Thorough evidence of a genuine relationship is important for the Australian Prospective Marriage Visa.
Key Answer: Applicants for the Australian Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) must provide evidence that they genuinely intend to marry and live together as spouses. The applicant and sponsor must have met in person after both turned 18 and must know each other personally. A strong application should include detailed relationship statements, evidence of in-person meetings, communication records, wedding plans and statements from people who know the couple.
The Prospective Marriage visa allows an eligible applicant to travel to Australia to marry their prospective spouse. After the marriage, the visa holder may apply for a Partner visa.
Because the couple may not yet be married or living together, the evidence required for a subclass 300 application differs from that normally available to married or de facto couples. Applicants must show that the relationship is genuine, that they know each other personally and that they genuinely intend to marry within the permitted period.
Key Requirements
Applicants should be able to demonstrate that:
The applicant and sponsor have met in person since both turned 18.
They know each other personally.
Their relationship is genuine and continuing.
They genuinely intend to marry.
They intend to live together as spouses after the marriage.
The proposed marriage will be legally valid under Australian law.
The sponsor is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
Simply being engaged is not enough. The Department of Home Affairs must be satisfied that the relationship and intention to marry are genuine.
Start With Detailed Relationship Statements
The applicant and sponsor should each provide a separate written statement explaining the history and development of the relationship.
These statements should cover:
How, when and where the couple first met or made contact.
When they first met in person.
How the relationship developed.
Important visits and time spent together.
When the relationship became serious.
How and when the engagement took place.
Contact with each other’s families and friends.
How the couple maintains the relationship while apart.
Any periods of separation and the reasons for them.
Wedding arrangements and intended dates.
Plans for living together in Australia.
Their longer-term plans as a married couple.
The statements should generally follow a chronological order. Specific dates, locations and examples make the account easier to understand and verify.
The two statements do not need to use identical wording. In fact, they should be written independently. However, they should remain consistent on important facts such as when the couple met, when they became engaged and when they intend to marry.
Minor differences in recollection may be understandable, but significant contradictions can cause the Department to question the reliability of the information provided.
Provide Evidence of Meeting in Person
For a Prospective Marriage visa, online communication alone is not sufficient. The applicant and sponsor must have met in person after turning 18.
Evidence may include:
Photographs taken together.
Boarding passes and flight bookings.
Passport entry and exit stamps.
Hotel or accommodation bookings.
Travel itineraries.
Receipts from activities attended together.
Photographs with each other’s relatives and friends.
Invitations or tickets for events attended together.
Photographs should ideally cover different dates, locations and occasions. A large number of photographs from one day is generally less useful than a smaller selection showing the relationship developing over time.
Applicants may add short captions identifying the people in each photograph, the location, the approximate date and the occasion.
Show Evidence of Ongoing Communication
Couples living in different countries should demonstrate how they have maintained regular contact.
Suitable evidence may include:
WhatsApp or other messaging records.
Video-call histories.
Telephone records.
Emails.
Social media interactions.
Cards and letters.
Records showing the exchange of gifts.
Applicants do not normally need to submit every conversation. A representative selection covering the duration of the relationship is more useful than hundreds of repetitive screenshots.
Communication evidence should be presented in a way that clearly shows the participants and relevant dates.
Provide Evidence of the Intention to Marry
The application should include credible evidence that the couple is actively planning to marry.
This may include:
A completed Notice of Intended Marriage.
Confirmation from an authorised marriage celebrant.
Correspondence with a wedding venue.
Wedding bookings or deposits.
Invitations or draft invitations.
Communication with photographers, caterers or other suppliers.
Discussions with relatives about the wedding.
Evidence of religious or cultural wedding arrangements.
Wedding plans can change, particularly when visa-processing times are uncertain. However, the evidence should show a genuine and realistic intention to marry rather than a vague plan to do so at some point in the future.
Use Form 888 for Supporting Statements
Form 888 allows relatives, friends and other people who know the couple to provide information supporting the relationship.
The person completing the form must:
Be at least 18 years old.
Know the applicant and sponsor or fiancé.
