeed.

Previous applications to other countries

Many Sierra Leonean applicants have applied for visas to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada or European countries. Biometric data is shared between some of these countries and Australia. If an earlier application used a different date of birth or spelling, the Department may find it. Sponsors who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone should ask their partner, before anything is lodged, about every earlier visa application to any country and what details were used. The answer on disclosing a visa refusal in a partner visa application explains why every earlier refusal must be declared.

Is a Sierra Leonean marriage recognised in Australia?

Yes, a marriage celebrated in Sierra Leone is recognised in Australia if it was valid under Sierra Leonean law when it took place and none of the exceptions in section 88D of the Marriage Act 1961 applies, such as one party already being married to someone else.

Sierra Leonean law recognises marriage under several systems. The Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act 2007 refers to marriages by Christian, Muslim or civil rites, and it governs marriages under customary law. Under that Act, both spouses must be at least 18 and consent to a customary marriage. The Act requires a customary marriage to be registered by application to the local council within six months of the marriage.

Customary marriages and registration

For couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone after a customary marriage, registration matters. It is often the first marriage question a case officer asks. A registered customary marriage produces a record from the local council that can be translated if needed and provided as evidence. An unregistered customary marriage is harder. The Act requires registration but does not clearly say that a marriage is invalid without it. The Department may still ask for proof that the marriage was valid where it took place. A couple in that position should obtain advice before relying on the marriage, and should consider whether the relationship also qualifies as de facto. The guides on overseas marriages recognised in Australia and on an overseas marriage that is not recognised, and the answer on religious or cultural marriages, explain the tests.

Polygamous customary marriages

The 2007 Act allows a customary marriage to be potentially or actually polygamous. Australian law does not recognise a second marriage that exists at the same time as a first. A person in a customary marriage also cannot later marry someone else by Christian, Muslim or civil rites while that marriage exists. Any earlier or existing marriage of either partner must be disclosed and its end proved. The answer on polygamous marriages and the spouse visa explains the risk.

Identity and the marriage certificate

The marriage certificate is also an identity document, and couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone often forget this. It must show the same names and dates of birth as the passport, or the difference must be explained. A marriage certificate that gives an age inconsistent with the passport date of birth is a common trigger for identity questions. The guide on the partner visa marriage certificate explains what the Department checks.

What police certificates and health checks does a Sierra Leonean partner need?

A Sierra Leonean partner generally needs a police certificate from Sierra Leone and from every other country where they have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, and must complete health examinations when the Department asks.

To sponsor partner from Sierra Leone without delay, the police certificate must be in the applicant's current name and date of birth, or the difference must be explained. A certificate issued under a different spelling may be rejected as relating to a different person. Applicants should follow the Department's current instructions for Sierra Leone when requesting the certificate. The guides on partner visa overseas police certificates and on expired partner visa police checks, and the answer on what to do if you cannot get a police certificate, explain the process.

Health examinations are completed with a panel physician approved by the Department, and biometrics are given at a collection point the Department nominates. The applicant should follow the Department's request rather than assume a location. Biometrics matter to identity: they are one way the Department detects earlier applications under other details. The guides on partner visa biometrics and on the partner visa medical examination explain these steps, and the guide on partner visa character requirements explains how character is assessed.

What relationship evidence do you need to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone?

You need evidence that covers the four aspects of the relationship in regulation 1.15A(3), namely the financial aspects, the nature of the household, the social aspects and the nature of the commitment, together with one relationship statement from each partner and Form 888 statements from people who know the couple.

The four aspects are what the Department assesses whenever couples sponsor partner from Sierra Leone or any other country. They are not four separate statements. The guide on the four aspects of a partner visa relationship explains each one.

Long-distance couples

Many couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone have spent much of their relationship apart. When you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone across that distance, evidence of visits, regular communication, money transfers and joint plans carries the weight that a shared lease would carry for a couple living together. The guides on long-distance partner visa relationships, partner visa travel evidence and partner visa chat evidence explain what helps.

