Department interview
The invitation sets the place and time or says the officer will call, and the applicant must make every reasonable effort to be available and attend (s 58(1), (3); s 59(1)).
If the officer asks for more information at the interview, the applicant in Australia has 7 days after the interview to give it, against 28 days for a written request, so note every item asked for before the call ends.
Those periods come from regulation 2.15 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Different rules apply in immigration detention and to applications made outside Australia, as summarised below.
Invited to an interview or asked for documents? Check the letter’s response period and seek an Australian migration lawyer promptly. The shared enquiry form sends private questions to Australian Migration Lawyers.
Question-topic card by the four aspects
Under regulations 1.15A(3) and 1.09A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994:
| Aspect | What the Regulations say the Minister considers |
|---|---|
| Financial | Joint ownership of real estate or major assets; joint liabilities; pooling money for major commitments; legal obligations to each other; sharing day-to-day household expenses. |
| Household | Care and support of children; living arrangements; sharing housework. |
| Social | Whether you present as a couple to others; friends’ and acquaintances’ views of the relationship; joint social activities. |
| Commitment | Duration of the relationship; time lived together; companionship and emotional support; whether you see the relationship as long-term. |
These are the matters the Regulations require the decision maker to consider, not a Department question list.
Response-period card
Regulation 2.15 of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the prescribed periods; the Home Affairs Partner visa FAQs explain how to request an extension.
| Request or circumstance | Response period |
|---|---|
| Information asked for at an interview — applicant in Australia, not detained | 7 days after the interview |
| Information asked for by phone — applicant in Australia, not detained | 7 days after the call |
| Written request — applicant in Australia, not detained | 28 days after notification |
| Applicant in immigration detention | 5 days |
| Application made outside Australia, including 309 and 300 | The reasonable period stated in the invitation |
| Extension — applicant in Australia, not detained | A further 7 days may be allowed; request it before the deadline through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form, with evidence |
Why does the Department interview partner visa applicants?
An interview is a way to collect relevant information. Section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 allows the Minister to obtain information considered relevant and invite the applicant, orally or in writing, to provide more information in a specified way.
Under sections 58–59 of the Migration Act 1958, an invitation can require a written response, an interview with an officer or a phone response. The applicant must make every reasonable effort to attend; section 59(2) also allows information to be obtained by phone or any other way.
For a spouse or de facto partner application, sections 5F and 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 define the relationship requirements, including a genuine and continuing relationship. Regulations 1.09A and 1.15A require consideration of all the circumstances, including the four relationship aspects.
What questions are asked at a partner visa interview?
The legally grounded question themes are the matters the decision maker must consider under regulations 1.15A(3) and 1.09A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994: finances, household, social aspects and commitment. The prompts below translate those matters into preparation topics; they are not official interview questions or model answers.
Financial aspects
Prepare to explain:
- What real estate or major assets you own jointly.
- What liabilities you share.
- How you pool money for major commitments.
- What legal financial obligations you have to each other.
- How you share everyday household expenses.
These themes reflect regulation 1.15A(3)(a), with the equivalent de facto matters in regulation 1.09A(3).
Nature of the household
Prepare to explain your living arrangements, how you divide housework, and how you care for and support children. These are the household matters in regulations 1.15A(3)(b) and 1.09A(3).
Social aspects
Consider how you present yourselves as a couple, what friends and acquaintances know about the relationship, and which social activities you undertake together. Regulations 1.15A(3)(c) and 1.09A(3) identify these social matters.
Nature of the commitment
Be ready to describe the relationship’s duration, time lived together, companionship and emotional support, and whether you see it as long-term. These themes come from regulations 1.15A(3)(d) and 1.09A(3).
For married couples
Marriage validity is an additional legal issue: sections 5F(2)(a) and 12 of the Migration Act 1958 require a marriage valid for the Act. A marriage certificate does not replace the other relationship requirements.
How to prepare for a partner visa interview
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Read the invitation carefully. Check who is invited, the place and time or phone arrangements, and how information must be provided. Section 58(1) and (3) of the Migration Act 1958 governs these instructions.
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Plan to attend; ask early if the time cannot work. Section 59(1) requires every reasonable effort to attend. Section 58(5) permits the interview time to change within the prescribed or extended period under regulation 2.15(3)–(4).
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Re-read what both partners have lodged. Review the application, relationship statements, supporting declarations and evidence. Mark changes or points needing clarification rather than rehearsing identical answers: information you provide at interview forms part of the application information considered under section 56 of the Migration Act 1958.
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Answer truthfully, without guessing. Schedule 4, PIC 4020 of the Migration Regulations 1994 addresses materially false or misleading information and bogus documents. Refusal under that criterion can affect the applicant and family-unit members for three years, subject to exceptions and waiver provisions. Criminal Code section 137.1 also makes false information to a Commonwealth entity an offence.
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Notify relevant changes since lodgement. Section 104 of the Migration Act 1958 requires notification of changes affecting application answers. Home Affairs Form 1022 addresses changes in circumstances; relationship cessation can be reported through the ImmiAccount cessation form. Keep contact details current too.
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Record every outstanding request and due date. For an applicant in Australia who is not detained, regulation 2.15(1)(b)(i) gives seven days after the interview to supply information requested there.
Is the sponsor interviewed too?
The Department can obtain relevant information from the sponsor, but the law does not establish that every sponsor will be interviewed. Sponsorship is assessed alongside the visa under the Migration Regulations 1994; sections 56(1) and 59(2) of the Migration Act 1958 allow relevant information to be gathered by phone or any other way.
