Many people know the Subclass 300 as the “engagement visa” or “fiancé visa”. Advisers often recommend it to couples who would do better applying directly for a partner visa. In the right circumstances it works well. In the wrong ones, it becomes an expensive detour.
Below, we explain what the prospective marriage visa actually requires, what it costs in 2026, and when it beats the offshore Subclass 309.
What is a prospective marriage visa?
The Subclass 300 lets the fiancé or fiancée of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen travel to Australia to marry them.
It is a temporary visa. It is not a partner visa, and it does not lead directly to permanent residence. After the wedding, the holder lodges an onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801). That is a separate application, with a separate charge, and the Department assesses it separately.
Prospective marriage visa requirements
Before the Department grants a Subclass 300, you must establish that:
- Both you and your fiancé(e) are at least 18.
- You have met in person as adults, and you know each other personally. Online-only relationships do not satisfy this.
- You genuinely intend to marry each other. You also intend to live together as spouses.
- You sit outside Australia when you lodge the application, and again when the Department decides it.
- Your sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- You meet health, character and the applicable public interest criteria.
The Notice of Intended Marriage: the document applicants underestimate
Most prospective marriage visa applicants underestimate the Notice of Intended Marriage. You must lodge the NOIM with an authorised marriage celebrant. Moreover, you must lodge it at least one month before the proposed wedding date.
Alongside the NOIM, the Department expects proof that you are genuinely organising a wedding. Celebrant correspondence, venue bookings, deposits, invitations, catering arrangements and family travel plans all help. In short, documents prove an intention to marry. Sentiment does not.
How long does a prospective marriage visa last?
The Department grants the visa with a fixed validity period. Commonly, that period runs between nine and fifteen months from grant. However, the grant notice sets the exact period, so check the individual notice rather than a general figure.
You must marry before the visa ceases. Once married, you lodge the onshore Partner visa. A Bridging Visa A generally follows, which lets you stay lawfully in Australia while the Department assesses it.
There is no extension. You cannot extend a Subclass 300. If the wedding does not happen before the visa ceases, the pathway closes. The applicant must then start again from offshore.
Prospective marriage visa cost in 2026
From 1 July 2026, the base application charge for a Subclass 300 sits at AUD $11,710. That matches the partner visa charge, following the increase at the start of the financial year.
Department of Home Affairs, 300 visa
Here is the point couples miss. The Department does not credit the prospective marriage visa charge toward the partner visa. Therefore, after the wedding, you pay the full partner charge a second time.
Consequently, the Subclass 300 route costs roughly double in charges alone. That is before health examinations, police clearances, translations and travel. Budget for it before you choose it, not after.
How the Department assesses a prospective marriage visa
The Department assesses a prospective marriage visa using the same relationship framework that applies to partner visas. Decision-makers examine four things: the financial aspects of the relationship, the nature of the household, the social context, and the couple’s commitment to each other.
However, one important difference applies. On a Subclass 300 you prove an intention to marry and live together. You are not proving an established shared life. Couples who have never lived together cannot show joint leases, joint accounts or shared household responsibilities.
As a result, the social and commitment evidence carries more weight. It also makes inconsistency far more dangerous. Dates, meeting histories and future plans must align across every document on the file — including both statements.
Prospective marriage visa or partner visa: which should you apply for?
When the Subclass 300 is the right call
- The marriage cannot lawfully or safely take place in the applicant’s home country.
- Religious, cultural or family reasons require the wedding to happen in Australia.
- The couple are not yet married and cannot meet the twelve-month de facto requirement. Relationship registration is also unavailable to them.
- The applicant genuinely needs to be in Australia during the wedding preparations.
When it is the wrong call
- “We heard it is faster.” Generally it is not — and it costs twice.
- The couple could marry offshore and lodge a Subclass 309 for a single charge.
- The couple already meet the twelve-month de facto requirement. Alternatively, they could register their relationship under state or territory law.
Sponsorship limits on a prospective marriage visa
A prospective marriage visa sponsorship counts toward the sponsor’s lifetime limit of two partner-type sponsorships. In addition, it starts the five-year clock between sponsorships.
Therefore, a sponsor who uses a Subclass 300 and later separates has spent one of two. They may wait years before they can lawfully sponsor again. Sponsor police checks and disclosure obligations also apply to the Subclass 300, exactly as they do to a partner visa.
LINK: — partner visa requirements post, anchor “partner visa requirements guide”
Frequently asked questions about the prospective marriage visa
What is a prospective marriage visa?
The Subclass 300 prospective marriage visa is a temporary Australian visa. It lets the fiancé(e) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen travel to Australia to marry them. The holder then applies for a partner visa onshore.
How much does a prospective marriage visa cost in 2026?
The base application charge is AUD $11,710 from 1 July 2026. The Department does not credit it toward the partner visa you lodge after the wedding. In short, the total charge across both applications runs to roughly double.
Do I have to marry in Australia on a Subclass 300?
The visa exists to bring you to Australia to marry. Where the wedding happens overseas instead, that can raise questions about the basis on which the Department granted the visa. Obtain advice before you change wedding plans after grant.
Can I work on a prospective marriage visa?
Subclass 300 holders hold work rights.
What happens if we do not marry before the visa expires?
The visa ceases and the pathway closes. There is no extension. The applicant would need to depart and apply again from offshore, or consider another pathway. Seek advice early if the wedding date looks at risk.
Is the prospective marriage visa faster than a partner visa?
Not reliably. The Department publishes processing times monthly, and they vary considerably. Given the doubled charge, speed is not a sound reason to choose the Subclass 300.
Get advice before you choose the prospective marriage visa pathway
The choice between a Subclass 300 and a Subclass 309 is strategic. It is also much harder to correct after you pay the charge. Tolic Lawyers advises on which pathway actually fits the couple. We then prepare the application and the submissions behind it.
LINK: — visa refusals and reviews page
Call (02) 8077 2562 or book a consultation. Suite 19/103 George Street, Parramatta NSW 2150.
Written by Arnela Tolic, Principal Solicitor, Tolic Lawyers.
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is current at the date of publication. It is not legal advice, and you must not rely on it as legal advice. Visa application charges rise on 1 July each year. The grant notice sets the validity period of a Subclass 300. Every matter turns on its own facts — obtain advice specific to your circumstances before acting.
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