After the weddingGuide record · 3 October 2026

Prospective Marriage visa to partner visa: lodging the 820/801 after the wedding, the AUD 1,955 charge, and the path to permanent residence

Prospective Marriage visa holders move to the partner visa by lodging the 820/801 in Australia after the wedding and before the 300 ends, paying AUD 1,955 from 1 July 2026 instead of the standard AUD 11,710. You lodge one combined application in ImmiAccount, “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa”, with your marriage certificate or other evidence that the marriage is valid in Australia (Home Affairs 820 page, 24 September 2026). Your spouse then lodges the sponsorship, “Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia”, using your transaction reference number (TRN), as directed by the Home Affairs 820 page. A Bridging visa A starts when the 300 ends, and the permanent 801 is assessed from 2 years after the 820/801 application, not after the 820 grant (Home Affairs 820 and 801 pages; Migration Regulations 1994 clause 801.221(2)(d)). If the 300 ends before you lodge, the former-holder charge is AUD 2,475 from 1 July 2026 under Schedule 1 item 1124B of the Migration Regulations 1994, subject to clause 820.211(5), and the bridging visa is a Bridging visa C instead of an A.

A partner visa with Australian Migration Lawyers usually costs $14,000 plus GST in professional fees, separate from the Home Affairs visa application charges.

From the 300 to the 801: the steps and the minimum times

Worked example—not your application dates: first entry 1 December 2026; wedding 5 June 2027; 300 end date 3 July 2027; combined 820/801 application lodged 20 June 2027.

These dates are estimates for illustration, not promised decision dates: the normal 801 eligibility date follows the legal application-date rule, subject to exceptions; decision estimates use Home Affairs percentiles as at 3 October 2026, which change monthly.

820/801 charge bands after the wedding

The Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1 item 1124B (Compilation 288), and Home Affairs price data as at 3 October 2026 give these charges, in force from 1 July 2026.

The former-holder route is not simply a higher-priced alternative for every late application: Migration Regulations 1994 clause 820.211(5) requires, among other things, that the marriage happened before the substantive visa ceased.

Date calculation guide

Use the following dates as a manual guide. This page does not calculate or store your dates.

Dates to check

• Wedding date
• 300 end date (from your grant letter)
• Planned lodgement date — optional; defaults to today
• First-entry date — optional; used only for the citizenship line

Date rules and estimates

Check these timing risks:

• Before the wedding: “Lodge after the wedding (Migration Regulations 1994 cl 820.211(6)).”
• On or after the 300 end date: “After the 300 ends, the former-holder charge is AUD 2,475 from 1 July 2026, subject to conditions. If you have no other visa, there is a gap without a valid visa before bridging visa grant. The bridging visa is a Bridging visa C, not A: no work at first and no return travel.” This follows clause 820.211(5), the bridging visa criteria and the Home Affairs Bridging visa C page.

At a glance

How do you move from the Prospective Marriage visa to the partner visa?

1. Marry your sponsor within the visa period. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, clause 820.211(6)(b) requires a marriage recognised as valid for migration purposes, and condition 8519 requires marriage to the specified person within the 300 visa period.

2. Get your marriage evidence. The Home Affairs 820 page, updated 24 September 2026, asks for your marriage certificate or other evidence that the marriage is valid in Australia.

3. Lodge the combined application while in Australia, before the 300 ends. The Home Affairs 820 page directs you to ImmiAccount → New application → Family → “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa”. The qualifying 300-holder main-applicant charge is AUD 1,955 from 1 July 2026 under Schedule 1 item 1124B of the Migration Regulations 1994.

4. Your spouse lodges the sponsorship using your TRN. The Home Affairs 820 page names the form “Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia” and says you cannot change your sponsor. That sponsor remains your sponsor for 2 years after the 820 grant; the Home Affairs 801 page and regulation 1.20(2)(c) explain the financial-support and accommodation obligations for those 2 years.

