Family & Partner
Subclass 300 — Prospective Marriage visa
Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Compiled from official Department of Home Affairs sources — practitioner verification pending.
The "fiancé visa": for people engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen, applying from offshore. After marrying in the validity window, holders typically apply for the onshore partner visa.
Government charge
$11,710.00
This is the government Visa Application Charge (VAC), payable directly to the Department of Home Affairs when you lodge. It is not a fee charged by this platform, and it is separate from any platform or practitioner fee. Always check the official source for the current amount.
Estimate for a family application
Total government fee (Visa Application Charge): $11,710.00
Worked out from the government's published fee list — an estimate only, not platform fees and not advice. Always check the official estimator ↗
Eligibility snapshot
General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is, in broad terms, a temporary visa for a person who is engaged to an eligible Australian partner and who is outside Australia when the application is lodged and, typically, when the visa is decided. It is often described informally as the fiancé(e) visa. The central idea is that the visa lets the holder travel to Australia to marry their intended partner, after which they generally move onto the onshore partner visa pathway. In general terms, the kinds of things assessed for this visa include: that the applicant and sponsor genuinely intend to marry and have met in person as adults; that there is a real and continuing relationship; that an eligible sponsor (most commonly an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen) supports the application; and that the applicant meets health and character requirements. There are usually rules about the applicant's age and about the relationship being genuine rather than entered into for migration purposes. A defining feature is the validity window: once granted, the visa is valid for a fixed period during which the holder is generally expected to enter Australia and marry. This window cannot usually be extended, and after marriage the holder typically lodges a partner visa from within Australia before the prospective marriage visa expires. Exact age limits, sponsor conditions, the length of the validity window, and relationship-evidence expectations change over time — check the official page for current requirements, and a registered practitioner can advise on individual circumstances.
Common questions
Q: Do we have to be married already to apply for this visa? A: No — in general terms this is a visa for engaged couples who intend to marry. The marriage typically happens after the visa is granted and after the holder has entered Australia within the validity window. Applicants who are already married usually look at the partner visa pathway instead. A registered practitioner can advise on which pathway fits a particular situation. Q: How long do we have to get married once the visa is granted? A: The visa is granted with a fixed validity window during which the holder is generally expected to enter Australia and marry. This period is set by the Department and is not usually extendable, so couples typically plan the wedding with that timeframe in mind. Check the official page for the current length of the validity window. Q: What happens after we marry? A: After marrying within the validity window, the holder typically applies for a partner visa from within Australia, generally before the prospective marriage visa expires. This is the usual route to longer-term and eventually permanent residence. The exact partner visa requirements and timing should be confirmed on the official page and with a registered practitioner. Q: Can we apply from inside Australia? A: As a rule this visa is applied for while the applicant is outside Australia, and the applicant is typically expected to be offshore when key decisions are made. Location and travel requirements can be specific, so check the official page for current rules and seek tailored advice from a registered practitioner where needed.
