The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) allows people to come to Australia to marry their fiancé(e).
If you are granted this visa, you must marry your fiancé(e) and apply for a Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) before your Prospective Marriage visa expires.
Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) – Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- Intend to marry
- Have met and know your prospective spouse
- Meet health and character requirements
- Be at least 18 years of age
The purpose of the Prospective Marriage visa is to allow the fiancé(e) of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia in order to be married.
The marriage must take place within 9 to 15 months of the visa grant date. After the marriage, the applicant becomes eligible to apply for a Partner visa.
Prospective Marriage Visa Requirements
Relationship requirements
You and your fiancé(e) must:
- Be at least 18 years old, and not be closely related
- Be free to marry one another
- Genuinely intend to get married within the visa validity period
- Have physically met, and be personally known to each other
- Genuinely intend to live together as a married couple
Important: The marriage may take place either in Australia or overseas, but must occur within 9 to 15 months of the visa grant date.
Sponsor requirements
Your sponsor must:
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Not have sponsored more than one other fiancé, partner, or spouse for migration to Australia
- Not have sponsored a fiancé, spouse, or partner for migration to Australia within the last 5 years (unless there are compelling circumstances)
- Not have been sponsored for a Spouse, Partner, or Prospective Marriage visa by someone else within the last 5 years (unless there are compelling circumstances)
- Provide police checks to the Department when requested
- Consent to the Department disclosing any conviction for a “relevant offence” to the applicant(s) being sponsored
Your sponsorship may not be approved if you have a conviction for a relevant offence and a substantial criminal history.
A relevant offence includes (but is not limited to) offences involving:
- Violence
- Intimidation
- Breaching a protection order
- People smuggling
- Human trafficking
- Weapons offences
Application Process
This application is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) on behalf of you and your sponsor.
The main criteria are:
- Your relationship meets the requirements
- Your sponsor meets the sponsorship requirements
- You meet standard health and character checks
Visa validity
This visa is valid for 9 to 15 months and allows you to travel to Australia before being married to your fiancé(e).
Location requirement
- You must be outside Australia when you apply
- You can be in or outside Australia when the visa is granted
Marriage timeframe
The marriage must occur during the validity period of your visa (within 9 to 15 months of the visa grant date).
The marriage may take place either:
- In Australia, or
- Overseas
Next Steps: Applying for a Partner Visa (820 & 801)
Once you have entered Australia and your marriage has taken place, you will be eligible to apply for a Partner visa.
This Partner visa application must be lodged before your Prospective Marriage visa expires.
The main requirements for a Partner visa are that:
- You and your spouse are in a mutually exclusive relationship
- Your relationship is genuine and continuing
- You live together as a couple, or live apart only on a temporary basis
If you meet the criteria, you will be granted a temporary Partner visa.
This temporary visa is generally valid for a “stand-down period” of approximately two years from the date the Partner visa application is lodged.
At the end of this period, you may become eligible for the permanent Partner visa, provided the relationship continues to meet the requirements.
Estimated Preparation and Lodgement Time
We estimate it may take several weeks to prepare and lodge your application.
The time depends largely on how quickly you (and your sponsor, if applicable) provide the necessary supporting information and documents.
Processing times with the Department of Home Affairs can vary depending on:
- Case complexity
- Perceived risk factors
- Processing priorities
- Current service standards
Contact us for current information regarding likely processing timeframes for this type of application.
Length of Stay
Between 9 and 15 months from the date the visa is granted.
Cost
- $9,365 – main applicant (visa application fee)
- $4,685 – any child over 18
- $2,345 – each child under 18
Processing Time
| 50% of applications processed | 90% of applications processed |
|---|---|
| 14 months | 26 months |
What You Can Do on a Subclass 300 Visa
This visa lets you:
- Travel to and stay in Australia for up to nine months
- Work in Australia
- Study in Australia at your own expense
- Travel outside Australia as many times as you want
(There is important information for New Zealand citizens.)
Additional Family Members
You can include your dependent:
- Children, or
- Stepchildren
There is an additional fee for any children applying for the visa with you.
Other Costs
You may need to pay other costs such as:
- Health checks
- Police certificates
- Biometrics
Partner Visa (Subclass 820 and 801) – Additional Fees
You will also have to pay a fee for your Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801).
If you marry your fiancé(e) and lodge your Partner visa application before your Prospective Marriage visa expires, you will pay a reduced fee.
If you do not lodge your Partner visa application before your Prospective Marriage visa expires, you will pay a higher fee.
Location
- You must be outside Australia when you apply for the visa
- You can be in or outside Australia when the visa is decided
How Long the Visa Lasts
The visa lasts 9 to 15 months from the date it is granted.
It cannot be extended.
Family
You can include your dependent children or stepchildren in your application.
If you are granted the visa, your children will have the same rights and visa conditions as you.
Your Obligations
You should marry your fiancé(e) and apply for a Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801) before the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) expires.
You and your children must comply with Australian laws and your visa conditions.
You can find your visa conditions in VEVO.
Sponsors
Sponsors must be the fiancé of the visa applicant.
Related: Family Violence and Partner Visas
The new changes to Sponsored family visas have not been implemented for Partner visas.
These changes would have required sponsorships to be lodged first and approved before Partner visas could be lodged.
This would have negatively impacted onshore Partner visa applicants wanting to lodge a visa application prior to their substantive visa expiring.
If you are planning to apply for a Partner visa, we recommend booking an appointment to discuss how these changes may impact you.