Consistency between relationship evidence and identity evidence

Identity and relationship evidence must agree. If the sponsor's relationship statement says the applicant turned 30 at a birthday party in a given year, that should match the passport date of birth. If a money transfer receipt uses a different spelling of the applicant's name, the spelling should be one already declared. Couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone should read every statement and receipt with the identity explanation beside it. The guides on the relationship statement for a partner visa and on Form 888 witness statements explain how these documents are prepared.

What are the steps to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone?

The steps to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone are: check the sponsor, choose the visa, resolve the applicant's identity documents, confirm the marriage or de facto basis, prepare the relationship evidence, lodge the visa application, lodge the sponsorship, and then answer every Department request accurately and on time.

• Check the sponsor. Confirm citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizen status, age, and the limits in regulation 1.20J and regulation 1.20KC.
• Choose the visa. Decide between the Subclass 309 and Subclass 100, the Subclass 820 and Subclass 801, and the Subclass 300. The answer on the Subclass 820 versus the Subclass 309 helps.
• Audit identity. Collect every identity document the applicant has ever held, list every name and date variation, and prepare the identity explanation.
• Confirm the relationship basis. Decide whether to rely on a valid marriage or a de facto relationship, and obtain proof of registration of any customary marriage.
• Gather police certificates. Request them in the applicant's current passport details.
• Prepare relationship evidence. One relationship statement from each partner, Form 888 statements and evidence across the four aspects.
• Lodge the visa application. The applicant lodges online through ImmiAccount and pays the charge.
• Lodge the sponsorship. The sponsor lodges using the applicant's transaction reference number.
• Respond to requests. Provide biometrics, health examinations and further information as asked.

Following these steps in order is the most reliable way to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone. The guides on how to apply for a partner visa and on partner visa ImmiAccount uploads explain the mechanics.

What if the Department asks about identity after lodgement?

If the Department asks about identity after lodgement, usually by a section 56 request for more information or a section 57 letter inviting comment, the applicant should answer fully, within the time given, with documents and a clear explanation, and should never provide a new document that contradicts earlier ones without explaining why.

A section 56 request asks for specific information or documents. A section 57 letter tells the applicant about information that may lead to refusal and invites comment. Both have deadlines. The guides on the partner visa section 56 request and on section 57 adverse information, and the answer on a refusal after a missed request for information, explain what is at stake. If an error was made in the application, the answer on correcting a mistake in a partner visa application explains how to correct it.

The Department may also interview the applicant or sponsor, and sponsors who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone should expect questions about the applicant's details. Questions about identity often appear alongside relationship questions. The guide on partner visa interview inconsistencies explains how small differences in answers can be treated.

Why are partner visas for Sierra Leonean partners refused?

Partner visas for Sierra Leonean partners are refused for the same legal reasons as other partner visas, but identity, document integrity and marriage validity appear more often than in many other caseloads.

The common grounds are:

• Identity not established. The Department is not satisfied of identity under PIC 4020(2A) because dates, names or birth records are unexplained.
• Bogus document or false information. A document was obtained using a false statement, or information in the application was false or misleading, under PIC 4020(1).
• Marriage not shown to be valid. A customary marriage was not registered, or one partner was still married to someone else.
• Relationship not accepted. The evidence across the four aspects is thin or inconsistent.
• Sponsorship not approved. The sponsor was caught by regulation 1.20J or regulation 1.20KC.

Couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone can prevent most of these by preparing identity evidence before anything else. The guides on why partner visas get refused and on partner visa refusal reasons explain each ground, and the firm's partner visa refusals page explains how refused matters are handled.

Can a refused Sierra Leonean partner apply to the ART?

Yes. A refusal of a Subclass 309, Subclass 820 or Subclass 300 visa can generally be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, if the review application is made within 28 days after the applicant is notified of the decision, or 7 working days if the applicant is in immigration detention.

