The Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) allows you to travel to Australia:
- As a tourist or for business visitor activities;
- To see family.
The visitor visa is available under several streams and will allow you to visit Australia for 3, 6 or 12 months depending on the request, stream and circumstances. Some visas will also be granted with multiple entry facilities meaning, for example, you can travel to Australia multiple times within a 12 month period with each stay not exceeding 3 months.
The streams available are:
- Tourist Stream – This is the most common stream allowing you to enter Australia to sightsee, visit family and friends etc.
- Sponsored Family Stream – This visa allows you to come to Australia to visit Australian family members. This stream will require an Australian family member to sponsor you.
- Business Visitor Stream – This visa allows you to come to Australia for short business visits however you cannot work (paid or unpaid).
- Approved Destination Stream – This stream is for citizens from certain areas of China visiting Australia on organised tours.
- Frequent Traveller – If you are from China, you may be eligible for this stream that allows you to travel to Australia on multiple occasions over a span of 10 years.
Each stream carries slightly different visa conditions and requirements. Therefore, it is always best to consult with a professional before you apply to ensure you pick the correct stream.
For all streams, you will be required to demonstrate that you are a genuine temporary entrant (GTE). GTE means that you genuinely intend to remain in Australia temporarily only and that you have plans to and have a genuine intention to return to your home country. People that may have difficulty meeting this requirement include:
- They have more family members in Australia than in their home country demonstrating a strong tie to Australia;
- They do not have much assets or property forming a reason for them to return to their home country;
- People from high-risk countries (these are countries that have a high rate of visitors who tend to overstay in Australia);
- People who have no particular reason to return to their home country e.g. unemployed, retired etc;
- People from politically unstable areas.
One other requirement is to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support your travel and stay in Australia.
