Prospective Marriage visa changes in 2026: the new charges, Direction 117, and what they mean for a 300 and the partner visa
The two Prospective Marriage visa changes in 2026 are the 25% charge rise to AUD 11,710 on 1 July 2026 and Ministerial Direction 117, which gave the 300 lower processing priority from 25 July 2026. On the same day, the 820/801 charge for a married 300 holder rose from AUD 1,560 to AUD 1,955 under the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00874), reflected in Migration Regulations 1994 Schedule 1 item 1124B, Compilation No. 288. Direction 117 replaced Direction 102 and gives the highest priority to family visa applications made in Australia for visas grantable in Australia, such as the 820/801, according to Home Affairs’ family visa processing priorities page, updated 25 September 2026. A standard-rate 300 application lodged today costs AUD 11,710 under Schedule 1 item 1215, and the Home Affairs processing-time tool reports 50% of recently decided applications completed within 14 months and 90% within 26 months, as at 3 October 2026. Each change below carries its commencement date and instrument. The facts were checked as at 3 October 2026; future review timing has not been verified.
Last checked 3 October 2026
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest change | 25 July 2026: Ministerial Direction 117 (processing priority) |
| Charges changed | 1 July 2026: standard 300 charge AUD 11,710; 820/801 for a married 300 holder AUD 1,955 |
| Review tribunal | Administrative Review Tribunal since 14 October 2024 |
| Next scheduled date | 1 January 2027 (certificate of no impediment fee indexation) |
These dates and figures are recorded in Home Affairs’ family visa processing priorities page, Migration Regulations 1994 Compilation No. 288, the ART commencement notice and Smartraveller’s notarial services fee schedule.
A partner visa with Australian Migration Lawyers usually costs $14,000 plus GST in professional fees, separate from the Home Affairs visa application charges.
Dated change log — newest first
On a phone, each row is displayed as a dated card, retaining the five labels below.
| Commencement date | What changed | Who it affects | Instrument | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 July 2026 | Ministerial Direction No. 117 replaced Direction 102, dated 9 February 2023. Family applications made in Australia for visas grantable in Australia receive the highest priority. Applications where the primary applicant is outside Australia at application, or must be outside at grant, receive lower priority, including the 300 and 309/100. | 300 applicants: lower priority, with likely longer processing times. Onshore 820/801 applicants, including married 300 holders: highest priority. | Direction 117 under ss 47 and 51 of the Migration Act 1958; Home Affairs family visa processing priorities, 25 September 2026; Home Affairs news, 29 July 2026. | Use published processing times when considering wedding dates; keep relationship evidence current in ImmiAccount. |
| 1 July 2026 | Standard visa application charges rose: 300 AUD 9,365 → 11,710; additional applicants 18+ AUD 4,685 → 5,860 and under 18 AUD 2,345 → 2,935. For a married 300 holder, 820/801 AUD 1,560 → 1,955; additional applicants AUD 785 → 980 and AUD 390 → 485 respectively. Former-holder main charge AUD 1,980 → 2,475; standard 820/801 main charge AUD 9,365 → 11,710. | Couples lodging on or after 1 July 2026, subject to the applicable charge category and passport concession. | Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00874); Migration Regulations Schedule 1 items 1215 and 1124B, Compilation No. 288 compared with No. 287. | Budget using the new schedule. After marrying, lodge the 820/801 before the 300 ends to retain the standard AUD 1,955 holder band. |
| 1 January 2026 | DFAT’s fee schedule set the certificate of no impediment to marriage charge at AUD 181; fees are indexed each 1 January. | Couples marrying overseas after the 300 holder’s first entry, where the local authority requires this certificate. | Smartraveller notarial services fee schedule, from 1 January 2026. | Check the overseas authority’s requirements. This certificate is not needed for a wedding in Australia. |
| 14 October 2024 | The Administrative Review Tribunal replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. | Sponsors seeking review of a 300 refusal. | ART commencement notice, 14 October 2024; Migration Act s 347; Migration Regulations reg 4.02(5)(r). | The sponsor applies to the ART within 28 days after the day they are notified, unless the shorter detention limit applies. The time cannot be extended. |
| 12 June 2024 | Remote witnessing of the Notice of Intended Marriage became available within the same country-zone. Separate in-person celebrant meetings became required; the celebrant, couple and two witnesses must be physically present at the ceremony. Changes also allowed notice transfer at the couple’s request and re-ordered birth evidence. | Couples marrying in Australia. | Marriage Act 1961, Compilation No. 34, including s 42; Attorney-General’s Department, “Get married”. | If signing overseas, use an eligible witness who is also outside Australia. Arrange the separate in-person meetings before the wedding. |
What are the new partner visa rules for Australia in 2026?
