On the visa · weddingGuide record · 3 October 2026

Prospective Marriage visa relationship ended or wedding cancelled: telling Home Affairs, cancellation, and the routes that remain

Prospective Marriage visa holders whose relationship ends tell Home Affairs through the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount, and the partner visa stays open through the sponsor-died, family-violence and child-arrangement routes in cl 820.211(7)-(9) (as at 3 October 2026).

Each of those routes is applied for from inside Australia, and the sponsor-died route needs the 300 to still be in effect when you apply under cl 820.211(7) of the Migration Regulations 1994. If the wedding is called off before the 300 is decided, the applicant withdraws the application in ImmiAccount or on Form 1446, and a sponsor's written withdrawal of the sponsorship works up to the decision, never after the grant, according to Home Affairs’ “Withdraw a visa application” page and 300 page, updated 10 August 2026. Where family violence is part of what happened, choosing that option on the notification form removes the partner visa and sponsorship applications from every ImmiAccount, including the former sponsor's, according to Home Affairs’ family violence provisions page, updated 24 September 2026. This page gives general information for both the applicant and the sponsor; advice about either person’s circumstances needs a separate assessment.

If you need individual advice

An Australian migration lawyer can check the applicant’s and sponsor’s different steps, the visa end date and any family-violence or child-arrangement pathway. If safety is a concern, use a safe contact route and do not put detailed family-violence information into an initial enquiry. The shared enquiry page can send a private question to Australian Migration Lawyers. If a deadline is close, contact an Australian migration lawyer directly; viewing this page does not lodge an application or pause a deadline.

What happened, what to tell Home Affairs, and what remains

The charges below are the main-applicant charges from 1 July 2026 under Schedule 1 item 1124B of the Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation 288. Eligibility depends on meeting the relevant route’s criteria, not just matching a table label.

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

Sources: Home Affairs 300 page (10 August 2026), partner FAQ (25 September 2026), family violence provisions (24 September 2026), and “Death in the family” guidance checked 3 October 2026; Migration Regulations 1994 cl 300.221, cl 300.511, cl 820.211 and Schedule 1 item 1124B (Compilation 288); Migration Act 1958 s 116 (Compilation 171). The conclusion about an ended relationship alone is derived from the listed statutory routes.

At a glance

Sources: Home Affairs 300 page, partner FAQ, “Withdraw a visa application” page and Form 1446; Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation 288, and Migration Act 1958, Compilation 171.

Check the deadline: Every remaining route is applied for in Australia, and the sponsor-died route under cl 820.211(7) of the Migration Regulations 1994 needs the 300 still in effect when you apply, so check the end date on your grant letter before you act.

What happens to a Prospective Marriage visa when the relationship ends?

You tell Home Affairs, and a route to the 820/801 may remain available if its criteria are met and you apply from inside Australia. The Home Affairs Prospective Marriage visa page, updated 10 August 2026, says: “You may still be eligible”. Clauses 820.211(7)–(9) of the Migration Regulations 1994 distinguish sponsor death, family violence and qualifying child arrangements.

The Home Affairs guidance cited here does not state whether an engagement ending results in cancellation of a 300. The law sets a fixed visa period under cl 300.511 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and gives the Minister a general cancellation power under s 116 of the Migration Act 1958. Neither notification nor a sponsor’s request should be treated as a cancellation decision.

For the sponsor, the Home Affairs 300 page says to contact the Department as soon as possible through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. It also says the Department will not correspond with the sponsor about the former partner’s visa application.

If you are still together and only the wedding date has changed, the guide to marrying on a Prospective Marriage visa explains the wedding dates to check. For the visa’s purpose and general rules, see fiancé visa Australia.

How to tell Home Affairs

If you hold the 300.

1. Sign in to ImmiAccount and open the “Update Details” tab.
2. Complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form where your situation requires it. The Home Affairs 300 page says: “Depending on your situation you may need to complete” the form.
3. Without ImmiAccount access, attach a signed Form 1022, “Notification of changes in circumstances (Section 104 of the Migration Act 1958)”, design date 03/18, to the Home Affairs Partner Processing Enquiry Form. This alternative is set out in the Home Affairs partner FAQ, updated 25 September 2026.

