One of the most frequent worries raised on the program is the long silence from the Department after a complete application has been lodged. In this question, a couple applied for a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) around twelve months ago, completed their biometrics and health examinations within the first week, and to this day have received no response at all. Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer, registration number MARA 0854826, explains below exactly when this silence is entirely normal, which channels are available for a formal status enquiry, and what a couple waiting in the subclass 300 queue needs to watch out for.
The short answer
Silence from the Department after twelve months on a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is not, in itself, a sign that something has gone wrong. According to the published processing time data, the median time to decision is around 14 months, and the 75th percentile is around 19 months. There are three proper channels for following up: checking your application status and the Messages tab in ImmiAccount; completing the online “Partner processing enquiry” form designed for lodged applications; and contacting the Department. While your application remains within the standard processing range, the Department will not provide case-specific information. Do not marry before a decision is made.
What the law says
Three legal principles explain the wait you are experiencing:
1) Applications are not necessarily considered in the order they were lodged. Under section 51 of the Migration Act 1958 (Migration Act 1958, s 51), the Minister may consider visa applications in whatever order he or she considers appropriate. The Department itself states expressly that applications are not always processed in the order received. For that reason, the fact that a friend who applied after you has already received an outcome creates no legal defect in your own application.
2) The published timeframes are indicative, not a legal commitment. The Global visa processing times guide is updated monthly and is based on applications that have recently been decided; two figures are published, showing the time within which 75 per cent and 90 per cent of applications lodged globally were finalised. That period is calculated from the date a complete application was lodged — meaning that if a document was missing and was supplied later, the clock runs from the point the application became complete. Your advantage here is that you completed your biometrics and health examinations in the first week; that means your application has been “decision-ready” from the outset.
3) Every formal request for information is communicated to you through the application itself. If the case officer needs further documents, they will usually act under section 56 of the Migration Act 1958 (the power to request further information), and that request will appear in ImmiAccount and in the Messages tab. The final decision — grant or refusal — is communicated through the same channel. This is why “no email has arrived” does not always mean “there is no news”: you need to check ImmiAccount and the Messages tab directly, because notification emails can land in a spam folder or be sent to an old address.
The substantive criteria for the Prospective Marriage visa are set out in Part 300 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Part 300). The key point in that Part for couples who have been waiting a long time is that the subclass 300 visa is built on an intention to marry, not on a marriage that has already taken place. For that reason, if you marry before a decision is made, you are no longer eligible for the subclass 300 visa, and you must upload the marriage certificate to ImmiAccount so that the pathway for your application can be reassessed.
The official follow-up channels, and the specific warnings for subclass 300
a) Measure your wait against the real numbers
Subclass 300 processing time data, based on the Department’s published statistics (tracked data, reconciled as at 28 September 2026):
| Percentile of decided applications | Time taken |
|---|---|
| 25 per cent of applications | about 9 months |
| 50 per cent of applications (median) | about 14 months |
| 75 per cent of applications | about 19 months |
| 90 per cent of applications | about 26 months |
What this table means for you: at month twelve, your application sits squarely within the normal range and has not even reached the median point. Always read the current figure from the official Visa processing times page, because the guide is updated monthly and the number you see today may change next month.
b) The three correct follow-up channels
- ImmiAccount — application status and the Messages tab: once your application is lodged, ImmiAccount lets you read messages, check the status of your application, update your details, or withdraw the application. This is your first and most important step; before making any phone call, read the Messages tab from the very beginning.
- The online “Partner processing enquiry” form: the Department provides a dedicated form for enquiring about the processing status of lodged partner and prospective marriage applications. This form is used only while an application is under assessment, and it is your formal written channel.
- Calling or making contact through the Contact us page: for general questions. Bear in mind that the Department states expressly that it does not report on the progress of individual applications, and that if your application is within the standard processing range, no further information will be provided even over the phone. Applicants are also asked to keep contact with the case officer or processing office to a minimum.
c) What not to do
- Do not use the ImmiAccount technical support form for a status enquiry. That form is only for technical problems with the system; the Department has stated that it does not respond to status enquiries or general questions submitted through that channel. Repeated submissions through the wrong channel will not only get you nowhere, they will waste your time.
- Do not “clutter” the application with bulk uploads of duplicate documents. New and meaningful material (such as fresh evidence of the relationship) has value; resubmitting the same documents adds nothing.
d) Four legal warnings for couples waiting in the subclass 300 queue
- Do not marry before a decision is made. Marrying before the decision destroys your eligibility for the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), and the marriage certificate must then be uploaded to ImmiAccount. This is the one mistake capable of rendering a year of waiting pointless — so do not set a date for the legal marriage before the visa is granted.
- Always keep your contact details current. Any change of email address, phone number, residential address or legal representative must be recorded in ImmiAccount immediately. Many applications that appear to have gone “unanswered” have in fact been answered — just to an old address.
