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Got Married After Lodging Your EOI? Here’s What Can Happen

Relationship status plays a critical role in Australia’s General Skilled Migration (GSM) program because it can directly affect your points score, eligibility, and the documents you must provide during the visa application stage. Many applicants lodge an EOI while single and later enter a marriage or de facto relationship before receiving an invitation. If your circumstances have changed, it is essential to understand the legal and practical consequences.

1. You Must Update Your EOI to Reflect the Change

Under the Migration Regulations and SkillSelect requirements, an EOI must contain current, accurate, and truthful information at all times. If you get married or enter a de facto relationship after lodging your EOI, you must update your relationship status as soon as the change occurs.

Failing to update might result in:

Loss of points you previously claimed for being single

Misrepresentation concerns if the Department finds inconsistent information at the visa stage

Risk of refusal for Public Interest Criterion (PIC) 4020 if false or misleading information was provided—even unintentionally

Updating your EOI ensures transparency and protects your application from credibility issues.

2. Your Points May Change — Positively or Negatively

Your relationship status can significantly impact your points for migration.

If you were single when lodging the EOI (claiming 10 points):

Once married, you are no longer eligible for the 10 points for being single unless your spouse is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

If your spouse is not an Australian citizen or PR, you may be eligible for either:

10 points – Skilled Partner
If your spouse:

is under 45,

has competent English,

has a positive skills assessment in an eligible occupation.

5 points – Competent English Partner
If your spouse has competent English but no skills assessment.

If your spouse does not meet any of the above criteria, your total points may decrease, affecting your competitiveness for an invitation.

3. What If You Receive an Invitation After the Marriage?

The Department assesses your points at two key times:

At the time of invitation, and

At the time of decision

If you were married before receiving the invitation but did not update your EOI, the points claimed will not match your real situation—this can lead to refusal even if all other criteria are met.

If you updated your EOI and still had sufficient points to receive an invitation, your application can proceed, but you must now include your spouse in the visa application (as a migrating or non-migrating family member).

4. Do You Need to Add Your Spouse to the Visa Application?

Yes. Whether your spouse is migrating or not, you must declare them.

Migrating spouses must meet health and character requirements and may need English evidence or a skills assessment (if claiming partner points).

Non-migrating spouses must still meet character requirements.

Failing to declare a spouse is serious and may cause refusal under PIC 4020.

5. Will Marriage Delay the Visa Process?

Potentially, yes. Adding a spouse often triggers:

Additional documentation

English testing

Health examinations

Character checks

Skills assessment (if claiming points)

This can extend processing times, especially if documents are not prepared early.

Conclusion

Getting married after lodging your EOI is common and not a problem—as long as you update your EOI immediately and ensure your points remain valid at the time of invitation and decision. Transparency, timely updates, and correct documentation protect you from refusal risks and keep your migration pathway on track.