Fill Out Home Affairs Form 888 Online
Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application
Department of Home Affairs
Allow a friend or family member to make a supporting statement about a couple's relationship for a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application.
Reviewed July 2026
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Form 888, Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application, lets a friend or family member tell the Department of Home Affairs what they know about a couple's relationship. The Department must consider the social aspects of a claimed relationship when it assesses a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa, and statements from people who know the couple are a key part of that evidence.
The form is short, at two pages, but the statement inside it carries real weight. The person completing it declares that everything they write is true, and the Migration Act 1958 sets serious penalties for false or misleading statements. Fill in the fields on this page, download the completed PDF and pass it to the visa applicant to include with their application.
What Form 888 is used for
When someone applies for a Partner visa or a Prospective Marriage visa, Home Affairs assesses whether the relationship is genuine and continuing. Form 888 statements give the Department an outside perspective from people who have seen the relationship first hand, covering how the witness knows the couple, how often they are in contact and why they believe the relationship is genuine.
Applicants are commonly asked to supply statements from more than one person, and the Department may request up to three separate statements during processing. The person who writes a statement can also be contacted for further comment or an interview about what they wrote.
Who can complete Form 888
The form must be completed by someone who knows the visa applicant and their partner or fiance or fiancee, knows the history of their relationship, and is at least 18 years of age. The witness completes the form about the couple; the applicant and their partner do not write their own Form 888.
- The witness must attach documentary evidence of their current name and age, such as a copy of their birth certificate or passport.
- Where applicable, the witness also provides evidence of Australian citizenship or permanent residency, for example an Australian passport or a passport containing a permanent visa.
- The statement should be based on the witness's own knowledge and observations, not on things they have only been told.
How to fill out Form 888
Complete the form in English, either by typing into the fields or by printing it and writing in block letters. Specific, factual detail is more persuasive than general praise, so describe real events, visits and interactions rather than simply asserting that the relationship is genuine.
- Your details: name, residential address and contact details, plus an email address if you agree to electronic communication.
- Questions 1 and 2: the names of the applicant and their partner or fiance or fiancee, and how long you have known each of them.
- Question 3: how you know the couple and how often you are in contact with them, plus anything else you want to add in support.
- Question 4: whether you believe the relationship is genuine and continuing, with the reasons for your belief.
- Questions 5 and 6: confirm you have attached identity evidence, then sign and date the declaration.
How Form 888 is lodged
The witness does not send the form to the Department. Once it is completed and signed, the visa applicant or their appointed representative attaches it to the Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application in ImmiAccount, together with the witness's identity documents.
Both the witness and the applicant should keep copies of the statement and attachments. Home Affairs forms are version dated, so check the official website for the current version of Form 888 before completing it.
Frequently asked questions
The form asks the witness to provide evidence of Australian citizenship or permanent residency where applicable, and statements from citizens or permanent residents are what the Department typically expects. Check the current guidance for the specific visa subclass if your witnesses live overseas.
It varies by case. The form itself notes that up to three separate statements may be requested during processing, and many applicants supply at least two from different people.
The current form is a statement with a signed declaration rather than a statutory declaration, and the form itself does not require a JP. Follow the instructions on the current version and the checklist for the visa subclass.
It should explain how you know the couple, how often you see or contact them, and why you believe the relationship is genuine and continuing. Concrete examples, such as shared events, visits and observations over time, are most useful to the Department.
The Migration Act 1958 makes it an offence to make a false statement in connection with a visa application, with penalties that can include imprisonment and substantial fines. Only state things you know to be true.
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