What is the visitor visa?
The Visitor visa (subclass 600) lets people come to Australia, or stay on, for a holiday, to see family and friends, or for a short business visit. It is a temporary visa. The Department of Home Affairs says it can be granted for a stay of up to 12 months in most streams. You cannot work on it.
Some passport holders can use an Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or eVisitor (subclass 651) instead. Check the Department's visitor visa page first.
Which stream fits you
| Stream | Who it is for | Apply from | Charge (from) | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist (outside Australia) | Holidays, cruises, visiting family and friends | Outside Australia | AUD250 | Up to 12 months |
| Tourist (in Australia) | Same purposes, applying while in Australia | In Australia | AUD630 | Up to 12 months |
| Sponsored Family | Visiting family, sponsored usually by a family member | Outside Australia | AUD250 | Up to 12 months |
| Business Visitor | Short business visits; no work or selling goods or services | — | AUD250 | Up to 3 months |
| Approved Destination Status | Citizens from certain areas of China on a tour run by an approved travel agent | Must be in China at grant | AUD250 | Period set in the grant letter |
| Frequent Traveller | Citizens of China, Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or Timor-Leste who travel here often | — | AUD1,845 | Visa up to 10 years; up to 3 months each entry |
Charges are from the Department of Home Affairs visitor visa page, read on 29 October 2026. Lower charges apply from 1 July 2026 for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Other costs (such as health checks) are extra. Charges usually change on 1 July each year.
If you apply outside Australia, you must be outside Australia when the visa is granted. If you apply in Australia, you must be in Australia when it is granted (Migration Regulations, Sch 2 cl 600.411–600.412).
The genuine visitor test
Every applicant must genuinely intend to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose of the visa. The decision-maker looks at (Sch 2 cl 600.211):
- whether you complied with the conditions of your last visa and any bridging visa;
- whether you intend to comply with the conditions of this visa; and
- any other relevant matter.
You must also have enough money, or access to enough money, to support yourself during your stay (cl 600.212). Health and character checks apply (cl 600.213).
If the new visa would let you stay in Australia for more than 12 months in a row on visitor, working holiday or bridging visas, exceptional circumstances must exist (cl 600.215). This catches many people who try to extend a long visit.
Sponsored Family stream
In this stream, the visitor is sponsored. The usual sponsor is a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 and is a relative of the applicant (cl 600.232(2)). "Settled" means lawfully living in Australia for a reasonable period, and "relative" includes close family plus grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews (Migration Regulations reg 1.03). Members of Parliament, mayors and government agencies can also sponsor (cl 600.232(3)–(4)).
The sponsorship must be approved and still in force (cl 600.234). The sponsor completes Form 1149 and the applicant includes it with the application (Department of Home Affairs). The Department may ask the sponsor to lodge a security bond (cl 600.235). The visa is granted with conditions 8101, 8201, 8503 and 8531 (cl 600.612).
The conditions, in plain words
| Condition | What it means | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| 8101 | You must not work in Australia | Tourist, Sponsored Family, ADS streams |
| 8201 | You must not study or train for more than 3 months | Most streams |
| 8501 | You must keep adequate health insurance while in Australia | May be imposed in the Tourist stream |
| 8503 | No further stay: you cannot be granted most other visas while in Australia | Must be imposed: Sponsored Family, sponsored Tourist, Approved Destination Status, Frequent Traveller. May be imposed: other Tourist and Business Visitor (Sch 2 cl 600.611–600.615) |
| 8531 | You must not stay past your visa's end date | Sponsored Family; sponsored Tourist; Frequent Traveller |
Condition wording is from Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations; which stream gets which condition is set by Sch 2 cl 600.611–600.615. Your grant letter lists the conditions on your visa. Read it.
Condition 8503 matters most for families who hope a parent can later apply for another visa in Australia. See condition 8503: no further stay.
Cost and processing time
The charges are in the stream table above. Processing times from the Department's global processing-times tool (tool last updated 29 September 2026, read 29 October 2026):
| Stream | 50% of applications | 90% of applications |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist | 21 days | 33 days |
| Sponsored Family | 40 days | 3 months |
| Business Visitor | 7 days | 19 days |
These are past results, not a promise. Apply well before you plan to travel.
Parents: visitor visa or parent visa?
A visitor visa suits a visit. It does not lead to permanent residence. If your parents want to live in Australia, look at the parent visa options, including the aged parent visas (804 and 864). If a parent needs medical treatment here, the medical treatment visa (602) is the better fit.
If your visitor visa is refused
Whether you can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal to review the refusal depends on where you applied:
- If you applied in Australia, a refusal is generally reviewable, and you must be in Australia when you apply for review (Migration Act s338(2), s347A(2)).
- If you applied outside Australia, a refusal is reviewable only where the visa criteria required you to intend to visit an Australian citizen or permanent resident who is your parent, spouse, de facto partner, child, brother or sister, and their details were in the application. The relative applies for the review (Act s338(7), s347A(1)(c)).
The time limit is strict. See visa refusals and review.
Unsure which stream fits, or refused before? Book a consultation.
How we help
We help families choose the right stream, prepare sponsorship and evidence of genuine visit, and deal with refusals and 8503 questions. We are registered migration agents, not lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work on a visitor visa?
No. Most visitor visas carry condition 8101, which bans work (Sch 8). The Business Visitor stream allows business visitor activities only; the Department says you cannot work or sell goods or services.
How long can I stay?
Up to 12 months in the Tourist and Sponsored Family streams, and up to 3 months in the Business Visitor stream (Department of Home Affairs). The actual period is set in your grant letter.
Do I need health insurance (8501)?
Only if condition 8501 is on your visa. It may be imposed in the Tourist stream (Sch 2 cl 600.611(3)). Check your grant letter.
Can my parents apply from inside Australia for another visa?
It depends on their visa conditions. If their visitor visa has condition 8503, they cannot be granted most other visas while in Australia unless the condition is waived. See condition 8503.
What is a sponsored family visitor visa?
It is the Sponsored Family stream of the 600. A settled Australian citizen or permanent resident relative, aged 18 or over, sponsors the visitor (Sch 2 cl 600.232). The applicant must be outside Australia, and a security bond may be required.
Can I apply again after a refusal?
Often you can, but check first whether a visa condition (such as 8503) or another rule limits you. Fix the reasons in the refusal letter before you reapply. If review is available, the time limit runs from the date you are notified.
Figures current as at 29 October 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.
Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Checked on 29 October 2026 against the Migration Regulations 1994 (compilation No. 289, 2 October 2026) reg 1.03, Sch 2 Part 600 and Sch 8; the Migration Act 1958 (compilation No. 172, 8 October 2026) ss 338 and 347A; the Department of Home Affairs visitor visa pages and processing-times tool (updated 29 September 2026). This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.
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