Subclass 300 / Planning to marry
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) A new beginning. A plan beyond the day.
Your wedding is one part of the future you are planning. We help you understand the Prospective Marriage visa and the separate partner application that may follow after you marry.
- Visa type
- Temporary
- Where you apply
- Outside Australia
- Visa period
- 9 to 15 months from grant
What this pathway offers
Make room for your next chapter.
This pathway allows eligible prospective spouses to come to Australia to marry. It is a separate application from the onshore partner pathway that may follow.
Come together to marry
Plan to marry your sponsoring prospective spouse within the visa period shown on your grant.
Start life in Australia
Once granted, the visa allows work and study during its validity. Check the actual grant dates when making plans.
Think beyond the wedding
If you want to remain in Australia, plan the separate 820 and 801 application after marriage and before the 300 expires.
The requirements in context
What needs to line up.
An engagement needs to be considered alongside the sponsorship, personal meeting and application requirements. Start with:
-
An eligible prospective spouse
Your sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The sponsorship requirements and history also need checking.
-
Age and meeting in person
You must be at least 18. You must have met your prospective spouse face to face as adults since turning 18 and know each other personally when applying.
-
Your intention to marry
Show a genuine intention to marry your prospective spouse before the visa period ends and to build your life together.
-
Application and personal requirements
You and accompanying applicants must be outside Australia when applying. Review identity, dependent children, health, character and any relevant visa history.
The grant date matters to your wedding plans.
The 300 is granted for 9 to 15 months from the visa grant date. It is not a fixed nine-month period and does not start when you first arrive. Use the dates on your grant notice.
After marrying, the 820 and 801 application is a separate step. A lower partner application charge can apply to eligible 300 holders; check the current charge for your circumstances.
A plan you can follow
From your story to the next step.
We help you connect the application, wedding and next visa stage, so important dates are considered together.
-
Check the fit
Review your engagement, personal meeting, sponsor and circumstances before choosing this pathway.
-
Prepare the evidence
Bring together identity and relationship records, plans to marry and the supporting material required for your circumstances.
-
Apply from outside Australia
Lodge through ImmiAccount and complete the sponsorship work. Respond to requests while the application is assessed.
-
Plan after a grant
Check the visa dates, arrange the marriage within that period and prepare the separate onshore partner application if you want to stay.
Preparation that makes sense
The evidence. With context.
Your checklist should reflect your circumstances and this stage of the process. Depending on your situation, it may include:
- Passports, identity records and relevant visa history.
- Evidence of the sponsor's citizenship or residence and sponsorship details.
- Evidence that you have met in person as adults and know each other personally.
- Relationship statements and evidence of the intention and arrangements to marry.
- Documents about previous marriages, dependent children, translations and required checks.
A little more clarity
Your 300 questions, made clearer.
Start with the essentials, then look at how the requirements apply to your circumstances.
Does the 300 give me permanent residence?
No. It is temporary. After marriage, eligible applicants who want to stay can apply separately for the Partner visa (Temporary) (subclass 820) and Partner visa (Permanent) (subclass 801).
Is the visa always valid for nine months?
No. Home Affairs specifies 9 to 15 months from grant. The expiry date on your grant notice is the date to use for your plans.
Must I be outside Australia when it is decided?
Current Home Affairs guidance allows a decision while you are in or outside Australia. You must still be outside Australia when applying, and any visit needs a visa that permits it.
What if we marry before a decision?
Tell Home Affairs promptly and get advice about the effect on the application. Do not assume the application or any existing visa changes automatically because you have married.
How long will it take and what will it cost?
Use the Home Affairs processing guide and current fee information for the relevant visa. Published processing times are guides, not a decision date for your case. We explain our professional fees and scope separately before you proceed.
Your next step starts with you
Plan for the wedding. And what comes after.
Tell us where you and your prospective spouse are now. We will help you understand the application and the next stage to plan for.