(Subclass 600)

Visitor VISA

What Can You Do With a Visitor Visa (Subclass 600)?

With a Visitor Visa, you can do the following things:

  • Visit your family or friends in Australia.
  • Visit Australia as a tourist. You can visit for a cruise or other purposes. However, you cannot use it to visit for business purposes or medical treatment.
  • Train or study for a maximum of three months. However, a student visa is more suitable if your primary motive of visiting Australia is for studies.

Please note that you cannot work in Australia under a visitor visa.

How Long Can You Stay Under the Subclass 600 Visa?

As the visitor visa is a temporary visa, you can only stay for the duration listed on your visa grant letter.

The length of your visa is finalized on a case-by-case basis. The following factors are taken into account when deciding your stay period:

  • how long you want to stay in Australia, and
  • the reason you want to visit Australia.

Also, it is possible that the authorities will not grant you the entire length of stay that you apply for.

This visa may be issued with one or multiple entries. If you get a multiple-entry visa, you can leave and return to Australia while the visa is valid. Usually, you can get a stay of three months under this visa. However, in some exceptional circumstances, you can get a stay of up to twelve months.

It is a criteria of this visa that you do not spend more than twelve months in Australia over the course of an eighteen-month duration. If you already have a Visitor visa, a Working Holiday visa, a Work and Holiday visa, or a bridging visa, and granting this visa would require you to remain in Australia for more than twelve months, you must demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

You can also consider the Frequent Traveller Stream under Visitor visa (subclass 600) if:

  • you have a passport from the People’s Republic of China, and
  • you regularly travel to Australia

Conditions for Parents of Australian Citizens or Permanent Residency Holders

Likewise, you have the chance to get a visitor visa for more than twelve months if:

  • you are the parent or step-parent of someone with an Australian permanent resident or a citizen, and
  • you meet all the criteria for the visa

The country can grant a visitor visa that lasts up to:

Eighteen months if you have never travelled to Australia before, and either:
Three years if you are out of Australia, have previously received an Australian visa, and followed all the visa conditions, and either:
Five years if you are out of Australia and in the queue for a Parent visa

Your applications will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

If you receive a visa for more than twelve months, you might get the facility to leave and enter Australia many times until the visa is valid.

Furthermore, if you get a visitor visa with a validity of eighteen months, three years, or five years, there can be extra conditions like:

  • You will not be allowed to stay in Australia for a period exceeding twelve months in any eighteen-month period.
  • You need to make sufficient health insurance arrangements for your stay in Australia.
  • You cannot submit an application for another visa within Australia, with the exception of a protection visa.

Can I Stay Longer?

Unfortunately, you cannot stay longer in Australia by extending your visitor visa.

So, you need to apply for another visa if your visa does not have other conditions that prevent an extension, such as condition 8503 (no further stay). Only in some exceptional circumstances you might get to request a waiver of the no further stay condition.

Furthermore, you must not breach any other conditions that are applied to your visa, like condition 8558 (not staying in Australia for more than twelve months in any eighteen-month period).

Can I Include Family in the Application?

Unfortunately, you cannot add any family members to your visitor visa application. So, for each family member, a separate application needs to be submitted. A separate application is also required for those family members who are listed on your passport.

Where I You Apply From?

To apply for a subclass 600 visa, you must be out of Australia. Also, you must be outside the country when the decision on your application takes place.

Cost

For each applicant, the visa cost is around AUD145. You can also use an online Visa Pricing Estimator to forecast your visa costs. However, if additional fees for health checks, police reports, and biometrics are needed, such charges will not be listed in the Visa Pricing Estimator.

Likewise, under the following conditions, you may be able to fast-track your visa application:

  • You hold a passport from China (but not Hong Kong or Macau).
  • You hold a passport from India.
  • You hold a passport from the UAE (United Arab Emirates)

Also, note that there is an additional fast-tracking charge of AUD1,000.

Processing Times

About seventy-five percent of applications are processed in about twenty-one days. Likewise, ninety percent of the applications take thirty-five days to process.

If you fill your application incorrectly, then the processing will take even longer. Likewise, in case of any missing documents and need for more information, the process will take longer. Furthermore, the verification of your information will take time.

Visitor Visa

Health Insurance

We recommend that you purchase health insurance to cover any unpredicted medical costs that you can need while in Australia. During your stay in Australia, you are directly responsible for all medical expenses. So, insurance will assist you in limiting your financial liabilities.

Furthermore, Australia has reciprocal healthcare agreements with some countries. So, check if your country has such agreements with Australia.

Visitor Visa

Travel Outside Australia

In case you get a visa with multiple entries, you can travel out of Australia and return. You can check the specifications in your visa grant letter.

On the other hand, if you get a visa with a single entry, you can leave Australia, but you can’t go back even if your visa duration is not over. So, you will need to apply for another visa to go back to Australia.

Visitor Visa

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