5. Check your bridging visa grant, then prepare for the permanent stage. The Home Affairs 820 page says the Bridging visa A starts when your current visa expires if the application remains undecided. Under the normal timing rule, the Home Affairs 801 page directs you to submit “Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment” documents after 2 years from the combined application.

For this married-holder route, Migration Regulations 1994 clause 820.211(6)(d) also requires you to continue to be your sponsor’s spouse.

For the first stage, from eligibility through to grant, see the 300 visa guide. For the notice month, celebrant and wedding deadline that come before step 1, see Getting married on a Prospective Marriage visa.

Lodgement deadline: lodge the 820/801 in Australia before the end date on your 300 grant letter. Under Migration Regulations 1994 item 1124B and the former-holder bridging criteria, missing that deadline changes the qualifying main-applicant charge from AUD 1,955 to AUD 2,475 from 1 July 2026 and means a Bridging visa C rather than A, with no initial work rights. Without another visa, you also risk a gap without lawful status.

What the 820/801 costs for a 300 holder

The Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1 item 1124B, and Home Affairs price data as at 3 October 2026 set the following charges, effective from 1 July 2026.

Why the price appears on the 801: the 820 and 801 are one combined application; Schedule 1 items 1124B and 1214C put the whole charge on the Partner (Residence), Class BS, application and set the 820 charge itself at nil.

Pacific-passport versions: where the primary applicant holds a valid passport of a Pacific-regional country, item 1124B sets the main-applicant charges from 1 July 2026 at AUD 1,600 for a qualifying 300 holder, AUD 2,030 for a qualifying former holder and AUD 9,600 for the standard band.

Earlier charge: Compilation 287 of the Migration Regulations 1994 set the 300-holder main-applicant charge at AUD 1,560 before 1 July 2026.

Derived savings, using Home Affairs prices as at 3 October 2026: AUD 11,710 − AUD 1,955 = AUD 9,755 less than the standard charge; AUD 2,475 − AUD 1,955 = AUD 520 extra if the 300 ends first.

A qualifying married 300 holder does not pay the full standard price again: item 1124B sets the combined 820/801 main-applicant charge at AUD 1,955 from 1 July 2026.

For the first-stage charge, Pacific concession and whole-route total, see subclass 300 visa cost.

Where you must be, and what you lodge

1. In Australia. The Home Affairs 300 page, the Home Affairs 820 page and Migration Regulations 1994 Schedule 1 item 1214C(3)(c) require you—and family members applying with you—to be in Australia at application.

2. The two online forms. The Home Affairs 820 page specifies your “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa” application, followed by your spouse’s “Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia”, linked using your TRN.

3. Marriage evidence. The Home Affairs 820 page asks for “your marriage certificate or other evidence that your marriage is valid in Australia”. It does not specify whether a ceremonial certificate is acceptable. Queensland, Victoria, NSW and ACT registry guidance distinguishes the registry-issued official certificate from ceremonial or decorative certificates. Derived practical recommendation: use the registry-issued certificate as the safe evidence choice; this is not a published Home Affairs ruling on ceremonial certificates.

For an overseas wedding, Migration Act 1958 section 12 applies Part VA of the Marriage Act 1961 with section 88E omitted. The marriage must therefore meet that statutory recognition framework for visa purposes.

Bridging visa A while the 820 is decided

Lodging while you still hold the 300 gives you a Bridging visa A, which starts when the 300 expires if the 820 remains undecided, according to the Home Affairs 820 page and Bridging visa A page.

For travel while relying on a bridging visa, the Home Affairs travel-on-a-bridging-visa page, updated 24 September 2026, says only a Bridging visa B permits departure and return. Its charge is AUD 575 according to Home Affairs price data as at 3 October 2026.

If the 300 has already ended and you qualify under Migration Regulations 1994 clause 820.211(5), you hold no substantive visa at lodgement. Derived legal conclusion: clauses 010.211(2)(c) and 030.212(2) make this a Bridging visa C case, not a Bridging visa A case.

