I'm hearing from family members doing their own research that my partner and I can skip the prospective marriage visa/partner 820/801 combo, by just entering aus on a 3-month tourist visa and immediately applying for the partner 820/801 visa whilst there. For me, it seems risky, considering how expensive it is. Our other option is the partner 309/100 (applying from outside of Aus), taking roughly the same amount of time to process as the prospective marriage 300.
Is it actually possible? Has anyone done this or heard of anyone doing it? It could save a lot of hassle and money, but I'd hate to move over to Aus to apply for a visa, have it not work out and have to move back out again. This is too much! Thanks for any help, I've never felt so confused about anything :S