Are You Engaged to Your Australian Partner? Read This!

If you are engaged to marry your Australian partner you might be eligible for a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300). This visa is aimed at couples who intend to marry in Australia within 9 months of the visa bring granted. It is often a better option for engaged couples as opposed to partner visas (subclasses 820, 309) because there is less documentary evidence required in the application process.

Basic Requirements:

• You will need to be offshore when the application is lodged and also when a decision is ready to be made;
• You must have met your partner in person;
• You must be in a genuine and continuing relationship; and
• The wedding will need to take place within the 9 month validly of the visa.

What Happens Next?

After you have married in Australia, you may be eligible to apply for a partner visa. It is generally a quicker and easier process to apply for a temporary partner visa after having held a prospective marriage visa. If you are granted the temporary partner visa, you will then have the option of transitioning into permanent residency after two years.

Prospective marriage and partner visa applications can be deceptively simple so you might want to consider speaking to a migration agent when preparing your application. For more information about partner visas, see our blog.

If you are a New Zealand citizen living in Australia and would like to sponsor your partner, you may find some helpful hints here.

For more information about prospective marriage or partner visas please contact our migration team.