Prospective Marriage visas: What you need to know
As we’ve summarised in previous blogs, the Partner visa is the well known option for people looking to sponsor their spouses or de facto partners for migration to Australia. But what if you’re engaged and want to bring your fiancé to Australia so you can both be here on your wedding day? Well, thankfully the Prospective Marriage visa is your saviour!
Is this the same as the fiancé visa?
The subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa is often referred to as the ‘fiancé visa’. This is because an applicant is required to be engaged to their sponsor or have an intention to marry their sponsor, in order to apply for the visa. The purpose of this visa is to enable the applicant to travel to Australia to marry their sponsor.
Main requirements and costs
The visa applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have an approved sponsor. This is the person that they intend to marry. In order for a sponsor to be approved, they must also be at least 18 years of age, be either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, meet character requirements and not be subject to sponsorship limitations. The applicant and sponsor must also provide evidence that they are planning to get married after the applicant enters Australia and that there is nothing preventing either of them from entering into marriage with one another. They must also prove that they have met in person and are known to each other. The cost of applying for the Prospective Marriage visa is $7,715 for a single applicant.
What this visa allows the holder to do
Once granted, the Prospective Marriage visa is valid for 9 months. It permits multiple travel in and out of Australia as well as allowing the applicant to work and study in Australia during the validity of the visa. The applicant and sponsor must get married before the visa expires. If the applicant and sponsor intend to live in Australia after marriage, the applicant should apply for the onshore Partner visa (subclass 820/801) before the Prospective Marriage visa expires. The cost of an onshore Partner visa for a person who holds a Prospective Marriage visa is $1,285.
What happens after the visa expires?
If the applicant intends to stay in Australia and has applied for the onshore Partner visa before the expiry of their Prospective Marriage visa, they will be allowed to remain in Australia on a bridging visa until a decision on their Partner visa is made. The bridging visa is usually granted automatically at the time they applied for the onshore Partner visa and becomes valid once the Prospective Marriage visa expires. However, this bridging visa will not allow the applicant to travel overseas, so it is best to apply for permission to travel before making any travel arrangements.
Seeking our help to apply for a Prospective Marriage visa
The team at Titan Migration can help you manage the entire process and lodge your Prospective Marriage visa application. Contact us or book a consultation online to speak with a registered migration agent.
About Peter Chang
Peter Chang is a registered migration agent based in the Western Sydney hub of Parramatta, Australia. He is the co-founder of Titan Migration, a consultancy specialising in providing Australian immigration advice and visa assistance services.