From Prospective Marriage Visa to Partner Visa: What Happens After the Wedding

You need to apply again — marriage alone doesn't convert your visa

Getting married while on a Prospective Marriage visa satisfies the purpose of that visa, but it doesn't automatically transform it into a partner visa. You need to lodge a new, separate application. If you're in Australia at the time (which is the typical scenario, since you married in Australia), that's the subclass 820 — the onshore partner visa. If circumstances mean you're applying from outside Australia, it would be the subclass 309 instead, though this is less common for people coming off a 300.

Until that new application is lodged and, once lodged, decided, your legal status is governed by your existing visa and any bridging visa that applies once it approaches its expiry — not by your marriage certificate.

The reduced fee — the concession most people miss

The standard partner visa base application charge is $11,710 as at 2026. But if you held a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) and are now applying for the partner visa that follows it, the charge is $1,955 instead — a substantial concession specifically built for this exact transition, and one of the largest reductions anywhere in the current fee schedule. This figure is confirmed against the current Migration Regulations Schedule 1 in our own fee-increase analysis.

This concession only applies to the specific 300-to-partner-visa pathway — it isn't a general discount available to other partner visa applicants, and you'll need to correctly identify yourself as a former Prospective Marriage visa holder in the application for it to apply correctly.

Timing — don't let the 300 lapse before you lodge

The Prospective Marriage visa is generally valid for around 9 to 15 months from grant and doesn't extend. In practice, that means marrying and lodging the follow-on partner visa application needs to happen within that window — lodging the partner visa application before the 300 expires is what keeps your legal status continuous (typically through a bridging visa that activates once the 300's validity period ends and a valid application is on foot).

If your 300 is approaching its validity limit and you haven't yet married or lodged, this is a genuine time-pressure situation worth addressing with a migration professional promptly rather than leaving to the last weeks.

How the evidence expectation shifts

For the Prospective Marriage visa itself, Home Affairs was assessing whether you and your partner had a genuine intention to marry and build a life together. For the follow-on partner visa, the question shifts to whether you now have a genuine and continuing relationship as a married couple — the same core evidence categories used across the partner visa system (financial, household, social, commitment) apply, but now framed around your actual married life together rather than your engagement.

Because the relationship is still relatively new at this stage in most cases, evidence tends to focus on what's built up since arrival and marriage — joint bank accounts opened, a shared address, the wedding itself and how it was recognised socially, and early evidence of combining your lives. Our partner visa evidence guide covers these categories in detail and applies equally here.

What happens next in the process

Once the 820 (or 309) is lodged, it follows the same process as any other partner visa application from that point — a temporary stage decision, then the permanent stage (801 or 100) roughly two years after lodgement, unless the long-term relationship exception applies. Because a 300-to-820 couple typically hasn't been together as long as some de facto couples by the time they lodge, the long-term-relationship fast-track to permanent residence is less commonly available at this specific stage, though every case depends on the couple's actual history together.

A MARA-registered agent can help make sure the transition application is lodged correctly and on time, and confirm the reduced fee applies to your specific case — on Migratio you describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from MARA-registered agents (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book).

Do I automatically get a partner visa after marrying on a 300 visa?

No. Marriage doesn't automatically convert your Prospective Marriage visa into a partner visa. You need to lodge a separate 820 (or 309) application after the wedding.

How much does the partner visa cost after a Prospective Marriage visa?

$1,955, rather than the standard $11,710 charge, as at 2026 — a specific concession for people transitioning from a subclass 300 to the follow-on partner visa.

How soon after marrying do I need to apply for the partner visa?

The Prospective Marriage visa is generally valid around 9-15 months and doesn't extend, so the follow-on application needs to be lodged within that window to keep your status continuous. Don't leave it to the last few weeks if your 300 is approaching its expiry.

What evidence do I need for the 300-to-820 partner visa application?

The same core categories as any partner visa — financial, household, social and commitment evidence — but focused on your married life together since the wedding, rather than your engagement.

Can I apply for the permanent partner visa straight away after a 300-to-820?

Generally no — the standard two-year timeline from lodgement applies unless you meet the long-term relationship exception (three-plus years together, or two years plus a child), which is less common this early for most 300-to-820 couples but depends on individual circumstances.