PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGE VISA

OVERVIEW

For couples who want to be together in Australia but are currently living apart. The Partner visa (subclass 309/100) is for people in a de facto relationship or married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, currently living outside Australia.

Two stages: subclass 309 (temporary), then subclass 100 (permanent)

We begin by understanding the employer’s workforce needs in detail, including the position, required skills and experience, team structure, operational environment and the qualities needed for the candidate to succeed. Where employer sponsorship may be required, migration considerations are assessed early so the recruitment strategy is aligned with a realistic visa pathway.

Allows you to live, work, study and travel in Australia with your partner

Candidates are sourced through MYAC’s local and international networks, including our database of more than 10,000 pre-screened candidates. Each candidate is assessed against the specific requirements of the position, including their qualifications, employment history, technical skills, practical capability, communication skills and overall suitability for the employer.

Leads to eligibility for Australian permanent residency

We prepare targeted shortlists based on the employer’s actual requirements rather than simply forwarding available candidates. Inter Interviews may be conducted face-to-face, virtually or through MYAC’s international recruitment roadshows. Practical trials, trade testing and additional verification can also be arranged where appropriate.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE

Sponsor eligibility and the two-partner limit

The same sponsorship rules apply offshore as onshore: your partner can sponsor a maximum of two partners in their lifetime, and generally cannot lodge a fresh sponsorship within five years of an earlier one, regardless of whether that earlier application succeeded, was refused, or was a Prospective Marriage visa that didn’t proceed to marriage. As with the onshore visa, the relationship is assessed against financial, household, social and commitment evidence — a marriage certificate or statutory declaration on its own is never treated as sufficient.

You're in a de facto relationship or married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen

You're residing outside Australia at the time of application

Your partner sponsors you and provides a sponsorship application

You meet health and character requirements

You have no outstanding debts to the Australian government

OVERVIEW

For couples engaged to be married. The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is for people engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, currently living offshore. It’s a temporary visa that allows the applicant to come to Australia to marry their fiancé. After the wedding, they can apply for a Partner visa (820/801) to remain in
Australia long term.

The visa is generally granted for a validity period of around 9 months, within which the marriage must take place; the subsequent Partner visa (820/801) application must then be lodged onshore before the 300 expires. Because both the marriage and the follow-on application need to happen inside that window, timing the visa lodgement against wedding planning is worth mapping out early rather than leaving to the final months.

You and your sponsor must genuinely intend to marry, and generally must have met each other in person, as adults, since the relationship began

You must be residing outside Australia at the time of application

You must meet standard health and character requirements.

The same sponsorship eligibility and character requirements apply as for the 820/801 and 309/100 — including the twolifetime-sponsorship limit and the five-year gap between sponsorships.

WHAT IT GIVES YOU

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Getting the documentation right matters here — if you’re unsure what counts as strong enough evidence, askbefore you submit, not after.

Passport
Birth certificate
Proof of name change (if applicable
Divorce certificate (if applicable)
National identity card
Police clearance certificates from every relevant country

Form 80, if requested
Statutory declarations from you and your fiancé covering how you met, your engagement, and your plans together
Proof of engagement — ring receipt, photos from the day
Correspondence showing ongoing communication and wedding planning
Statutory declarations from friends and family

The permanent stage — standard and streamlined

The permanent subclass 100 stage is generally assessed around two years after the temporary 309 is granted. Couples with a combined relationship of 5 or more years, or 2 or more years with a dependent child of the relationship, may be eligible for the permanent stage to be finalised without that standard wait. The family violence provisions available for onshore applicants also apply offshore where the relationship genuinely existed before it ended.

Living apart from your Australian partner? Let’s talk through the offshore Partner visa pathway and what your specific
application will need.

PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGE VISA

PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGE VISA

OVERVIEW

Two stages: subclass 309 (temporary), then subclass 100 (permanent)

Allows you to live, work, study and travel in Australia with your partner

Leads to eligibility for Australian permanent residency

WHO'S ELIGIBLE

Sponsor eligibility and the two-partner limit

OVERVIEW

WHAT IT GIVES YOU

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

The permanent stage — standard and streamlined

Planning to marry your partner in Australia? Get the Prospective Marriage visa pathway right from the start.