Visitor & Working Holiday Visas

The Visitor (subclass 600) visa allows individuals to enter Australia as a tourist, to see family and friends or business visitor purposes. Generally, tourism purposes include

Generally, tourism purposes include holidays, social or recreational, visit friends or family, while business visitor purposes may include making general business or employment enquiry, exploratory business visit such as negotiating business contracts, or attending a conference or seminar. As a holder of a visitor visa you cannot work in Australia – that is, you cannot work or provide services to any business / organisation in Australia, or sell goods or services to the public whilst in Australia.

The visa consists of six streams:

1. Tourist stream (apply in Australia)
2. Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)
3. Sponsored family stream
4. Business visitor stream
5. Approved Destination Status stream
6. Frequent traveller stream

All visitor visa streams require that the applicant ‘genuinely intend’ to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose for which the visa is granted.

To determine whether an applicant has genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia, a decision maker must consider the following:

• Whether an applicant has complied substantially with the conditions of their last substantive visa or any subsequent bridging visa
• Whether an applicant intends to comply with the conditions to which the Subclass 600 visa would be subject
• ‘any other relevant matter’ which includes (this list is not exhaustive):
  • an applicant’s employment and financial circumstances;
  • the economic situation in an applicant’s home country or usual country of residence;
  • social unrest or conflict in an applicant’s home country or usual country of residence;
  • an applicant’s incentive to return to their home country or usual country of residence;
  • an applicant’s international travel history, in particular, compliant travel to other developed countries;
  • an applicant’s ties to Australia and incentives to remain in Australia;
  • the credibility and consistency of the information provided by an applicant;
  • offers of support provided by family and friends in Australia which may substantiate reasons for travel;
  • whether there are any compelling or compassionate reasons to travel

Generally these visas are granted for 12 months with a stay period of 3 months.