If you are the sponsor.

Contact Home Affairs as soon as possible through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. The Home Affairs 300 page, updated 10 August 2026, says the Department will not correspond with you about the former partner’s application.

Keeping your accounts safe.

The Home Affairs 300 page lists these online-safety steps for the applicant:

1. Change the ImmiAccount password as soon as possible.
2. Do not use saved passwords.
3. Change the email password or consider setting up a new email account.
4. Use the eSafety Commissioner’s online safety checklist linked from the Home Affairs page.

Wedding cancelled before the visa is granted: withdrawing the application

1. In ImmiAccount, open the application and choose the withdrawal of a visa application, as described on Home Affairs’ “Withdraw a visa application” page, updated 28 November 2025.
2. Where that option is not available, use Home Affairs’ Form 1446, “Withdrawal of a visa application”, design date 07/17. Everyone in the application aged 18 or over signs.
3. Do not delete the application from ImmiAccount instead of withdrawing it. Home Affairs says removing an application from ImmiAccount does not withdraw it.

Derived from the law: Because cl 300.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires the intention-to-marry criteria to remain satisfied at the decision, a couple who no longer intend to marry cannot meet those criteria.

Home Affairs’ “Get a refund” page, updated 24 September 2026, lists these circumstances for a partner visa application charge refund:

• The application was unnecessary when made.
• A Department mistake.
• The applicant died before the decision.
• The sponsorship or nomination was not successful.
• A circumstance specified by the Minister.

That page does not say whether withdrawal following a cancelled engagement fits one of those circumstances. A refund cannot be assumed either way.

The sponsor’s withdrawal is a separate action, explained next.

The sponsor's side: no withdrawal after grant

“You cannot withdraw your sponsorship after we grant the visa”, states the Home Affairs 300 page, updated 10 August 2026.

Before the visa decision, the sponsor is able to withdraw the sponsorship in writing at any time. The Home Affairs 300 page says deleting the application in ImmiAccount does not withdraw it; it directs the sponsor to contact the Department through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. After grant, the sponsor reports the relationship ending through that enquiry form rather than attempting to withdraw sponsorship.

Under reg 1.20(2)(b) of the Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation 288, sponsorship of a temporary visa such as the 300 includes responsibility for the applicant’s financial obligations to the Commonwealth, compliance with employment law and awards, and—unless the Minister decides otherwise—visa conditions. The Home Affairs 300 page says sponsorship runs from grant until the 300 ceases.

Cancellation under s 116 of the Migration Act 1958 is the Minister’s decision, not something the sponsor accomplishes by withdrawing sponsorship after grant.

For the full role and sponsorship limitations, the guide to Sponsoring your fiancé for a Prospective Marriage visa explains the sponsor’s responsibilities.

Family violence provisions for 300 holders

Home Affairs’ family violence provisions page, updated 24 September 2026, explains that a person who holds or held a 300 may apply for the 820/801 after the relationship ends where the former sponsor committed the family violence and the criteria are met. The person must be in Australia.

If you still hold the 300.

Clause 820.211(8) of the Migration Regulations 1994 covers a current 300 holder whose relationship with the sponsoring partner has ended and who, or whose family member in the combined application, or a dependent child of either partner, has experienced family violence committed by the sponsoring partner. For a 300 holder, cl 820.111 identifies the sponsoring partner as the original sponsor.

If the 300 has ended.

Clause 820.211(9) of the Migration Regulations 1994 covers a former 300 holder who now holds no substantive visa, whose relationship with the sponsoring partner has ended, and who meets the corresponding family-violence criterion. Home Affairs’ family violence provisions page adds that the person must be in Australia and have applied for the 820/801.

Derived from the law: For a person holding no substantive visa who makes a valid onshore application, the relevant bridging-visa category is Bridging visa C under cl 030.212(2) of the Migration Regulations 1994, rather than Bridging visa A. Home Affairs’ Bridging visa C page describes this category for applicants without a substantive visa.

The charge.