If sponsor information not supplied by the applicant meets the adverse-information test in section 57 of the Migration Act 1958, the applicant must be given particulars and invited to comment.
Prospective marriage (300) interviews
For subclass 300, prepare around the specific marriage-intention criteria in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994:
- You have met in person since each of you turned 18 and know each other personally — clause 300.214.
- You genuinely intend to marry within the visa period and live together as spouses — clauses 300.215–300.216.
- There is no Australian-law impediment to the marriage at decision — clause 300.221A.
Clause 300.511 sets the visa period at a specified date between nine and 15 months after grant, or nine months by default. The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks for wedding evidence, such as a celebrant’s letter, showing marriage within nine months of grant.
Under section 42(1)(a) of the Marriage Act 1961, the Notice of Intended Marriage ordinarily must reach the celebrant between 18 months and one month before the wedding.
For applications made outside Australia, section 58 and regulation 2.15 leave the information-response period to the invitation. Separately, regulation 2.15(3)(c) sets an offshore applicant’s interview time within 28 days, or 70 days if the Minister decides. If subclass 300 is refused, regulation 4.02 identifies the sponsor as the person who applies for ART review.
Information requested at the interview: the 7-day rule
Seven days is not 28 days. Under regulation 2.15(1) of the Migration Regulations 1994, an applicant in Australia who is not detained has seven days after an interview or phone invitation, compared with 28 days after notification of a written invitation. The detention period is five days; applications made outside Australia follow the reasonable period specified in the invitation.
Regulation 2.15(4)(b) permits a further seven days in Australia for a non-detained applicant. The Home Affairs Partner visa FAQs say to request an extension through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form before the original deadline, with evidence of steps taken. Do not assume an extension is approved.
For help organising the items and evidence, read the guide to a request for more information.
Adverse information after an interview
A section 57 invitation concerns qualifying adverse information, not simply missing documents. Under section 57(1)–(2) of the Migration Act 1958, information not given by the applicant that would be a reason, or part of a reason, for refusal must be disclosed with an explanation of its relevance and an invitation to comment.
Section 58 allows that invitation in writing, at interview or by phone; regulation 2.15 supplies the applicable response periods. Read the invitation alongside the guide to a s57 natural justice letter.
What happens after the interview?
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Provide outstanding information on time. Use the applicable seven-day, 28-day or other specified period. Section 62 of the Migration Act 1958 allows a decision without information supplied late.
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The Department decides the application. Section 65 of the Migration Act 1958 requires grant if the Minister is satisfied the applicable requirements are met, and refusal otherwise.
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Read any refusal notice immediately. Section 66(2) requires the unmet criterion, written reasons and, where review is available, how and when to seek it.
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Check review rights and the deadline. Under sections 347 and 347A and regulation 4.02, the applicant applies for review of an 820/801 or 309 refusal; the sponsor applies for a 300 refusal. The usual deadline is 28 days after notification, or 14 days in immigration detention, with no extension. The ART Fees page lists $3,727 from 1 July 2026.
The Home Affairs Migration Program report 2024–25 records a 6.1% partner refusal rate among decisions, excluding withdrawals. This is not an interview-specific rate or a prediction for your case. See visa refused Australia for next steps.
Common mistakes
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Treating an interview request as a 28-day request. Regulation 2.15 generally gives a non-detained applicant in Australia seven days after the interview.
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Skipping the interview. Section 59(1) of the Migration Act 1958 requires every reasonable effort to attend; section 62 permits a decision without missing information.
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Giving an untrue or materially misleading answer. PIC 4020 of the Migration Regulations 1994 can lead to refusal and three-year consequences for the applicant and family-unit members, subject to exceptions and waiver provisions.
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Leaving changes unreported. Section 104 and Home Affairs change-notification guidance require relevant application answers and contact details to be updated.
FAQ
What questions do they ask on a partner visa?
Regulations 1.15A(3) and 1.09A(3) of the Migration Regulations 1994 set four preparation themes: finances, household, social life and commitment. These legal themes are not a fixed interview script.
What are the common questions asked during an interview for a spouse visa?
Prepare around the same four aspects in the Migration Regulations 1994, plus marriage validity under sections 5F and 12 of the Migration Act 1958.
Can a partner visa interview be done by phone?
Yes. Section 58(1) of the Migration Act 1958 allows information to be requested by phone. Regulation 2.15 generally gives a non-detained applicant in Australia seven days after the call to respond.
What if I cannot attend the interview?
Ask straight away. Section 59(1) of the Migration Act 1958 requires every reasonable effort to attend; section 58(5) and regulation 2.15(3)–(4) allow the time to change within the prescribed or extended period.
Why would a partner visa be refused?
Under section 65 of the Migration Act 1958, refusal follows if the Minister is not satisfied the applicable requirements are met—for example, the genuine and continuing relationship requirement. Section 66 requires the notice to identify the unmet criterion. Home Affairs’ Migration Program report records 6.1% refusals in 2024–25.
Preparing for the interview with a lawyer
Before an interview, ask an Australian migration lawyer to organise evidence across the four relationship aspects and track the post-interview and section 57 response periods. A lawyer can compare lodged statements with supporting documents, identify gaps and clarify what each request requires—not supply rehearsed answers.
Read about partner visa help and the PartnerVisaLawyer.com.au guide, a guide to legal help with Australian partner visas, not a law firm. The shared enquiry form sends private questions to Australian Migration Lawyers.