Subclass 300 — Quick Answer

• Cost: AUD $11,710 for the main applicant (current Department of Home Affairs fee), plus additional applicant charges and other costs such as health checks and police certificates

• Visa length: 9 to 15 months from the date of grant

• Who it's for: Engaged couples who have not yet married and do not meet the 12-month de facto requirement

• Where you apply: You and any family applying with you must be outside Australia

• What it leads to: After marrying, you apply for the onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) — at a reduced government fee of AUD $1,955 if you apply before your Subclass 300 visa expires

• Work and study: Full work and study rights from the date of grant

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What Is the Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)?

The Subclass 300 visa, commonly called the fiancé visa Australia, allows the prospective spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia, marry their sponsor, and then apply for a partner visa.

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Unlike the onshore and offshore partner visa pathways, the Subclass 300 visa does not require you to already be married or to have lived together for 12 months. Instead, you need to show a genuine intention to marry your sponsor and a real, continuing relationship.

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For the full picture of every partner visa pathway, including how Subclass 300 fits alongside the onshore and offshore options, see our complete partner visa Australia guide.

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Who Should Apply for Subclass 300?

This visa is the right pathway if:

• You are engaged but not yet married

• You do not yet meet the 12-month de facto relationship requirement

• You are currently outside Australia

• You intend to marry your sponsor in Australia or overseas within the visa period

• You want a clear route to the onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) after marriage

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When Should You NOT Apply for Subclass 300?

Applying directly for a partner visa is usually the better option if:

• You are already legally married to your sponsor

• You already meet the 12-month de facto relationship requirement (or it's waived because your relationship is registered under state or territory law)

• You are already in Australia and eligible for the onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801)

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In these cases, see our onshore partner visa or offshore partner visa guides instead.

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Subclass 300 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for this visa, according to the Department of Home Affairs, you must meet all of the following:

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Applicant requirements

• Be 18 years or older

• Have a sponsor who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen — your sponsor must be your prospective spouse

• Intend to marry your sponsor before the visa period ends

• Have met your sponsor face-to-face as adults (since you both turned 18), and be known to each other personally at the time you apply

• Be outside Australia when you apply — any family members applying with you must also be outside Australia

• Meet the health requirement

• Meet the character requirement (this applies to any family members aged 16 or over who apply with you)

• Have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government, or have arranged to pay it back

• Sign the Australian Values Statement (if you're 18 or older) after reading, or having explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet

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Sponsor requirements

• Your sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and must be 18 or older

• The Department must approve your sponsor before your visa can be granted

• Your sponsor should lodge their sponsorship application as soon as possible after you apply

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Sponsorship approval also depends on character and prior-sponsorship history, including lifetime sponsorship limits. For the full breakdown of what can disqualify a sponsor, see our partner visa sponsor character requirements guide.

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Your relationship can be with a partner of the same or different sex — Australian migration law treats same-sex and opposite-sex engaged couples equally for this visa.

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Relationship Requirement for Subclass 300

The Subclass 300 relationship test is different from every other partner visa pathway. You do not need to be married, and you do not need to show 12 months of de facto cohabitation.

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Instead, the Department needs to see:

• That you and your sponsor have met in person as adults, since you both turned 18

• That you are known to each other personally at the time of application

• A genuine and continuing relationship, supported by evidence of communication and commitment

• A genuine intention to marry within the visa period

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For guidance on the type of relationship evidence the Department expects across a partner visa application, see our full partner visa requirements guide.

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Subclass 300 vs Partner Visa — Key Differences

Choosing between the Subclass 300 visa and a direct partner visa application depends on where you're located and how far your relationship has progressed.

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Where you apply

• Subclass 300: you must be outside Australia when you apply

• Onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801): you must be in Australia when you apply

• Offshore Partner visa (Subclass 309/100): you must be outside Australia when you apply, like Subclass 300

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Relationship stage required

• Subclass 300: engagement only — no marriage or 12-month de facto history needed, but you must have met your sponsor in person as adults

• Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100): you must already be married, or already meet the 12-month de facto relationship requirement (unless an exemption applies)

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Marriage obligation

• Subclass 300: you must marry your sponsor before the visa expires — this is a condition of the visa

• Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100): no marriage requirement — a genuine de facto relationship is sufficient

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Cost

• Subclass 300: AUD $11,710 for the main applicant

• Partner visa applied for directly (820/801 or 309/100): AUD $11,710 for the main applicant

• Partner visa (820/801) applied for after holding a Subclass 300 visa, lodged before the Subclass 300 expires: reduced to AUD $1,955 for the main applicant

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If you're still unsure which pathway fits your situation, our registered migration agents can confirm the right option before you pay any government fee. See the full comparison in our partner visa Australia guide.

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What Documents Do You Need for a Subclass 300 Visa?

You'll need to provide documents across several categories: identity, evidence of your relationship and intention to marry, your sponsor's documents, and health and character checks.

