Before grant · preparationGuide record · 3 October 2026 A blank photo frame, envelope and ribbon.

Prospective Marriage visa evidence: proving your relationship for a subclass 300, from meeting in person to the intention to marry

Prospective Marriage visa evidence must prove three things under clauses 300.214 to 300.216 (as at 3 October 2026): you have met in person as adults, you intend to marry within the visa period, and you intend to live together. These clauses are in the Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2 Part 300.

An Australian migration lawyer can check your relationship evidence against each criterion before you lodge. The page on subclass 300 legal help explains how that help works.

Home Affairs asks for statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or over who know you both, and Form 888, a 2-page supporting statement with design date 08/26, can be used for them (Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026).

Add a written history of the relationship and evidence that the wedding will happen within the visa period, such as a letter from the person who will officiate, as listed on the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page.

The same relationship criteria are tested again on the day Home Affairs decides, under clause 300.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Half of recently decided applications took 14 months, according to Home Affairs global visa processing times, as at 3 October 2026.

At a glance

Label	Value
Criteria to prove	Met in person since each turned 18 (cl 300.214) · intention to marry within the visa period (cl 300.215) · intention to live together as spouses (cl 300.216)
Witness statements	2, from people aged 18+ who know you both and the relationship; Form 888 can be used
Form 888	Supporting statement, 2 pages, design date 08/26; not a statutory declaration
Intention-to-marry example	A letter from the person who will officiate; a Notice of Intended Marriage is not listed
Tested again	At the decision (cl 300.221)
Processing guide	14 months for 50%, 26 months for 90% of recently decided applications, as at 3 October 2026

Sources: Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2 Part 300; Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026; Form 888, design date 08/26; Home Affairs Partner visa (subclass 820) page; Home Affairs global visa processing times, data as at 3 October 2026.

Criterion-to-evidence matrix

The Migration Regulations 1994 set the three relationship tests. The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page names the evidence to provide, including the two supporting statements and your written relationship history.

Criterion (clause)	What the law asks	Evidence Home Affairs names	Where it goes
Met in person (cl 300.214)	You “have met in person since each of them turned 18” and are “known to each other personally”	Evidence you have met face to face as adults since turning 18 and know each other personally	Applicant’s relationship documents; the “how, when and where you first met” part of the history
Intention to marry within the visa period (cl 300.215)	The applicant establishes that the couple genuinely intend to marry within the visa period	Evidence you will marry, “such as a letter from the person who will officiate at the wedding”	Applicant’s relationship documents; the engagement and future-plans parts of the history
Intention to live together (cl 300.216)	The Minister is satisfied the couple genuinely intend to live together as spouses	Evidence you genuinely intend to live as spouses	Applicant’s relationship documents; the future-plans part of the history
All three, from other people	—	Statements from 2 witnesses aged 18+ who know you both and the relationship; Form 888, design date 08/26, can be used	Attached by the applicant
All three, in your words	—	Written relationship history covering the 6 topics below	Attached by the applicant

Source: Migration Regulations 1994, Sch 2 Part 300 (Compilation 288, 1 July 2026); Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026; Form 888, design date 08/26.

What evidence does a Prospective Marriage visa need?

Meeting in person: clause 300.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires you to have met in person since each of you turned 18 and to be known to each other personally.
Intention to marry: clause 300.215 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the applicant to establish that you genuinely intend to marry within the visa period.
Intention to live together: clause 300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the Minister to be satisfied that you genuinely intend to live together as spouses.

These three sit beside the other Prospective Marriage visa requirements, such as the sponsor’s status and the applicant’s age, under the Migration Regulations 1994.

Where the evidence is uploaded is shown in the guide on how to apply for a Prospective Marriage visa.

Identity, character and health documents are on the Prospective Marriage visa checklist.

The relationship evidence is about both of you, but Home Affairs lists it among the applicant’s documents on its Prospective Marriage visa page. The sponsor’s own documents include identity evidence, police certificates and consent to disclose relevant-offence convictions.

Proving you have met in person as adults

The test: under clause 300.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994, the meeting must have happened after both of you turned 18, and you must be known to each other personally. A meeting when either person was 17 does not meet that adult-meeting requirement.
The evidence: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026, asks for “evidence that you and your prospective spouse have met face-to-face as adults since turning 18 and know each other personally”.
The history: the first topic requested by the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page is how, when and where you first met.

