ไทยVisitor / Tourist Visa (Subclass 600)
A Visitor / Tourist Visa (Subclass 600) is the standard visa that most people visiting Australia arrive on. It is designed for people visiting Australia for a holiday, a short business trip or to see friends and family for a short while.
It allows visitors to legally arrive in Australia, visit this amazing country, see the sights and then return home with no fuss.
There is a lot of variation for Visitor Visas in terms of duration and conditions. The application process for Visitor Visas also differs depending on the reasons for visiting Australia.
Note: Passport holders from certain countries can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) or eVisitor Visa (Subclass 651) instead, which are similar to Visitor Visas but for a fixed duration – usually 12 months total, with 3 months per stay. Visitors looking for longer stays will have to apply for the standard Visitor Visa (Subclass 600).
Features of Visitor Visas
Visitor Visas are granted for a number of different reasons, broken into streams.
Tourists are people looking to come to Australia for a holiday or short-term study (less than 10 weeks), or to visit friends or family briefly .
Sponsored Family visitors are people looking to come to Australia for a period of time to visit family, and their family will need to financially guarantee the visitor’s well being during their stay. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.
Business Visitors visit Australia for short meetings, seminars or conferences.
Approved Destination Visitors are those arriving with Chinese tour groups with fixed itineraries.
Frequent Traveller Visitors are usually long-term Chinese business visitors.
The documentation required for each reason can widely differ, and a Registered Migration Agent can help you select the right stream for you, and help properly prepare your application – whether you’re here for a holiday, business, to drop off your child at university, or to spend time with your Australian partner before getting married!
Criteria for Visitor Visas
The main criteria for visitors is to show that they are genuine temporary entrants – i.e., that they intend to return to their home countries after their visit.
There are also standard requirements around having sufficient funds for visiting.
There will also be stream-specific criteria that will have to be met depending on the purpose of the visit, such as sponsorship documents from an Australian family member, or evidence of business meetings in Australia.
Applying for a Visitor Visa
Visitor Visas can be applied for from both inside and outside of Australia, but the applicant must be in the same location as the application for the visa to be granted.
Most applications can be done online, though some applications can be complicated because the Genuine Temporary Entrant criteria for visitor visas today is rather complex.
Duration and Conditions of Visitor Visas
Most Visitor Visas are issued for 1 year and are multiple entry unless there is a good reason otherwise. Sometimes case officers will issue them for up to 5 years if the application is deemed “low risk”.
Most visitors will have to depart Australia once every 3 months, but you can actually request a 6 or 12-month stay duration – and we can show you how to increase your chances of successfully requesting that.
As expected, visitors to Australia are unable to work, and are generally restricted to the activities they have specified, for example, business visitor activities or limited study/training for up to 3 months. Some visitors will also be given a “no further stay” condition, meaning they cannot extend their visa onshore.
We are experts in Visitor Visas due to our extensive experience with the Genuine Temporary Entrant criteria, which was extended from Student Visas to Visitor Visas. We know how each criterion must be met, and how to provide the best evidence to support your application.
For a no fuss Visitor Visa application for Australia, book a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agents or contact us here today.