AN Indian man says he paid more than $30,000 to enter an arranged marriage with an Australian woman he'd never met after his student visa expired.

PRADEEP Singh told the Brisbane Magistrates Court he paid Chetan Mohanlal Mashru $5000 in cash to arrange the union and paid about $29,000 over two years to his "wife", Josie Haig.

Originally published asIndian man paid $29K for Aussie 'wife'