Health examinations and character requirements
The Department of Home Affairs states that most visa applicants must meet a health requirement before a visa is granted. Applicants, and in some cases accompanying family members, may be asked to complete health examinations, which are assessed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth. The stated purpose is to protect the Australian community from public health and safety risks and to manage costs and demand on health and community services. Applicants must also meet the character requirements set out in section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. Applicants are generally required to declare any criminal conduct they have been charged with or convicted of in any country, answer all questions truthfully, and provide the information requested. After an application is lodged, the Department may ask for a police certificate (also called a penal clearance certificate). It states this is generally requested where a person is over 17 and has lived in a country, including Australia, for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Police certificates are generally valid for 12 months from their issue date. The Department may also request further documents such as Form 80, a statement of character, or military certificates. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Health insurance and Medicare access
The Prospective Marriage visa is a temporary visa. The Department of Home Affairs states that most visitors to Australia are not able to access Medicare and are generally responsible for the full cost of any hospital, medical and para-medical care they receive here. Medicare eligibility is generally restricted to Australian citizens, permanent visa holders, New Zealand citizens, and in certain circumstances applicants for permanent residence visas. Because of this, the Department strongly recommends that visitors arrange their own private health insurance to cover unplanned medical or hospital care, regardless of whether it is a condition of the visa. Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) products are commonly used for this purpose, and the Australian Government's privatehealth.gov.au site suggests temporary visa holders consider taking out OVHC. People from a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia may be eligible for some medical care under Medicare while in Australia; those without such an agreement generally pay the full cost of care themselves. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Government fees and other costs
The government Visa Application Charge (VAC) is set by the Department of Home Affairs and is separate from any fee charged by a service, agent or website. The Department lists the cost of the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) as starting at AUD 11,710.00 for the main applicant, and notes that concessions can apply in a limited range of circumstances. The Department's pricing also sets charges for additional family members included in the application: generally AUD 5,860.00 for an additional applicant aged 18 or over, and AUD 2,935.00 for an additional applicant under 18. The Department provides an online Visa Pricing Estimator to work out an application's charge, and notes the estimator does not account for other costs relating to the visa. The Department also notes that, from 1 July 2026, a reduced visa cost is available to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who make a valid application. Beyond the VAC, applicants generally also meet separate costs such as health examinations and police certificates themselves. Fees can change, so the current amount is confirmed through the Department's own pricing tools. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Visa validity and processing times
The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is a temporary visa. According to the Department of Home Affairs, it generally lets the holder stay in Australia for 9 to 15 months from the date the visa is granted. During that period holders can generally work and study, and the visa is intended to allow the holder to marry their prospective spouse before the visa period ends and then lodge a Partner visa. Applicants are generally required to be outside Australia when they apply, and may be inside or outside Australia when the temporary visa is decided. The Department does not publish a single fixed processing time for this visa. It directs applicants to its online visa processing time guide, which reflects recently decided applications and is described as a guide only, not specific to any individual case. The Department also states that aged, and compassionate and compelling, applications are prioritised, which is reflected in current processing times. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Conditions that generally attach to this visa
The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is a temporary visa granted so the holder can travel to Australia and marry the person named in the application, who is also the sponsor. Its defining requirement is that the holder marries that same nominated person before the visa ends; the marriage must be to the person the application was based on, not someone else. Because the visa is decided while the applicant is outside Australia, it generally has to be activated by the holder first entering Australia by a date set out on the grant letter, and it allows travel in and out of Australia while it remains valid. Other obligations typical of the partner category generally apply, such as continuing to genuinely intend to marry and to live together as a married couple, and telling the Department about relevant changes in circumstances. The exact numbered conditions printed on a grant (the Department's 8000-series condition codes) can differ from case to case. Holders are generally expected to read the specific conditions listed on their own visa grant letter, which can also be checked through the Department's visa conditions tool and the VEVO service, because breaching a condition can affect the visa. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Who this visa is for and what is generally assessed