From 1 July 2026, Schedule 1 item 1124B of the Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation 288, sets these main-applicant charges:

Telling Home Affairs safely.

Home Affairs’ family violence provisions page says choosing family violence on the Notification of Relationship Cessation form removes the partner visa and sponsorship applications from all ImmiAccounts, including the former sponsor’s. A lawyer helping you has an option to opt out of removal of the visa application; the sponsorship application is removed regardless.

The form asks when the relationship ended and whether there was family violence or there are children. Home Affairs says to choose both options if both apply, because automatic removal happens only when family violence is selected; it also advises creating a new ImmiAccount. Its “Family violence provisions—partner visa applicants” page provides further information for applicants.

If you share responsibility for a child of the sponsor.

Clauses 820.211(8)(d)(ii) and (9)(e)(ii) of the Migration Regulations 1994 have a separate child-arrangement limb. It requires you to have custody, joint custody or access, or a Family Law Act residence or contact order, for at least one child for whom the sponsoring partner has court-granted joint custody or access, such an order, or a child maintenance obligation.

Home Affairs’ family violence provisions page says, “You have a right to a safe environment in Australia”, that help is available even if you are not eligible for the provisions, and that in an emergency you should call the police on 000. Its “Where to get help” page, updated 30 September 2026, lists national and state services for counselling, housing, money, food, medical and legal help.

For the application itself, the subclass 300 to 820 guide describes the online “Stage 1 – Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa” form used in Australia, as identified on the Home Affairs 820 page. The eligibility route discussed here is distinct from the usual after-marriage route.

If the sponsor dies

A 300 holder whose sponsor has died has a route to the 820/801 under cl 820.211(7) of the Migration Regulations 1994, Compilation 288, if they satisfy the Minister that they would have continued to be the sponsor’s spouse or prospective spouse. The application is made in Australia.

Apply while the 300 is still in effect. Clause 820.211(7)(a) covers a person who holds the 300. This route does not require a marriage: the clause expressly includes a prospective spouse.

Home Affairs’ “Death in the family” guidance, checked 3 October 2026, says a 300 holder in Australia may still get the 820/801 if the relationship would have continued and must apply for it. Once the 820/801 application is lodged, report the sponsor’s death as soon as possible through the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in ImmiAccount, or the Partner Processing Enquiry Form if that fails.

From 1 July 2026, the main-applicant charge is AUD 1,955, or AUD 1,600 for a main applicant holding a valid Pacific-regional passport, under Schedule 1 item 1124B(2A) of the Migration Regulations 1994. This charge applies because the applicant still holds the 300 and seeks the specified sponsor-died route.

Can a Prospective Marriage visa be cancelled?

Yes. The Minister has a general power to cancel a visa under s 116 of the Migration Act 1958 (Compilation 171).

The grounds relevant to a 300 include:

1. A fact or circumstance underlying the grant no longer exists. Section 116(1)(a) of the Migration Act 1958 provides this general ground. Applying it to an intended marriage that no longer exists is reasoning from the statute—not a published Home Affairs statement that a 300 is cancelled when an engagement ends.
2. Non-compliance with a visa condition. Section 116(1)(b) covers condition breaches. Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires marriage to the specified person within the visa period under condition 8519; condition 8515 prohibits marrying or entering a de facto relationship before entering Australia.
3. Incorrect information. Home Affairs’ visa conditions page for subclass 300, checked 3 October 2026, says it may cancel the visa if it finds the holder was engaged, married or in a de facto relationship before grant and did not disclose it.
4. Other general grounds. Section 116(1) and (1AA)–(1AC) include risks to health, safety or good order; a grant that contravened the law; identity not established; and a benefit asked for or given for a sponsorship-related event.

The sponsor cannot cancel the visa: the Home Affairs 300 page prohibits sponsorship withdrawal after grant, while s 116 of the Migration Act 1958 places the cancellation power with the Minister.

Cancellation is separate from reaching the fixed end date under cl 300.511 of the Migration Regulations 1994. For what follows that date, see the prospective marriage visa expired guide.

