What Is Form 47SP for a Partner Visa?

Who completes Form 47SP?

Form 47SP is completed by the partner visa applicant, not the sponsor. It records the applicant's identity, family members, relationship history, addresses, travel and visa history, and health and character declarations. Dependent children included in the application are listed in it. Our article on Form 47SP for a partner visa walks through each part of the form.

Can I lodge a partner visa on a paper Form 47SP?

A partner visa can be lodged on a paper Form 47SP only where the regulations still allow paper lodgement, and for most applicants online lodgement through ImmiAccount is required. Lodging on paper where online lodgement is required can make the application invalid. Our article on the partner visa online application through ImmiAccount explains how online lodgement works.

What parts of Form 47SP cause the most problems?

The parts of Form 47SP that cause the most problems are the relationship dates, the history of addresses, previous relationships, earlier visa applications and refusals, and the character questions. These answers are compared with the sponsor's answers and with the applicant's earlier visa applications. Our articles on partner visa previous relationships and partner visa PIC 4020 explain why accuracy in these sections matters.

Is Form 47SP the only form the applicant needs?

Form 47SP, or its online equivalent, is not the only form the applicant may need. The Department may also ask for Form 80 about personal particulars and character, Form 1221 for additional personal particulars, and Form 888 statements from people who know the couple. Our guides to Form 80 for a partner visa and Form 1221 for a partner visa explain these forms.

What should I gather before answering the application questions?

Before answering the application questions, an applicant should gather passports, birth and marriage certificates, any divorce or death certificates from earlier relationships, a full list of addresses and travel, and copies or details of every earlier Australian visa application. Having these in front of the applicant avoids guessing dates, which is how most inconsistencies begin. The sponsor should gather the same information for the sponsorship at the same time. Our partner visa document checklist lists what is usually needed, and our page on the Subclass 820 visa explains the onshore criteria the answers must support.

What if I made a mistake on the application form?

An applicant who made a mistake on the application form should correct it in writing as soon as possible, using Form 1023 to notify an incorrect answer, or Form 1022 where circumstances have changed since lodgement. Correcting a genuine error early is far better than leaving the Department to discover it. Our article on Form 1022 and change of circumstances explains how to notify changes and corrections.

How does My Migration Lawyers complete the partner visa application form?

My Migration Lawyers completes the application from the applicant's documents and a full interview, not from memory, so that dates, addresses and history match the passports, certificates and earlier visa records. The firm then checks the application against the sponsorship and the relationship statement before lodgement. Applicants can ask our partner visa lawyers to prepare the application, or review one before it is lodged.