Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300): Complete 2026 Guide

What Is the Prospective Marriage Visa?

The Subclass 300 is a temporary visa that allows your overseas fiancé(e) to come to Australia to marry you. The application must be made from outside Australia; the visa can then be granted while the applicant is in or outside Australia (but not in immigration clearance). Once granted, Home Affairs says it lets the holder live, work and study in Australia, and travel in and out as many times as they want, for 9 to 15 months from the grant date. The Department sets the end date within that range, and it is 9 months if no other date is specified (clause 300.511). The couple must marry within the visa period (condition 8519), and must not marry before the holder enters Australia on the visa (condition 8515). The 300 does not grant permanent residence. After marrying, your partner applies for the Subclass 820/801 partner visa to stay. The 300 is best understood as the first step for couples who want to marry in Australia before beginning the partner visa process.

Who Can Apply?

The applicant must have turned 18, and so must the Australian sponsor (clauses 300.212A and 300.213). The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. The applicant must be outside Australia when applying, and may be in or outside Australia when the visa is granted. The couple must have met in person since each of them turned 18 and be known to each other personally (clause 300.214) — a relationship that has only ever been online does not meet this. The Department must be satisfied that the couple genuinely intend to marry within the visa period and to live together as spouses. There must be no impediment to the marriage under Australian law — for example, neither party can already be married to someone else. The couple is not required to be in a de facto relationship before the 300 application, unlike the de facto partner visa pathway.

The Application Process

The Subclass 300 application is lodged online via ImmiAccount, from outside Australia. Your overseas partner will need to provide: identity documents; evidence of your relationship — photographs together, communication records, evidence of how and when you met; statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or older who know you both and know about your relationship (Form 888 can be used); evidence of the sponsor's Australian citizenship or permanent residence; health examinations as required; police certificates from every country where your partner spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16 (plus an Australian Federal Police certificate if that includes 12 months or more in Australia); and evidence of a genuine intention to marry — this can include venue bookings, communication about wedding plans, or a notice of intended marriage. As the Australian sponsor, you must also be approved as a sponsor; Home Affairs says the sponsor should apply to sponsor as soon as possible after the visa application is lodged. Regulation 1.20J limits approval: generally, a sponsor cannot be approved if two or more people have already been granted a visa as their partner or prospective spouse, or if they sponsored a partner (or were themselves granted a visa as one) on an application made less than 5 years earlier, unless there are compelling circumstances affecting the sponsor.

Costs and Processing Times

The government charge for the Subclass 300 is AUD 11,710 for the main applicant (applications lodged from 1 July 2026), with AUD 5,860 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 2,935 for each child under 18. Lower charges apply to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. When your partner marries you and applies for the 820/801 while still holding the 300, the 820/801 charge is AUD 1,955 instead of the standard AUD 11,710. Health examinations, police certificates, translations and any agent fees are extra and vary by provider and country. Processing times vary: Home Affairs says Prospective Marriage applicants may experience longer processing times than expected, and points to its visa processing time guide for current figures. Your partner applies from outside Australia; unlike the 820, the 300 has no onshore application option.

After the Wedding: Applying for the 820/801

After marrying in Australia, your partner applies for the Subclass 820/801 partner visa. Home Affairs says to apply after the marriage and before the Prospective Marriage visa ends, which is also when the lower AUD 1,955 charge applies. The 820/801 application is a combined application for the temporary 820 and permanent 801 stages. Because your partner is now your spouse (not a de facto partner), the 12-month de facto relationship requirement does not apply. The marriage certificate is the cornerstone of the 820/801 application. Your partner will need to provide evidence across all four relationship categories — financial, social, household, and commitment — in the same way as any other partner visa applicant. Processing times for the 820 vary; Home Affairs publishes current figures in its visa processing time guide. The 801 permanent stage is generally decided once at least 2 years have passed since the 820/801 application, unless the couple were already in a long-term relationship when they applied — at least 3 years, or at least 2 years if they have a dependent child together.

Can my fiancé(e) work in Australia on the 300 visa?

Yes. Home Affairs says the Subclass 300 lets the holder live, work and study in Australia for the visa period, which is 9 to 15 months from the grant date.

What if we do not marry within the visa period?

Not marrying within the visa period breaches condition 8519, and the 300 still ends on the date set at grant. If you still intend to marry, a new 300 application (made from outside Australia) and a new charge would apply.

Can my fiancé(e) bring their children on a 300 visa?

Dependent children who are members of the family unit can be included in the 300 application as secondary applicants, and must be outside Australia when the application is made. Each child attracts an additional applicant charge (AUD 2,935 for a child under 18, from 1 July 2026).

Is the 300 visa the same as a partner visa?

No. The 300 is a temporary visa specifically for people who intend to marry in Australia. A partner visa (820/801 or 309/100) is for people who are already married or in a de facto relationship. After marrying on a 300, you must then apply for a partner visa to stay permanently.

Is the prospective marriage visa the same as a fiance visa?

Yes. The Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) is what is commonly called the 'fiance visa' or 'fiancee visa' in Australia. There is no visa officially named the fiance visa — the Subclass 300 is the pathway for someone who is engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and intends to marry them in Australia. It lets you enter Australia, marry your partner within the visa validity period, and then apply onshore for the partner visa (Subclass 820/801).