Proving a genuine intention to marry within the visa period

The test and the clock: clause 300.215 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the applicant to establish a genuine intention to marry within the visa period. Under clause 300.511, the Minister sets the end date at grant, between 9 and 15 months after grant; if no date is specified, the period is 9 months after grant—not after arrival.
The evidence: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page gives the example of a letter from the person who will officiate at the wedding. That is the person who will marry you where the wedding takes place, not necessarily a celebrant in Australia. Home Affairs allows the wedding in any country if the marriage is valid under Australian law, but condition 8515 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the holder to enter Australia on the 300 before marrying.
The Notice of Intended Marriage: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page does not list a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) as a required application document. For a wedding in Australia, section 42(1)(a) of the Marriage Act 1961 requires the notice to reach the celebrant between 18 months and 1 month before the wedding.

Timing implication, derived from those figures: Home Affairs global visa processing times showed 14 months for 50% and 26 months for 90% of recently decided applications, as at 3 October 2026. Compared with the Marriage Act 1961’s maximum 18-month notice window, this means a NOIM given when the visa application is lodged could be too old by the eventual wedding date.

The wording difference: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa document list still says “within 9 months of being granted the visa”. The Migration Regulations 1994 instead require marriage within the visa period, which is 9 to 15 months from grant, or 9 months by default.

Planning approach: because the exact period is not set until grant, preparing evidence of a wedding that fits within 9 months of grant accommodates both the Department’s document-list wording and the legal default. This is a planning approach, not a separate legal requirement.

How the wedding date fits the grant date, the notice month and the end of the visa is set out under marrying within the 300 visa period.

The sponsor is the intended spouse named in the application. After grant, condition 8519 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the holder to enter into that marriage within the visa period.

Proving you intend to live together as spouses

The test: clause 300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the Minister to be satisfied that you genuinely intend to live together as spouses. Its wording differs from clause 300.215, where the applicant “establishes” the intention to marry.
The evidence: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks for “evidence that you and your prospective spouse genuinely intend to live as spouses”.
The history: the final relationship-history topic requested by the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page is your future plans as spouses.

You do not need to have already lived together to meet clause 300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994: it asks about your genuine intention. The 12-month relationship rule in regulation 2.03A(3) belongs to the de facto partner route, not the subclass 300 relationship test.

Form 888 supporting statements for a 300

Form 888 is a 2-page supporting statement, not a statutory declaration, and Home Affairs asks for statements from 2 witnesses for a Prospective Marriage visa (Form 888, design date 08/26; Home Affairs 300 page, 10 August 2026).

Official title: Form 888 on the Home Affairs form listing, design date 08/26, is titled Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application.
Who completes it: Form 888, design date 08/26, requires a supporter aged 18 or over who knows the applicant, the sponsor and the history of the relationship. It sets no Australian-citizenship requirement. The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks Australian-citizen or permanent-resident supporters to attach evidence of that status, such as a passport or birth certificate.
No statutory declaration or JP signature: the Home Affairs Partner visa (subclass 820) page expressly says Form 888 “is not a statutory declaration”. The statutory-declaration version was replaced by a supporting statement with the 07/23 edition in mid-2023. Reading both pages of the current 08/26 form shows only the supporter’s signature and date, with no section for a witness, justice of the peace or other authorised person. Home Affairs calls the supporters “witnesses” on its 300 page: here, that means people who know the couple and support the application, not people observing a signature.
Identity evidence: Form 888, design date 08/26, asks for documentary evidence of the supporter’s name and age, and Australian citizenship or permanent residence where applicable. It does not ask for certified copies; the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page also says documents do not need certification.
How many: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks for statements from 2 witnesses. Form 888, design date 08/26, says each supporter “may be asked to submit up to 3 separate statements” during processing and may be contacted for further comment or an interview.
Completion and attachment: Form 888, design date 08/26, requires English, typed or handwritten in block letters, and the supporter’s signature and date. The applicant or appointed representative attaches the completed, signed form in ImmiAccount. The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page requires colour scans or photographs of documents.
Truthfulness: Form 888, design date 08/26, includes an acknowledgement about false statements in connection with a visa application under section 234(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958. The Act specifies a penalty of imprisonment for 10 years or 1,000 penalty units, or both.

Supporters write about both the applicant and the sponsor. Their statements provide the outside perspective requested by the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, alongside the couple’s own history and relationship documents.

