How Do I Apply for a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) in 2026?

Updated 2026-09-27 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

You lodge a Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) online through ImmiAccount while you are outside Australia: sign in, choose New application, then Family, then "Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa", complete the form, pay the visa application charge, submit, hand your transaction reference number (TRN) to your sponsor, then attach your supporting documents. That sequence comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) official page, as published in July 2026, and the rest of this article follows the same official step-by-step order. It is general information about how the process is set out, not personalised advice on your own circumstances — where your situation is unusual or has complications, the official page and a qualified professional should be your final check.

Who can apply, and what does the visa actually allow?

The official page sets out a short eligibility list. You must be 18 or older, have a sponsor who is an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, intend to marry your prospective spouse before the visa period ends, and have met your prospective spouse face to face as adults since turning 18 and be known to each other personally at the time you apply. You must be outside Australia when you apply, along with any family members applying with you; the decision itself can be made while you are in or outside Australia.

The visa period runs 9 to 15 months from the date of grant, and holders can work and study in Australia. If you marry before a decision is made on your application, you are no longer eligible for this visa — a point that matters more than it first appears, because the whole purpose of the visa is to allow you to enter Australia and marry.

Step 1: What should you decide before you start?

The first official step is about who, if anyone, will deal with the department on your behalf. You can appoint anyone to receive correspondence about your application using Form 956A (Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient). Separately, if you want someone to give you immigration assistance — discussing your application with the department, giving them information, and sending and receiving correspondence — that person must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, appointed using Form 956 (Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person). Correspondence they send is treated as if it came from you.

Your own contact details still matter. The partner visa application form asks for your own phone number and email address, and the department may contact you directly even where you have nominated your sponsor's email for all electronic correspondence, appointed an authorised recipient, or appointed someone to give immigration assistance. Keep your ImmiAccount, email and passwords to yourself.

Step 2: Which documents do you need to gather?

The official page groups evidence into identity, relationships, character and health. Providing everything with your application — or as soon as possible afterwards — reduces processing delays.

Identity. Provide a birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If you cannot, provide one of: the identification pages of a family book showing both parents' names; the identification pages of a government-issued identification document; the identification pages of a court-issued document proving your identity; or the identification pages of a family census register. Also provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates, a national identity card if you have one, and proof of any change of name (a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by).

Relationships. Attach evidence of your relationship with your prospective spouse, of any former relationships, and of any dependants you have.

How should documents be translated and scanned?

Everything must be translated into English, and you provide both the original and the translation. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include, in English, the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.

Scan or photograph all documents in colour, clearly enough to read. If a document runs to more than one page, save it as one file. You do not need to have any documents certified.

Step 3: How do you lodge the application in ImmiAccount?

The official "How to apply" list runs as follows.

Log in to ImmiAccount; if you do not have a login, you will be asked to create a new account.
Select "New application".
Select "Family".
Select "Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa".
Complete your application.
Pay the visa application charge.
Submit your application.
Give your TRN to your sponsor — your sponsor needs it to apply for sponsorship.
Attach supporting documents to your completed application.

Two hard limits are worth knowing before you start uploading. The department cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge, and you can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, with no possibility of increasing that limit. If you reach the limit for one applicant, you can attach further documents to other clients on the application. Label documents clearly, attach each one only once even if you are using it to show more than one thing, and keep a copy of your completed application.

Step 4: What happens after you lodge?

You will be told when the application has been received. After that, most of the work shifts to sponsorship, checks, and keeping your record up to date.

Sponsorship. You, and anyone applying with you, must have a sponsor when you lodge and while you are on this visa. Give your sponsor your TRN or application ID after you apply; your sponsor should apply to sponsor you as soon as possible after you lodge.

Do you need health examinations and police certificates?

Yes to both. You need health examinations, and no visa can be granted unless you have a valid health assessment. Health assessment results are valid for 12 months from the time you completed your examinations, and a health undertaking, if you are asked to sign one, is valid for 6 months — which is why the official page suggests checking published visa processing times before you decide when to complete them.

For character, provide a police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more during the last 10 years since you turned 16, plus military service records or discharge papers if you served in any country's armed forces. You must also complete and attach Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment). Police certificates are valid for immigration purposes for 12 months from the issue date; if more than 15 months has passed since your National Police certificate was issued by the Australian Federal Police, new checks will be required. If you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16, you must provide an Australian police certificate, and only complete disclosure National Police Certificates from the AFP are accepted — not standard disclosure certificates and not certificates from state or territory police.

Can you travel to Australia while the application is being processed?

Do not arrange to travel to Australia until the department tells you in writing that the Subclass 300 visa has been granted. If you do travel on another visa while your application is in progress, you are responsible for holding a valid visa for the whole of your stay.

What if something changes — a baby, a marriage, or the relationship ending?

Tell the department about changes after you apply but before a decision, including the birth of a child, any other changes relevant to your application, or a request to withdraw. A dependent child can be added before a decision is made, using Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement); the child must be outside Australia, and after attaching the form you notify the department through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. For a newborn, update your record and then notify the department the same way.

Marrying before the decision is the big one. You become ineligible for the Subclass 300, and to report it you sign into ImmiAccount, go to the "Update details" tab and choose "Change in situation". You then attach evidence the marriage is valid (a registered marriage certificate from the relevant legal authority), a request to be considered for the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) and Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100), and a statement saying you want to withdraw the Subclass 300 application. If you do not withdraw, the application will be refused. If the relationship ends instead, complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the "Update Details" tab — and the official page also recommends changing your ImmiAccount password, avoiding saved passwords, and reviewing your email security.

How do you check progress, and when should you not ask?

Attach everything the ImmiAccount checklist points to; that is what helps the application move quickly. If your application is within standard processing times, do not contact the department for an update — none can be given. You can see whether more information has been requested inside ImmiAccount, and the department will tell you if biometrics are needed. If you cannot upload documents, use the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. Mistakes on the application should be reported as soon as possible.

Step 5: How do you get the outcome?

The decision is given in writing, whether you are in or outside Australia, and you should keep a copy. If the visa is granted, you are told your visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and your visa conditions. If it is refused, you are told why and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be outside Australia when I apply?

Yes. You must be outside Australia when you apply, along with any family members applying with you. The decision, by contrast, can be made while you are in or outside Australia.

How does my sponsor get linked to my application?

After you lodge, give your sponsor your TRN or application ID, and your sponsor applies for sponsorship using it — ideally as soon as possible after you apply. You and anyone applying with you must have a sponsor both at lodgement and while on the visa.

How many documents can I upload, and do they need certifying?

You can attach up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and the limit cannot be increased. Documents do not need to be certified, but they must be clear colour scans or photographs, with multi-page documents saved as a single file.

How long do police certificates and health results stay valid?

Police certificates are valid for immigration purposes for 12 months from the issue date, and health assessment results are valid for 12 months from when you completed the examinations. A health undertaking, if you are asked to sign one, is valid for 6 months.

Can I travel to Australia once I have lodged?

Not on the strength of this application. Do not arrange travel until the department tells you in writing that the Subclass 300 has been granted; if you travel on another visa meanwhile, you are responsible for holding a valid visa throughout.

What if we get married before the department decides?

You stop being eligible for the Subclass 300. You update ImmiAccount through "Update details" → "Change in situation", attach your registered marriage certificate, request consideration for the subclass 309 and 100 visas, and state that you withdraw the Subclass 300 — otherwise it will be refused.