The Home Affairs Bridging visa C page, updated 20 June 2025, and clause 030.212(3) provide no initial work rights for this application: the 820 is not a listed exception. Work permission requires a compelling need to work, and the Bridging visa C does not support return travel to Australia.

The visa-expiring page explains the qualifying former-holder case separately.

How long the 820 and 801 take

The Home Affairs global visa processing times, using data as at 3 October 2026, give the following guide. Figures are updated monthly and describe recently decided applications—not a deadline for your case.

Under Ministerial Direction 117, effective 25 July 2026, onshore family applications such as the 820/801 have the highest priority. The Home Affairs partner visa FAQ, updated 25 September 2026, contrasts this with the lower-priority offshore group that includes the 300. Priority does not promise a particular decision date.

The 801 stage, permanent residence and citizenship

The normal range starts at least 2 years after the combined 820/801 application, under Migration Regulations 1994 clause 801.221(2)(d). Earlier assessment is possible under clause 801.221(6A) if, when you applied, your relationship with the sponsor already met the long-term definition: 3 years, or 2 years with a dependent child of both of you, not a stepchild. The Home Affairs 801 page confirms that an 801 grant makes you a permanent resident.

For citizenship, Australian Citizenship Act 2007 section 22 and the Home Affairs citizenship page, updated 30 September 2026, set the general residence requirements:

• 4 years’ lawful presence in Australia before applying;
• the last 12 months as a permanent resident;
• no more than 12 months’ absence in the 4 years; and
• no more than 90 days’ absence in the last 12 months.

Derived working: lawful time on the 300, the 820 and bridging visas counts towards the 4 years. If the 801 is granted while you are in Australia, the permanent-resident year starts at that grant. Compare first lawful presence + 4 years with 801 grant + 12 months and use the later date, allowing for absences.

In the example above, 1 December 2026 + 4 years is 1 December 2030. An assumed 801 grant in Australia on 20 February 2030 + 12 months is 20 February 2031. The later date is 20 February 2031—a derived residence-rule estimate, not a promised citizenship eligibility date. Other criteria under Australian Citizenship Act 2007 section 21 also apply.

The spouse concession in section 22(9) concerns qualifying time outside Australia as a permanent resident. It does not convert time on the temporary 300 or 820 into permanent-resident time.

Marriage and immigration status remain separate questions; the related guide explains what changes—and what does not—when you marry an Australian citizen.

Medicare, AMEP and work after you lodge

1. Medicare. The Services Australia Medicare enrolment page, updated 11 July 2025, covers combined 820/801 applicants from their application date, subject to its eligibility conditions. It does not name the 300 itself. Derived application to this route: a qualifying 300 holder’s enrolment window opens when the combined 820/801 application is lodged—not only when the 820 is granted.

2. AMEP—free English classes. The Home Affairs AMEP page, updated 3 July 2026, links an eligible-temporary-visa list current as at September 2023. That list includes the 820 but not the 300; lodging the application alone does not mean you hold an 820.

3. Work. The Home Affairs 300 page gives full work rights while that visa is in effect; the Home Affairs 820 page permits living, working and studying. For the intervening period, check the actual conditions on your bridging visa in VEVO rather than assuming they match either visa.

The Services Australia newly arrived resident’s waiting-period page, updated 4 December 2025, gives a waiting period of up to 4 years for most payments; for 820 holders, it starts from the later of applying or arriving to live in Australia.

Including children who held a 300

Include eligible family-unit members who hold or held a 300 at the time of your 820 application in that application. The Home Affairs 820 page, updated 24 September 2026, says these family members cannot be added after you submit it.

Under Migration Regulations 1994 Schedule 1 item 1124B, the additional-applicant charges in the 300-holder band are AUD 980 for each applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 485 for each applicant under 18, from 1 July 2026.

If a baby is born after the 300 grant, tell Home Affairs: the Home Affairs 300 page directs holders to its “You had a baby” page, updated 30 September 2026.

