Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa
The Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa, also known as the fiance visa, is for engaged couples where the applicant is outside Australia and is not yet married to the sponsoring partner. The visa allows entry to Australia, marriage within 9 months of first entry, and transition to the onshore Subclass 820 partner visa. It is a bridge between an offshore engagement and an onshore permanent residence pathway, and it serves couples who have not yet satisfied either the 12-month de facto cohabitation rule or the requirement of a legally valid marriage.
Key facts
Visa Type
Temporary (9 to 15 months)
Application charge
$9,365 main applicant
Key condition
Marry within 9 months of first entry
Location at application and grant
Outside Australia
Who qualifies for the Subclass 300
To qualify for the Subclass 300, the applicant must be engaged to marry an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen aged 18 or over, must be outside Australia at the time of application and at the time of grant, must have met the sponsor in person as adults, must genuinely intend to marry, and must meet Australian health and character requirements. The applicant and sponsor must both be at least 18 years of age.
The intention to marry must be genuine and must be supported by evidence. A Notice of Intended Marriage lodged with an Australian authorised marriage celebrant or a foreign equivalent is a core piece of evidence, along with evidence of meeting in person and of the relationship itself across the four standard aspects.
The 9-month marriage rule
The Subclass 300 is granted with a validity period typically between 9 and 15 months. The applicant must marry within 9 months of first entry to Australia. This is a mandatory visa condition (condition 8519). The marriage does not need to occur in Australia, but the first entry to Australia on the Subclass 300 must happen before the marriage. After first entry, the couple may travel overseas to marry, provided the wedding occurs within 9 months of the first entry date.
Failure to marry within 9 months means the Subclass 300 ceases. The applicant must leave Australia or apply for another valid visa before the visa ends. Extensions are available only in very limited circumstances involving factors genuinely beyond the control of the couple, and are not routinely granted. Couples should plan their wedding date with this rule in mind from the moment the Subclass 300 is granted.
Evidence for the Subclass 300
The Subclass 300 is assessed on the same four relationship aspects as every other partner visa, plus specific evidence of the intention to marry and the in-person meeting requirement.
Intention to marry
Notice of Intended Marriage lodged with an authorised Australian marriage celebrant, or equivalent overseas lodgement, along with any confirmed wedding venue booking, engagement announcements, and statements from both partners describing their intention to marry and the intended wedding date.
Having met in person
The Subclass 300 requires that the applicant and sponsor have met in person as adults. Passports showing matching travel dates, boarding passes, accommodation bookings, photographs during meetings, and any record of having been physically together all contribute. Online-only relationships do not satisfy this requirement.
Genuine and continuing relationship
Evidence across the standard four aspects (financial, household, social, and commitment) to the extent that the facts of the relationship allow. Because the Subclass 300 is for couples who are not yet living together, household evidence is typically lighter, with greater weight placed on communication history, joint plans, and evidence of the engagement itself.
Sponsor eligibility and character
Sponsorship is lodged alongside the Subclass 300 application. The sponsor must satisfy the eligibility, limit, and character requirements that apply to all partner visa sponsors.
Transition to the onshore partner visa
After the marriage, the Subclass 300 holder lodges a Subclass 820 onshore partner visa before the Subclass 300 expires. The Subclass 820 attracts a reduced application charge because the primary fee was paid at the Subclass 300 stage. The onshore partner visa then proceeds through the standard two-stage pathway, with the Subclass 820 temporary stage followed by the Subclass 801 permanent stage approximately two years after the Subclass 820 was lodged.
The reduced onshore partner visa fee for Subclass 300 holders is a meaningful financial benefit, but the full relationship evidence standard applies to the Subclass 820. The period between marriage and Subclass 820 lodgement should be used to generate joint financial, household, and social evidence that will support the partner visa.
When the Subclass 300 is the right pathway
The Subclass 300 is the right pathway for couples where the applicant is outside Australia, the couple is not yet married, and one of the following applies. The couple has not yet satisfied the 12-month de facto cohabitation rule. The applicant cannot enter Australia on another visa that permits onshore partner visa lodgement. The couple prefers to marry in Australia, or in a third country with the Australian sponsor. Or the couple wishes to use the Subclass 300 framework to manage the transition.
The Subclass 300 is not the right pathway for couples already cohabiting for 12 months or more and able to satisfy the de facto threshold, for couples already married and able to apply directly under the Subclass 309/100 or 820/801, or for couples where the applicant is already in Australia on a visa that permits onshore partner visa lodgement.
Common Subclass 300 pitfalls
Recurring issues include insufficient evidence of the in-person meeting, applications lodged by couples who have met only online, short-duration relationships with limited supporting evidence, inconsistent statements between applicant and sponsor, and failure to include the Notice of Intended Marriage with the application. Applications from countries that have been classified as higher-risk for relationship authenticity face closer scrutiny and benefit from comprehensive and candid evidence.
A further common pitfall is underestimating the 9-month marriage window. Wedding logistics, venue booking, celebrant availability, and family travel arrangements can easily push the planned date beyond 9 months if planning starts only after visa grant. Planning should begin during processing, not after.
Strategic preparation of the Subclass 300
The Subclass 300 is the most logistically complex partner visa pathway. Timing the application, gathering evidence of a meeting and an engagement, securing the Notice of Intended Marriage, and planning the wedding inside the 9-month condition all require deliberate preparation. Visa Plan Lawyers guides engaged couples through the Subclass 300 process and the transition to the onshore partner visa.