This is an offshore visa in the family stream. Applicants, along with any family members applying with them, are generally expected to be outside Australia when the application is lodged; a decision on the temporary visa can be made whether the applicant is in or outside Australia. Decision-makers generally look at whether the applicant intends to marry a prospective spouse who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and whether the two people have met in person as adults (since turning 18) and are known to one another personally at the time of application. Applicants are generally asked to show that both people are free to marry, genuinely intend to marry within the life of the visa, and intend to live together as a married couple. The sponsor is generally required to be at least 18. A sponsor is required and their sponsorship must be approved. Additional sponsorship requirements apply, including the sponsor providing police clearances and consenting to relevant convictions being disclosed to the applicant. Applicants, and any family members included, are generally assessed against Australia's health and character requirements. Unlike skilled visas, this family-stream visa does not use a points test, an English-language test, a skills assessment or an occupation list; the focus is on the genuineness of the intended marriage and the parties' circumstances. This is a general description of the criteria and not an assessment of any individual case. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Family members and what the visa allows after grant
Dependent children and certain other dependent family members can generally be included in the application. Any family member included is generally assessed against the health and character requirements. Where a child is not part of the original application, official information notes that once the holder moves onto a Partner visa a child may be able to apply for a Dependent child visa (subclass 445) and then be added to the partner application. After grant, the visa generally lets the holder travel to and from Australia while it is valid and, subject to the conditions listed on the grant, work and study in Australia. Medicare access is generally limited for temporary visa holders. People on this pathway usually become eligible to enrol in Medicare once they are living in Australia and have applied for the onward permanent-residence Partner visa (holding a visa that allows work), or earlier if they are from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement; enrolment is handled through Services Australia. The visa is a step toward permanent residence rather than permanent residence itself. After marrying the sponsor, the holder generally applies in Australia for the Partner visa (subclass 820, leading to the permanent subclass 801), which is the route to permanent residence. Holders and sponsors are generally expected to keep the Department informed of relevant changes. Where a married relationship later experiences family violence, the Department's family violence provisions may be relevant in limited circumstances to a subsequent permanent Partner visa. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Common refusal reasons and review at the Tribunal
Applications of this type are commonly refused where the intended marriage or relationship is not accepted as genuine, where the couple cannot show they have met in person as adults, or where the evidence is incomplete or inconsistent. Refusals also occur where identity, health or character requirements are not met, or where the sponsorship is not approved, including where a sponsor does not provide the required police clearance or consent within a reasonable time. If an application is refused, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). Whether a decision can be reviewed, who may apply for review, and how and by when to lodge are set out in the written notification of the refusal decision. Strict time limits apply. The period to lodge a review is set out in the Department's decision letter, and the Tribunal generally cannot consider an application lodged after that deadline. An application fee applies; a reduced fee may be available in special circumstances or cases of financial hardship, and a partial refund of the fee paid may apply where the decision is set aside, varied or remitted to the Department. This information is factual and neutral. It is not advice and is not a prediction of any outcome. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Costs: the Visa Application Charge and other expenses
The Australian Government charges a Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the subclass 300. The charge is generally payable in two instalments: a first instalment when the application is made, and, where required, a second instalment before the visa is granted; either or both instalments may in some cases be nil. An additional applicant charge generally applies for each family member included in the application, with separate amounts generally set for applicants aged 18 and over and for applicants under 18. The Visa Application Charge is generally not refunded even if the application is unsuccessful. A surcharge may apply depending on the payment method, such as paying by credit card or PayPal. Applicants should expect other, separate costs, such as health examinations, police certificates, biometrics and document translations, and later the separate charge for the onward Partner visa application. Charges change over time and are commonly adjusted around the start of the program year on 1 July, and the amount payable generally depends on the date the application is made, so the current figure is best confirmed using the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator. This government charge is separate from, and additional to, any service or platform fee charged by a provider or migration professional. No specific dollar figures are stated here because current amounts should be confirmed against the Department's official pricing. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Official forms associated with this visa
Departmental forms that commonly come up for subclass 300, linked to the department’s own files. Whether a form applies to you depends on your circumstances — the note beside each is general only.
- 888.PDF — Form 888 - Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application ↗Supporting statement from friends or family witnessing the relationship.
- 80.PDF — Form 80 - Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment ↗Personal particulars and character — commonly requested by the department.
- 1221.PDF — Form 1221 - Additional personal particulars information ↗Additional personal particulars, if the department requests it.
- 54.PDF — Form 54 - Family composition ↗Family composition details, if requested.
- 1229.PDF — Form 1229 - Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years ↗Consent to grant a visa to a child under 18 where a non-migrating parent must consent.
- 1410I.PDF — Form 1410i - Completing a statutory declaration for a family violence claim ↗Guidance for a statutory declaration if making a family violence claim.
- 956.PDF — Form 956 - Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person ↗
Official information and lodgement
Applications are lodged through your own ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website — never through this platform.
Visit the official Home Affairs page ↗Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Compiled from official Department of Home Affairs sources — practitioner verification pending.