Common mistakes to avoid

Arranging a JP or other signature witness for Form 888: the current 08/26 form has no section for one; only the supporter signs and dates it.

Calling Form 888 a statutory declaration: the Home Affairs Partner visa (subclass 820) page says it is not.

Counting an under-18 meeting: clause 300.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires a meeting since each person turned 18.

Treating the NOIM as compulsory visa evidence: it is not named in the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa document list.

Leaving conflicting dates unexplained: check the history against the statements and dated records; PIC 4020 of the Migration Regulations 1994 addresses bogus documents and materially false or misleading information.

Writing the relationship history

The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks for written statements showing the history of your relationship, covering these topics in this order:

How, when and where you first met.
How the relationship developed.
When you got engaged.
What you do together.
Significant events in the relationship.
Your future plans as spouses.

These are the six topics listed on the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026.

Check that dates in the history agree with the dated evidence and supporter statements. Under PIC 4020(1)–(2) of the Migration Regulations 1994, bogus documents or information that is false or misleading in a material particular are grounds for refusal and can trigger a three-year restriction on subsequent visa grants. The Regulations provide specified exceptions and a limited waiver power; an inconsistent date is not, by itself, the same as a finding of materially false information.

Keeping the evidence current during a 14-month wait

The wait: Home Affairs global visa processing times showed 14 months for 50% and 26 months for 90% of recently decided subclass 300 applications, as at 3 October 2026. These are a guide, not a deadline for your application. The Home Affairs Family visa processing priorities page places the 300 in the lower-priority group under Ministerial Direction 117, effective from 25 July 2026.
Update through ImmiAccount: the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks applicants to “update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount”. If an upload fails, it directs applicants to use the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
The decision-day test: clause 300.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the three relationship criteria to remain satisfied at decision. Separately, the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page says police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue and health assessment results are valid for 12 months.

Your evidence must still meet all three criteria on the day Home Affairs decides, under clause 300.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994; Home Affairs processing-time data showed 90% of recently decided applications were decided within 26 months of lodging, as at 3 October 2026.

If the relationship ends, the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page asks the sponsor to contact the Department as soon as possible through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. The same page says marrying before the decision ends the applicant’s subclass 300 eligibility.

Do we need to have lived together for a Prospective Marriage visa?

No. Clause 300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994 asks for a genuine intention to live together as spouses. The 12-month relationship rule in regulation 2.03A(3) belongs to the de facto partner route.

Can family members complete Form 888?

Yes, if they meet Form 888’s conditions: they are aged 18 or over and know you both and the history of your relationship. Form 888, design date 08/26, does not exclude supporters because they are relatives.

Is meeting once enough?

A single meeting addresses the meeting requirement only if it happened after both of you turned 18 and you are known to each other personally, as clause 300.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires. You must still show how the relationship developed in the written history requested by the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page and meet the other relationship criteria.

Do we write our own letter of intent to marry?

Your own plans belong in the “future plans as spouses” part of the relationship history requested by the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page. Its example of intention-to-marry evidence is a letter from the person who will officiate at the wedding.

Proving the relationship for a 300 visa: what an Australian migration lawyer checks against the criteria

An Australian legal practitioner may give immigration assistance in connection with legal practice under section 280(3) of the Migration Act 1958. The relationship criteria in clauses 300.214–300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994 apply at application and are tested again at decision under clause 300.221.

An Australian migration lawyer can compare your evidence with each criterion and identify gaps before lodgement or in an update during processing. The review can focus on:

Each legal test separately: checking whether the documents address meeting as adults, the intention to marry that the applicant must “establish”, and the intention to live together about which the Minister must be “satisfied”, under clauses 300.214–300.216 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
The wedding timetable: checking that the intention-to-marry evidence fits a period fixed only at grant under clause 300.511 of the Migration Regulations 1994, while accounting for the Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa document list’s 9-month wording.
Consistency and accuracy: comparing the supporters’ statements, your relationship history and dated records, and identifying discrepancies that need truthful explanation. PIC 4020 of the Migration Regulations 1994 addresses bogus documents and materially false or misleading information; section 234 of the Migration Act 1958 addresses false statements connected with visa applications.

These checks identify evidence gaps and inconsistencies; they do not predict a visa grant.

Where evidence fails, the steps after a refusal are set out under subclass 300 visa refused.

Ask an Australian migration lawyer

An Australian migration lawyer can check that your relationship evidence addresses each criterion and is consistent. 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.