If you reconcile

1. Tell Home Affairs through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form that the relationship has recommenced.
2. Attach a statutory declaration from each of you explaining the circumstances of the relationship, and identity evidence for both, as requested by the Home Affairs partner FAQ, updated 25 September 2026.
3. Check the existing visa end date. Condition 8519 of the Migration Regulations 1994 still requires the wedding within the visa period; reconciliation does not move the fixed end date set under cl 300.511.

Common mistakes

1. Deleting rather than withdrawing an application. Home Affairs’ “Withdraw a visa application” page says removal from ImmiAccount does not withdraw it.
2. Expecting sponsorship withdrawal after grant to end the visa. The Home Affairs 300 page says sponsorship cannot be withdrawn after grant.
3. Leaving Australia before applying on a cl 820.211(7)–(9) route. The Home Affairs 300 page and family violence provisions require the 820/801 application to be made in Australia.
4. Letting the 300 end before applying on the sponsor-died route. Clause 820.211(7)(a) of the Migration Regulations 1994 covers a current 300 holder.
5. Reconciling without telling Home Affairs. The Home Affairs partner FAQ asks for statutory declarations from both people and identity evidence.

Relationship ended on a 300: why an Australian migration lawyer should advise before you act

An Australian migration lawyer can check the route, documents and order of steps before you notify or lodge. The distinction between cl 820.211(7), (8) and (9) of the Migration Regulations 1994 depends on what happened and whether the 300 is still in effect on the application date; letting it cease closes the sponsor-died route described in subclause (7).

The review can focus on three concrete checks:

1. Visa status and the route’s evidence. Check the grant letter, current visa status, location in Australia and evidence supporting sponsor death, family violence or the specified child arrangements against cl 820.211(7)–(9).
2. Notification and account access. Check the form selections and account arrangements before submission. Home Affairs’ family violence provisions say selecting family violence removes applications from all ImmiAccounts, with a lawyer’s opt-out available for removal of the visa application only.
3. Lodgement timing and charge. Prepare the application while the 300 remains in effect where the criteria allow. Under Schedule 1 item 1124B of the Migration Regulations 1994, the standard main-applicant charge from 1 July 2026 is AUD 1,955 on routes (7) and (8), compared with AUD 2,475 on route (9). Applying while the 300 remains in effect means applying as a substantive-visa holder; lodgement does not extend the 300 itself.

Section 280(3) of the Migration Act 1958 permits an Australian legal practitioner to give immigration assistance in connection with legal practice. No one can promise a grant; the benefit of this review is checking eligibility, evidence consistency, missing documents and deadlines before action, not predicting the decision.

The immigration lawyer guide explains these checks. The shared enquiry page can send a private question to Australian Migration Lawyers; contact a lawyer directly for advice.

Frequently asked questions

Will Home Affairs tell the sponsor what happens to the applicant's visa?

No. The Home Affairs 300 page, updated 10 August 2026, says the Department will not correspond with the sponsor about the former partner’s visa application.

Do the remaining routes need us to have married?

No marriage is required by cl 820.211(7)–(9) of the Migration Regulations 1994. Subclause (7) asks whether you would have continued as the sponsor’s spouse or prospective spouse; subclauses (8) and (9) turn on the relationship having ended plus qualifying family violence or child arrangements.

Can the sponsor sponsor someone else later?

A later sponsorship is subject to reg 1.20J of the Migration Regulations 1994: not more than one other person must have been granted a relevant partner or prospective-marriage visa on that sponsorship, and at least five years must have passed since the earlier application. A separate five-year restriction applies if the sponsor was themselves sponsored as a partner; the Minister has a compelling-circumstances exception. Details are on the sponsor page.

Illustration

A decision tree showing: relationship ended → tell Home Affairs → check whether the sponsor-died, family-violence or child-arrangement route applies. The sponsor-died branch highlights that the 300 must still be in effect; the other branches distinguish current holders from former holders without a substantive visa.

Alt text: “Decision tree: after a Prospective Marriage visa relationship ends, the holder tells Home Affairs, then one of three partner-visa routes may apply: the sponsor has died, family violence, or child arrangements.”