Subclass 300 — Prospective Marriage visa

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.

Costs and the government charge

The subclass 300 has its own Visa Application Charge (VAC), which is a government charge paid to the Department of Home Affairs at lodgement. The prospective marriage visa carries a substantial base VAC relative to many other visas. Because this figure is set by the government and changes periodically, no dollar amount is quoted here — the current charge is published on the official visa page and can be confirmed using the Department's online VAC estimator before lodging. In general terms, additional costs can apply beyond the base charge. Where the application includes additional applicants (for example, eligible dependent family members), an additional-applicant charge typically applies per person, and there may be a second-instalment charge in some scenarios. Applicants also commonly meet ancillary costs that are not part of the VAC, such as health examinations, police clearance certificates, document translation and certification, biometrics where required, and any professional fees if a registered practitioner is engaged. It is worth noting that the subsequent partner visa lodged after marriage carries its own separate charge, and prospective marriage visa holders are often quoted a different (frequently reduced) partner visa charge than first-time partner applicants — confirm the current figure on the official page. Throughout, the government VAC and any other government charges are entirely separate from, and additional to, any platform fees or practitioner consultation fees, which are never part of the government charge. Always verify all current figures using the official estimator and the official visa page.

Common questions