Who Can Sign a Form 888 for a Partner Visa?

Who is eligible to sign a Form 888?

A person eligible to sign a Form 888 is an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who knows the applicant and the sponsor and can describe their relationship from personal knowledge. The witness provides evidence of their citizenship or permanent residence with the form. Our guide on how to complete Form 888 explains the personal details and supporting documents the form asks for. The witness should also be someone the couple can rely on to answer questions if the Department contacts them, because case officers sometimes check what a witness has written.

Can family members sign a Form 888?

Family members can sign a Form 888, including parents, siblings and other relatives of either partner, provided they are Australian citizens or permanent residents. Family members often know the relationship best and can speak to it over many years. A mix of family members and friends usually gives the Department a broader picture of how the couple are seen by the people around them. Each family member should describe their own observations rather than repeat what another relative has said.

Can friends who live overseas sign a Form 888?

Friends who live overseas can sign a Form 888 only if they are Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents. A supporter who does not hold Australian status cannot complete the form, but can still provide an ordinary signed statement about the relationship, which the Department may consider as part of the social evidence. Our article on Form 888 witness statements explains how these other statements are used. Such a statement should give the supporter's full name, contact details and relationship to the couple, together with the same kind of specific observations a Form 888 contains.

Does a Form 888 need to be witnessed by a Justice of the Peace?

A Form 888 is a supporting statement, not a statutory declaration, so couples should follow the signing instructions on the current version of the form rather than treating it as a statutory declaration. Many online guides still describe Form 888 as a statutory declaration, which causes unnecessary trips to a Justice of the Peace. Our article on partner visa statutory declarations explains the difference. Where the current form does ask for a particular signature or attachment, the witness should complete that step exactly as the form directs.

What if we cannot find enough Australian witnesses?

Couples who cannot find enough Australian citizens or permanent residents to sign Form 888 can still apply, but the gap should be explained and filled with other social evidence. Couples who have recently arrived, whose families live overseas or who have kept the relationship private often face this problem. Our articles on a partner visa without family support and on partner visa relationship evidence explain the alternatives. The relationship statement should then say plainly why fewer Australian witnesses are available.

How does My Migration Lawyers choose Form 888 witnesses with couples?

My Migration Lawyers works through the couple's network with them to identify which supporters are eligible, which know the relationship best and which cover different parts of the couple's life, such as family, work and community. The firm then gives each witness a clear outline of what to address and checks every completed form before lodgement. Couples unsure who should sign can ask our partner visa lawyers to review their options.