Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
Visa Cost
AUD 9,365
2025-26 financial year (from 2025-07-01) primary applicant base Visa Application Charge (VAC), paid in full with no instalments accepted. Accompanying applicants aged 18 and over add about AUD 4,685 each, those under 18 about AUD 2,345 each. Health examination, police clearance and biometric collection are also at your own expense. Key money-saving point: after arriving and marrying, you must lodge an onshore 820/801 partner visa before the 300 expires to qualify for the heavily reduced fee (about AUD 1,560); if you only lodge after it expires you must pay the full fee again.
Processing Time
About 12-25 months (75% about 15 months, 90% about 24 months; varies with relationship evidence and case complexity)
Eligibility
- Aged 18 or over at application, and both you and the sponsor are of an age to marry lawfully
- The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- The parties have genuinely met in person (not merely online/by video) and have planned to marry
- At application and grant, the primary applicant must be outside Australia (offshore visa)
- Both parties are single with no existing marriage or cohabitation impediment, in a genuine and continuing relationship
- Intend to register the marriage in Australia within the 9-month validity after the visa is granted
- Pass the health examination and character (police clearance) requirements, and sign the Australian Values Statement
- The sponsor must meet sponsorship eligibility (limits on the number of people and timing) and pass a sponsor character check (a police record may be required)
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
Temporary, valid about 9 to 15 months from grant, non-extendable; you must marry and apply for a partner visa before expiry.
Eligible Dependants
Can include dependent children/stepchildren (under 18, or 18-23 financially dependent, or 23 and over dependent due to disability), who must be included in the primary applicant's application and enter together.
PR / Permanent Residence Pathway
This visa is itself temporary with no direct PR. After entering you must marry the sponsor within the visa's validity, then apply onshore for an 820/801 partner visa, obtaining permanent residence (PR) through the 801 stage.
View provisional-to-permanent transition overview →Common Visa Conditions
Full explanations of condition codes are in the Visa Conditions Lookup
Application Steps
Confirm eligibility and marriage plan
Confirm eligibility and marriage plan
Check both parties' eligibility, confirm you have met in person, and plan the marriage within 9 months of arrival.
- Confirm the sponsor is eligible to sponsor (the limit on the number of people within 5 years, etc.)
- Confirm both parties are free to marry and the relationship is genuine
- Contact a registered Australian marriage celebrant to book and obtain a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
Gather relationship and identity evidence
Gather relationship and identity evidence
Systematically organise evidence of identity, the genuineness of the relationship, the meeting, and the marriage plan.
- Identity documents such as the passport, notarial birth certificate, and single/no-spouse declaration (Chinese documents need NAATI translation)
- Relationship evidence such as photos together, chat logs, call/remittance records, travel visas and tickets
- Have at least 2 witnesses who know the relationship complete Form 888 statutory declarations
Create ImmiAccount and complete forms
Create ImmiAccount and complete forms
The applicant applies online and the sponsor completes the Form 40SP sponsorship application.
- The primary applicant lodges the Prospective Marriage application online in ImmiAccount
- The sponsor completes and submits Form 40SP (Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia)
- If needed, complete the additional Form 47SP information
Pay charge and lodge
Pay charge and lodge
Lodge after paying in full the primary applicant base VAC and the fees for accompanying family members.
- Pay the AUD 9,365 base VAC online (credit cards carry a surcharge of about 1.4%)
- Upload all scans, ensuring Chinese documents have an accompanying NAATI English translation
- Record the TRN (application number) to track it
Complete health and biometrics
Complete health and biometrics
Complete the health examination at a designated provider, submit police clearances, and provide fingerprints as required.
- Have the health examination at a designated panel clinic via eMedical
- Submit police clearances from the country/Australia where the primary applicant and sponsor reside (China requires notarisation and authentication)
- Provide biometrics at a VFS/ASC as notified
Enter Australia, marry, and lodge Partner visa
Enter Australia, marry, and lodge Partner visa
After the visa is granted, enter Australia, marry within 9 months, and lodge an onshore partner visa before the 300 expires.