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Evidence the Department looks for includes:

• Proof you've met your sponsor in person as adults (photos, travel records, itineraries)

• Evidence of ongoing communication and contact during time spent apart

• Evidence of your intention to marry, such as engagement details or wedding planning

• Statutory declarations from people who know both of you and can confirm your relationship is genuine

• Identity documents for you, your sponsor, and any family members included in the application

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Applications are assessed on the overall consistency of your evidence, not on any single document. For the complete category-by-category checklist, see our partner visa document checklist guide.

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Can You Include Children in Your Application?

Yes. You can include members of your family unit when you lodge your Subclass 300 application. You can also add a dependent child after lodging, provided this happens before the Department decides your application. Family members who apply with you must be outside Australia, and must meet the health and character requirements. Family members who are not travelling to Australia with you may still need to meet these requirements.

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How Much Does the Subclass 300 Visa Cost?

The current Department of Home Affairs government fee is AUD $11,710 for the main applicant. Concessions apply in limited circumstances.

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Additional costs to budget for:

• A separate charge for each family member included in the application

• Health examinations

• Police certificates from every country you've lived in for 12 months or more since turning 16

• Document translation, if any of your documents aren't in English

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Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the exact cost for your family size — it does not include health, police, or translation costs. For a full cost breakdown across every partner visa pathway, see our partner visa cost guide.

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Reduced fee for your onshore Partner visa afterwards: once you marry and hold (or have held) a Subclass 300 visa, the Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) government fee drops to AUD $1,955 for the main applicant — but only if you lodge that application before your Subclass 300 visa expires. Applying after it expires means paying the full AUD $11,710 Partner visa fee instead.

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New from 1 July 2026 — Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession: a lower visa application cost now applies to eligible applicants who hold a valid passport from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Department applies this automatically in ImmiAccount based on the primary applicant's passport, and it extends to family members included in the same application.

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How Long Does the Subclass 300 Visa Take to Process?

The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a single fixed processing time for the Subclass 300 visa — it varies based on the completeness of your application, the strength of your relationship evidence, and health and character checks. The Department prioritises aged, compassionate, and compelling applications.

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For a current, application-specific estimate based on recently decided cases, use the Department's official visa processing time guide tool. For general guidance on what affects partner visa processing across all pathways, see our partner visa processing time guide.

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Applying for the Subclass 300 Visa — Step by Step

1. Before you apply — confirm you meet every eligibility requirement, and that Subclass 300 (rather than a direct partner visa) is the right pathway for your situation

2. Gather your documents — provide everything you can at the time of lodgement to avoid delays. Police certificates are valid for immigration purposes for 12 months from issue; if more than 15 months has passed since your Australian Federal Police check was issued, you'll need a new one

3. Apply online while outside Australia — applications must be lodged online through ImmiAccount; your sponsor lodges their sponsorship application separately, as soon as possible after you apply

4. After you apply — the Department will confirm receipt of your application

5. Visa outcome — you can be in or outside Australia when the decision is made. If granted, you'll receive your visa grant number, start date, and conditions in writing. If refused, you'll be told why, and whether you have review rights. The application fee is not refunded if your visa is refused

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What Happens After You Get the Subclass 300 Visa?

1. You enter Australia before the first entry arrival date shown on your grant letter (if you were outside Australia when the visa was granted)

2. You marry your sponsor before the visa expires — you can marry in Australia or overseas, but the marriage must be legally valid under Australian law

3. You apply for the onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) before your Subclass 300 visa expires, to access the reduced AUD $1,955 government fee

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While you hold the visa, you can work, study, and travel to and from Australia as many times as you like. Health insurance isn't mandatory, but the Department recommends it — without it, you're personally responsible for any medical costs while you're in Australia.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Subclass 300 applications are commonly refused or delayed because of:

• Not having met your sponsor in person as an adult before applying

• Weak or inconsistent evidence of a genuine relationship and intention to marry

• Missing or expired police certificates at the time of lodgement

• Applying for Subclass 300 when you actually already qualify for a partner visa, extending your overall pathway to permanent residency unnecessarily

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Prospective Marriage visa cost?

The current government fee is AUD $11,710 for the main applicant, plus additional charges for any family members included in the application, and separate costs for health checks, police certificates, and translations.

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How long can I stay in Australia on a Subclass 300 visa?

The visa is granted for 9 to 15 months from the date of grant, as shown on your grant letter. You must marry your sponsor and, if you plan to stay, apply for the Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) before it expires.

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Do I have to get married in Australia?

No. You can marry in Australia or overseas, as long as the marriage is legally valid under Australian law.

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Can I work or study on a Subclass 300 visa?

Yes. The visa gives you full work and study rights in Australia from the date it's granted.

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Can I include my children in my Subclass 300 application?

Yes. Family unit members can be included when you lodge, and a dependent child can be added afterwards, as long as this happens before the Department decides your application.

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Can I apply if I have never met my sponsor in person?

No. The Department requires you to have met your sponsor face-to-face as adults, since you both turned 18, before you apply.

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Does the Subclass 300 visa lead to permanent residency?

Not directly. After marrying, you need to apply for the onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801), which leads to permanent residency once the Subclass 801 is granted.

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Can same-sex couples apply for the Subclass 300 visa?

Yes. Australian migration law recognises same-sex engaged couples on the same terms as opposite-sex couples for this visa​​