Australia Partner Visa from China — Evidence Guide

For Chinese applicants applying to Australia. Official source: Australian Embassy in China (Home Affairs offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai).

Applicable visa categories

Partner Visa (Offshore) (309/100) — varies by case; offshore applications get lower priority than onshore ones under Ministerial Direction 117 — check the Home Affairs processing time guide
Partner Visa (Onshore) (820/801) — varies by case; check current Home Affairs global processing times
Prospective Marriage Visa (300) — varies by case; lower priority than onshore applications under Ministerial Direction 117 — check the Home Affairs processing time guide

What is different for Chinese applicants

China’s police certificate for Australian visas is the Notary Certificate of No Criminal Convictions. Home Affairs says Chinese citizens first get a No Criminal Convictions certificate from the local police station where their hukou is registered, then apply to the Public Notary Office there. Postal applications are not accepted, and procedures differ slightly between provinces and cities.
A marriage between a Chinese citizen and a foreigner in mainland China is registered with the provincial-level civil affairs department (or a body it designates), and both partners attend in person. Requirements vary between marriage offices: an Australian citizen partner may be asked for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage from the Australian Embassy or a single-status certificate from the registry of births, deaths and marriages in their home state.
Chinese-language documents such as the marriage certificate (结婚证) must be submitted with English translations. Translators outside Australia do not need NAATI accreditation, but each translation must show, in English, the translator’s full name, address, phone number, and qualifications and experience in the language. Home Affairs says documents do not need to be certified; scan or photograph them in colour.
China is not on Home Affairs’ list of countries with a low risk of hepatitis B. For permanent and provisional visa applicants aged 15 or over, Home Affairs generally lists a medical examination, chest x-ray, HIV test and serum creatinine/eGFR, plus a hepatitis B test for people born in a higher-risk country. The ‘View health assessment’ tab in ImmiAccount shows which examinations you need; they are done by a Home Affairs panel physician, and panel clinics are listed in many mainland cities.

Document authentication (China)

The Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for mainland China on 7 November 2023. Public documents issued in the mainland are apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by the local Foreign Affairs Offices it has entrusted; India objected to China’s accession, so the Convention does not apply between China and India.

Issuing authority: Department of Consular Affairs — Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA China).

Civil documents commonly required

Birth notarial certificate (出生公证) from a Chinese notary office (公证处)
Marriage certificate (结婚证) and a marriage notarial certificate (结婚公证)
Resident ID card (居民身份证)
Household registration booklet (户口簿 / hukou)
No-criminal-record certificate (无犯罪记录证明), notarized by a mainland notary office

Official form guides

888: Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application

Common refusal grounds at Australian Embassy in China (Home Affairs offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai)

Relationship not shown to be genuine. For Partner visas, Home Affairs considers the financial aspects of the relationship, the household, social aspects and the couple’s commitment to each other, and asks for a written relationship history.
Relationship-type requirements not met. De facto partners usually need 12 months in a de facto relationship immediately before applying, and Home Affairs notes that time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count. Prospective Marriage (300) applicants must have met face to face as adults, know each other personally, and intend to marry before the visa period ends.
Sponsorship limitations: Home Affairs may refuse both the sponsorship and the visa if this is the sponsor’s third time sponsoring someone for a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa, or if the sponsor sponsored another partner, or was sponsored as a partner, within the last 5 years. Limited exceptions exist, for example where the couple has a dependent child or the relationship is longstanding.
Bogus documents or false or misleading information (Public Interest Criterion 4020). Home Affairs says providing altered, edited or digitally manipulated documents, including photos, is unlawful. Under the Migration Regulations, a refusal on this ground can block the grant of another visa for 3 years (10 years where the refusal was because identity was not established).
Health or character requirement not met. Police certificates are needed from every country where the applicant spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

A written relationship history covering how, when and where you met, how the relationship developed, time spent apart, significant events and your plans for the future.
Evidence that you stay in touch when apart, such as WeChat or other messaging history and call and video-call records, with English translations of the Chinese-language parts.
Statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or over who know you both and know about the relationship (Form 888 can be used), plus proof of status for any witness who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Accurate, consistent information and genuine, unaltered documents, including photos, videos and audio files. The visa-requirements page on the Australian Embassy in China website notes that applications may be verified through telephone interviews, checks with document-issuing authorities, face-to-face interviews and site visits.

