Can I Travel In and Out of Australia on a Prospective Marriage Visa?

How often can I leave and return on a prospective marriage visa?

A prospective marriage visa holder can leave and return to Australia as often as needed while the Subclass 300 is in effect. There is no limit on the number of trips. Each trip still uses up the visa period, so long trips overseas leave less time to marry and lodge the next application. Our page on the Subclass 300 visa explains the visa period and its conditions.

Can I travel after the wedding but before applying for the Subclass 820?

Travel after the wedding but before applying for the Subclass 820 is possible while the Subclass 300 is still in effect, but it carries risk. The Subclass 820 must be lodged while the applicant is in Australia, and an applicant who is overseas when the Subclass 300 ends may lose the simple path to the partner visa. The safer course is usually to lodge the Subclass 820 promptly after the wedding. Our article on partner visa overseas travel explains how travel affects each stage.

What visa lets me travel once the Subclass 820 is lodged?

Once the Subclass 820 is lodged, the applicant can keep travelling on the Subclass 300 until it ends. After that, a Bridging visa A generally comes into effect, and it does not allow the holder to return to Australia after leaving. A Bridging visa B must be applied for and granted before any later trip. Our articles on the partner visa Bridging visa B and the Bridging visa B explain how to apply before leaving.

Does travelling overseas affect the partner visa assessment?

Travelling overseas does not harm the partner visa assessment where the trips are explained and the relationship continues, and trips taken together can be good evidence of a shared life. Long periods apart after the wedding, without a clear reason, may raise questions about whether the couple lives together on a permanent basis. Our article on the partner visa long-distance relationship explains how time apart is shown in the evidence.

What happens if I am overseas when the Subclass 300 ends?

An applicant who is overseas when the Subclass 300 ends cannot return on that visa, and the plan to apply for the Subclass 820 in Australia may fail. If the Subclass 820 has not yet been lodged, the couple may need to consider an offshore Subclass 309 application instead. This is one of the most avoidable problems for fiancé visa holders, and it is avoided by planning travel around the wedding and lodgement dates.

How does My Migration Lawyers plan travel around a fiancé visa?

My Migration Lawyers plans fiancé visa travel by setting out the visa end date, the wedding date and the Subclass 820 lodgement date in one timeline before any trip is booked. The firm then lodges the Subclass 820 as soon as the marriage takes place and, where later travel is needed, applies for the Bridging visa B in time. Couples can speak with our partner visa lawyers about their travel plans, and read about the Subclass 820 visa that follows the Subclass 300.