The 28-day limit is set by section 347 of the Migration Act 1958, and the Tribunal cannot extend it. The ART application fee for review of a partner visa refusal is AUD 3,727. For a Subclass 309 refusal, the visa applicant applies in their own name and can do so from outside Australia. For a Subclass 820 refusal, the applicant applies and must be in Australia. The Tribunal decides on the evidence before it at the time of its own decision. For couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, that means identity documents and explanations that were missing can be provided on review. The guides on the partner visa appeal deadline, partner visa ART fees and evidence for a partner visa ART review, and the answer on who applies for review of an offshore refusal, explain the process.

What have Tribunal decisions said about identity and inconsistent dates of birth?

Tribunal decisions show that a refusal based on identity, inconsistent records or bogus documents can be sent back to the Department when the applicant puts better evidence and a credible explanation before the Tribunal.

In Amoah (Migration) [2024] AATA 2511, a Subclass 300 matter, the recorded issues were identity, that an educational certificate provided with a previous application had a different year of birth, a probable error by the issuer, and that the certificate was not submitted as identity but as education history. The Tribunal remitted the matter, meaning it sent the matter back to the Department for reconsideration.

In Rezai (Migration) [2020] AATA 5489, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were a bogus document, no valid identity documents, satisfaction of the applicant's identity and identification documentation obtained. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department for reconsideration.

In 1620095 (Migration) [2019] AATA 400, a Subclass 309 matter, the recorded issues were false information, inconsistent information submitted, that the Tribunal was satisfied of the visa applicant's identity, and a genuine and continuing relationship. The Tribunal remitted the matter to the Department for reconsideration.

None of these decisions is recorded as involving a Sierra Leonean applicant, and none predicts the result of another case. Each turned on its own evidence. They show that couples who sponsor partner from Sierra Leone and face an identity refusal should treat the Tribunal as a real opportunity to put the full identity record before an independent decision maker.

How My Migration Lawyers helps you sponsor partner from Sierra Leone

My Migration Lawyers acts for Australian sponsors and their partners in partner visa matters where identity, late-registered birth records, differing dates of birth and name variations are the central issue, and the firm is capable of handling a matter to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone from the first assessment through to the visa decision and, if needed, Tribunal review. The firm deals with complex cases and acts in many partner visa matters with identity and document integrity questions of this kind.

On a matter to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone, the firm's work usually includes:

• Sponsor check first. Confirming the sponsor's eligibility and testing regulation 1.20J and regulation 1.20KC before anything is lodged.
• A full identity audit. Reviewing every passport, birth certificate, school record, earlier visa application and identity card the applicant has held, and listing every name and date variation in one place.
• Late registration evidence. Identifying which early records can support a late-registered birth certificate and what explanation is needed for the rest.
• Advice on PIC 4020 risk. Identifying any document that may have been obtained on the basis of incorrect information, and advising on the safest way to disclose and explain it.
• Marriage advice. Checking whether a customary, religious or civil marriage was validly celebrated and registered under Sierra Leonean law, or whether a de facto application is the safer basis.
• Presenting the evidence. Organising the couple's identity and relationship evidence in the form the law requires. Each partner's statements are their own evidence, in their own words, reviewed and corrected by them.
• Answering the Department. Responding to section 56 requests and section 57 letters accurately and on time.
• Tribunal review. Preparing and presenting an Administrative Review Tribunal review if a visa is refused.

The firm's partner visa lawyers act for sponsors in every Australian State and Territory and for partners overseas. The answers on a partner visa lawyer for complex cases and on a lawyer for PIC 4020 partner visa issues, and the guide to complex partner visa applications, explain how the firm approaches this work. Matters are supervised by Weiwei Zhang, Principal Lawyer. Consultations are by video for clients across Australia and overseas.

If you want to sponsor partner from Sierra Leone and your partner's documents show different names, different dates or a late-registered birth, the time to deal with it is before lodgement. Book a Consultation with My Migration Lawyers, or call 1300 040 300.