Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage Visa Australia)

The Subclass 300 is the starting point for engaged couples where the applicant is outside Australia. It is the first step on the path to a permanent spouse visa in Australia, allowing you to enter Australia, marry your partner, and then apply for the onshore partner visa pathway.

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Our registered migration agents assess your eligibility, build your evidence file, and prepare a decision-ready application for the Department of Home Affairs from day one.

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What Is the Subclass 300?

The Subclass 300 is a temporary visa for the engaged partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who is outside Australia at the time of application. It is administered by the Department of Home Affairs under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).

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The Subclass 300 is not a spouse visa in itself. It is a provisional visa that creates the pathway to one. Once granted, it allows you to enter Australia and marry your sponsor within the visa validity period. After the marriage, you can then apply for the onshore partner visa (Subclass 820/801) before the Subclass 300 expires. This is the pathway to permanent residency for engaged couples.

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The visa is valid for around 9 months from the date of first entry into Australia in most cases, and up to 15 months in some circumstances. You must be outside Australia when you lodge the application but may be onshore or offshore when the visa is granted.

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Subclass 300 Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must:

Be outside Australia at the time of lodgement
Be engaged to an eligible sponsor and have a genuine intention to marry within the visa validity period
Have met the sponsor in person as adults, after both parties turned 18
Have a genuine intention to live together as spouses after the marriage
Have no legal impediment to marriage under Australian law. This includes ensuring any previous marriages have been legally dissolved and are recognised as such under Australian law
Meet health and character requirements, including police clearances from every country lived in for 12 or more months since turning 16
Have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government

The sponsor must:

Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
Be at least 18 years of age
Meet character requirements
Not have sponsored more than two partner or prospective marriage visa applicants in their lifetime, with a minimum five-year period between sponsorships
Not be subject to a sponsorship ban under the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth)

Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM): Before marrying in Australia, a Notice of Intended Marriage must be lodged with an authorised marriage celebrant. The NOIM must be lodged no less than one month and no more than 18 months before the proposed marriage date. It is valid for 18 months. Evidence of the NOIM, or a signed letter from an authorised marriage celebrant confirming the intended marriage arrangements, is required as part of the Subclass 300 application.

If you marry before the Subclass 300 is granted: If your marriage takes place while your Subclass 300 application is being processed, you must notify the Department of Home Affairs and provide evidence of the marriage. In this circumstance you may request the application be assessed as a Subclass 309/100 partner visa instead.

What the Subclass 300 Allows You to Do

Once the Subclass 300 is granted, you can:

Enter Australia and live here for the duration of the visa validity period
Work in Australia without restriction from the date of grant
Travel in and out of Australia freely during the visa validity period
Marry your sponsor within the visa validity period and then apply for the onshore partner visa

The marriage does not have to take place in Australia. You may marry overseas, provided the marriage is legally valid under Australian law and you return to Australia and lodge the Subclass 820/801 application before the Subclass 300 expires.

The Subclass 300 does not lead to permanent residency on its own. After the marriage, you must apply for the onshore partner visa (Subclass 820/801) before your Subclass 300 expires. That application is the pathway to permanent residency.

What Evidence Does the Department Require?

The Department of Home Affairs requires evidence that:

You and your partner have met in person. This may include photographs together, travel records, statements from friends and family, and joint bookings.
You know each other personally. This may include records of communication that demonstrate the development of your relationship over time.
You genuinely intend to marry within the validity period of the visa. Evidence may include a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), a letter from your authorised marriage celebrant, and wedding enquiries or plans.
You genuinely intend to live together as spouses after your marriage. Evidence may include financial, household, social and commitment evidence demonstrating your ongoing relationship, as well as plans for growing your connection to a spousal level upon arrival in Australia.

The Subclass 300 differs from other partner visa subclasses as the evidentiary requirements and 12-month de facto cohabitation requirement do not apply. The focus is on genuine intention to marry and a genuine, continuing relationship. Our registered migration agents build your evidence file to reflect what the Department looks for at assessment.

Subclass 300 Application Costs

Government Application Charge
The government application charge for the Subclass 300 is AUD $11,710 for the primary applicant in the 2026–27 financial year. This is paid at lodgement and is not refunded if the application is refused.

Additional costs include health examinations, police clearances from relevant countries, document translation where required, and biometrics where applicable.

