Hi everybody,plz im from Morocco and i will marry an Australian guy from Brisbane Queensland state in next June ,we think that we should apply for 300 visa instead of applying for the 820/801 because we have heard it is more quick and less complicated , plz what do you recommend and what are your advice. Im new here and i do not know from where i should start my application and paper work .thank you very much
Rajaa
I would not say more quick is any accurate statement. In fact, it's actually the longer route to take ultimately as you're adding an extra partner visa stage to the beginning of the partner visa journey. Some people have waited well over a year to a year and half for a 300 grant, then several more months until they can migrate to Oz, marry, and apply for the 820/801. Then one has to wait for the 820 and then it's two years from THAT application date that one is eligible to be assessed for the final stage of PR (801), which has it's own wait time of about a year to a year and a half from most people I've seen on this forum.
So not only is the 300 the more expensive route, it can also add a couple of years to the whole process. Even if you were one of the very few lucky ones to get it granted within a few months, it still delays the timeframe of applying for the 820/801 so it still draws out the whole process.
Whereas a straight 309/100 or 820/801 app starts that two year eligibility timer straight away.
So faster is certainly not the way to describe the 300. Though if your only option is an offshore visa, then in some cases it can be granted more quickly than a 309 but from places like the US and UK, as any example, we don't see the 300 typically being any faster than the 309 from timelines of people who post on here. Even Canada where we've seen a couple of quick 300 grants, I have also seen people from Canada waiting well over a year for the same visa. It truly is luck of the draw.
The question is whether or not you are even eligible for a partner visa such as the 820/801 or 309/100. Being engaged or married is not enough. Immigration looks at the relationship evidence as a whole and you must meet the relationship requirements stated. This goes for non-married de facto, engaged, or married partners. So if you don't meet the requirements, you'll face a denial and have donated a hefty application fee to the Aussie government.
The 300 does not require the same type of de facto evidence and I have always considered it a fair option for people in long term relationships who are already intending to marry and live together, but who have been unable to do so (as my partner and I). It gives you the option to move to Australia and more importantly actually live with your partner (Which in in many cases of a 300, hasn't happened - my partner and I would of course "live" together when visiting each other but that's not the same as establishing a home and day-to-day routines together). It gives that opportunity and time to be together in one country and really know for certain you want to marry and live with this person for the rest of your lives, and if you do, you marry and move on to applying the next stage.
So in a sense, the 300 can be easier evidence wise because it does not require the same sort of combined lives as the 820/801 or 309/100 visas. It's more of proving your relationship is genuine and your intent to actually marry and live together. But faster? Certainly not in the whole scheme of things.
