- The current Form 888 (design date 08/26) is titled "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application".
- Earlier editions were statutory declarations by a supporting witness. The current edition is signed and dated by the person making it and doesn't mention a witness.
- It's completed by someone aged 18 or over who knows both partners and the history of the relationship.
- The form says up to 3 separate statements may be asked for while the application is processed.
- The visa applicant (or their representative) attaches completed forms to the application in ImmiAccount.
What Form 888 is
Form 888 is a Home Affairs form for people who know a couple to give a statement about their relationship. It's used with Partner visa applications (such as subclasses 820/801 and 309/100) and Prospective Marriage visa applications. The form says the department uses it, among other things, to assess the social aspects of the relationship.
Social aspects are one of the four aspects of a relationship the Migration Regulations list. There's more on all four in how to organise Australian partner visa evidence.
What changed in 2026
Earlier editions of Form 888 were titled "Statutory declaration by a supporting witness in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application". A statutory declaration has to be signed in front of an authorised witness.
The current edition, with a design date of 08/26, is titled "Supporting statement". The person completing it signs and dates a declaration that the statements are true, and the form doesn't mention a witness.
Many websites, forum posts and checklists still describe the older statutory declaration version, including who can witness it. If what you've read doesn't match the form, the current form on the Home Affairs website is the one to go by.
Who can complete it
The current form says the person completing it must:
- be at least 18 years old, and
- know the visa applicant, their partner or fiancé(e), and the history of their relationship.
The form doesn't set a citizenship or residency requirement for the person. It does ask for documentary evidence of their current name and age and, where it applies, their Australian citizenship or permanent residency.
What the form asks
The person completing the form is asked to describe:
- how they know the applicant and the partner, and how often they've been in contact with them;
- whether they believe the relationship is genuine and continuing, and their reasons; and
- anything else they want to add in support of the application.
Because it's their own statement, it's written in their own words, about what they know firsthand.
Evidence of identity
The form asks whether evidence of identity is attached, and gives examples of documents, such as a birth certificate, an Australian passport, or a passport containing a permanent visa. The current form doesn't say the copies must be certified.
How many statements
The form says the applicant may be asked to submit up to 3 separate statements while the visa application is being processed. Each statement is a separate Form 888 from a different person.
False statements
The form warns that giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. It notes the Migration Act 1958 sets penalties for false or misleading statements of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of A$313,000, or both.
Attaching it
The form says the visa applicant, or their appointed representative, attaches the completed form to the application in ImmiAccount. A scanned or photographed form has to meet ImmiAccount's file rules, including the 5 MB limit per file. See ImmiAccount upload rules and getting files under 5 MB.
Keeping track of them
This part is about record-keeping only. Statements often come from friends and family in different places, so it's easy to lose track of who has sent one back.
- Keep each signed form with its ID document. Saving them together means nothing gets separated.
- Name files clearly. For example,
Form888_Maria_Santos.pdf. A 2017 Department tip sheet says to use only letters, numbers, dashes and underscores in filenames. - Keep your own copy of what you attach. Home Affairs says you won't be able to access documents in ImmiAccount after uploading them.
Keep every statement with the rest of your story.
In Almost Home, you and your partner add evidence to one shared record, including signed statements, and tag each item against the four aspects. Each category exports as PDFs sized for ImmiAccount.
Start your recordThis guide passes on what the current Form 888 says. It isn't migration advice and doesn't cover whether to include statements, who should write them, or how they're assessed. For advice about your situation, talk to a registered migration agent or lawyer. The current form and the instructions in your own ImmiAccount application are authoritative. See Form 888 on the Home Affairs website.