Reduced fee at the Subclass 820 stage:
Applicants who hold or have held a Subclass 300 visa pay a substantially reduced government application charge when they subsequently apply for the Subclass 820/801 onshore partner visa after marriage. The reduced charge is approximately AUD $1,955, as the bulk of the partner visa fee was paid at the Subclass 300 stage.

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Please note: Government visa application charges are reviewed and typically adjusted by the Department of Home Affairs each July. The figures above reflect the 2026–27 financial year. If you are reading this page after 1 July 2027, some charges may have changed. We recommend confirming current fees at the Department of Home Affairs visa pricing estimator or contacting us directly before you budget for your application.

Professional Fees
Our registered migration agents charge a professional fee for preparing and managing your spouse visa application. This is separate from the government application charge. Our fees are confirmed in full before you commit to anything, and we offer flexible payment plans to help you manage the cost of your application.

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Subclass 300 Processing Times

Based on data published by the Department of Home Affairs in early 2026:

50% of Subclass 300 applications are decided within approximately 13 months
90% are decided within approximately 23 months

Processing times for the Subclass 300 are among the longer timeframes in the partner visa program. The most effective way to reduce processing time is lodging a decision-ready application with complete relationship evidence and all health and character documents at the outset.

For the most current processing time estimates, visit the Department of Home Affairs Global visa processing times page.

Please note: Processing times are published by the Department of Home Affairs as percentile estimates and are updated monthly. The figures above reflect data available in early 2026. Actual processing times vary depending on the complexity of the application, the completeness of evidence provided at lodgement, and application volumes at the time of decision. These figures are a guide only and are not a guarantee of when your application will be decided.

How Our Registered Migration Agents Prepare Your Subclass 300 Application

Eligibility assessment

We assess both sides of the application before anything is submitted. Applicant eligibility, sponsor eligibility, and any legal impediment to marriage confirmed upfront.

Evidence file preparation

We build your file across all four relationship categories, identify gaps before the Department does, and structure your evidence to address what the Department looks for in a spouse visa application at this stage.

NOIM and wedding planning evidence

We advise on the Notice of Intended Marriage requirements and ensure your wedding planning evidence meets the standard the Department expects.

Decision-ready lodgement

We handle your ImmiAccount lodgement and your sponsor's sponsorship application together, correctly, from the start.

Subclass 820/801 preparation after marriage

After your marriage, we can also prepare and lodge your Subclass 820/801 application before your Subclass 300 expires, continuing the pathway to permanent residency.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be outside Australia to apply for the Subclass 300?

Yes. You must be outside Australia at the time of lodgement. If you are in Australia, the onshore partner visa pathway (Subclass 820/801) applies, provided you meet the eligibility requirements.

Does the 12-month de facto relationship requirement apply to the Subclass 300?

No. The Subclass 300 is an engagement visa, not a de facto visa. The 12-month cohabitation requirement does not apply. The focus is on genuine intention to marry and to live together as spouses.

Does the marriage have to take place in Australia?

No. You may marry overseas, provided the marriage is legally valid under Australian law. If you marry overseas, you must return to Australia and lodge the Subclass 820/801 before your Subclass 300 expires.

What happens if I marry before the Subclass 300 is granted?

You must notify the Department of Home Affairs and provide evidence of the marriage. In this circumstance, you may request the application be assessed as a Subclass 309/100 offshore partner visa instead.

What happens after I marry in Australia?

You must apply for the onshore partner visa (Subclass 820/801) before your Subclass 300 expires. The Subclass 300 does not lead to permanent residency on its own. The partner visa application is the next step on the spouse visa pathway to permanent residency.

Will I pay a reduced fee when I apply for the partner visa after marriage?

Yes. Subclass 300 holders pay a substantially reduced government application charge at the Subclass 820 stage, approximately AUD 1,955, as the bulk of the partner visa fee was paid at the Subclass 300 stage.

Can I work in Australia on the Subclass 300?

Yes. The Subclass 300 includes full work rights from the date of grant. You can work in Australia without restriction for the duration of the visa validity period.

Can same-sex couples apply for the Subclass 300?

Yes. The Subclass 300 applies equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. The eligibility criteria and assessment process are identical regardless of gender or sexual orientation.