A prospective marriage visa allows an Australian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their prospective spouse to arrive in Australia, get married and thereon sponsor them for an onshore partner visa.
You should intend to marry each other while your visa is valid and then apply for a partner visa as a married couple. The Applicant should be outside Australia when applying and your marriage could take place in Australia or any other country as this is a multiple entry visa.
Eligibility for a prospective marriage visa
- Be sponsored by your prospective spouse who is a permanent resident or citizen in Australia
- Be in a genuine and ongoing relationship with your prospective spouse
- Marry your spouse within the validity period of the visa
- Be outside Australia when you apply
- Provide character evidence
- obtain health insurance
Documents required to make your visa application
All visa applications should include evidence supporting your relationship. Relationship evidence should provide for:
- Notice of intention to marry your prospective spouse
- Financial arrangements within the relationship
- Household arrangements
- Commitment of the couple towards each other
- Social aspects of the relationship
Eligibility to sponsor your fiancé
To sponsor your prospective partner, you should be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
However, you are barred from making a sponsorship application if you have sponsored a partner or a prospective partner within the last 05 years.
Your new sponsorship application can be made only after the date 05 years are completed from the date of such sponsorship application.
Your new sponsorship application should disclose all information relating to your past relationships and sponsorships.
Processing times for the prospective marriage visa
The updated processing times for the SC 300 visa are as below:
- 25% of applications: 5 Months
- 50% of applications: 9 Months
- 75% of applications: 19 Months
- 90% of applications: 35 Months
Prospective marriage visa costs
According to the visa pricing regulations provided by the Department the costs of a prospective partner visa include:
- Primary Applicant - AUD 8,085
- Additional Applicants above age of 18 - AUD 4,045
- Additional Applicants below age of 18 - AUD 2,025
At the second stage of this visa, when making your SC 820 partner visa application, the costs are as below:
- Primary Applicant - AUD 1,710
- Additional Applicants above age of18 - AUD 855
- Additional Applicants below age of 18 - AUD 430
- A SC 300 visa is usually granted for a period of 9-15 months. You should intend to marry your spouse within that period.
- If you apply for a SC 300 visa and then marry your prospective spouse before the grant of that visa, you must convert your SC 300 visa to a partner visa.
- SC 300 visa allows you to include members of your family unit. You can include children of your previous marriages to the new SC 300 application.