Australia Partner Visa from the Philippines — Evidence Guide

For Filipino applicants applying to Australia. Official source: Australian Embassy in the Philippines.

Read this guide in: English · Tagalog

Applicable visa categories

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

What is different for Filipino applicants

Online lodgement and biometrics: Partner visa applications are lodged in ImmiAccount (paper applications only by Home Affairs invitation). Home Affairs tells each applicant whether to attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in person or, if eligible, use the Australian Immi App. The Australian Embassy in the Philippines says the biometrics request arrives by email, that biometrics must be given within 14 days of lodging (or the processing office notified), and that its staff cannot help with general visa enquiries.
CFO Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP): the Commission on Filipinos Overseas requires Filipinos going abroad as spouses, fiancé(e)s or other partners of foreign nationals to complete the GCP and obtain a CFO Digital Certificate, which is presented to the Bureau of Immigration at the port of exit. CFO advises against buying outbound tickets until the certificate is issued.
Philippine police certificate: Home Affairs names the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance as the relevant police document for the Philippines. Applicants provide a police certificate from every country where they spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus Form 80, and Home Affairs treats police certificates as valid for 12 months from issue.
Marrying in the Philippines: an Australian citizen may be asked for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI), the equivalent of the Philippine Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. The Australian Embassy issues CNIs in person by appointment, for marriages solemnised in the Philippines only; it notes that Philippine authorities normally do not accept a CNI issued more than 6 months before the wedding, and that a marriage licence cannot be issued until 10 days after the application.

Document authentication (Philippines)

The Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for the Philippines on 14 May 2019. Public documents are apostilled by the Authentication Division of the DFA Office of Consular Affairs; Germany objected to the Philippines’ accession, so the Convention does not apply between the Philippines and Germany.

Issuing authority: Department of Foreign Affairs — Office of Consular Affairs, Authentication Division (DFA-OCA).

Civil documents commonly required

PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) certified birth certificate
PSA certified marriage certificate; PSA Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) or, if a marriage is on record, Advisory on Marriages
NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) Clearance
CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) Digital Certificate from the Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP), for spouses, fiancé(e)s and other partners of foreign nationals

Official form guides

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

Common refusal grounds at Australian Embassy in the Philippines

Genuine-relationship requirement not met — little or no evidence under the areas Home Affairs lists for partner visas (finances, household, social matters and commitment).
De facto applicants unable to show 12 months in a de facto relationship immediately before applying (Home Affairs notes that time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count as a de facto relationship), where no exception applies, such as a relationship registered with an Australian state or territory authority.
Sponsorship limitations: Home Affairs may refuse both the sponsorship and the visa if the sponsor is sponsoring a partner for the third time, sponsored another partner in the last 5 years, or was sponsored as a partner in the last 5 years (limited exceptions apply). It might also not approve a sponsor who does not meet the sponsor character requirements.
Prospective Marriage visa (300): not meeting the requirements that the couple have met face to face as adults and know each other personally, and that they intend to marry before the visa period ends.
False, altered or digitally edited documents or information — Home Affairs says this may lead to refusal, visa cancellation and restrictions on future applications, and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines warns that scam agents submit applications with false information and documents.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

A written relationship history: how, when and where you met, how the relationship developed, time spent apart, significant events, and your plans for the future.
Commitment evidence that you stay in touch when apart — dated Messenger, Viber or WhatsApp threads and call logs from across the relationship, including periods spent in different countries. A dated, chronological export (for example a PartnerProof PDF) keeps long threads readable.
Social evidence: statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or over who know you both and know about your relationship (Form 888 can be used, with proof of status for Australian citizen or permanent resident witnesses), plus joint invitations, friends in common and travel together.
Financial and household evidence: joint bank account statements, joint lease or loan documents, household bills in both names, and mail addressed to you both.
English translations of documents and chat excerpts in Filipino or other Philippine languages, provided alongside the originals, with chat exports and photos submitted as genuine, unaltered records.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a CFO certificate if I already have an Australian partner visa?

