Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)
The subclass 300 prospective marriage visa costs A$11,710 as at 23 September 2026, is lodged from outside Australia, and gives you 9 to 15 months from the date of grant, as set in your grant letter, to marry your sponsor and then apply for a subclass 820.
- Stage 1
- Temporary. Live, work and study while the permanent stage waits.
- Eligibility date
- Two years after the day you lodged. The Department then asks for fresh relationship evidence.
- Stage 2
- Permanent. Stay indefinitely and, when eligible, apply for citizenship.
- Subclass 300
- Engaged couples only. Marry within the visa's life, then lodge the 820 in Australia.
It is the only visa in the partner family with a deadline attached to it, and the only one where you pay a second, reduced visa application charge to reach permanent residence.
What is the nine-month rule?
Clause 300.511 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) makes the subclass 300 last until a date the Department sets, at least 9 and at most 15 months after grant, or 9 months if it sets none. Condition 8519 requires you to marry within that visa period. Your grant letter and VEVO show your end date.
| If your subclass 300 is granted on | And your visa period is | You must marry, and should apply for the subclass 820, by | What the subclass 820 then costs (as at 23 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 March 2026 | 9 months | 1 December 2026 | A$1,955 |
| 15 July 2026 | 9 months | 15 April 2027 | A$1,955 |
| Any date | As in your grant letter | The end date in your grant letter | A$1,955 before the subclass 300 ends; A$2,475 if it has ended after the marriage and you hold no substantive visa |
- Where you must be when you apply: outside Australia (item 1215 of Schedule 1)
- Where you may be when it is granted: in or outside Australia, not in immigration clearance (cl 300.412)
- Work rights: full
- Travel: in and out of Australia while the visa is in effect
- 50% decided within: 14 months; 90%: 26 months (guide updated 4 September 2026)
Does the nine months run from grant or from lodgement?
From grant. Lodgement starts nothing; the clock starts on the day the visa is granted.
How long does the subclass 300 visa itself last?
The visa and the marriage deadline end on the same date: the end of the visa period, 9 to 15 months after grant. The Department's evidence list asks for proof that you will marry within 9 months of grant, so plan the wedding for that window even if your letter allows longer.
What happens if you do not marry in time?
The visa ends and you will not have met condition 8519. You cannot then use the subclass 300 path to the subclass 820 at the A$1,955 charge. If you have married but the visa ended before you applied, and you hold no substantive visa, the charge becomes A$2,475. If you have not married at all, you would need to look at another visa. Applying these rules to your own circumstances is immigration assistance, which ss 276 and 280 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) restrict to registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners.
Who can apply for a subclass 300?
- Be outside Australia when you apply, with any family members applying with you.
- Be 18 or over (cl 300.212A), with a sponsor who is also 18 or over.
- Intend to marry an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen (cl 300.211).
- Have met your sponsor in person since you both turned 18, and know each other personally (cl 300.214).
- Genuinely intend to marry within the visa period and to live together as spouses (cl 300.215 and 300.216).
- Have no impediment to the marriage under Australian law at the time of decision (cl 300.221A).
- Meet the health and character requirements.
Who can sponsor you?
Your sponsor is your prospective spouse: an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen aged 18 or over, whose sponsorship the Department must approve. The sponsor accepts responsibility for any debts you owe the Australian Government and for your compliance with your visa conditions. The same sponsorship limits apply as for partner visas.
Do you need a Notice of Intended Marriage to apply?
Not as a listed requirement, but you must show you intend to marry within the visa period, and the Department suggests a letter from the person who will officiate at the wedding. For a wedding in Australia, s 42 of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) requires the Notice of Intended Marriage to reach the celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before the ceremony. The steps are on marrying an Australian citizen.