Common mistakes

1. Lodging after the 300 ends. Migration Regulations 1994 item 1124B changes the qualifying main-applicant charge to AUD 2,475 rather than AUD 1,955 from 1 July 2026; the former-holder bridging criteria lead to a Bridging visa C with no initial work rights.
2. Trying to lodge outside Australia. The Home Affairs 820 page requires application in Australia.
3. Leaving a 300-holding child out. The Home Affairs 820 page says these family members cannot be added after submission.
4. Leaving on a Bridging visa A and expecting to return on it. The Home Affairs travel-on-a-bridging-visa page says only a Bridging visa B supports departure and return.
5. Accepting another visa while the 820 is in effect. The Home Affairs 820 page says an 820 holder granted any other visa is no longer eligible for the 801.
6. Counting 2 years from the 820 grant. Migration Regulations 1994 clause 801.221(2)(d) counts from the combined 820/801 application.

Moving from the 300 visa to the 820: what an Australian migration lawyer checks before lodgement

An Australian migration lawyer can check the lodgement deadline, marriage evidence and choices fixed at application before preparing or lodging the 820/801. Migration Act 1958 section 280(3) permits an Australian legal practitioner to give immigration assistance in connection with legal practice.

1. The dates, charge band and bridging route. A lawyer can compare the wedding date and grant-letter end date, check the applicable charge and arrange lodgement before expiry where there is time to do so. The legal distinction is substantive: from 1 July 2026 the qualifying charges are AUD 1,955 before expiry and AUD 2,475 under the former-holder route; the bridging criteria distinguish an A from a C, which has no initial work rights or return travel.

2. The valid marriage and continuing relationship. A lawyer can check whether the marriage meets the Migration Act’s requirements—particularly after an overseas wedding—and whether the documents consistently address the continuing-spouse criterion in clause 820.211(6)(d). The evidence can be organised with the later 801 assessment in mind.

3. Family members, sponsor and later visa choices. A lawyer can check that eligible 300-holding family members are included at lodgement, that the sponsorship matches the application, and that you understand the consequences of another visa grant. The Home Affairs 820 page says those family members cannot be added later, the sponsor cannot be changed and must remain for 2 years after the 820 grant, and another visa grant ends an 820 holder’s eligibility for the 801.

These are checks of eligibility, evidence consistency, missing documents and deadlines—not a prediction of the decision. No one can promise a grant; Home Affairs’ legal-practitioner guidance expressly says a lawyer cannot guarantee a visa.

For help checking this transition before lodgement, see the Prospective Marriage visa lawyer page. The shared enquiry page can send a private question to Australian Migration Lawyers.

What is the difference between partner visa 820 and 801?

The Home Affairs 820 and 801 pages identify the 820 as temporary and the 801 as permanent. A qualifying 300 holder applies for both together; under the normal rule in Migration Regulations 1994 clause 801.221(2)(d), the permanent stage is assessed from 2 years after that combined application, not the 820 grant.

How soon after the wedding can we lodge?

Any time after the marriage and before the 300 ends, according to the Home Affairs 300 page, provided you are in Australia and meet the application requirements. The Home Affairs 820 page asks for your marriage certificate or other evidence that the marriage is valid in Australia; Marriage Act 1961 section 50 gives the celebrant up to 14 days to lodge the paperwork, and the Attorney-General’s Department’s get-married page explains that the official certificate is obtained from the registry on application.

Can the 820 still be refused after a 300?

Yes. The 820 has its own criteria: Migration Regulations 1994 clause 820.211(6)(d), for example, requires you to continue to be the sponsor’s spouse. No current 300-only refusal rate is published in the government material reviewed as at 3 October 2026; the Home Affairs Migration Program Report 2024–25 gives a 6.1% first-stage refusal rate for the Partner category, not a case-specific prediction.

Ask an Australian migration lawyer

An Australian migration lawyer can check your eligibility for the 820/801 and the lodgement date before the 300 ends. The page on subclass 300 legal help explains how that help works, and the enquiry page is where to put your question to Australian Migration Lawyers.