Marketing, Branding and Communication: Tips for Business Owners and Execs

Understanding the Conditions of an Australian Marriage Visa

6 March 2015 by Eduardo Weaver

Many people find themselves in the position of wishing to marry their partner who is an Australian citizen, but they are not. This can include marriages that have been arranged, or marriage ceremonies that have taken place outside of Australia, but the couple intends to live in Australia. For this, the non-Australian citizen must apply for a marriage visa.

As with all visas, there are some conditions that must be met in order to be granted this type of visa. This article examines these conditions, to allow a person to gain a better understanding of the process involved.

The Visa Itself

The visa is for people who desire to come to Australia for the purpose of marrying their partner. The visa lasts only for nine months; the marriage must take place during this time. For people who are of the same sex, a different visa (known as a Partner Visa) is required. The Prospective Marriage Visa is only valid for people of the opposite sex who are marrying.

Conditions

There are several conditions attached to the Prospective Marriage visa. These conditions are the responsibility of the person who is applying for the visa; the only involvement required from the partner (the future wife or husband) is to sponsor the person applying for the visa. When filling out the visa application, the burden of proof is upon the applicant. Do the following to make the process a success:

• Produce a written letter from the person who will carry out the ceremony. This is only required if the ceremony is to take place outside of Australia; for marriages within Australia, an Intended Notice Of Marriage form must be completed and handed in along with the visa application.
• Know the person you are to marry. That is to say, you two have physically met, and have not merely seen photographs of each other, or contact each other via emails or text messages. This includes meeting each other as adults, as many arranged marriages are planned at an early age.
• Passing certain health requirements. This includes getting health insurance covering your initial stay in the country, which is usually valid for twelve months.
• Producing a police certificate regarding background since your 16th birthday. This ensures that the type of people who come into the country will, in some way, benefit the economy and the country.
• Be free of debt to the Australian Government. Visas cannot be granted until such debts are either paid off, or arrangements have been put in place to pay the debt off.
• Both the applicant and the sponsor must be eighteen years of age or over to apply for this type of visa.

Share