Visit & Tourist Visas

Overview

The visit and tourist visas enable you to enter Australia for a temporary stay, usually for a short period. The duration of these visas varies depending on the visa subclass and stream, ranging from 3 months up to 4 years. Application fees are required for each subclass. Processing times for these visas can range from one day up to 43 months. Once granted, you must comply with the conditions outlined in the visa grant letter. Failure to comply with any of these conditions may result in your visa being cancelled. Below are some of the popular streams:

SC 600

This type of visa is referred to as a visitor visa, which permits you to travel to Australia for tourism, to visit family and friends, or for business and medical treatment reasons. The length of your stay in Australia with this visa, which falls under the SC 600 subclass, depends on the visa stream you choose to apply for. You must provide evidence that your intention is to stay in Australia temporarily and that you have sufficient funds to support your stay. The visa comes with specific conditions, such as limitations on work and stay, which you must adhere to. Failure to comply with any of these conditions may result in the cancellation of your visa. The visa application fee is AUD 150 for offshore applicants and AUD 370 for onshore applicants. The processing time for your application will range from 16 days to 4 months. You can apply for any of the streams listed below:

Tourist stream (apply in Australia)

Tourist stream (apply from outside Australia)

Business visitor stream

Approved destination status stream

Frequent traveller stream

SC 408

The SC 408 visa, also referred to as the temporary activity visa, allows you to work in Australia for a short-term, temporary basis. The duration of your visa will depend on the stream you choose for your SC 408 application. To qualify for this visa, you must have the necessary skills required for the specific activity to be carried out in Australia and must have a sponsor or supporter. Additional requirements may be necessary, depending on the SC 408 stream. Genuine intentions to pursue the activity on this temporary visa must be proven. The application fee for this visa is AUD 325, and processing time can range from one day to 43 months. Complying with conditions such as 8106, 8107, 8114, 8301, 8501, 8502, 8503, 8516, 8522, 8525, and 8526 is necessary under this visa. Failure to abide by any of these conditions can result in visa cancellation. You can apply for any of the following streams of SC 408:

Important

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government has implemented a new stream for SC 408. This visa allows individuals to remain in Australia for work purposes if they are employed or have received an offer of employment in a key or non-key sector of the economy. The key sectors include Agriculture, Food Processing, Healthcare, Aged Care, Disability Care, Child Care, and Tourism & Hospitality. Typically, this visa is granted for a maximum of 12 months, with a duration of 6 months if the individual is working in a non-key sector. Visitors with no work rights should make arrangements to return to their home country. After February 21, 2022, individuals are not permitted to apply for this visa based on the inability to return to their home country. This visa is free of charge, and the government has not specified a processing time.

In order to be eligible for this visa, you need to be present in Australia and have sufficient health insurance coverage. You are required to demonstrate that your intention to stay in Australia is temporary and genuine. Additionally, you must possess evidence of your employment or job offer at the time of application. Your existing visa must have work rights that are valid for 90 days or less, or have already expired within 28 days. If you entered Australia after February 21st, 2022, you need to hold a substantive visa with work rights, unless you have a job offer from a commonwealth-funded aged care.

SC 444

The New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa is a unique type of temporary visa that enables eligible New Zealand citizens to study, reside, and work in Australia. You must apply for this visa each time you enter Australia. If you meet the criteria, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent visa. This visa is generally granted for an indefinite period but will cease once you leave Australia. At the time of application, you must be in New Zealand and continue to meet the character requirements. There is no fee for applying for this visa. If you apply on arrival in Australia, your application will be processed at the airport. However, if you apply while in Australia, it may take longer to process. This visa is typically granted without any conditions.