The new partner visa rules for Australia in 2026 are two dated changes:
-
1 July 2026: visa application charges rose under F2026L00874. The standard 300 main-applicant charge increased by approximately 25% to AUD 11,710, and the 820/801 charge for a married 300 holder increased to AUD 1,955.
-
25 July 2026: Ministerial Direction 117 changed the processing order. Home Affairs’ family visa processing priorities page, updated 25 September 2026, places onshore family applications first and offshore applications, including the 300 and 309/100, in the lower-priority group.
Neither change alters who qualifies: F2026L00874 changes Schedule 1 charges, while Direction 117 sets the order in which family applications are considered.
This change log is part of Prospective Marriage Visa Australia, which explains the 300 route from engagement to the partner visa.
1 July 2026: the 300 and 820/801 charges
The Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation No. 288, set the charges from 1 July 2026; Compilation No. 287 records the previous amounts for 1 June to 30 June 2026. The table shows standard rates, not Pacific-passport concession rates.
| Charge | 1 June to 30 June 2026 | From 1 July 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300, main applicant | AUD 9,365 | AUD 11,710 | +AUD 2,345 (+25.0%, rounded) |
| 300, each extra applicant 18+ | AUD 4,685 | AUD 5,860 | +AUD 1,175 |
| 300, each extra applicant under 18 | AUD 2,345 | AUD 2,935 | +AUD 590 |
| 820/801, married 300 holder lodging before the 300 ends | AUD 1,560 | AUD 1,955 | +AUD 395 |
| 820/801, eligible former 300 holder | AUD 1,980 | AUD 2,475 | +AUD 495 |
| 820/801, standard main-applicant charge | AUD 9,365 | AUD 11,710 | +AUD 2,345 |
The percentage calculation is (11,710 − 9,365) ÷ 9,365 × 100 = 25.04%, rounded to 25.0%, using the two Migration Regulations schedules.
From 1 July 2026, an adult applying for citizenship under general eligibility pays AUD 595, or AUD 85 with a Pensioner Concession Card, up from the previous general fee of AUD 575, under Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 Schedule 3 item 13 and Form 1298i, design date 07/26.
The explanatory statement to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, F2026L00874, explains that the 2026–27 Budget raised the first instalment of most visa application charges by 25%. Pacific-passport cohorts were excluded from that uplift.
The lodgement date determines the applicable schedule: a standard-rate 300 application lodged from 1 June to 30 June 2026 attracted AUD 9,365 under Compilation No. 287; one lodged from 1 July 2026 attracts AUD 11,710 under Compilation No. 288. The reduced married-holder 820/801 band also depends on the 300 still being in effect when that application is lodged.
Today’s full breakdown, including the Pacific-passport rates, is under 300 visa fee.
25 July 2026: Ministerial Direction 117 and processing priority
Ministerial Direction No. 117 took effect on 25 July 2026 and replaced Direction 102 of 9 February 2023. According to Home Affairs’ family visa processing priorities, updated 25 September 2026, it sets the order for considering and disposing of family visa applications under ss 47 and 51 of the Migration Act 1958.
Highest priority goes to family applications made in Australia for visas grantable in Australia. Lower priority applies where the primary applicant is outside Australia at application or must be outside Australia at grant. Home Affairs places the 300 and 309/100 in that lower group.
Within each group, Home Affairs’ family visa processing priorities page gives this order: ministerial-intervention cases; partner or dependent-child applications, including prospective spouses; orphan relative; contributory parent; carer; then parent and other family applications.
The Home Affairs news item published 29 July 2026 records that Direction 117 was one of three Directions commencing together to prioritise onshore applicants.
Home Affairs’ Partner visa FAQs, updated 25 September 2026, says lower-priority applications are “likely to experience longer processing times”. Priority requests remain possible only for compassionate special circumstances with compelling reasons, with all documents already lodged; most requests cannot be approved.
For one couple, this means two different priority groups: the 300 application waits in the lower group, while the onshore 820/801 application lodged after the wedding sits in the highest group. The Home Affairs global visa processing-time tool showed 14 months for 50% and 26 months for 90% of recently decided 300 applications as at 3 October 2026. Those figures are a guide, not a promised decision date.
The current figures and wedding-date planner are under subclass 300 processing time.
2026-27 partner places: 41,500
The Partner category planning level for 2026–27 is 41,500 places, up from 40,500 in 2025–26, according to Home Affairs’ migration program planning levels, announced 12 May 2026 and updated 21 September 2026.
Home Affairs calls Partner visas demand driven, so the level is indicative. The same planning page sets the overall 2026–27 permanent program at 185,000 places, including 52,460 Family places.
