How many Form 888s you need for a partner visa
As at October 2026: Home Affairs' partner and prospective marriage visa pages and Form 888, design date 08/26.
Published by Form 888 Australia · publisher and review details
A partner visa application needs at least 2 Form 888s, because Home Affairs asks for statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or over who know both partners and their relationship.
Each supporter may be asked to submit up to 3 separate statements during processing, and Home Affairs states no maximum number of supporters.
Form 888 count table — as at October 2026, design date 08/26
The Home Affairs Partner and Prospective Marriage visa pages give the witness count; Form 888 gives the number of statements one supporter may be asked to submit.
| Visa and stage | Form 888 statements Home Affairs asks for | Where Home Affairs says it |
|---|---|---|
| Partner visa 820/801 or 309/100, when you lodge | Statements from 2 witnesses | The visa page's “Social matters” section |
| Prospective Marriage visa 300 | Statements from 2 witnesses | The 300 page |
| Permanent stage, 801 or 100 | Statements from 2 witnesses again (timing: the supporters page) | The 801 and 100 pages |
| Each supporter | May be asked for up to 3 separate statements during processing | Form 888 itself |
| Maximum number of supporters | None stated | No source states one |
How many Form 888s for a partner visa?
At least 2 Form 888s are needed for a partner visa: the Home Affairs 820, 801, 309 and 100 pages each say “You must provide statements from 2 witnesses” who are 18 or over, know both partners and know about their relationship, and that these statements “can be done by completing Form 888”.
Form 888 (design date 08/26) tells each supporter, “You may be asked to submit up to 3 separate statements during the processing of the visa application”: this means up to three statements from one person over the life of the application, not three supporters or three statements required at lodgement.
The Home Affairs permanent Partner visa 801 and 100 pages ask for statements from 2 witnesses again.
The 2 Form 888s are not the 2 Commonwealth statutory declarations that some onshore applicants without a substantive visa must also lodge, and the Home Affairs 820 page says no version of Form 888 counts towards those declarations.
Under Form 888’s instructions, each of the 2 witnesses also attaches a copy of an identity document; the page on Form 888 identity documents sets out which documents meet that requirement.
Does the Prospective Marriage visa need the same number?
Yes, the Prospective Marriage (300) visa needs the same number: its Home Affairs page says, “You must provide statements from 2 witnesses” who are 18 or older, know you and your prospective spouse, and know about your relationship.
For the 300, the Migration Regulations 1994 say the Department may consider the social aspects, yet Home Affairs still asks for the 2 statements.
Is there a maximum number of supporters for Form 888?
No maximum number of supporters for Form 888 is stated: neither Form 888 nor the Home Affairs visa pages set one, and they give no recommended number.
What Home Affairs does state is the floor—statements from 2 witnesses on its visa pages—and the per-supporter number in Form 888: up to 3 separate statements if asked during processing.
This guide’s view is to check each supporter’s age and knowledge of the couple rather than aim for an arbitrary total. Each person should write only what they know first-hand. A “4 to 6” figure seen elsewhere is a convention, not a Home Affairs rule or a target this guide recommends.
When can one supporter be asked for more statements?
One supporter can be asked for more statements “during the processing of the visa application”: Form 888 says they “may be asked to submit up to 3 separate statements” and “may also be contacted for further comment and/or interview in relation to the information you provide”.
Section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 lets the Department obtain information it considers relevant and invite the applicant to provide additional information.
Form 888 does not say when or why a further statement is requested. Its wording does not establish a particular stage or frequency.
Form 888 advises supporters to keep a copy of their statement and all attachments. Keeping that record provides a reference when preparing any later statement.
How a migration lawyer checks you have the statements Home Affairs asks for
A migration lawyer checks the file for the statements Home Affairs asks for at your stage, confirms each supporter meets Form 888’s two conditions—being at least 18 and knowing both partners and their relationship history—and flags gaps before lodgement.
If a supporter is asked for a further statement, a lawyer can read it beside the first one to identify inconsistent facts. Consistency does not mean repeating an error: any discrepancy needs to be identified and explained truthfully.
For questions about these migration lawyer checks before lodgement, the site’s enquiry form sends your question to an Australian migration lawyer. The check concerns the statement count, eligibility and evidence consistency, not a prediction of a visa outcome.
Who can give the statements
The statements are given by supporters aged 18 or over who know both partners and the history of their relationship, as Form 888 (design date 08/26) requires.
The supporters page explains who fills out Form 888, which supporters fit, the second stage and how to brief them.
For what the form is and why Home Affairs asks for it, see the guide to the Form 888 partner visa supporting statement.
General information only, not legal advice. Form 888 Australia is not a law firm or migration practice.