What Conditions Come With a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) in 2026?

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

Two conditions carry almost all the weight on a granted Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300): condition 8515, which means you must not marry before you first enter Australia on this visa, and condition 8519, which requires you to marry your prospective spouse before the visa period ends. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' "Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)" official page, read as at July 2026, you must enter Australia by the date in your grant letter, marry before the visa expires, and obey all visa conditions and Australian laws. The Department's visa conditions page for this visa lists the conditions that might be attached to a subclass 300 visa, and VEVO shows the exact codes attached to your grant; the Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's PAM3 guidance treat 8515 and 8519 as the mandatory pair, with 8502 listed as optional, so treat what appears on your grant letter and VEVO record as what binds you.

What conditions are actually attached to a subclass 300 visa?

The official page states plainly that you and any family members who hold the visa must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. It does not print the codes itself; it points to the Department's visa conditions page, which can be filtered to this visa.

In practice, granted subclass 300 visas carry the two marriage-related conditions:

8515 — you must not marry before you first enter Australia on the visa. The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's PAM3 guidance describe it as the "no marriage before first entry" condition, which also covers entering into a de facto relationship before that first arrival.
8519 — you must marry your prospective spouse within the visa period.

Condition numbers and wording are published by the Department and can change, so the codes you rely on should be the ones on your own record rather than any general list.

How do I read my own conditions rather than a general list?

Your visa grant letter gives you the visa number and the dates; VEVO shows the digital visa record, including conditions, and is the same system airlines, government agencies, employers and banks use to check them. Because Australian visas are digital and no label is placed in your passport, VEVO is the working proof of what your visa allows.

This article is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances — confirm the conditions on your grant letter and VEVO record against the Department's latest published wording, and get professional advice if your situation is unusual.

What does condition 8515 require in practice?

Condition 8515 is about sequence: arrive in Australia on the subclass 300 visa first, marry afterwards. The official page says you must enter Australia before the date specified on your grant letter, and the same page repeats the first entry arrival date ("first entry, arrive by") for applicants who were outside Australia when the visa was granted.

A useful way to test it: if a wedding ceremony happens offshore before you have ever entered Australia on the subclass 300 visa, you have married too early under 8515. The condition does not require the wedding to happen in Australia — only that your first entry comes first.

One nuance worth knowing: the Department says you can still travel to Australia on a valid visa even if the first entry arrival date has passed, but the visa may still be cancelled before arrival or at the border. Check that the visa is still valid in VEVO before booking travel.

What does condition 8519 require you to do?

Condition 8519 is the deadline condition: marry before the visa period ends. The visa is temporary, and the official page states the stay period is 9 to 15 months from the visa grant date, with the exact period specified in your grant letter.

So the practical reading is a three-step order — enter Australia by the first entry date, marry at any point after that, and finish the marriage before the visa stops. The grant letter is what fixes both ends of that window for you.

Can the wedding happen outside Australia?

Yes. The official page states you can marry in any country, but the marriage must be valid under Australian law. That validity point is separate from the timing conditions: a wedding that happens on the right day in the right order still has to be a marriage Australian law recognises.

Two related points from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' "Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)" official page and the Migration Regulations 1994: forced marriage is a crime in Australia and is defined as marrying without freely and fully consenting, including where someone is tricked, threatened, pressured, or unable to understand the nature and effect of the ceremony; and the Migration Regulations 1994 require that no impediment to the marriage exists under Australian law, such as an earlier marriage that has not been legally ended.

What happens if the marriage does not happen before the visa ends?

The consequences are mostly about what comes next rather than a penalty written into the visa itself. Holders of a subclass 300 visa are eligible for a lower visa application charge for the onshore Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801), and the official page says you pay less if you marry your prospective spouse and apply before the Prospective Marriage visa ends. Miss that window and the cheaper route is no longer the one you are on.

The two conditions also interact with any other visa you take: if you are granted another visa, it replaces the subclass 300 visa, which can mean paying the higher Partner visa application charge instead of the reduced one.

What else rides along with these conditions?

Beyond the two marriage conditions, the obligations on the official pages include obeying Australian laws, and telling the Department about changes such as the birth of a child or other changes relevant to your situation. Family members who hold the visa are covered by the same requirement to meet conditions.

If the relationship ends, the Department's guidance points to the relationship cessation notification process, and notes that a Partner visa may still be possible in some circumstances, including where there has been domestic and family violence — all information provided is confidential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is condition 8515 the same as the first entry arrival date?

No, but they work together. The first entry arrival date is the deadline in your grant letter for entering Australia, while condition 8515 is the rule that you must not marry until after that first entry. Missing the arrival date is a separate problem from breaching 8515.

Do my family members have to meet conditions 8515 and 8519 too?

The official page says you and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. Whether a specific code is attached to a secondary applicant's record depends on their own grant, so check each person's conditions in VEVO.

Can I marry in my home country after I have already entered Australia?

The official page says you can marry in any country as long as the marriage is valid under Australian law. Marrying offshore after your first entry satisfies the sequence condition 8515 sets, provided the marriage is still completed before the visa expires.

What if my visa is still valid but the first entry arrival date has passed?

The Department says you can travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if the visa is still valid, but the visa may still be cancelled before arrival or at the border. Check the visa's current status in VEVO before you travel.

Does getting another visa cancel my subclass 300 conditions?

Being granted another visa replaces the subclass 300 visa rather than sitting alongside it, which can mean losing the reduced Partner visa application charge that subclass 300 holders are eligible for. It does not undo any obligation that already arose.

Where do I find the conditions that apply to me specifically?

VEVO shows your digital visa record and conditions, using the visa number from your grant letter, and the Department's visa conditions page can be filtered to this visa. Those two sources, not general summaries, are what you should rely on.