Take a couple we will call Mateo and Hannah. They lodged their subclass 820 application with everything except Mateo’s overseas police certificate, which was still on order. Months later, a request for that certificate arrived in ImmiAccount. Hannah was overseas for work and nobody checked the account. The deadline passed, and the application was decided on what was in the file. That decision was a refusal, and the $11,710 charge was gone.
Nothing about their relationship was in question. The file simply was not finished when it was lodged. This guide explains why that now matters more than ever, and how to audit an application before you pay.
Short answer: The Department may send one request for missing material, and it is not obliged to send any. With a non-refundable $11,710 charge at stake, a partner visa should be complete enough to approve on the day it is lodged.
Why “lodge now, fix later” no longer works
The Migration Act gives the Department a power to request further information. It is a discretion, not a duty. As a result, an officer can lawfully decide an application on the papers already in the file. Where a request is sent, it usually comes once, with a fixed deadline and no reminder.
That changes the maths. Under the old habit, couples lodged early to secure a place and topped the file up later. Now, a thin file either waits for a request, or it is refused on what is there. Neither outcome is worth the saving of a few weeks.
What “decision-ready” actually means
A decision-ready application lets an officer say yes in one sitting. Every form is complete and consistent. Identity documents are certified and legible for both partners. Relationship evidence covers the financial, household, social and commitment aspects across the whole relationship. Health examinations and police certificates are complete, or clearly underway with dates recorded.
In other words, nothing in the file depends on a follow-up. Think of it from the officer’s side. A complete file is assessed once. An incomplete file waits, triggers a request, or is refused.
The pre-lodgement audit
Before you pay, read the application as if you were the decision-maker. Can every criterion be ticked using only what is in the file? If not, fix the gap first. Lodging a week later with a complete file beats lodging today with a hole in it.
Three areas that hold files up
Health and character
Police certificates and immigration medicals take time to arrange, and both have expiry windows. Start them early and track the dates. A file where health and character are already resolved gives the officer one less reason to pause.
The unusual parts of your story
Every relationship has quirks. Time apart, separate finances or a family that objected to the marriage are all explainable. Therefore, explain them in your statements before the officer has to ask. An explanation offered early reads as honesty. The same explanation extracted by a request reads as damage control.
Consistency
Statements, documents and witness declarations must tell one story. A start date that shifts between the form and a Form 888 invites doubt, and doubt drives refusals. Read every document against every other before you lodge.
What an incomplete file costs
| Outcome | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Request for information | A single deadline, no reminder, and a longer wait while the file sits |
| Refusal on the papers | The $11,710 charge is not refunded, and the refusal must be disclosed in future applications |
| Review at the Administrative Review Tribunal | A further $3,727 fee, strict lodgement deadlines, and a long wait on a bridging visa |
Prevention costs less than cure at every line of that table. Our refusals and review page explains the options if a refusal has already landed.
A simple sequence before lodgement
- Stage 1Fix the relationship timeline and agree the start date.
- Stage 2Order police certificates and book medicals, recording expiry dates.
- Stage 3Gather evidence under the four aspects and brief your Form 888 witnesses.
- Stage 4Write the statements, explaining anything unusual.
- Stage 5Audit the whole file against the checklist above, then lodge.
After you lodge
Keep collecting evidence, because circumstances evolve during a long wait. Tell the Department about significant changes such as a new address, a marriage or a child. Check ImmiAccount regularly, and keep your contact details current. Finally, if a request arrives, treat it as the only one you will receive and answer it completely before the deadline.
What if my current visa expires before the file is complete?
This is the one situation where waiting can cost more than lodging. A valid onshore application before your visa ends usually brings a bridging visa. If a document is genuinely unavailable, lodge with everything else and explain what is coming and when. That explanation should be specific, with dates. Speak to us first, because the right answer depends on your current visa and its conditions.
Our fees and process page explains how we prepare a file to this standard. For the visa itself, see the partner visa page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload documents after I lodge?
Yes. ImmiAccount allows further documents to be attached after lodgement. However, you cannot rely on the officer waiting for them. Upload anything outstanding as soon as it exists, and never assume a request will come first.
What counts as health and character being “underway”?
A medical that is booked with a confirmed date, or a police certificate with proof of the order and its reference number. Note the expected date in a cover statement. An officer can then see the gap is closing rather than open.
How should I respond if a request does arrive?
Immediately, completely and before the deadline. Answer every point raised, attach every document requested, and explain anything you cannot provide. Do not send a partial response and hope for a second chance.
Does a complete file change the order in which applications are decided?
Within a category, the Department generally works in lodgement date order. A complete file does not jump the queue. It does avoid the request cycle that pushes incomplete files to the slow end of the range.
Is a table of contents really necessary?
It is not a legal requirement, but it is the cheapest improvement you can make. An officer who can find the lease, the bank statements and the declarations in minutes assesses the file in one sitting. That is the whole aim.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing as at 1 July 2026.
This article is general information about Australian migration law as at 2 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Figures change each July and eligibility turns on your own facts, so obtain advice before acting.