Have knowledge of the history of their relationship.
Explain how they know the couple.
Describe why they believe the relationship is genuine and continuing.
Provide documentary evidence of their identity and, where applicable, Australian citizenship or permanent residence.
A useful Form 888 should include specific examples. A brief statement saying only that the couple appears happy and genuine carries less weight than an explanation of how long the witness has known them, how often they have interacted and what they have personally observed.
The current Form 888 is described as a supporting statement and should not automatically be referred to as a statutory declaration requiring notarisation in Australia. Applicants should follow the instructions appearing on the current official form.
Include Evidence of Shared Commitment
A prospective-marriage couple may not have joint bank accounts, shared property or household bills, particularly when living in different countries. The absence of these documents does not automatically mean the relationship is not genuine.
Where available, applicants may provide:
Evidence of money transferred between the couple.
Joint travel bookings.
Shared financial commitments.
Beneficiary nominations.
Evidence of financial support.
Purchases made for the future household.
Discussions about accommodation in Australia.
Evidence of plans involving employment, education or relocation.
Correspondence addressed to both partners.
Applicants should submit evidence that genuinely reflects their circumstances rather than creating artificial financial arrangements solely for the visa application.
Important Identity and Application Documents
The application will also require identity and supporting documents. Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, these may include:
Passport biodata pages.
Birth certificates.
Passport-style photographs.
Evidence of the sponsor’s Australian status.
Evidence of the sponsor’s residential address.
Previous marriage, divorce or death certificates where applicable.
Police clearances.
Health examination results.
Translations of documents not written in English.
These documents are important to the overall application, but they should not be described as direct evidence that the relationship is genuine.
Common Mistakes That Can Weaken an Application
Providing vague relationship statements
Statements that contain only general claims such as “we love each other” or “we plan to get married” do not explain how the relationship developed.
Submitting inconsistent information
Contradictory dates or different accounts of major events can raise concerns about the credibility of the application.
Providing excessive but repetitive evidence
Thousands of messages or photographs from a single occasion do not necessarily make an application stronger. Evidence should be organised, relevant and representative.
Failing to explain unusual circumstances
Long periods without contact, limited time spent together, substantial differences in personal circumstances or previous visa problems may require a clear and honest explanation.
Using generic Form 888 statements
Supporting witnesses should provide information based on their own knowledge rather than repeating identical wording supplied to several people.
Presenting future plans without supporting evidence
Applicants should support their intention to marry with practical arrangements, correspondence or other evidence wherever possible.
Submitting altered or misleading evidence
Documents and relationship evidence must be authentic. False or misleading information can result in refusal and may have serious consequences for future Australian visa applications.
What Happens if the Evidence Is Insufficient?
Insufficient evidence does not automatically result in refusal. The Department may request further documents, seek clarification or invite the applicant or sponsor to an interview.
However, applicants should not assume they will always receive an opportunity to correct weaknesses after lodgement. The responsibility rests with the applicant to provide sufficient evidence and accurate information when submitting the application.
A poorly prepared application can lead to delays and, where the relevant legal requirements are not satisfied, visa refusal.
Final Evidence Checklist
Before submitting the application, confirm that it includes:
Separate relationship statements from the applicant and sponsor.
A clear and consistent relationship timeline.
Evidence that the couple met in person after turning 18.
Photographs covering different periods and occasions.
Travel records and evidence of time spent together.
Representative communication records.
Evidence of the engagement.
Evidence of genuine wedding arrangements.
Information about plans to live together in Australia.
Properly completed Form 888 supporting statements.
Identity, character and other required application documents.
English translations of any documents issued in another language.
Build an Evidence Package That Reflects the Real Relationship
There is no single document that proves a relationship is genuine. The Department considers the evidence as a whole.
The strongest application is not necessarily the one containing the most documents. It is the one that provides a clear, consistent and well-supported account of how the couple met, how their relationship developed and why they genuinely intend to marry and establish a life together in Australia.
Every relationship is different. The evidence should therefore be selected according to the couple’s actual history and circumstances, while meeting the current requirements published by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.