Form 80 and Partner Visas

What is a Form 80? 

A Form 80 is a Character Assessment Form that’s required for many different visa categories – it’s not specific to Partner Visas. It’s also not a mandatory form, which means you can technically lodge your Partner Visa without providing it, but I always recommend applicants complete this form as part of the forms for their Partner Visa application. 

The most recent version of the Form 80 can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website by searching “Form 80” under the Departmental Forms section

Why provide a Form 80? 

Why? Because I’ve seen time and time again the Department requesting it. You’re already compiling information for your Partner Visa application, so if you want to provide a decision ready application, then I would recommend completing the Form 80. You will probably save yourself time down the line and reduce the likelihood of receiving a s56 Request for More Information. 

Some couples will choose not to complete the Form 80 and that’s okay, but to help avoid delays with processing my recommendation is always that you complete one as part of your Partner Visa – even if you completed one for a previous visa application.

Who needs to provide a Form 80? 

The applicant (person applying for the visa) needs to provide a Form 80. Interestingly, I have seen a couple of cases where the decision maker requests a sponsor to also complete a Form 80, but 99% of the time, it’s the applicant.

How long will the Form 80 take to complete?

Not to scare you, but it’s probably the most tedious form you will need to complete. I recommend putting aside at least 2-3 hours to have it complete. Remember that you might not be able to complete it all in one sitting, especially if you need to find your entire employment history and travel history.

Common mistakes people make when completing the Form 80

If you’ve taken a quick look at the Form 80, then you’ll know the Department wants a lot of information… like A LOT of information. It can feel overwhelming providing all of the information they are requesting but if you take it a step at a time then you’ll get through it. 

Here are some of the questions on the Form 80 that I see people making the most number of mistakes on:

Question 17

Question 17 asks you to list your address history for the last 10 years. It’s important here that there are no gaps in your address history! Oftentimes an applicant will provide either just their current address or their main addresses with gaps in between dates. 

Gaps in the Form 80 are a huge no no and you risk slowing down your application if the decision maker isn’t satisfied that you’ve completed the form properly. 

It’s okay to be unsure of exact dates. If you’re not sure which month you moved into a certain address then provide ‘January’ as the default date. You can then provide an explanation with the Form 80 that you may not recall the exact dates for each address. 

Question 18

Read this question carefully. This question is asking if you have travelled to any country other than Australia in the last 10 years. 

One of the common mistakes I see here is the applicant listing travels and holidays to Australia as well. 

Question 19

Without fail, most mistakes are made at question 19. The Department is asking for not only your employment history, but that includes periods of unemployment. Oftentimes I will review a Form 80 and there will be large gaps in employment. It’s okay if you have had periods of unemployment, but you need to disclose it. 

If you read question 19 in full, the Department wants you to start with employment/unemployment details since birth! This means from birth to your first period of employment, you will need to list ‘unemployed’ and explain how you supported yourself during this period. 

Question 24 or 28

This question asks if you’re applying for a temporary visa. For all Partner Visa including the subclass 820/801, subclass 309/100, and the Prospective Marriage Visa subclass 300, your answer should be “No.” This can be very confusing when applying for your first stage Partner Visa, but it’s important to remember your Partner Visa application is for both the provisional and permanent visas (and the intention is to lodge an onshore Partner Visa following a subclass 300).

Question 34 and 35

These questions ask about your arrival date for Australian visas, but what if you were onshore at the time of a visa grant? In that case, you should leave the arrival date blank and add a note in Part T that the visa applicant was onshore at the time of grant. 

Question 48

This question stumps a lot of people – especially if they have a large network of people inside Australia. For the purposes of the Form 80, you only need to provide details of one other person contact in Australia (even if you know 100).

Keep these 5 factors in mind when completing the Form 80

1. Read each question very carefully. You may not need to answer every single question on this form (depending on your circumstances). Some questions require information from certain time periods. For example, you should be providing travel details for the last 10 years, and employment details since birth. Be clear on what the question is asking of you.
2. No gaps. There should be no gaps in the information you provide. If there is a gap, then an explanation should be provided. 
3. Use Part T of the Form 80 to provide additional information. You may need more space to complete the form than what some of the questions offer. If that’s the case, use Part T to add the additional information. Otherwise, you can also create your own ‘annexure’ to the Form 80 and attach it.
4. Quality Check. This means double and triple checking the information you provide on the Form 80. Make sure you have completed all relevant questions and sections. Once that’s done, cross check the Form 80 against any other forms you are providing in support of your partner visa. 
5. Don’t forget to sign the Form 80. An electronic signature will suffice, saving you from printing and signing the Form 80. 

When it comes to forms, the Form 80 is just one of a number of different forms you may need to know about if you are lodging a Partner Visa. To find out about the other forms needed then check out my guide to getting the forms right.

If you want help and guidance on any aspect of your Partner Visa, you can get started by learning how the Academy works to see if we’re a good fit to answer your questions.

IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.