- Register the marriage and obtain a marriage certificate within the 9-month validity of the 300 visa
- Lodge an onshore 820/801 partner visa before the 300 expires (qualifying for the reduced fee of about AUD 1,560)
- Reside lawfully on the 820 bridging visa while waiting for the 801 permanent decision
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of Intended Marriage | Notice of Intended Marriage | Issued by a registered Australian marriage celebrant, proving the parties have a specific plan to marry within 9 months. | This is one of the core pieces of evidence for the 300 visa; be sure to book with a celebrant in advance to obtain it; without a NOIM you are very likely to be refused. | |
| Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia (Form 40SP) | Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia (Form 40SP) | The official form by which the sponsor (Australian citizen/PR/eligible New Zealand citizen) formally undertakes the sponsorship obligations. | There is a limit on how many partner/prospective-marriage applicants a sponsor can sponsor within 5 years, and two sponsorships must be 5 years apart; check eligibility in advance. | |
| Evidence of having met in person | Evidence of having met in person | Prove the parties have met in person as adults, such as photos together, joint travel records, entry stamps, and flight and hotel bookings. | Knowing each other purely online/by video does not meet the requirement; be sure to provide hard evidence of at least one in-person meeting. | |
| Statutory declaration by supporting witnesses (Form 888) | Statutory declaration by supporting witnesses (Form 888) | Completed by Australian relatives or friends who know the relationship, corroborating its genuineness and the intention to marry. | It is advisable to provide 2 or more; the declarants must be legally able to make a statutory declaration in Australia and provide their identity details. | |
| Passport and identity documents | Passport and identity documents | The primary applicant's valid passport, medical/notarial birth certificate and ID card, for identity verification. | Passport validity of more than 6 months is recommended; the Chinese birth certificate must be notarised and NAATI-translated. | |
| Evidence of being free to marry | Evidence of being free to marry | A no-spouse declaration, divorce certificate or former spouse's death certificate, proving both parties are free to marry lawfully. | Chinese applicants can provide a certificate of no marriage registration from the civil affairs department, notarised and authenticated. | |
| Communication and relationship history | Communication and relationship history | WeChat/WhatsApp chat screenshots, call logs, video calls, and social media interactions, showing the ongoing development of the relationship. | Organise chronologically, from meeting to deciding to marry, showing a genuine, continuing and exclusive relationship. | |
| Financial and future-plan evidence | Financial and future-plan evidence | Remittance records, shared spending, evidence of dowry/gifts, and joint future plans, to help prove the relationship is genuine. | Not mandatory, but it adds significant weight, especially when corroborated with meeting and communication evidence. | |
| Police clearance certificates | Police clearance certificates | Police clearances for the primary applicant and sponsor from relevant countries/regions, meeting character requirements. | Where you have lived in a country for more than a cumulative 12 months after age 16, a police clearance from that country is usually required; the Chinese clearance must be notarised and authenticated. | |
| Health examination (eMedical) | Health examination (eMedical) | Complete the health examination at a designated panel clinic (including chest X-ray, blood tests, etc.), meeting health requirements. | After receiving the HAP ID, book via eMedical; the results are uploaded directly to Home Affairs. | |
| NAATI-certified English translations | NAATI-certified English translations | All Chinese documents (birth, household register, notarial certificates, etc.) must have a certified English translation. | Within Australia use a NAATI translator; offshore you can use an official/sworn translation with the translator's qualifications stated. | |
| Recent passport-style photographs | Recent passport-style photographs | A recent compliant passport-style photo, for the visa file. | Meeting Home Affairs photo specifications: white background, taken within the last 6 months. | |
| Australian Values Statement | Australian Values Statement | Sign the statement confirming you respect and will obey Australian values and laws. | Tick to sign during the online application; required of all applicants aged 18 and over. |
FAQ
My fiance and I only know each other online and have never met; can we apply for the 300 visa?
How long after the 300 visa is granted must you marry?
What is the difference between the 300 visa and applying for a partner visa directly (309/100 or 820/801)?
Do you have to pay the full visa fee again when moving to the 820 partner visa?
Can I wait for the outcome inside Australia during processing?
Common Refusal Reasons
- Insufficient evidence of a genuine intention to marry (not engaged/no proof of wedding arrangements)
- Unable to prove that the parties have met and know each other in person
- The sponsor is ineligible or subject to a sponsorship limit
- Health or character requirements not met
- The applicant is not outside Australia at grant/application
- The genuineness of the relationship is in doubt or documents are fraudulent (PIC 4020)
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.