This article will help you understand different types of Visitor visas including basic legal requirements, policy and procedures that apply to the Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa to Australia.
There are three visitor visa subclasses available for applicants intending to visit Australia.
- the Subclass 600 visa,
- Subclass 601 (Electronic Travel Authority) visa (the Subclass 601 visa),
- Subclass 651 (eVisitor) visa.
This article focusses on the Subclass 600 visa only.
The objectives of the Subclass 600 visa are to:
- facilitate the entry of genuine tourists, business and family visitors;
Subclass 600 Visa Streams
The Subclass 600 visa is comprised of five distinct streams:
- the Tourist stream;
- the Sponsored Family stream;
- the Business Visitor stream;
- the Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream; and
- the Frequent Traveller stream.
It is important to understand and apply the relevant law as set out in the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) and the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations) to be successful. Many of the requirements in the Act are expressed in objective terms and do not allow any discretion for officers in decision making. To the extent that the Act and Regulations allow for discretion, the Department must consider its approved policy and procedures where relevant however, policy and procedures do not have the force of law.
Applicants are required to identify and apply for the stream of the Subclass 600 visa that is appropriate for the purpose of their visit to Australia. The Subclass 600 application is taken only to be an application for the stream the applicant has identified and will only be assessed against the criteria for the stream the applicant has applied for.
Schedule 1 visa application validity requirements as per MIGRATION REGULATIONS 1994
Item 1236 of Schedule 1 outlines the requirements for making a valid Subclass 600 visa application. Each applicant must make a visa application in their own right.
Table 1: Summary of Schedule 1 requirements for each stream
| Stream | Additional requirements |
| Tourist stream | Item 1 of the table in subitem 1236(3) provides that the application must be made at the place and in the manner specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for this item under subregulation 2.07(5). LIN 21/056 provides that:
|
| Sponsored Family stream | Item 1 of the table in subitem 1236(4) provides that the application must be made at the place and in the manner specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for this item under subregulation 2.07(5). LIN 21/056 provides that the application must be made:
Item 2 of the table in subitem 1236(4) provides that the applicant must be outside Australia. |
| Business Visitor stream | Item 1 of the table in subitem 1236(5) provides that the application must be made at the place and in the manner specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for this item under subregulation 2.07(5). LIN 21/056 provides that
Item 2 of the table in subitem 1236(5) provides that the applicant must be outside Australia. |
| ADS stream | Item 1 of the table in subitem 1236(6) provides that an applicant must be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Item 2 of the table in subitem 1236(6) provides that an applicant must be in the PRC at the time of application. Item 3 of the table in subitem 1236(6) provides that an applicant must be intending to travel to Australia as a member of a tour organised by an approved travel agent specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing for this item (refer to Schedule 1 of LIN 21/056). Item 4 of the table in subitem 1236(6) provides that the application must be made at the place and in the manner specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for this item under subregulation 2.07(5). LIN 21/056 provides that the application must be made through ImmiAccount and indicate it is an application in the ADS stream only. |
| Frequent Traveller stream | Item 1 of the table in subitem 1236(6A) provides that the application must be made at the place and in the manner specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for this item under subregulation 2.07(5). LIN 21/056 provides that the application must be made through ImmiAccount and indicate it is an application in the Frequent Traveller stream only.
Item 2 of the table in subitem 1236(6A) provides that an applicant must be outside Australia and if a place is specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for the purposes of this item under subregulation 2.07(5) – in the specified place. The PRC is specified in subsection 9(2) of LIN 21/056. Item 3 of the table in subitem 1236(6A) provides that an applicant must hold a valid passport of a kind specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument made for the purposes of this item under subregulation 2.07(5). Subsection 9(3) of LIN 21/056 provides that an applicant must hold a valid passport of the PRC indicating that an applicant is a national of the PRC. |
Fee for priority consideration
Regulation 2.12M provides a priority consideration service on request (priority service or ‘fast track’) for applications for a Subclass 600 visa in the Tourist stream or Business Visitor stream lodged by certain passport holders specified in a legislative instrument made under subregulation 2.12M(7), refer to Migration (Priority consideration for certain visitor (Class FA) visa Applications) Instrument (LIN 21/074) 2021. The priority service may be requested by a Subclass 600 visa applicant for a fee that is in addition to the VAC.
Foreign government representatives
Foreign government representatives seeking to travel to Australia on a short term basis may apply for a Subclass 600 visa in the Business Visitor stream with a nil VAC.
Applicants accompanying guests of Government
A guest of Government, as defined in regulation 1.03 of Part 1 of the Regulations, means an official guest of the Australian government, or a member of the immediate family of the official guest who is accompanying the official guest.
Emergency situations and special events
In limited emergency situations and special events, a legislative instrument will be issued by the Minister under subparagraph 1236(2)(a)(iv) to allow for a nil VAC for eligible applicants.
Pacific-Australia Card (PAC) holders
The Pacific-Australia Card (PAC) is a travel facilitation measure designed to streamline travel to Australia for Pacific leaders from a range of fields, including politics, government, business, church, sport and academia. PAC holders applying for a Subclass 600 visa are not eligible for a nil VAC unless they meet subparagraph 1236(2)(a)(iii) or 1236(2)(a)(iv).
Schedule 2 Visa Criteria
Subdivision 600.21 provides the common criteria that must be satisfied by all Subclass 600 visa applicants. In summary, these criteria relate to:
- a genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia (refer to clause 600.211);
- adequate means of support (refer to clause 600.212);
- public interest criteria (PIC) (refer to clause 600.213);
- special return criteria (SRC) (refer to clause 600.214); and
- the total period of stay must not exceed 12 consecutive months unless exceptional circumstances exist for the grant of the visa (refer to clause 600.215).
Genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia – clause 600.211
Clause 600.211 requires that an applicant genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose for which the Subclass 600 visa is granted. To determine whether an applicant has a genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia, a decision maker must consider number of things, which we will discuss and assess in a consultation.
The purpose of clause 600.211 is to protect the integrity of the visitor program by ensuring that decision makers identify, manage and monitor the level of risk of an applicant.
Controversial visitors
Subclass 600 visa applicants who are considered to be controversial visitors will be be referred to a special Unit () for additional assessment against PIC 4001 (Character), PIC 4003(a) (foreign policy interests) and PIC 4003(c) (autonomous travel sanctions) (in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs).
Applicants intending to undertake medical treatment or visit a hospital or health care facility in Australia
The Subclass 602 visa is the appropriate visa option for applicants intending to undertake medical treatment while in Australia.
Sponsorship requirements
Under clause 600.232, Sponsored Family stream applicants must be sponsored by an approved individual or organisation.
Individual sponsors
Under subclause 600.232(2), if an applicant is sponsored by an individual, the sponsor must be:
- at least 18 years of age, and
- a ‘settled’ Australian citizen or settled Australian permanent resident.
- The sponsor is a relative [defined in regulation 1.03 ] of the applicant – paragraph 232(2)(a)
Sponsorship limitations – Regulation 1.20L
- The sponsorship bar
Subregulation 1.20L(4) provides the prescribed circumstances to lift a 5 year bar where the sponsor’s previously sponsored Subclass 600 visa holder did not comply with condition 8531. - The security bond
Clause 600.235 (and 600.225 for applications in the Tourist stream) enables decision makers with section 269 delegation the discretion to request a security bond. - Forfeiture of the security bond
If a sponsored visa holder does not comply with their visa conditions, the security bond is liable for forfeiture.
Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents
Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents intending to visit family in Australia for shorter periods than provided on a Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, are able to apply for a Subclass 600 visa
Non-Standard Visitor Activities
Subclass 600 visa applicants are able to travel to Australia for a range of short term non-work purposes or activities provided they do not breach conditions 8101 or 8115.
Table 2: Guidance for non-standard visitor activities
| Airline crew |
| Business meetings |
| Criminal processing or court cases |
| Domestic family support |
| Domestic workers and assistants |
| Employment vetting |
| Entertainers (including musicians, actors and models) |
| Internships, work experience and unpaid student placements |
| Investors |
| Journalists and media representatives |
| Maritime activities |
| Online work, social media influencers and digital nomads |
| Pilots |
| Religious workers |
| Researchers and academics |
| Service sellers |
| Sports persons |
| Students and student guardians |
| Tour guides, tour leaders and chaperones |
| Tournament participants |
| Volunteer work |
Standard Subclass 600 visa grant periods – all streams
Table 3: Standard Subclass 600 visa grant periods
| Stream | Travel Validity | Stay Period | Entries |
| Outside Australia – Tourist stream | 12 months | 3 months | Multiple entries |
| In Australia – Tourist stream | Total travel validity period until a specified end date (up to 12 months from date of last entry to Australia) | Total stay period until a specified end date (of no more than 12 months from date of last entry to Australia) | Multiple entries |
| Sponsored Family stream | 3 months from the date of grant (or by a specified date in line with the purpose of the proposed visit) |
3 months (unless a sponsor has indicated that their sponsorship is intended to cover a shorter specified period, for example 1 month) |
Single entry |
| Business Visitor stream | 12 months | 3 months | Multiple entries |
| ADS stream | To align with the ADS tour group itinerary plus an additional 7 days after the scheduled departure date from Australia | To align with the ADS tour group itinerary plus an additional 7 days after the scheduled departure date from Australia | Single entry* |
| Frequent Traveller stream | 10 years | 3 months only, refer to paragraph 600.512(2)(b) | Multiple entries only, refer to paragraph 600.512(2)(a) |
Subclass 600 visa – mandatory and discretionary conditions
Table 4: Mandatory and discretionary conditions to be applied for each of the Subclass 600 visa streams
| Visa stream and type of application | Mandatory | Discretionary |
| Tourist stream – if the applicant was not sponsored and was not suffering financial hardship, refer to subclause 600.611(3) | 8101, 8201 | 8501, 8503, 8558 |
| Tourist stream – if the sponsorship in clause 600.224 has been approved by the Minister, refer to subclause 600.611(2) | 8101, 8201, 8503, 8531 | |
| Tourist stream – ‘permission to work’ due to financial hardship, refer to subclause 600.611(4) | 8201 | 8503 |
| Sponsored Family stream, refer to clause 600.612 | 8101, 8201, 8503, 8531 | |
| Business Visitor stream, refer to clause 600.613 | 8115, 8201 | 8503 |
| Approved Destination Status stream, refer to clause 600.614 | 8101, 8207, 8503, 8530 | |
| Frequent Traveller stream, refer to clause 600.615 | 8115, 8201, 8503, 8516, 8527, 8531, 8572, 8573, 8609 (8550*) |
*Subclass 600 visa applications made prior to 29/02/2020 are subject to condition 8550 (if granted), not condition 8609.
Condition 8503 [‘No Further Stay’ condition] ‘The holder will not, after entering Australia, be entitled to be granted a substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while the holder remains in Australia.’