- Notify changes in circumstances formally. Significant changes (relationship status, the birth of a child, dependent family members, criminal history, corrections to answers already given) are notified to the Department using Form 1022 “Notification of changes in circumstances” and, where required, Form 1023.
- Check the validity of your health and police clearance documents. Health examinations and police certificates have a limited validity period, and in long-running applications the Department may ask for them to be repeated. Check the status of your examination in My Health Declarations / ImmiAccount and on the Department’s Health requirement page, and if a request to repeat is issued, act within the time allowed.
What this means for you
In Dr Sirous Ahmadi’s words: at month twelve of waiting for a Prospective Marriage visa, no news is not bad news. Your application is in the queue for allocation to an officer; the published figures show that half of all applications take around 14 months and three-quarters take around 19 months, and because you completed your health examinations and biometrics in the first week, your application is in the best possible shape for a prompt decision.
The right approach at this stage is active patience, not passive waiting: check the Messages tab in ImmiAccount each week; if you pass the published processing time figure, use the Partner processing enquiry form; keep evidence of the continuing relationship (trips, ongoing communication, financial support, wedding plans) properly documented so it is ready the moment an officer asks for it; and do not formalise the marriage until a decision is made. The office of Dr Sirous Ahmadi, registered MARA agent, registration number 0854826, applies exactly this framework to partner and prospective marriage applications: first, measure the application against the current official figures; then follow up through the correct channel; and, where necessary, prepare the response to a section 56 request. With that approach, your wait becomes measurable and manageable.
Sources
- Global visa and citizenship processing times — Department of Home Affairs (updated monthly; data reconciled as at 28 September 2026)
- After you apply (ImmiAccount) — Department of Home Affairs
- Partner processing enquiry form — Department of Home Affairs
- Popular questions (application progress and standard processing times) — Department of Home Affairs
- Contact us — overview — Department of Home Affairs
- ImmiAccount technical support form (technical issues only) — Department of Home Affairs
- Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) — Department of Home Affairs
- Health requirement — Department of Home Affairs
- Form 1022 — Notification of changes in circumstances
- Migration Act 1958 (s 51 order of consideration; s 56 power to request further information) — legislation.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 2, Part 300 (Prospective Marriage) — legislation.gov.au
- Australian High Commission (UK) — Visa FAQ: processing times are indicative
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) — registration of migration agents
Let’s review your Prospective Marriage visa application together
If twelve months of waiting has turned every day into an email check, let us assess your application once, carefully and professionally: measuring your wait against the current official figures, a full review of the Messages tab and your ImmiAccount status, checking the validity of your health examination and police certificate, and choosing the right follow-up channel — before a simple mistake, such as marrying before the visa is granted, renders a whole year of waiting pointless. Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer (MARA 0854826), is ready to review your application personally and give you a clear roadmap through to the moment your visa is granted. Contact our office to book a dedicated consultation and put your question to us with complete peace of mind.
Frequently asked questions
Is a twelve-month wait for a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) normal?
Yes. Based on the published processing time data, about 25 per cent of applications are decided within 9 months, 50 per cent within around 14 months, 75 per cent within around 19 months, and 90 per cent within around 26 months. Twelve months is squarely within the normal range and has not even reached the median. These figures are indicative, and the official guide is updated monthly.
How can I formally check the status of my partner or prospective marriage application?
Three channels: 1) log in to ImmiAccount, check your application status and read the Messages tab in full (the final decision and any section 56 requests are communicated there); 2) complete the online Partner processing enquiry form, which is specifically for lodged partner and prospective marriage applications; 3) make contact through the Department’s Contact us page.
If my application is within the standard processing time, will the Department give me any information?
No. The Department states expressly that it does not report on the progress of individual applications, and that if an application is within the standard processing range, no further information will be provided even over the phone. Applicants are also advised to keep contact with the case officer or processing office to a minimum.
Can I get married while waiting for my subclass 300 visa?
No. The Prospective Marriage visa is granted on the basis of an intention to marry; if you marry before a decision is made you are no longer eligible for subclass 300, and you must upload the marriage certificate to ImmiAccount. So do not set a date for the legal marriage until after the visa is granted.
Should I use the ImmiAccount technical support form for a status enquiry?
No. That form is only for technical problems with the system, and the Department has stated that it does not respond to application status enquiries or general questions submitted through that channel. For application status, use ImmiAccount and the Partner processing enquiry form.
Is my one-year-old health examination still valid?
Health documents and police clearance certificates have a limited validity period, and in long-running applications the Department may ask for them to be repeated. Check the status of your examination in ImmiAccount and on the Department’s Health requirement page, and if a request is issued, act within the time allowed.
Why has someone who applied after me already received an outcome?
Because under section 51 of the Migration Act 1958 applications do not have to be considered in the order they were lodged, and the Department also states expressly that applications are not always processed in the order received. This creates no defect in your own application.
This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on October 8, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.