801 vs 820: What Actually Changes When You Get PR in 2026?

How the permanent Partner visa (subclass 801) differs from the temporary subclass 820 on stay, work, study, travel, sponsorship and citizenship.

Published: 11 October 2026

The short answer is that the 801 changes your status, not your daily permissions. According to the Department of Home Affairs Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) official page (as at October 2026 official pages), the subclass 801 is a permanent visa and you become a permanent resident on the day it is granted. The Home Affairs summary describes what the 801 adds on top of the subclass 820 as three things: living, working and studying in Australia indefinitely, sponsoring eligible family members, and applying for Australian citizenship if you are eligible. A separate entitlement listed on the same page is travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant.

That means the 820-to-801 step is less about unlocking work or study and more about removing the temporary horizon: no further visa stage to wait for, a defined travel facility, a route to citizenship, and a change in what you can do for family members. This article is general information about how the published settings compare, not personalised advice; your own conditions, dates and eligibility should be checked against the current Home Affairs pages or with a qualified professional.

What changes on the day the 801 is granted?

	Subclass 820 (temporary)	Subclass 801 (permanent)
How long you can stay	Temporary stage of the partner visa process	Permanent — you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted
Live, work and study	Living, working and studying in Australia; the Home Affairs 801 page treats indefinite stay, work and study as an addition to what the 820 already allowed	Live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, with full work rights and Australian workplace law protections
Travel	—	Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date of grant, after which a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) is needed
Sponsoring family members	—	You might be able to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia
Medicare	—	Access to Australia's public healthcare scheme, Medicare
Citizenship	—	Apply for Australian citizenship if eligible
English classes	—	If eligible, attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program

Conditions that apply specifically to the subclass 820 are published on the separate Home Affairs subclass 820 page; the comparison above only records what the Home Affairs subclass 801 pages state.

Do you gain the right to work and study at the 801 stage?

You gain indefinite work and study rights, rather than work and study rights themselves. The Home Affairs 801 page lists full work rights and states that you are protected by Australian workplace law, with the Fair Work Ombudsman fact sheet on visa holders and migrant workers named as the reference for workplace rights and entitlements. On study, the same page says you will be able to study in Australia and points to StudyAssist for what study you may be eligible for.

The practical difference is duration and certainty. On the 820 you hold temporary permission that is tied to the progress of the partner visa process; on the 801 there is no expiry on how long you may remain, work or enrol in study.

How long can you stay, and what happens to travel?

The 801 is expressed as permanent: you become a permanent resident on the day of grant, and you may live in Australia indefinitely. Travel is handled separately through a travel facility rather than through the visa's own life. The Home Affairs page states you can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for five years from the date the visa is granted, as long as that travel facility remains valid. Once it ends, you need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. The date the facility ends is shown in VEVO.

One edge case is worth knowing before you next fly. If you hold a New Zealand passport and an immigration officer processes your clearance at the border, the Home Affairs page advises telling them you hold a permanent Australian visa and that you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). Grants of a subclass 444 can override your permanent visa and may affect your eligibility for Australian citizenship.

When is the permanent stage actually assessed?

Eligibility for the permanent stage is time-based. The Department of Home Affairs states that the processing time for a permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. Applications are assessed case by case, complex cases may take longer, and published processing times are a guideline only. Home Affairs also lists the common causes of delay: an incorrectly completed form, missing documents, requests for further information, and time taken to verify information.

You also remain subject to relationship requirements up to that point. The Home Affairs process summary says you must hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) or a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), and in most cases continue to be in a genuine and ongoing relationship with your sponsor. You and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.

Can you still add family members once the 801 is granted?

No — this is one of the clearest cut-offs. The Home Affairs 801 page states you cannot add family members to your visa application after the permanent Partner visa is granted. Before that point the options differ:

A dependent child can be included in your application when you apply for the temporary subclass 820.
After the 820 is granted, a dependent child must first hold a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) and be in Australia to be added to the permanent application, using Form 1002 attached to ImmiAccount.
If you have a baby after applying, you need to notify Home Affairs.

Once you hold the 801, the mechanism changes from "adding someone to your application" to sponsoring. As an Australian permanent resident, you might be able to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia.

Does Medicare start immediately, and what about government payments?

Medicare access is listed on the Home Affairs 801 page as one of the entitlements of the permanent visa. Government payments are treated differently: the same page says you might have to wait to access certain Australian Government payments and benefits, and refers to Services Australia for newly arrived residents' waiting periods. So the health scheme and income-support style payments do not necessarily begin under the same timing rules, even though both follow the same visa grant.

What does the 801 change for citizenship?

It starts the permanent-residency clock used for citizenship purposes. Home Affairs says that after a certain time you may be eligible for Australian citizenship, and that for citizenship purposes your permanent residency starts on either the day your visa was granted if you were in Australia, or the day you first entered Australia on this visa after it was granted. That second limb matters if you are outside Australia at the time of grant: your residency start date is set by your first entry on the visa, not by the grant date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to lodge a separate application for the 801 after holding the 820?

The Home Affairs 801 page states that the cost was paid when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, so the two stages sit in one application. You must hold a subclass 820 or subclass 445 visa, and in most cases continue to be in a genuine and ongoing relationship with your sponsor.

Is there an extra government fee at the permanent stage?

The Home Affairs page records that you paid for the visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. It also says you might have to pay other costs for health or police checks. No separate visa application charge amount is published on that page.

Can I travel overseas straight after the 801 is granted?

Yes, within the travel facility. You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for five years from the date of grant, and you can check when the facility ends in VEVO. Travel after that requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).

Can my partner's child be added after the 801 is granted?

No. Family members cannot be added to your application after the permanent Partner visa is granted. A dependent child who does not hold a subclass 820 must hold a subclass 445 and be in Australia to be added before a decision is made on the permanent application.

Do I get proof of the visa in my passport?

No. Australian visas are digital and no visa label is placed in your passport; Home Affairs links a digital visa record to your passport. Your visa number appears in your visa grant letter and gives you access to that record in VEVO, which airlines, government agencies, employers, banks and other registered organisations use to check your conditions.

What happens if I get a new passport?

You need to tell Home Affairs. The 801 page lists getting a new passport as a change in situation you must report, alongside keeping to all visa conditions and Australian laws.