The 2024–25 Migration Program report counts Partner places when the first-stage temporary or provisional visa is granted. For a married 300 holder proceeding through the onshore partner route, that first-stage Partner visa is the 820. The report does not state whether 300 grants count towards Partner places.
This is a planning level, not a new eligibility rule or an individual processing deadline.
Earlier changes still in force (2024)
-
12 June 2024 — Marriage Act changes. The Attorney-General’s Department’s “Get married” page records the changes, reflected in the Marriage Act 1961. The Notice of Intended Marriage can be witnessed remotely under s 42, but signer and witness must both be in Australia or both outside Australia; they need not be in the same overseas country. A celebrant cannot witness a notice outside Australia. Separate in-person meetings with each party are required before the wedding, and the celebrant, couple and at least two witnesses must be physically present at the ceremony.
-
14 October 2024 — Administrative Review Tribunal. The ART commencement notice records that the ART replaced the AAT. For a 300 refusal, the sponsor applies under Migration Regulations reg 4.02(5)(r), ordinarily within 28 days after the day they are notified under Migration Act s 347; the shorter detention limit is 14 days. The ART cannot extend the time. The ART fees page lists AUD 3,727 as at 3 October 2026, with annual 1 July indexation under regs 4.13A–4.13B. The steps are explained under Prospective Marriage visa review.
How this page is kept current
The sources checked for this page are Home Affairs visa pages and their price and processing-time data, retrieved 3 October 2026; Migration Regulations 1994 Compilations No. 288 and No. 287; Migration Act 1958 Compilation No. 171; Marriage Act 1961 Compilation No. 34; F2026L00874 and its explanatory statement; ART fees; DFAT’s notarial fee schedule; and Home Affairs planning levels.
The dates record checks already made. Fee, law and processing-time figures should be verified against the current government source before use; this page does not promise a future update schedule.
A change appears in the dated log once it has a commencement date and an instrument. Proposals and announcements without a commencement date are not listed.
The recurring dates to check are:
-
1 January: certificate of no impediment fees are indexed under Smartraveller’s notarial services fee schedule; the next fee change may occur on 1 January 2027; verify the current schedule with Smartraveller.
-
1 July: ART migration review fees are indexed under Migration Regulations regs 4.13A–4.13B.
-
Usually 1 July: Home Affairs’ citizenship page, updated 30 September 2026, says citizenship application fees usually increase on this date. This does not establish a future amount.
Separate dated articles will be added beneath this page, starting with the 1 July 2026 charges and the 25 July 2026 Direction. Until they are available, the log rows have no article links.
Changes that affect a 300 application: why an Australian migration lawyer checks the rules on your dates
An Australian legal practitioner may give immigration assistance on a 300 application in connection with legal practice under Migration Act 1958 s 280(3).
A date-specific check covers three things:
-
The charge schedule and holder status. Migration Regulations Compilations No. 287 and No. 288 set the standard 300 charge at AUD 9,365 for 1 June to 30 June 2026 and AUD 11,710 from 1 July 2026. For the later 820/801 application, item 1124B distinguishes a married current 300 holder from an eligible former holder.
-
The processing group. Direction 117, as summarised by Home Affairs, distinguishes applications by where the primary applicant is at application and whether the visa requires them to be outside Australia at grant—not simply where they are living now.
-
The commencement date. The two July 2026 changes began on different dates: F2026L00874 on 1 July and Direction 117 on 25 July. A check needs to match each issue to its relevant date rather than treat all “2026 rules” as one package.
Does the higher charge apply to a 300 lodged before 1 July 2026?
No. The charge schedule at lodgement applies: a standard-rate application lodged from 1 June to 30 June 2026 attracted AUD 9,365 under Migration Regulations Compilation No. 287, not the later AUD 11,710 charge.
Does Direction 117 change who qualifies for a 300?
No. Home Affairs describes Direction 117 as setting the order for considering family visa applications under Migration Act ss 47 and 51. The 300 eligibility criteria remain in Part 300 of the Migration Regulations.
Will the charges rise again on 1 July 2027?
That is not established by the sources checked as at 3 October 2026. The verified charges are those commencing 1 July 2026 under F2026L00874 and Migration Regulations Compilation No. 288. No future amount is forecast; check the current legislation and Home Affairs charge before lodging.
Before lodgement, an Australian migration lawyer can compare the couple’s proposed application dates, marriage date and 300 end date with the applicable charge provisions and priority rules, and check evidence consistency or missing documents. That is a check of the application process, not a promise of a grant or a faster decision.
Ask an Australian migration lawyer
An Australian migration lawyer can explain how these changes affect your own application. 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.