There are three main types of visas that allow people to travel to Australia for tourism purposes, to visit family members or even for business visitor activities. The most appropriate option will depend on your purpose, how long you wish to stay and your country of passport.
Even though visitor visas are often considered to be fairly straight forward applications, complications can arise. We always recommend seeking appropriate advice to ensure you are applying for the correct visa and that you have addressed any risk factors.
Visitor Visa
subclass 600
The Subclass 600 is a popular option for people who are wishing to travel to Australia to visit family or friends or for tourism.
There are three ‘streams’
Tourist stream - to visit family or friends or for tourism
Family sponsored stream - where a family member wants to sponsor you
Business visitor stream - granted for people who wish to travel to Australia for the following purposes:
make general business or employment enquiries
negotiate contracts
take part in a conference or trade fair.
The visa allows visitor for stays between 3 and 12 months.
You must be able to demonstrate that you are a genuine visitor, ie that you only intend to stay temporarily in Australia and obey your visa conditions and that you have the financial ability to support yourself during your visit.
Subclass 600 applications will be subject to varying degrees of risk depending on:
your country of passport
your age
your financial circumstances
your ties to your home country.
We specialise in complex and high risk visitor visa applications. We can let you know exactly what sort of evidence should be provided to ensure your application is as strong as possible with the best chance at obtaining a positive outcome.
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)(Visitor)
subclass 601
The ETA is a fast, cheap and straightforward visitor visa option for people applying from outside of Australia via the Australian ETA app.
This allows visa holders to visit Australia as often as they like within a 12-month period with a maximum 3-month stay each time they enter Australia.
It is suitable for applicants wishing to travel to Australia to visit family or friends, for a holiday (or a cruise), or for limited business visitor activities.
It is available for people with passports from the following:
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Republic of San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan (excluding official or diplomatic passports)
The Netherlands
United Kingdom—British Citizen
United Kingdom—British National (Overseas)
United States of America
Vatican City
eVisitor (Tourist)
subclass 651
The eVisitor visa is very similar to the ETA. It must be lodged from outside of Australia.
This allows visa holders to visit Australia as often as they like within a 12-month period with a maximum 3-month stay each time they enter Australia.
It is suitable for applicants wishing to travel to Australia to visit family or friends, for a holiday (or a cruise), for limited business visitor activities or to study/train for up to 3 months in some circumstances.
There is no application fee.
It is however, only available for people with passports from the following:
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
The Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Republic of San Marino
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom – British Citizen
Vatican City