How much does a subclass 300 cost, in total?
| Subclass 300 charge | Amount, as at 23 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | A$11,710 |
| Each additional applicant aged 18 or over | A$5,860 |
| Each additional applicant under 18 | A$2,935 |
| Second instalment | Nil |
| Main applicant with a passport from an eligible Pacific Island country or Timor-Leste (from 1 July 2026) | A$9,600 |
| Subclass 820/801 charge afterwards | Main applicant | Aged 18 or over | Under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 300 holder who has married the sponsor | A$1,955 | A$980 | A$485 |
| Former holder whose subclass 300 ended after the marriage, with no substantive visa | A$2,475 | A$1,235 | A$625 |
The whole path for one applicant: A$11,710 for the subclass 300 plus A$1,955 for the subclass 820/801 is A$13,665 in visa charges as at 23 September 2026, before health examinations, police certificates and translations. A couple who are already married or de facto and apply for the subclass 309 pay A$11,710 once. The full charge table is on partner visa cost.
How long does a subclass 300 take?
The 50th percentile (the median) is the time within which half of recently decided applications were finalised; the 90th, nine in ten.
| Subclass 300 | 25% decided within | 50% decided within | 75% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide updated 4 September 2026 | 9 months | 14 months | 19 months | 26 months |
Under Ministerial Direction 117 the subclass 300 has lower priority than onshore applications, because it is applied for outside Australia. The processing time page compares every subclass.
What can you do on a subclass 300?
- Travel to Australia, and in and out as often as you want while the visa is in effect.
- Live in Australia for the visa period.
- Work, with full work rights.
- Study, at your own expense and without government support.
- Marry your sponsor, after you first enter Australia on the visa (condition 8515 bars marrying before then).
What documents do you need?
| Document | Required or optional | Which factor it proves | Certified copy or translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate and passport | Required | Identity | Translation if not in English |
| Two supporting statements (Form 888) | Required | Social aspects | No |
| Written history of the relationship | Required | Nature of the commitment | No |
| Evidence you intend to marry within 9 months of grant, such as a celebrant's letter | Required | Nature of the commitment | Translation if not in English |
| Evidence you have met in person as adults | Required | The relationship | Translation if not in English |
| Evidence you intend to live together as spouses | Required | Nature of the household | Translation if not in English |
| Divorce or death certificates for earlier relationships | If applicable | Identity and status | Translation if not in English |
The Department does not require certified copies. Translators outside Australia need not be accredited, but must add their name, contact details and qualifications in English.
How do you prove you intend to marry?
- A celebrant's letter confirming the date booked for the ceremony, dated before you lodge.
- A Notice of Intended Marriage, if already given, with its date.
- Bookings for the venue and reception, with deposits and dates.
- Correspondence about the wedding between you and with family.
- Evidence of meeting in person: passport stamps, travel bookings and photos with dates.
- Your statements on how you met, how the relationship developed and when you got engaged.
What happens after you marry?
- Wedding day: marry your sponsor within the visa period, in a marriage recognised as valid in Australia.
- After the wedding: the marriage is registered, and you obtain the marriage certificate.
- Before the subclass 300 ends: lodge the subclass 820 and 801 from inside Australia at the A$1,955 charge.
- On lodgement: if you still hold the subclass 300, you receive a Bridging visa A that starts when it ends.
- Two years after lodging the subclass 820: you become eligible for the permanent subclass 801.
The onshore stage is covered on partner visa subclass 820.
Prospective marriage visa or partner visa: which applies to you?
| Subclass 300 | Subclass 309 | Subclass 820 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your relationship when you lodge | Engaged | Married or de facto | Married or de facto |
| Where you lodge | Outside Australia | Outside Australia | In Australia |
| 50% decided within (4 September 2026) | 14 months | 21 months | 23 months |
| Visa charges to permanent residence, main applicant | A$13,665 | A$11,710 | A$11,710 |
| Next step | Marry, then lodge the subclass 820 | Subclass 100 after 2 years | Subclass 801 after 2 years |
The subclass 300 had the shortest median in the guide updated on 4 September 2026, but it adds a second application and a second charge before the two-year partner stage even starts. The full matrix is on onshore or offshore partner visa.
Can you apply for a subclass 309 instead and marry later?
Yes, in two ways. If you already meet the de facto test in regulation 1.09A, you can apply for the subclass 309 as de facto partners. Clause 309.211(3) also lets someone who intends to marry apply for the subclass 309, but under clause 309.224 the marriage must take place before the subclass 309 can be granted.
