The visitor visa for Australia
Do you want to holiday in Australia? Ready to the see the sights and experience all the country has to offer?
Then you’ll need a visitor visa for Australia – or you might be turned away at the border after hours and hours of travelling.
Here’s we’ll cover what you should know about the visitor visa:
- What it allows you to do.
- Validity period.
- The processing times.
- Other travel documents you’ll need.
- The other visitor visa subclasses – subclass 651 and 601.
What does the Australian visitor visa (subclass 600) allow?
The subclass 600 lets you visit Australia for reasons such as:
- Holidays;
- Sightseeing;
- Social or recreational reasons; and
- Visiting relatives and friends.
How long will your visa be valid for?
The visitor visa for Australia is issued for up to three, six or 12 months at a time.
How long are the processing times?
You want to start planning your application well in advance! Australia’s Home Affairs notes that visitor visas under the Tourist steam takes between 19 and 27 days to process. In fact, 90 per cent of applications are processed in 27 days.
What other travel documents should you have?
Overseas visitors must present the following documents to officers in immigration clearance in addition to a valid visa:
- Valid passport or other acceptable travel document.
- Complete and signed Incoming Passenger card, including health and character declaration.
What other visitor visa subclasses are there?
There are two other visitor visa subclasses – subclass 651 and 601. These subclasses are only open to passport holders of certain countries.
Subclass 651 – eVisitor visa:
This visa is free to qualifying applicants and only takes between 1 and 2 days to process.
See a list of eligible countries here.
Subclass 601 – Electronic Travel Authority visa:
The subclass 601 visa permits you to visit Australia as many times as you want, for up to a year, and stay up to three months for each visit.
The average processing time is less than a day, but you have to pay a service fee of AU$20.
See a list of eligible countries here.
Need help with your application for a visitor visa for Australia?
Our immigration agents can help you apply for a visitor visa (subclass 600). All you have to do is either call us on +27 (0) 11 234 4275 or send us an email.
Remember, you can expect to wait up to 27 days for your visa, so contact us sooner rather than later!
