Including a Partner on Australia Subclass 884: Family Migration 2026
Yes — a partner can be included in a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) application, but only if you supply identity documents, character documents and proof of the relationship itself: a current marriage certificate, or documents showing a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. That requirement is set out on the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), as of October 2026 official pages. This article is general information only and not advice tailored to any individual case, so treat the official page and any qualified professional you consult as the final word on your circumstances.
The practical point for a family weighing up an Australian residence plan is that a partner is not a passive passenger on this application. Each person included brings their own documents, their own character position and their own relationship history into the assessment — and those pieces have to line up before lodgement, because the Subclass 884 is a paper application lodged in Australia, with no online lodgement route.
Who counts as a partner on a Subclass 884 application?
The official page uses "partner" to cover both married and de facto relationships, and it treats the partner as someone who "applies for the visa with you." That framing matters: the partner is an applicant in their own right, not an attachment to your file.
Two consequences follow directly from the page. First, you and anyone applying with you must hold valid passports before the visa can be granted. Second, the partner's own history is in scope — the department asks for "documents about other relationships, if applicable," which means prior marriages or partnerships have to be disclosed rather than left out of the picture.
For a high-net-worth household, the useful way to read this is as a disclosure exercise. A partner with a complex marital or residency history does not automatically block the application, but an undisclosed one creates a problem that is far harder to fix later.
What relationship evidence does the Department ask for?
The page splits the answer by relationship type, and the distinction drives your document work.
Married partners
For a married partner, the department asks for your current marriage certificate as the evidence of the relationship. Note the emphasis on currency — the certificate has to reflect the marriage as it stands now, not a superseded record.
If a name change sits behind the marriage, that document does double duty: documents proving a change of name listed on the page include a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and documents showing other names you have been known by.
De facto partners
For a de facto partner, you must prove the relationship has existed for at least 12 months before you apply. The page gives four accepted categories of proof:
- joint bank account statements
- billing accounts in joint names
- joint leases or mortgages
- documents that show you have lived at the same address as your partner
These are stated as examples of what proves a de facto relationship, not as a fixed checklist where any single item is decisive. The substance the department is testing is a shared life — shared money, shared legal commitments, shared address — documented over the qualifying period.
Why the 12-month de facto rule changes your timeline
The 12-month period runs backwards from the date you apply, not from the date you decide to apply. A couple who began living together eight months ago cannot close the gap with a stronger bundle of documents; the period itself has to be complete at lodgement.
This is the single most common planning error for families who are sequencing moves across jurisdictions. If a partner's relocation, property purchase or account restructuring happens after the relationship start date, the evidence trail may begin later than the relationship did — and the department will only see what you can document. Households that intend to include a de facto partner should treat the evidence trail as something to build deliberately well before the intended lodgement window, rather than something to assemble at the end.
Suppose, as a hypothetical, that an applicant and their partner have lived together for three years but only opened a joint account six months ago. The relationship may well qualify; the documentary picture is thinner than it needs to be, and older records — correspondence at the same address, a lease in joint names, billing accounts — become the load-bearing material.
What else must a partner submit?
Beyond the relationship evidence, three other document groups apply to a partner, and each has a distinct failure mode.
Identity documents. Provide the pages of the current passport showing the photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if the partner has one and proof of change of name if applicable. The page is explicit about the stakes: if identity cannot be proven, the application will be refused, the applicant might not be granted another visa for 10 years, and family members listed on the application might not be granted a visa for 10 years.
Character documents. The department may ask for police certificates, but the instruction is to wait — do not arrange a police check until asked.
Other relationships. Documents about other relationships are required where applicable, covering the partner's prior relationship history.
Four recent photographs are also required for anyone included in the application, and they must meet specific standards: passport-size (45mm × 35mm), less than 6 months old, good quality colour, a view of the full face, taken against a plain light-coloured background. Laser copies are not accepted.
Can a partner be added after lodgement?
The official page confirms that family members can sometimes be added after lodgement, by completing and sending Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement. Two conditions attach to that route: you must give evidence of your relationship and a copy of the family member's passport, and any family member added after you apply must be in Australia at the time you add them.
For planning purposes, read that as a constraint rather than a safety net. The "must be in Australia" condition removes the option for a partner who is still offshore when you are ready to lodge, and adding later does not reduce the relationship evidence burden — the same 12-month de facto or marriage proof applies. Including a partner in the original lodgement is the cleaner path wherever the documents allow it.
What does including a partner mean for the wider family plan?
Several mechanics on the official page connect the partner decision to the rest of the household's strategy.
- One paper application, one package. The Subclass 884 must be applied for on paper using Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia, with the sponsor completing Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia. Each member of the family aged 18 years or over must also complete Form 47A, even if they are not migrating.
- Where everyone must be. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you submit the application and when the department makes its decision.
- The money is staged. You pay the first instalment when you apply, and a second instalment before the visa is granted; the department sends an invoice when it is due, and non-payment leads to refusal. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
- Status while waiting. Applying in Australia means a bridging visa is likely to be granted, taking effect if your current visa expires before a decision is made. Do not cancel your current visa — doing so may leave you unlawful and ineligible for a bridging visa.
- Ongoing duty to update. You must tell the department about changes including relationship status and family composition, and mistakes on the application should be notified using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.
Two eligibility gates sit alongside the partner question and should be checked before any of this: you must satisfy the balance of family test, and you cannot apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa. If you have a pending Parent visa application on which no decision has been made, you must withdraw it when you apply for this visa, using Part B of Form 47PA.
How accurate does the information need to be?
The department warns that there are consequences for information that is not accurate or complete. In a partner context, the risk is rarely a single dramatic omission; it is more often a mismatch between what is declared in the relationship section and what the supporting documents show — inconsistent addresses, a marriage certificate that conflicts with a stated name history, or a prior relationship left undisclosed.
Because the partner's documents sit inside the same application as the sponsor's, the balance of family evidence and the main applicant's identity and character material, an inconsistency anywhere in the package reflects on the credibility of the whole file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my partner be included in my Subclass 884 application?
Yes. The official page directs applicants to gather documents for any partner who might be applying with them, and lists a dedicated set of partner documents. The partner is treated as an applicant, so their identity, character and relationship evidence are all assessed.
What proves a de facto relationship for Subclass 884?
You must show the de facto relationship existed for at least 12 months before you apply. The page names joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing you lived at the same address as your partner.
Do I need both a marriage certificate and de facto evidence?
No — the page frames these as alternatives tied to relationship type: a current marriage certificate for married partners, or documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months. Submit whichever matches the relationship, along with identity and character documents.
Can I add my partner after I have already lodged the application?
You might be able to add family members before a decision is made, using Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement. You must provide evidence of the relationship and a copy of the partner's passport, and the partner must be in Australia when added.
Does the partner need police certificates at lodgement?
Not usually at the start. Character documents, including police certificates, may be requested by the department, and the official instruction is not to arrange a police check until asked.
What happens if my relationship status changes while the application is being processed?
You are required to tell the department about changes including relationship status and family composition. Mistakes on the application should be notified using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, which can be uploaded through ImmiAccount or sent via the Parent visa processing centre form.