Subclass 300 visa: Prospective Marriage

300 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its Prospective Marriage visa page:

• Prospective spouse. In most cases, the prospective spouse is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The relationship can be with someone of the same or a different sex.
• Intention to marry. The applicant intends to marry their prospective spouse before the visa period ends.
• Met in person. The applicant and prospective spouse have met in person as adults, since turning 18, and know each other personally when the application is made.
• Sponsor. The sponsor is the prospective spouse. The applicant and anyone applying with them must have an approved sponsor when lodging and while on the visa.
• Age. The applicant and the sponsor are 18 or older when the application is made.
• Outside Australia. The applicant and family members applying must be outside Australia when they apply.
• Immigration history. A past visa cancellation or refusal may affect eligibility.
• Health. The applicant and family members applying must meet the health requirement.
• Character. The applicant and family members 16 and over who apply must meet the character requirement.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government is paid back or there is an arrangement to pay it back.
• Australian values. Applicants 18 and over sign the Australian Values Statement.
• Best interests of the child. Home Affairs might not grant the visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Sponsor requirements

The For Sponsors tab of the 300 page lists:

• The sponsor is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, is 18 or older, and Home Affairs approves the sponsorship.
• Most sponsors must meet character requirements, provide police certificates and consent to their convictions for relevant offences being disclosed to the applicant. Limits apply to sponsors convicted of certain offences involving children.
• Home Affairs may refuse the sponsorship if it is the sponsor's third partner or prospective marriage sponsorship, if they sponsored another partner in the last 5 years, or if they were sponsored as a partner in the last 5 years. Exceptions include a dependent child of the couple, or a longstanding relationship.
• Limits also apply to some Contributory Parent visa and Woman at Risk (subclass 204) visa holders, and where there is a risk of forced marriage.
• The sponsor accepts responsibility for any debts the applicant or their family members owe the Australian Government, and for them complying with visa conditions and Australian laws.
• Sponsorship starts when the visa is granted and ends when it ceases. There is no sponsorship charge, and the sponsorship cannot be withdrawn after the visa is granted.

What the visa lets you do

Home Affairs' 300 page says the visa lets holders:

• live, work and study in Australia for 9 to 15 months from the grant date, with full work rights
• travel to and from Australia as many times as they want while the visa is valid
• marry their prospective spouse, in Australia or in another country, as long as the marriage is valid under Australian law

Holders must enter Australia by the first entry date in their grant letter and must marry before the visa expires. To settle in Australia, Home Affairs says the couple then apply for the Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) after the marriage and before the 300 ends. Study is at the holder's own expense. Home Affairs notes that being granted any other visa replaces the 300, which may mean a higher charge for the Partner visa.

Family members and cost

Members of the family unit can be included at lodgement, and a dependent child can be added before the visa is decided. Family members applying must be outside Australia and meet health and character requirements. Family members can't be added after the visa is granted (300 page).

Home Affairs' Visa Pricing table lists:

The Visa Pricing table does not list a second instalment for this visa. The later Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) has its own charge. For a current 300 holder, the Visa Pricing table lists AUD 1,955 for the main applicant, and AUD 2,475 for a former holder whose 300 has ceased. From 1 July 2026, a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Other costs, such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics, are extra.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of Home Affairs' 300 page.

Before you apply

1. Check the processing times guide.
2. Gather identity documents, evidence of the relationship with the prospective spouse, documents about former relationships, and documents for any dependants. Documents not in English need translations.
3. Police certificates can be obtained before applying, but are valid for 12 months from issue.

Apply

1. Apply online in ImmiAccount while outside Australia (New application, Family, Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa), attach documents and pay the charge.
2. Give the sponsor the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) so they can lodge the sponsorship application, from in or outside Australia.

After you apply

1. Home Affairs may ask for health examinations, biometrics, police certificates or more information.
2. Changes must be reported. Home Affairs says applicants who marry before the 300 is decided are no longer eligible for it. They can tell Home Affairs through ImmiAccount, attach the marriage certificate, and ask to be considered for the Partner visa (subclasses 309 and 100) instead.
3. Home Affairs decides the visa in writing and does not refund the charge if it refuses the visa.

Applying in or outside Australia

The applicant and family members applying must be outside Australia when they apply. Home Affairs can decide the application while the applicant is in or outside Australia (300 page).

300 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: 820/801, 309/100 and 300