Yes. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas says Filipinos going abroad as spouses, fiancé(e)s or other partners of foreign nationals must complete its Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) to get a CFO Digital Certificate, which is presented to the Bureau of Immigration at your port of exit. The Australian Embassy notes it is a requirement under Philippine law (Republic Acts 10906 and 10364), separate from your Australian visa. CFO says securing a GCP appointment is free, warns against fixers, and advises not buying outbound tickets until the certificate is issued.

Is my Australian partner visa decided at the embassy in Manila?

Not necessarily. Partner visas are lodged online in ImmiAccount, and Home Affairs says it can process applications anywhere in its global network and will contact you if it needs to speak with you. The Australian Embassy in the Philippines says its staff cannot help with general visa enquiries. Steps you may need to complete in person include giving biometrics at a VFS Global centre in Manila, Cebu or Davao (unless Home Affairs tells you that you can use the Australian Immi App instead) and the health examination with a Home Affairs-approved panel physician or clinic.

Why can an offshore partner visa from the Philippines take longer?

Under Ministerial Direction 117, Home Affairs gives highest priority to onshore Partner visas (subclasses 820/801) and lower priority to offshore applications for the Prospective Marriage visa (300) and the Partner visa (309/100), and says lower-priority applications are likely to take longer. Home Affairs says processing times vary: check its processing time guide, which is based on recently decided applications and is a guide only. Because Partner visa processing can be long, Home Affairs asks applicants to update their relationship evidence regularly in ImmiAccount. It also asks you to attach each document only once and label it clearly; you can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application.

Should we apply for a Prospective Marriage visa or marry first?

Home Affairs offers both routes. The Prospective Marriage visa (300) lets the Filipino partner come to Australia to marry: you must have met face to face as adults, apply from outside Australia, and show you will marry within 9 months of the visa being granted (Home Affairs gives a letter from the person who will officiate as an example). After the wedding you apply for the Partner visa (820/801) before the 300 visa ends. Couples who marry first, in the Philippines or elsewhere, need a marriage that is valid in Australia; a married applicant outside Australia applies for the Partner visa (309/100). A Filipino partner already in Australia should check the 820 eligibility rules first: for example, they cannot apply if their current or previous visa has a condition that prevents further stay, such as 8503, unless a waiver is approved before they apply.

Do Tagalog or Cebuano messages need to be translated?

Yes. Home Affairs asks for all documents to be translated into English and for both the original and the translation to be provided. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI); translators outside Australia do not need accreditation, but each translation must show, in English, their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language. For chats that mix English and Filipino, make sure each translated excerpt reads fully in English.

Do Philippine birth and marriage certificates need an apostille for Home Affairs?

Home Affairs’ partner-visa instructions ask for clear colour scans of your documents and say you do not need to have any documents certified; they do not mention an apostille. Home Affairs may still ask for more information during processing. If an authority does ask for one, the Apostille Convention has applied to the Philippines since 14 May 2019 (and to Australia since 16 March 1995), and the HCCH lists the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Consular Affairs as the Philippine competent authority.

Official sources

Related corridors

US K-1 & Spouse Visa from the Philippines — K-1, CR-1, and IR-1 evidence guide for Filipino applicants — CFO GCP certificate, PSA documents, Manila embassy interview specifics.
Canada Spousal Sponsorship from the Philippines — Canadian spousal sponsorship guide for Filipino applicants — IMM 5532/5533, Manila and Cebu VACs, CFO certificate, PSA documents.
UK Spouse & Fiancé Visa from the Philippines — UK spouse, partner and fiancé(e) family-visa evidence guide for Filipino applicants — financial requirement, English test, CFO certificate, PSA documents.
Australia Partner Visa from Vietnam — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Vietnamese applicants — subclass 309/100 & 820/801, four evidence pillars, English translation rules.

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