Visas for Australia

Australia may have started as a penal colony where the prerequisite for entrance was cold-hearted crime, but these days, whether you’re looking to visit, work or relocate permanently to the Oceanic nation, you’ll need a visa for Australia. 

 

The good news is that the Australian government makes it easy to understand the visa application process, select an appropriate category and apply accordingly; Visa Wizard, the immigration department’s digital aid, walks travellers and expats alike through a step-by-step system that evaluates your reasons for coming to Australia, the duration of your intended stay, your nationality and your age to effectively advise which visas you’re eligible for. Furthermore, it provides information about how to apply for a specific class of visa, the associated costs, where to apply and more. 

 

That said, though the application process may be streamlined and easy to navigate, it certainly doesn’t guarantee your entrance. 

 

Australia claims an intimidating number of visa categories, and requirements vary immensely. Some merely demand a passport from a certain nation, some evaluate your skill level and education level based on a point system and some are based on familial connection. 

 

Regardless though, it’s always best to do as much research as possible prior to applying for your visa to Australia to simplify the process and to avoid complication.  

 

 

There are four primary categories of tourist visa for Australia, each suitable for a specific time period and for individuals of a specific nationality. It is advised that those applying for tourist visas do so at least two weeks prior to their intended date of travel. 

 

 

This visa is for tourists and travellers to Australia who are visiting for less than three months, and who hold passports from a designated list of nations. 

 

►List of nations eligible for visitor visa application

 

Certain citizens can process their application online, while others can only apply through service providers, like tour operators, travel agents, etc. 

 

This visa is not extendable and cannot be granted from within Australia. Thus, if you have travelled to Australia on this visa and wish to stay longer, you’ll need to apply for another visa at least two weeks prior to its expiration. 

 

 

This visa is for European passport holders or UK passport holders who wish to visit Australia for three months or less. It can only be applied for online, and the application must be made outside of Australia. No charge is associated with application.

 

Visa approval is granted via email notification, and it is merely necessary to show this notification to passport control upon arrival in Australia.

 

As with the subclass 976 visitor visa, this visa is not extendable, and travellers who wish to extend their stay in Australia will need to apply for a different visa at least two weeks prior to its expiration. 

 

 

This visa is for passport holders who do not qualify for a subclass 976 or subclass 651 visa, and for those who wish to extend their stay from within Australia. It qualifies successful applicants to stay in Australia for up to twelve months, and can also allow for multiple entries. 

 

It claims the most demanding application process, and has different requirements for different situations. In general, applicants may be asked to prove they meet certain health requirements, that they meet certain character requirements, that they have appropriate insurance and that they have sufficient financial means. 

 

Individuals can apply for this type of visa at their local Australian consulate or embassy, or can apply within Australia at the appropriate immigration department branch. 

 

►Document Checklist for Australian Visitor Visa Subclass 676

 

 

This visa is for those who wish to visit a family member in Australia for 12 months or less. In order to apply, the family member you’re visiting must act as your sponsor, and must assume responsibility for you adhering to the rules associated with the visa. They must also either be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia who is over 18 years of age and who has been residing in Australia for at least two years.

 

As is the case with the subclass 676 visa, applicants for this visa type must meet certain requirements depending on their nationality and situation. 

 

Application for this visa type can only be made by sponsors within Australia on behalf of applicants. Thus, it’s necessary to complete the visa application and then send it to the sponsor, who will do their half of the process and get the ball rolling. 

 

 

It’s no secret that Australia is prime pensioner territory, and as a result, the government has made retirement visas available for those interested in living out their twilight years in the Land of Oz. In order to qualify though, applicants must be over 55 years of age. 

 

It’s also important to note that these visas are technically temporary, and cannot lead to permanent residence or citizenship. 

 

 

Those who wish to journey to retire in Australia on this visa will need to satisfy a number of requirements, a large portion of them financial. 

 

►Requirements for Subclass 405 Visa

 

Though if you do manage to tick all the boxes, you will win the right to a four-year, extendable stay in Australia that also allows you to bring your partner with you, and to leave and re-enter the country within that period as many times as you like. Furthermore, you can even work legally for 20 hours a week. 

 

In order to jumpstart the application process you’ll need to gain sponsorship from the state or territory in which you wish to reside, and before approval you’ll need to make a significant financial investment within that territory. 

 

 

Those individuals who are partnered to visa subclass 405 holders, or who hold a subclass 410 visa and wish to extend it, can apply for this visa. Expats should realise that if you are a new retirement applicant that does not have a partner who had or has a retirement visa, then you cannot apply for this visa type. 

 

This retirement visa entitles you to a 10-year stay in Australia, and also grants you unlimited working rights. However, it does not qualify you for many of the other rights possessed by citizens or residents, like welfare. 

 

Under this visa you are expected to be self-sufficient in Oz. 

 

►Document checklist for Subclass 410 Visas