888 (Design date 07/19) - Page 1© COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, 2019
Statutory declaration by a supporting witness
in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage
visa application
Form
888
Department of Home Affairs
About this form
This form must be completed by a person who:
• knows the visa applicant and their partner or fiancé(e) and the
history of their relationship;
• is at least 18 years of age; and
• is an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.
Note: If the visa applicant is outside Australia and is unable to
have an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
complete this form, any person who knows the applicant and
their partner or fiancé(e) may also complete this form.
The person completing this form must provide evidence of their
current name, age and, where applicable, Australian citizenship
or Australian permanent residency (for example, a certified copy
of the birth certificate, Australian passport or passport containing
a permanent visa). All copies must be certified.
Note: You may be asked to submit up to 3 separate declarations
during the processing of the visa application.
You may also be contacted for further comment and/or interview
in relation to the information you provide.
Purpose of this form
When assessing a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa
application, the Department of Home Affairs (the Department)
must consider the social aspects of the claimed relationship. The
Department will use the information provided in this form (your
statements), among other things, to assess these aspects.
The Department’s policy is that these statements be provided in
the form of statutory declarations. You may use this form, or
alternatively, you may use the statutory declaration template,
which is available on the Attorney-General’s Department website
at www.ag.gov.au/pages/default.aspx
In Australia, statutory declarations must be witnessed by a person
prescribed by the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 and Statutory
Declarations Regulations 2018. Any attachments to the
Declaration must be certified by a prescribed person. Prescribed
persons include those who are a:
• Justice of the Peace;
• medical practitioner;
• legal practitioner;
• civil marriage celebrant or registered minister of religion;
• dentist;
• nurse;
• optometrist;
• pharmacist;
• physiotherapist;
• teacher employed on a permanent full-time or part-time basis
at a school or tertiary education institution;
• bank officer with 5 or more continuous years of service;
• permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation
with 5 or more continuous years of service;
• police officer; or
• public servant engaged on an ongoing basis with 5 or more
years of continuous service.
A full list of prescribed persons can be found on the
Attorney-General’s Department website.
Warning
: Under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, people
who intentionally make a false statement in a statutory
declaration are liable for punishment of 4 years
imprisonment. In addition, the Migration Act 1958
(the Act) provides penalties for providing false or
misleading statements of 12 months imprisonment or
a fine of AUD12,000.
If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident and
you reside outside Australia, your statement cannot be
considered a statutory declaration under Australian law, even if it
is made using this form or the template provided by the
Attorney-General’s Department. However, under policy, your
statement should be witnessed or certified according to the legal
practices of the country in which you make the statement. Failing
that, it should be witnessed by a person whose occupation or
qualification is comparable to those listed above. This person
should sign, date and specify their occupation at the bottom of
the statement.
You should confirm the requirements with the nearest Australian
mission overseas when you lodge your application. Contact
details for Australian missions are available on the Department’s
website www.homeaffairs.gov.au
Important information about privacy
Your personal information is protected by law, including the
Privacy Act 1988. Important information about the collection,
use and disclosure (to other agencies and third parties, including
overseas entities) of your personal information, including
sensitive information, is contained in form 1442i Privacy notice.
Form 1442i is available from the Department’s website
www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about/corporate/information/forms
or offices of the Department. You should ensure that you read
and understand form 1442i before completing this form.
Home page
www.homeaffairs.gov.au
General
enquiry line
Telephone 131 881 during business hours
in Australia to speak to an operator (recorded
information available outside these hours).
If you are outside Australia, please contact
your nearest Australian mission.
Please keep this information page for your reference
