Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) - Agent Training Manual

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. Not directly - you marry within the visa period, then lodge an onshore partner visa (820/801) toward PR.

Visa typeTemporary (9-15 months)

LodgementOffshore

Stay9-15 months to marry, then apply onshore (820)

Work rightsYes

Study rightsYes

Government charge~$9,365

Processing time~12-24 months

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 300 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Evidence having met in person
The couple must have met face-to-face as adults and genuinely intend to marry. Collect the history: how they met, visits, communication.
Free to marry and the NOIM
Both free to marry; a Notice of Intended Marriage or celebrant letter evidences the plan.
Lodge offshore and wait
The applicant must be offshore at grant. Manage expectations on timeframes.
Enter, marry, convert
After first entry the couple marries within the visa validity, then lodges the onshore Partner visa (820/801). Diary the validity window - missing it is unrecoverable.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 300 is viable.

Engaged to an eligible Australian partnerHave met in person and know each otherBoth free to marry and intend to marry within the visa validityGenuine relationship; health and character

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentEvidence the couple met in person as adults (travel records, photos, communication history)Notice of Intended Marriage or celebrant letterEvidence both parties are free to marry (divorce/death certificates where relevant)Sponsor's citizenship/PR evidence and character documents

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	~$9,365
Health examinations (per person)	~$300-500
Police certificates	~$42-150 each
Relationship registration (where used)	State fees vary
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 300 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Tunde from Vietnam

Background: Tunde, a retired shopkeeper from Vietnam. People engaged to an Australian citizen, PR or eligible NZ citizen, who intend to marry then apply for a partner visa.
Why it qualified: (1) Engaged to an eligible Australian partner. (2) Have met in person and know each other. (3) Both free to marry and intend to marry within the visa validity.
What made the file strong: Every claim was evidenced before lodgement - nothing was left 'to follow'.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~12-24 months).

Grant: Anya from the UK

Background: Anya, a marketing coordinator from the UK. People engaged to an Australian citizen, PR or eligible NZ citizen, who intend to marry then apply for a partner visa.
Why it qualified: (1) Engaged to an eligible Australian partner. (2) Have met in person and know each other. (3) Both free to marry and intend to marry within the visa validity.
What made the file strong: The file opened with a short submission mapping each criterion to its evidence, so the case officer never had to hunt.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~12-24 months).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Farid from Pakistan

Background: Farid, a small-business owner from Pakistan, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 300.
What went wrong: Insufficient evidence of having met in person and a genuine intention to marry
Outcome: The application was refused, and the refusal must now be declared on every future application, for any country.
Lesson for the agent: Screen for this at the first consultation, before money changes hands. It is cheaper to delay a lodgement than to fight a refusal.

Refusal: Sofia from China

Background: Sofia, a primary teacher from China, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 300.
What went wrong: Not marrying and lodging the partner visa within the validity period
Outcome: The Department refused; the client lost the application charge, months of lead time, and in this subclass a refusal also complicates any onshore follow-up.
Lesson for the agent: Put this issue on the document checklist on day one and refuse to lodge until it is closed out.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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