Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)

Overview

The Prospective Marriage Visa, also known as the fiancé visa or Subclass 300 allows applicants to travel to Australia to marry their Australian partner. This can either be an Australian citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

The application of the Prospective Marriage Visa can only be completed offshore (outside of Australia), with no associated bridging visa. Once the visa is granted; the applicant can stay in Australia for up to nine months. However, if you wish to remain in the country with your spouse, you must apply for a partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) before visa 300 (Australia) expires.

How to apply for a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)?

The process of applying for a fiancé visa in Australia involves both you and your partner’s responsibility.

Step 1: Your Australian partner needs lodge a sponsorship form to apply to be a sponsor

Before your partner applies to sponsor you as a prospective spouse, your partner needs to register a ImmiAccount. Therefore, the sponsor must be your prospective spouse for visa 300 for it to be approved.

The sponsor needs:

• An Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizenship.
• At least one of the following types of evidence: Australian birth certificate, current Australian passport showing identification (photo, personal details, passport issue and expiry dates), or Australian citizenship certificate.

The sponsor needs to submit specified documents via the same online system and there are no costs to applying online.

Step 2: Check if you are eligible for a visa 300 (for applicant)

You must be located outside Australia at the time of lodgement, with your application form and documents submitted online. The applicant must hold a valid passport before lodging the application and visa process via ImmiAccount. https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login

Step 3: You apply for visa 300

You’ll need to provide relationship evidence documents and the following evidence must be provided for the lodgement:

• Evidence that you (applicant) will marry your partner (sponsor) within 9 months of visa grant (letter from your marriage celebrant and confirmation of lodgement of your NOIM)
• At least two Form 888’s (statutory declarations provided by your supporting witnesses attesting that your relationship is genuine and continuing) https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/form-listing/forms/888.pdf
• Evidence that you and your partner have met face-to-face as adults since turning 18 and know each other personally.
• Evidence that you and your partner genuinely intent to live together as spouses
• Written statements about your relationship for both you and your partner

If there are any dependent applicants, proof of your relationship with the dependent must be included, as the visa is in best interest of the child.

The applicants and sponsor’s lodgement must be submitted to the same online system. Additionally, the fee must be paid in full for the application to be considered.

What is the visa 300 requirements?

When applying for visa 300, it is important to understand the general requirements and specific requirements.

General requirements

Specific requirements

For a Prospective Marriage Visa, you must be outside of Australia at the time of the application, during the processing time, and time granted. In addition, subclass 300 requires marriage celebrants to show that you and your partner are committed in marrying within the period of the visa grant. It is important that you marry in Australia, however, there are no limitations on the location of your wedding, as visa 300 allows you to travel in and out of Australia as many times as you wish while your visa is valid.

How can I (applicant) prove that I am in a relationship with my fiancé/partner (sponsor)

The applicant and sponsor need to include relationship-based evidence when submitting the lodgement. Before the lodgement, both parties must have met in person and developed a genuine and continuing relationship. The evidence of your relationship entails the history of your relationship, financial commitments and responsibilities, responsibilities within your household, acceptance as a couple socially, and mutual commitment between you and your partner.

1. Relationship History – A written statement needs to highlight your relationship history. The evidence will cover the history and development of your relationship, engagement, joint activities, remarkable events in your relationship and your future as spouses.
2. Finance – To determine the financial commitments, bank statements from joint bank accounts, mortgage or tenancy agreements or utility bills in both names can prove the shared monetary responsibility.
3. Nature of Household – Provide evidence of joint utilities accounts, joint responsibilities for children, correspondence addressed to you both at the same address, and evidence attesting to your living arrangements.
4. Social Matters – Statements and statutory declarations from close family members and friends of how your relationship is accepted. The evidence includes photographs of visits to each other’s countries, joint invitation, outings, travels together, and joint participation in cultural, social, and other activities.
5. Commitment – A mutual commitment must be established through correspondence, emails, methods of communications, and itemised phone accounts to show that contact was maintained during periods of separation.

How much does it cost to apply for subclass 300 visa?

All the application lodgement fees below are displayed with GST included and in Australian Dollar ($AUD). Other expected costs such as medical examinations, character check, and translating original documents will defer depending on individual circumstances.

How to bring family members to Australia under visa 300?

You can include your family members that includes your dependent children or stepchildren in your visa 300 application. If you are granted the visa, your children will have the same rights and visa conditions as you. You may be able to include your dependent children in your application. ‘Dependent children’ must be under 18 years of age, but there are certain circumstances where children over 18 years of age can be included. If you wish to include your over 18 children in your partner visa application, you can consider contacting professional advice from a registered migration agent to find out whether your child is included. However, you cannot add family members to your visa application after the Department grants your Prospective Marriage visa subclass 300.

Not sure if you are eligible to apply for Visa Subclass 300?

Contact SOL Migration today for a free eligibility check!

FAQs