Planning a wedding is a task that can take several months or longer. This can become complicated when you have to consider a marriage visa. If your prospective spouse is located overseas, you may be facing the need for a prospective marriage visa in Australia. Before you begin filing the paperwork for this visa, there are a few things you should know. Here are those key points and what you need to know about each one. 

Time Frame

One of the first things you need to know about a prospective marriage visa deals with the time frame involved. This type of visa lasts nine months. The time frame starts from the time the visa is granted to the couple. When the time has completed, the couple is expected to have either been married or to have a date set for the marriage prior to the end of the visa duration. If all other requirements are met, the visa will expire and the marriage license will go into effect. If the couple decides to not marry, the issuing agency of the visa will need to know so the visa can be marked as voided.

Engagement

When you attempt to obtain the visa, you will be asked if you are engaged and when the engagement took effect. Keep in mind, in order to receive or be eligible for the prospective marriage visa, you must be engaged. You will need to list the date of engagement on the paperwork prior to filing for the visa. The engagement should not exceed the time frame allotted for the visa duration, which is nine months. In most cases, you will be asked to have the marriage completed prior to the end of the visa.

Personal Meeting

One aspect of the visa, that many couples are not expecting, relates to meeting in person. In order to receive the prospective marriage visa, you will need to have met your prospective spouse in person. You may need to supply the date you met and proof that you met as well. This could be proof of flight and hotel room stays that either you are your partner incurred during your face-to-face meeting. If you met on the job or during a work-related event, you will need to note that as well. Keep in mind, this is a requirement for the visa and you will need proof in order to proceed with the next steps in the process. 

When you are ready to begin the process of receiving the prospective marriage visa, contact your local agency representative. They can walk you through the process. They can also answer any questions you may have about the process, including questions about costs and filing of paperwork. Keep in mind, you will need original documentation for most required documents.