Who should apply for 600 Visa?
The Visitor Visa is for you if you genuinely intend to visit Australia as a tourist, to see family and friends or for purposes other than business or medical treatment.
There are 5 streams,
- Tourist stream: stay of up to 12 months.
- Must be to visit an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident, who is a parent, spouse, de facto partner, child, brother or sister. If you have held a student visa since last entry to Australia, the visitor visa is not to be used for continuing enrolled courses.
- Sponsored Family stream: stay of up to 12 months.
- Additional requirement: You must not hold a 403 visa when applying for the visitor visa. You need to be sponsored by a family member who at least 18 years old and is an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Australia. The family member will need to pay a security bond and they could be,
- a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, or a step-grandparent, step-grandchild, step-aunt, step-uncle, step-niece or step-nephew.
- the spouse or de facto partner of the person; or
- the child*, parent, brother or sister of the person; or
- a step-child, step-brother or step-sister of the person.
- Business Visitor stream: stay of up to 3 months.
- Additional requirement: you must not sell goods and services or work during the stay.
- Approved Destination Status stream: for People’s Republic of China (excluding SARs) who visit Australia with an organised tour group.
- Additional requirement: you must only stay with the tour group.
- Frequent Traveller stream: visa can be granted for up to 10 years
- Additional requirement: must hold a passport from the People’s Republic of China (SARs excluded) AND before applying, you must provide biometrics within the PRC.
- Additional requirement: You must not hold a 403 visa when applying for the visitor visa. You need to be sponsored by a family member who at least 18 years old and is an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Australia. The family member will need to pay a security bond and they could be,
Application
You must be generally be outside of Australia before the grant of the 600 visitor visa.
Total stay should not exceed 12 consecutive months
The Visitor visa cannot be extended or renewed once it expires.
However, if your circumstances change unexpectedly (or the circumstances of an Australian citizen or permanent resident change) and are beyond control and extraordinary; or if you need to stay in Australia to provide assistance or support due to the death, serious illness or serious medical condition of a close family in Australia, you must provide additional supporting documents to the Department such as,
- documentary evidence from a medical practitioner outlining details of the family member’s serious medical condition as well as the circumstances requiring the applicant to provide assistance.
- provide a police certificate(s) or undertake a health examination
Processing Times
Tourist stream (applying from inside or outside of Australia)
75 percent of applications processed in 26 days.
90 percent of applications processed in 37 days.
Sponsored Family stream
75 percent of applications processed in 45 days.
90 percent of applications processed in 50 days.
Business Visitor stream
75 percent of applications processed in 9 days.
90 percent of applications processed in 25 days.
Approved Destination Status stream
Processing times not available.
Frequent Traveller stream
Processing times not available.
Start to prepare your 600 Visa Application
MANDATORY FORMS
Form 1419 (Internet)
Form 1229 ‘Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years’ is required for applicants travelling with only one parent
Form 1257 ‘Undertaking Declaration’ are required for all applicants under the age of 18 years travelling with someone other than a parent, legal guardian, or a relative
*Form 1149 (Application for sponsorship for Sponsored Family Visitors)
CHARACTER
Form 80 Declaration
Military Discharge Papers
Police Check from Residence Abroad
AFP Police Certificate
IDENTITY – Applicant
Certified copy of applicant passport and national identity documents
Certified copy of applicant Birth Certificate
Certified copy of applicant Police Records in all countries of residence
Recent passport-size photo of applicant
