Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) | PV Lawyers

Overview

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) allows you to visit Australia temporarily for tourism, to visit family, or for business purposes. This is one of the most common visas for short-term travel to Australia.

The visa is available in several streams depending on your purpose of travel and circumstances. While many Visitor visa applications are straightforward, applications involving complex circumstances or previous visa issues may require careful preparation.

The Visitor visa does not allow you to work in Australia, and there are limits on how long you can stay and how often you can visit.

Visa Streams

The Visitor visa has several streams to cater for different purposes of travel:

Tourist Stream

For people visiting Australia for holidays, recreation, or to visit family and friends. This is the most common stream and is suitable for general tourism purposes.

Business Visitor Stream

For business people visiting Australia for business-related activities such as attending meetings, conferences, or exploring business opportunities. This stream does not allow you to work or provide services in Australia.

Sponsored Family Stream

For people visiting family members in Australia who are willing to sponsor your visit and provide a bond as security. This stream may be suitable if you have close family in Australia.

Approved Destination Status Stream

For citizens of the People's Republic of China travelling in an approved tour group.

The stream you apply under will depend on your purpose of travel and your personal circumstances.

Key Requirements

To be eligible for the Visitor visa, you must meet various requirements:

Genuine temporary entrant

You must genuinely intend to stay temporarily in Australia. The Department will consider factors such as your ties to your home country, your immigration history, and your circumstances.

Purpose of visit

Your visit must be for a purpose consistent with the visa stream — tourism, visiting family, or business activities (not work).

Financial capacity

You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Australia, or that adequate support will be provided by family or friends.

Health and character

You must meet health requirements and be of good character. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to undergo health examinations or provide police clearances.

Health insurance

While not mandatory for all applicants, adequate health insurance is strongly recommended. Some applicants may have health insurance as a condition of their visa.

Duration and Conditions

The Visitor visa comes with conditions about how long you can stay and what you can do in Australia.

Length of stay

Depending on the stream and your circumstances, you may be granted a stay of up to 3, 6, or 12 months. The length of stay is determined by the Department based on your application and circumstances.

No work condition

The Visitor visa does not permit you to work in Australia. Breaching this condition can have serious consequences for future visa applications.

Study limitations

You may study for up to 3 months on a Visitor visa. If you wish to study for longer, you will need a student visa.

Multiple entries

Some Visitor visas allow multiple entries during the validity period, while others are single entry only. This will be specified in your visa grant.

No further stay condition

Some Visitor visas are granted with a "no further stay" condition (condition 8503), which prevents you from applying for most other visas while in Australia. This condition may apply if there are concerns about your intentions.

Complex Applications

While many Visitor visa applications are straightforward, some require more careful preparation.

Previous visa refusals or cancellations

If you have previously been refused a visa or had a visa cancelled, your application will be scrutinised more closely. You will need to address the circumstances of the previous decision.

Extended family visits

If you are seeking to visit family for an extended period, you may need to demonstrate strong ties to your home country and a genuine intention to return.

Immigration history concerns

If you have a complex immigration history, including overstays in Australia or other countries, this will need to be addressed in your application.

Health or character concerns

If you have health conditions that may be of concern, or if you have a criminal history, your application will require additional evidence and careful preparation.

Our immigration lawyers can advise on how to present complex applications in the best possible way.

How We Can Assist

While many Visitor visa applications can be lodged without legal assistance, some applications benefit from professional preparation.

Our services include:

Advising on eligibility and the appropriate visa stream
Assisting with complex applications involving previous refusals or cancellations
Preparing applications where there are health or character concerns
Advising on how to demonstrate genuine temporary entry intentions
Responding to requests for further information from the Department
Assisting with review options if your application is refused

If you have a straightforward application with no complicating factors, you may not need legal assistance. However, if your circumstances are complex or you have concerns about your application, contact us to discuss how we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions

The length of stay depends on your circumstances and the stream you apply under. You may be granted a stay of up to 3, 6, or 12 months. The Department determines the appropriate length based on your application.

No, the Visitor visa does not permit you to work in Australia. Breaching this condition can have serious consequences, including visa cancellation and potential bars on future visa applications.

It may be possible to apply for a further Visitor visa while in Australia, but this depends on your circumstances and any conditions on your current visa. Some Visitor visas include a 'no further stay' condition that prevents onshore applications.

A previous visa refusal does not automatically mean you cannot obtain a Visitor visa, but your application will be scrutinised more closely. You should address the circumstances of the previous refusal in your new application.

Yes, you generally need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay, or that adequate support will be provided by family or friends in Australia.