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Tourist Visas

Illustration showing a family exploring tourist attractions in Australia, representing assistance with tourist visa applications by AMEC.

Tourist Visas

This visa allows you to explore Australia as a tourist, visit family, or engage in business activities. You can apply for this visa whether you’re inside or outside Australia. For instance, if you’re already in Australia and wish to prolong your stay, you can apply from within the country. However, if you’re outside Australia during the application, you must remain outside when the visa is granted. Conversely, if you lodge your application while inside Australia, you need to be present in the country at the time the visa is granted.

Entry Single or Multiple
Duration 3 or 6 or 12 months
Work No work rights
Study Up to 3 months maximum
GTE Statement of purpose required to prove genuine intention
funds Require showing funds to cover cost of trip, accommodation, and travel

Various streams of Tourist Visa

Tourist visa can be applied under various streams as mentioned below.

Subclass 600 – Tourist Stream

Subclass 600 – Visitor Visa – Sponsored Family Stream

Subclass 600 – Business Visitor Stream

Subclass 601 – Electronic Travel Authority

Subclass 651 – eVisitor

Tourist Visa (Subclass 600)

This stream is best for you if you intend to travel to Australia to visit as a tourist or you intend to travel to Australia to visit your family/relatives.

Business Visitor Stream (Subclass 600)

This visa suits those traveling to Australia for business purposes. While it doesn’t grant work rights, it allows engagement in business-related activities. Visitors can conduct general business inquiries, negotiate contracts, participate in government visits, or attend conferences, trade fairs, or seminars. Notably, participants in these activities shouldn’t receive payment from organizers. For instance, a board member attending a company meeting shouldn’t perform work duties on behalf of the Australian business.

Visitor Visa (Family Sponsored Stream Subclass 600)

If you have a family member who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, residing in Australia for at least 2 years (unless in exceptional situations), and is at least 18 years old, they can sponsor you for a visitor visa in the sponsored family stream. The sponsor should be a relative of the visa applicant or another family unit member related to the applicant or vice versa.

Who is considered as a relative for this purpose?

This includes your partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, as well as stepfamily relations like stepparents, stepchildren, stepsiblings, and more.

Who is not eligible to be a sponsor?

Fiance, In-laws, Cousin, Friend, New Zealand citizen.

Examples of whom you can sponsor:

A sponsor can support multiple applicants simultaneously. For instance, you can sponsor both your parents and your sister concurrently. However, each application undergoes separate assessment, even if sponsored simultaneously. Additionally, if your brother-in-law applies with his daughter (your niece), you can sponsor your brother-in-law. Similarly, if your uncle and his daughter (your cousin) apply, you can sponsor his daughter in this case as well.

Security Bond:

You might be required to deposit a bond, typically ranging from AUD 5,000 to AUD 15,000 per person. However, the Department might ask for varying amounts. It’s crucial to afford the requested sum before the visa decision. This deposit is fully refundable when the visitor adheres to visa conditions and departs Australia before visa expiry.

Limitation on Sponsorships:

If you’ve sponsored someone to visit Australia and their visa was approved but hasn’t yet expired, you can only sponsor other members of their family who want to visit for the same reason. For instance:

Let’s say you sponsored your uncle’s visit. His visa is still valid, and now his daughter (your cousin) and your mother want to visit before his visa expires. In this case, you can only sponsor your uncle’s daughter (your cousin) because she’s a part of his family unit. However, she must also intend to visit for the same purpose as your uncle’s initial visit. If her application states a different reason, her visa might get refused. You’ll only be able to sponsor your mother after your uncle’s visa has expired.

Now, if you sponsored someone and their visa has expired because they didn’t follow the visa conditions, you won’t be able to sponsor another person for five years from the date their previous visa was granted. However, there’s an exception: if the previous visitor breached condition 8531 (staying beyond the visa period) due to circumstances beyond their control after entering Australia, this restriction can be waived. But generally, the five-year limitation applies if the previous visitor didn’t comply with their visa conditions.

Subclass 601 and 651:

The subclasses 601 and 651 are the most cost-effective and quickest tourist visa options compared to other streams. However, eligibility for these streams depends on holding a passport from specific countries, as outlined below.

Subclass 601 eligible passports

Andorra Finland Liechtenstein Romania
Austria France Lithuania Republic of San Marino
Belgium Germany Luxembourg Slovak Republic
Bulgaria Greece Malta Slovenia
Croatia Hungary Monaco Spain
Cyprus Iceland The Netherlands Sweden
Czech Republic Ireland Norway Switzerland
Denmark Italy Poland United Kingdom – British Citizen
Estonia Latvia Portugal Vatican City

Last updated December 2022

Subclass 651 eligible passports

Andorra Finland Liechtenstein Romania
Austria France Lithuania Republic of San Marino
Belgium Germany Luxembourg Slovak Republic
Bulgaria Greece Malta Slovenia
Croatia Hungary Monaco Spain
Cyprus Iceland The Netherlands Sweden
Czech Republic Ireland Norway Switzerland
Denmark Italy Poland United Kingdom – British Citizen
Estonia Latvia Portugal Vatican City

Last updated December 2022

You cannot apply for subclass 651 with:

  • a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or other travel document
  • a British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, or British Subject passport

All other countries can apply for Subclass 600 under Tourist/Visitor or Business visitor stream.

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