Form 888: Who Can (and Can't) Be Your Witness

What is Form 888?

Form 888 is the official Department of Home Affairs form used to support a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application, and its full title is "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application." A person who knows the couple, usually a friend or family member, completes it to describe what they have personally observed in the relationship.

The form used to work differently. Until July 2023, it was a statutory declaration, which meant the person completing it had to sign it in front of an authorised witness, such as a Justice of the Peace, and have their identity documents certified. That is why searches for "acceptable witnesses for a statutory declaration" still turn up when people research Form 888, even though the requirement no longer applies.

Since that change, the person completing the form signs it themselves, with no authorised witness required to watch them do it. A lot of guidance still circulating online was written before 2023 and describes the older process, so it is worth confirming that any information being relied on reflects the current version of the form.

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Who can witness Form 888?

According to the current form, an eligible witness needs to meet three requirements.

Knowledge of the relationship: They need to know the applicant and their partner, and the history of the relationship. This is the core purpose of the form: the Department is asking this person to describe what they have personally observed, so they need to know both people involved, not just one of them.

Age: They need to be at least 18 years of age.

Identity evidence: They need to provide documentary evidence of their identity, such as a birth certificate, an Australian passport, or a passport containing a permanent visa. Where the witness holds Australian citizenship or permanent residency, evidence of that status is also expected.

Can a family member witness Form 888?

Yes. Nothing in the current form excludes family members from acting as a witness. A parent, sibling, or other relative of either partner can generally complete a Form 888, provided they meet the three requirements above. In practice, having a mix of family members and friends complete separate Form 888 statements, rather than relying on one type of relationship, tends to give a more rounded picture of the couple's life together.

Who can't witness Form 888?

The form does not set out a list of excluded categories in the way an older statutory declaration form might have. Based on what it does require, a person cannot complete it if any of the following apply.

• They are under 18 years of age.
• They only know one partner and cannot speak for the relationship as a whole.
• They cannot provide the identity evidence the form asks for.

Home Affairs' guidance also expects a witness to hold Australian citizenship or permanent residency where that applies to their circumstances, so someone in Australia on a temporary visa may not always be the strongest choice of witness, even where they know the couple well. This is a point worth checking with a registered migration agent for anyone unsure whether a particular person is suitable, since individual circumstances can affect the answer.

Does the witness need their signature witnessed?

Before July 2023, the signature section of Form 888 required the witness's own signature to be accompanied by the signature of an authorised witness drawn from a defined occupation list, similar to the list used for standard Commonwealth statutory declarations. The current form removes this entirely. It has no occupation field, and no separate signature block for an authorised witness.

The witness now simply signs and dates the form themselves, confirming they understand it is an offence under section 234(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958 to make a false statement in connection with a visa application. The Act sets penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of AUD 313,000, or both, for false or misleading statements.

Quick recap: Form 888 witness rules

• Form 888 is a supporting statement, not a statutory declaration.
• No Justice of the Peace, police officer, or other authorised witness is required to co-sign it.
• Family members are generally acceptable witnesses.
• A witness may be asked to provide up to three separate statements, or be contacted for further comment, while the visa application is being processed.

An example: two possible witnesses

Consider a couple applying for a Subclass 820 Partner visa where one partner's sister has known the couple since they first met. She has stayed with them, attended family events with them, and can describe specific things she has seen of their day-to-day life together. She is 32, holds an Australian passport, and has no trouble meeting any of the form's requirements. A Form 888 from her is a strong piece of social evidence, not because she is family, but because she genuinely knows both people and the relationship.

By contrast, a colleague who has only met one partner briefly at a work event, and has never spent time with the couple together, would struggle to say much of substance in response to the form's questions, even though they meet the age and identity requirements. Eligibility is only the starting point. What the witness can actually say matters just as much.

How Australian Migration Agents can assist

Getting the paperwork technically correct is only part of a strong Partner visa application. Our MARA-registered migration agents help clients work out who is best placed to provide supporting statements, how to structure Form 888 alongside the rest of the relationship evidence, and how to avoid the kind of gaps that lead to delays or requests for more information.

Reach out to Australian Migration Agents for a fixed-fee quote or an initial consultation, available seven days a week (terms and conditions apply). This is migration assistance, not legal advice, and every application is assessed on its own circumstances.

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Sintesi

Form 888 has not been a statutory declaration since July 2023, which means the old rules about authorised witnesses and certified identity documents no longer apply. A witness generally needs to know both partners and the history of the relationship, be at least 18, and provide identity evidence, with citizenship or permanent residency expected where applicable. Family members are generally acceptable witnesses. What matters most is not the witness's relationship to the couple, but whether they can genuinely speak to the relationship from firsthand knowledge.