Should You Keep Updating 801 Documents While Waiting in 2026?

Whether to keep uploading relationship evidence while your Partner visa (801) is assessed, and how to do it in ImmiAccount.

Published: 10 October 2026

Yes — if you are waiting on the permanent stage of a Partner visa, you should keep your documents and relationship evidence current. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states this directly: because Partner visa applications can have long processing times, "you should update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount." That instruction appears on the Partner visa (Permanent) (Subclass 801) official page, as at the October 2026 version of that page, and it is repeated in both the status update and document attachment sections.

The practical question is not whether to update, but what to update, when, and how to do it without creating problems for yourself.

Why does the Department want updates during the wait?

The permanent stage is assessed on whether you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same person who sponsored you for the temporary Partner visa (subclass 820). That is a continuing state, not a fact frozen at the moment you lodged.

Processing times compound the issue. The Department states that processing time for the permanent Partner visa starts from the date of eligibility, which is two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas together. The published figure on the Department's global processing times page is based on how long recently decided applications took, and the Department states it does not guarantee your application will be decided within that timeframe.

So the evidence you uploaded at lodgement can be years old by the time a case officer opens your file. Regular updates keep the record aligned with your life as it is now.

Can you upload documents before the two-year point?

No, not for the permanent-stage assessment. The official page is explicit: you become eligible for consideration two years after you apply for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, and you can check your submission date in ImmiAccount. Once two years have passed, you can submit your documents for the permanent stage. The page instructs applicants not to send them before that time.

If you were granted the subclass 801 at the same time as your subclass 820, there is nothing further to do at all. You can confirm which visa you currently hold using VEVO.

What is worth updating once you are past the eligibility date?

Home Affairs groups relationship material into two broad categories: relationship documents, and supporting evidence of your relationship. Beyond that it does not prescribe a fixed checklist, so the sensible approach is to add material that shows the relationship continuing after the date of your last upload.

Identity and character documents have firmer rules attached:

Identity: a copy of the pages of your most recent passport showing your photo, personal details, signature, and the passport issue and expiry dates.
Australian police certificate: you usually need one for the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your 820 application. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted — not standard disclosure certificates, and not certificates issued by state or territory police. For immigration purposes a police certificate is valid for 12 months from its issue date, and you may be asked for a new one if yours has expired.
Overseas police certificates: you need one from any country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more since your 820 was granted.

That 12-month validity rule is the clearest reason updates are not optional housekeeping. A police certificate that was perfectly good at lodgement can quietly expire while the file sits in the queue.

How do you attach documents in ImmiAccount?

The official page sets out this sequence for the permanent stage:

Log in to ImmiAccount.
Select 'New application'.
Select 'Family'.
Select 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment'.
Attach your documents.

Later updates go through the same account rather than a new application. A few handling rules matter: attach a document only once even if it shows more than one thing, label documents clearly, scan or photograph everything in colour and clearly enough to read, and save multi-page documents as a single file. You do not need documents certified. Anything not in English needs translation — by a NAATI-accredited translator if you are in Australia, or, if you are overseas, with the translator's full name, address, telephone number and language qualifications included in English on each translation.

What if you hit the attachment limit?

You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the Department states the limit cannot be increased. If you reach it for one applicant, the published workaround is to attach further documents to another client on the same application.

Two habits reduce the risk of ever hitting it: never attach the same document twice, and label files so a case officer can tell what each one shows without opening it.

Will updating your documents make the decision come faster?

It removes one known cause of delay, but it is not an expedite mechanism. The Department lists four things that make an application take longer: it was not filled in correctly, required documents were missing, more information was needed from you, or verifying your information took time. Uploading complete, accurate material addresses the second point and reduces the chance of the third.

What it does not do is move you up a queue. Applications are assessed case by case, complex cases may take longer, and published processing times are a guideline only. The official page also states that you should not make contact if your application is within the current standard processing time, because no further progress update can be provided; status and whether all supporting documents have been received can be checked in ImmiAccount.

This article is general information about how the published process works, not advice tailored to your circumstances — where your situation is complex, rely on the current official page and on advice from a qualified professional.

When is an update a formal obligation rather than good practice?

Some changes carry their own notification duty:

Relationship ends: you may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. You might still be eligible for the permanent visa if your relationship ends or your partner dies, and the Department states that all information you provide is confidential. Family violence provisions may also apply; where domestic and family violence is involved, information on those provisions is published separately.
A baby is born: you need to let the Department know, using the change-in-situation process for a new child.
Mistakes on the application: let the Department know as soon as you can.
Contact details, address or passport change: these have their own update paths, and the Department may contact you directly even if a sponsor, authorised recipient or migration agent is nominated.

The official page names the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel to use where you genuinely cannot upload relevant documents to ImmiAccount.

Assume a couple lodged a combined 820/801 application, passed the two-year eligibility date, and then moved house, changed jobs and had a child over the following eighteen months. Each of those is a change worth recording, and the child's birth is a change the Department expects to be told about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I update relationship evidence during 801 processing?

Yes. The Department of Home Affairs advises updating your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount, because Partner visa applications can have long processing times. The purpose is to show you continue to be the spouse or de facto partner of the same sponsor at the time the case is assessed.

Can I upload permanent-stage documents before the two-year mark?

No. You become eligible for consideration of the permanent Partner visa two years after applying for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, and the official page says not to attach permanent-stage documents before that time. You can confirm your submission date in ImmiAccount.

How many documents can I attach?

Up to 100 documents for each person on the application. The Department states this limit cannot be increased, so avoiding duplicate attachments and labelling files clearly matters.

Does uploading more evidence speed up my visa?

Not directly. Complete and accurate documents help avoid delays caused by missing information or follow-up requests, but applications are assessed case by case and published processing times are a guideline only, not a guarantee.

Do I need a new police certificate while waiting?

Possibly. Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes, and you may be asked for a new one once yours expires. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates from the Australian Federal Police are accepted.

What if my relationship ends before the 801 is decided?

You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount. You might still be eligible for the permanent visa if the relationship ends or your partner dies, and the Department states that information you provide is confidential.

What if I cannot upload documents to ImmiAccount?

The official page names the Partner Processing Enquiry Form as the channel for applicants who cannot upload relevant documents. General status and document receipt can be checked in ImmiAccount without contacting the Department.