Do We Need a Wedding Date for a Fiancé Visa?

What does the Department need to see about our wedding plans?

The Department needs to see evidence that the couple genuinely intends to marry each other within the visa period, and wedding plans are the clearest proof of that intention. Useful evidence includes a Notice of Intended Marriage lodged with an authorised celebrant, a letter from the celebrant, venue or reception bookings, and invitations or messages about the arrangements. Our page on the Subclass 300 visa explains this requirement.

Is a Notice of Intended Marriage required for the fiancé visa?

A Notice of Intended Marriage is not the only accepted evidence for a fiancé visa, but it is the evidence most often provided for a wedding in Australia. It is a legal step under the Marriage Act 1961, signed by both partners and given to the celebrant who will conduct the wedding, so it shows a concrete commitment. For a wedding overseas, the equivalent local booking or registration evidence is used instead, together with any correspondence with the official who will register the marriage.

What if we have not chosen a date yet?

A couple who has not chosen a date yet can still apply for a fiancé visa, but the application will be weaker if there is no other evidence of real plans. A general statement that the couple will marry one day is unlikely to be enough on its own. The relationship statement should explain where and roughly when the wedding will happen and why. Our articles on future plans in a relationship statement and partner visa commitment evidence explain how plans are presented.

How should we choose a date for a fiancé visa?

A date for a fiancé visa should be chosen so that it falls comfortably within the visa period, allowing for processing time, travel and the time needed to lodge the Subclass 820 after the wedding. Because the visa period starts at grant, couples should be ready to adjust the date once the visa is granted. Our article on partner visa processing times explains why decision dates are difficult to predict.

Does a missing wedding date lead to refusal?

A missing wedding date does not automatically lead to refusal, but weak evidence of an intention to marry is a common reason prospective marriage visas are refused. Refusals often follow where the couple has met only briefly, has little contact history and offers no concrete plans. Our article on partner visa refusal reasons explains the issues decision makers focus on, and where a refusal has occurred, the firm acts in partner visa refusal reviews.

How does My Migration Lawyers prove a fiancé couple's intention to marry?

My Migration Lawyers proves a fiancé couple's intention to marry by gathering the wedding evidence that actually exists, such as the Notice of Intended Marriage, celebrant correspondence and bookings, and presenting it alongside the history of the relationship so the plans make sense. Where plans are still forming, the firm advises what to arrange before lodging. Couples can speak with our partner visa lawyers about how ready their plans need to be.