Visitor Visa
An Australian visitor visa allows people to visit Australia for tourism, business, or to visit family and friends for a short duration. There are several types of visitor visas, each catering to different purposes and lengths of stay.
Below is a detailed overview of the common types of visitor visas for Australia
The Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) allows individuals to visit Australia for tourism, business purposes, or to visit family. The visa can allow for single or multiple entries, depending on the specific conditions of the visa granted. This visa has multiple streams given below tailored to different visitor needs.
- Tourist Stream: This visa stream allows you to travel to Australia for purposes other than business or medical treatment, like visiting family and friends or for a holiday. The visa may grant you a stay of 3, 6, or 12 months. You can apply for the visa from inside or outside Australia. If you apply from within Australia, you will receive a bridging visa and have review rights if your application is refused.
- Business Visitor Stream: This visa may be granted for up to three months for business activities that include making a general business or employment enquiry, investigating, negotiating, entering into, or reviewing a business contract, participating in a conference, trade fair/seminar, or undertaking an activity as part of an official government-to-government visit in Australia.
- Sponsored Family Stream: This visa permits the holder to travel to Australia for a brief stay. The key distinction is that the visitor has a sponsor in Australia who can essentially “vouch” for their visit..
- Approved Destination Status Stream: This visa allows applicants from People’s Republic of China (excluding SARs) to visit Australia as part of a tour organized by an approved travel agent.
- Frequent Traveler Stream: This visa stream is for citizens of the People’s Republic of China (excluding SARs) who travel often to Australia for business or personal reasons. You must provide biometrics within the People’s Republic of China before you apply.
The Australian ETA (also known as the Subclass 601 Visa) is an electronic visa/permit that allows the holder to travel to Australia for tourism, a family visit, or business purposes. You can apply for an ETA entirely online. It is much easier and quicker to obtain than a visa, as it is completely online, there are barely any document requirements, and you will have it within 24 hours. Your ETA application is linked to your passport number, which is saved in an online database, so you don’t need to take any trip to the Australian Embassy to get a stamp.
With this visa, you can
- Visit Australia as a tourist.
- Visit family and friends.
- Take up a short-term (no longer than three months) study course.
- You can attend business meetings, negotiations, trainings, seminars, sign or review a business contract, etc. You cannot work and be paid by an Australian or Australian-based employer or sell goods and products.
The eVisitor Visa (Subclass 651) is a type of visa that allows individuals to visit Australia for short-term tourism or business purposes. This visa is available to citizens of certain European countries and is processed electronically. The eVisitor visa does not allow you to work in Australia. Business visitor activities do not include working for or providing services to a business or organization based in Australia. The visa allows for multiple entries during its validity period. The application for the eVisitor visa is lodged electronically and can be done online.
The Transit Visa (Subclass 771) is a temporary visa that allows individuals to transit through Australia to another country. This visa is designed for people who need to stop in Australia to catch a connecting flight to their final destination.The duration of stay in Australia is limited to the time required for transit, typically up to 72 hours.