Subclass 300 to 820/801 After Marriage: What Do You Do Next?

After a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa holder marries their sponsoring fiancé or fiancée, the next migration step is usually to lodge the onshore Partner Visa application for Subclasses 820 and 801 before the Subclass 300 expires.

This is not an automatic conversion. You do not simply upload the marriage certificate to the old Subclass 300 application and become an 820 holder. The 820/801 is a new combined Partner Visa application.

Step 1: Make sure the marriage is legally valid

Home Affairs requires the marriage to be valid under Australian law. If you marry in Australia, obtain the official marriage certificate issued through the relevant state or territory registry rather than relying only on a ceremonial certificate.

Step 2: Lodge the 820/801 before the Subclass 300 expires

Home Affairs specifically tells Subclass 300 holders who want to settle in Australia to apply for the 820/801 Partner Visa after marriage and before the Prospective Marriage Visa ends.

Step 3: Use the reduced Partner Visa application charge if eligible

As at 1 July 2026, Home Affairs lists the base application charge for most onshore 820/801 applicants from AUD 11,710, but a lower charge from AUD 1,955 applies to eligible Subclass 300 holders. Visa charges can change, so confirm the amount in the Visa Pricing Estimator immediately before lodgement.

Step 4: Prepare a full Partner Visa application

The reduced government charge does not mean the evidence requirement is reduced. The 820/801 application should still address the relationship comprehensively, including financial aspects, household arrangements, social recognition, commitment and the history of the relationship.

You can reuse relevant evidence from the Subclass 300 application, but it should be updated. The 820/801 application now needs to show what happened after engagement: entry to Australia, wedding, married life, shared household and the couple’s continuing plans.

Step 5: Understand the bridging visa position

If a valid onshore 820/801 application is lodged while the Subclass 300 is still in effect, Home Affairs will ordinarily grant a bridging visa to keep the applicant lawful if the 300 expires before the Partner Visa is decided. The bridging visa generally does not replace the 300 while the 300 remains valid.

Do you go straight from 300 to 801 permanent residence?

Usually no. The normal pathway is Subclass 300 → marriage → combined 820/801 application → temporary 820 → permanent 801. Whether the permanent stage can be decided earlier depends on the applicable Partner Visa criteria and relationship history.

Case example

A Subclass 300 holder entered Australia, married the sponsor three months later and assumed the 300 automatically changed into an 820. It did not. The couple obtained the official marriage certificate, prepared the full onshore 820/801 application and lodged it before the 300 expired. The applicant then moved onto the bridging visa only when the Subclass 300 later ceased.

Home Affairs sets out the current Subclass 300 pathway on its Prospective Marriage Visa page. See our Subclass 300 hub and 820/801 Partner Visa hub.

General information only. Government fees and visa conditions should be checked immediately before lodgement.