What if the subclass 300 is refused, or the relationship ends?
- Refused: the refusal letter gives the reasons. Under regulation 4.02(5)(r) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), it is the sponsor who may apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal, which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 14 October 2024, within 28 days of notification (s 347 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)). The fee under regulation 4.13 has a base of A$3,496, indexed every 1 July, and the visa charge is not refunded.
- Married before a decision: you are no longer eligible for the subclass 300, but you can ask to be considered for the subclass 309 and 100 and withdraw the subclass 300 application.
- Relationship ends after grant: you may still be able to apply for the subclass 820 in Australia if your sponsor has died, or you experienced family violence committed by the sponsor, or you share care of a child with them (cl 820.211(7) and (8)).
Applying these rules to your own circumstances is immigration assistance, which ss 276 and 280 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) restrict to registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners.
Questions people ask about the prospective marriage visa
What does "prospective marriage visa" mean?
It is a temporary visa for a person engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. It lets them come to Australia to marry and then apply for a partner visa.
Is the subclass 300 called a fiancé visa?
Yes, informally. The legal name is the Prospective Marriage (Temporary) (Class TO) visa, subclass 300.
Can you marry overseas on a subclass 300?
Not before you first enter Australia on the visa, because condition 8515 bars it. The later marriage must be recognised as valid in Australia (cl 820.211(6)), and you must be in Australia to apply for the subclass 820.
Do you have to marry in Australia?
The visa is built around marrying after you arrive, and the subclass 820 must be lodged from inside Australia. A marriage in Australia follows the Notice of Intended Marriage timing in s 42 of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth).
Is there an interview?
The Department's subclass 300 page does not list an interview as a step. It may ask you or your sponsor for more information during processing.
Can you include children in a subclass 300 application?
Yes, members of your family unit can apply with you, and you can add a dependent child before the decision. You cannot add family members after the visa is granted.
Can a subclass 300 be granted to a same-sex couple?
Yes. The Department's page says the relationship can be with someone of the same or a different sex.
After the prospective marriage visa
- Lodge the onshore stage as a partner visa subclass 820, before the subclass 300 ends.
- Plan the ceremony with marrying an Australian citizen.
- If you are still choosing a path, compare an onshore or offshore partner visa.
- Budget the whole path with partner visa cost.
- See every subclass and step on the Australian partner visa page.
The subclass 300 is the one visa in the partner family where a missed date costs you: marry late or apply for the subclass 820 after the visa ends and the path gets harder and dearer. An application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner is more likely to succeed, because they check the evidence of your intention to marry, the met-in-person proof and the dates before you lodge. No one can guarantee a grant, but careful preparation avoids the refusals and deadlines that cannot be undone.
Questions people ask
Who is eligible for a 300 prospective marriage visa?
You must be 18 or over, outside Australia when you apply, and genuinely intend to marry a sponsor who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen aged 18 or over. You must have met in person since you both turned 18, know each other personally, intend to live together as spouses and meet the health and character requirements.
How long does a subclass 300 prospective marriage visa take?
In the Department of Home Affairs guide updated on 4 September 2026, half of recently decided subclass 300 applications were finalised within 14 months and 90% within 26 months. The figures change regularly, so check the official processing times guide.
How long do you have to marry on a prospective marriage visa?
You must marry your sponsor within the visa period, which the Department sets at between 9 and 15 months from the date of grant and states in your grant letter. If it sets no date, the period is 9 months. You should then apply for the subclass 820 in Australia before the subclass 300 ends.
What is the difference between a 300 and 309 visa?
The subclass 300 is for couples who are engaged and intend to marry, and it leads to a second application for the subclass 820 after the wedding. The subclass 309 is for couples who are already married or in a de facto relationship, and it leads to the permanent subclass 100 without a second charge.
Can I work on a prospective marriage visa?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs says subclass 300 holders have full work rights and can study, although study is at your own expense without government support.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs, Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 820) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Global visa processing times guide immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au
- Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au