Frequently asked questions

Where do applicants in mainland China lodge an Australian partner visa?

Online, in ImmiAccount. You must be outside Australia when you apply for the offshore Partner visa (subclass 309/100) or the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), and in Australia when you apply for the onshore Partner visa (subclass 820/801). Home Affairs’ offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai manage visa services for residents of mainland China and Mongolia, and the embassy website lists the Australian Immigration Enquiry form and the Home Affairs Global Service Centre as contact options. Under Ministerial Direction 117, offshore partner and prospective-marriage applications get lower priority than onshore ones, so check the processing time guide when you plan.

How do I get a Chinese police certificate for an Australian partner visa?

Home Affairs asks for a police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16. For China, this is the Notary Certificate of No Criminal Convictions. Chinese citizens get a No Criminal Convictions certificate from the local police station where their hukou is registered (bringing their ID card and hukou booklet), then apply to the Public Notary Office there. Postal applications are not accepted. Police certificates are valid for 12 months for immigration purposes, so check processing times before you request one. An Australian sponsor who spent a total of 12 months or more in China in that period also needs one; Home Affairs describes a separate process for non-citizens, who apply at the Public Notary Office in each city where they lived.

Do Chinese documents need to be notarised, certified or apostilled for Home Affairs?

For partner and prospective-marriage visas, Home Affairs asks for colour scans or photos of the original documents plus English translations, and says documents do not need to be certified. Its step-by-step instructions do not mention apostilles. (China’s accession to the Apostille Convention took effect on 7 November 2023, which matters if another authority asks for one.) The police certificate works differently: the version Home Affairs names for China is itself issued by a Public Notary Office.

Can I apply for the onshore 820 partner visa while visiting Australia?

The 820/801 visa must be applied for in Australia. Home Affairs says you can apply if your current or previous visa does not have a no-further-stay condition such as 8503; a waiver may be possible in some circumstances, but it must be approved before you apply. If you do not hold a substantive visa when you apply, extra application requirements apply, including at least two statutory declarations from Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens (Form 888 is not accepted for this), and unless you previously held a subclass 300 visa you must show compelling reasons for the grant. Check your visa details and conditions in VEVO before applying.

Can WeChat messages be used as relationship evidence?

Yes, as supporting evidence. For Partner visas, Home Affairs lists proof that you stay in touch when apart as evidence of commitment. Translate the Chinese-language parts into English under the same translator rules, keep the content unaltered, and label files clearly: ImmiAccount allows up to 100 attachments per person. Partner visas can take a long time, so Home Affairs suggests updating your relationship evidence in ImmiAccount regularly. A dated, chronological export with translations is easy to read and easy to add to.

Official sources

Related corridors

US Spouse & K-1 Visa from China — US CR-1, IR-1, and K-1 evidence guide for Chinese applicants — Guangzhou consulate, notarial certificates, 2023 apostille change.
Australia Partner Visa from Vietnam — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Vietnamese applicants — subclass 309/100 & 820/801, four evidence pillars, English translation rules.
Australia Partner Visa from India — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Indian applicants — subclass 309/100 & 820/801, four evidence pillars, English translation rules, arranged-marriage FAQ.
Canada Spousal Sponsorship from China — Canadian spouse and partner sponsorship guide for Chinese applicants — IRCC’s China document rules (hukou, medical certificate of birth), police certificate, 10-page proof of contact.
Australia Partner Visa from Indonesia — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Indonesian applicants — subclass 309/100, 820/801 & 300, KUA vs civil-registry marriage records, SKCK, English translations.

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