Australian prospective marriage Visa

Prospective Marriage Visa is special visa for those ladies who are going to marry Australian men and live in Australia after the marriage. The visa is granted for 9 months within which the woman needs to enter Australia at least once. After the first visit with the visa, the marriage can be registered either in or outside Australia. As soon as the marriage takes place, the woman can apply for Spouse Visa; 2 years later, she will be able to seek permanent residency.

Those couples who are considering marriage in a country other than Australia and subsequent application for Spouse Visa should be aware of the necessity to prove living together at least 12 months and longer application processing terms.

Prospective Marriage Visa is a sponsorship visa, which means that the fianc? undertakes to sponsor his lady and her dependent children coming with her for the first two years. He must prove his sponsorship capability.

Eligibility

• Sponsor must be Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen;
• Sponsor and applicant must be at least 18;
• Sponsor and applicant must have at least one personal meeting.

Application

The application is to be submitted by the applicant (fianc?e) in her country of residence. The list of required forms and documents can be found at Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website (www.immi.gov.au) or at the appropriate embassy sites.

You should pay special attention to the materials that prove your genuine relationship, as they are crucial for the success. The more evidence you can provide the better. The evidence should include photos, e-mails, post cards, phone bills, air tickets, provisional booking for the wedding, etc.

The applicant will be invited for the personal interview in the embassy after consideration of documents, which takes 6 months in average.

Applicant's children

If the applicant has dependent children, they can accompany her. The list of forms and documents required for children can be found at www.immi.gov.au) or the appropriate embassy sites.

According to the Australian law, dependent children are children under 18 and those from 18 to 25 who:

• have never worked and are sponsored by their parents;
• have never served in the army;
• have never had a spouse or a common-law partner;
• are full-time students receiving their first education.

Exceptions are possible only for children with serious physical or mental disabilities proved by medical examination.

The children must meet the requirements both for the date of application and for the date of decision taking. Children over 18 may be invited to the interview. For children under 18, the fianc?e must provide the evidence that her children's father agrees to the children coming to the Australia.