Overview
Australia Visa
Australia offers a range of visa options for people who want to visit, study, work, join family members, start a business, or migrate permanently.
The correct Australian visa depends on the applicant’s purpose of travel, nationality, age, qualifications, work experience, English-language ability, financial circumstances, family situation and other eligibility factors.
Dream Visa Guide provides general information about Australian visa categories, eligibility requirements, application procedures, documentation, costs and pathways to permanent residence.
Main Australia Visa Categories
Australian visas can broadly be divided into the following categories:
- Visitor Visas
- Student Visas
- Graduate Visas
- Skilled Migration Visas
- Employer-Sponsored Visas
- Regional Visas
- Family and Partner Visas
- Business and Investment Visas
- Working Holiday Visas
- Talent and Innovation Visas
- Humanitarian and Protection Visas
- Special Purpose and Other Visas
Australia Visitor Visas
Visitor visas are designed for people who want to travel to Australia temporarily for tourism, visiting family and friends, business visitor activities or other permitted purposes.
Important visitor-related visas include:
Visitor Visa — Subclass 600
The Visitor Visa (subclass 600) can allow eligible applicants to visit Australia temporarily.
Depending on the stream, it may be used for:
- Tourism
- Visiting family or friends
- Certain business visitor activities
- Other permitted short-term visits
Applicants generally need to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of their particular stream and, where applicable, that they genuinely intend to stay temporarily.
Electronic Travel Authority — Subclass 601
The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is available to eligible passport holders and allows short visits to Australia for permitted purposes.
Eligibility depends on nationality and other requirements.
eVisitor — Subclass 651
The eVisitor is available to eligible passport holders and is intended for short visits for tourism or business visitor purposes.
Transit Visa — Subclass 771
The Transit Visa allows eligible travellers to transit through Australia in circumstances covered by the visa requirements.
Australia Student Visa
Student Visa — Subclass 500
The Student Visa (subclass 500) allows eligible international students to study in Australia.
Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, the application may involve:
- An Australian educational institution
- Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
- Genuine Student requirement
- Financial capacity
- English-language evidence where applicable
- Health requirements
- Character requirements
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
- Passport and identity documents
The Student Visa may also provide work rights subject to the conditions attached to the visa.
Student Guardian Visa — Subclass 590
The Student Guardian Visa is designed for eligible parents, legal guardians or qualifying relatives who need to accompany a student who is under 18 or otherwise requires a guardian in accordance with Australian requirements.
Temporary Graduate Visa
Temporary Graduate Visa — Subclass 485
The Temporary Graduate Visa provides eligible international graduates with an opportunity to remain in Australia temporarily after completing an eligible Australian qualification.
Eligibility depends on the relevant stream, qualification, age, study and other requirements.
The visa may provide work rights, subject to the applicable visa conditions.
Applicants should check the current requirements because the Temporary Graduate visa has undergone significant changes in recent years.
Skilled Migration Visas
Australia operates several skilled migration pathways for workers with qualifications and experience in occupations needed by the Australian economy.
Major skilled visas include:
- Skilled Independent Visa — subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated Visa — subclass 190
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa — subclass 491
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa — subclass 191
Requirements can involve:
- Occupation eligibility
- Skills assessment
- English-language ability
- Age
- Qualifications
- Skilled employment experience
- Points test
- State or territory nomination, where applicable
- Invitation to apply
- Health requirements
- Character requirements
Skilled Independent Visa — Subclass 189
The Skilled Independent visa is a points-tested skilled migration pathway for eligible applicants who do not require nomination by an Australian state or territory.
Applicants generally need to:
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
- Have an eligible occupation
- Obtain a suitable skills assessment
- Meet the applicable English requirement
- Meet the age requirement
- Achieve the required points
- Receive an invitation
- Meet health and character requirements
The subclass 189 visa can provide a pathway to Australian permanent residence.
Skilled Nominated Visa — Subclass 190
The Skilled Nominated visa is a permanent skilled visa for eligible skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian state or territory government.
Applicants generally need:
- An eligible occupation
- A suitable skills assessment
- English-language ability
- An eligible points score
- State or territory nomination
- An invitation
- Health and character clearance
Each state and territory may apply its own nomination criteria.
Skilled Work Regional Visa — Subclass 491
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is designed for eligible skilled workers who want to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia.
Applicants may be nominated by an Australian state or territory or sponsored by an eligible family member, depending on the relevant pathway.
The visa can provide a pathway toward permanent residence if the applicant later satisfies the requirements for the relevant permanent visa.
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) — Subclass 191
The subclass 191 visa is a permanent residence pathway for eligible holders of certain regional provisional visas.
Applicants must satisfy the applicable residence, income and other requirements.
Employer-Sponsored Visas
Australia provides several employer-sponsored immigration pathways.
Important visas include:
- Skills in Demand Visa — subclass 482
- Employer Nomination Scheme — subclass 186
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — subclass 494
Skills in Demand Visa — Subclass 482
The Skills in Demand visa allows eligible skilled workers to work in Australia for an approved sponsoring employer under the relevant stream.
Applicants may need:
- An eligible occupation
- A sponsoring employer
- Nomination
- Relevant skills and experience
- English-language ability where required
- Health clearance
- Character clearance
The exact requirements depend on the stream.
This visa replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa.
Employer Nomination Scheme — Subclass 186
The Employer Nomination Scheme provides a permanent residence pathway for eligible skilled workers nominated by an Australian employer.
There are different pathways within the visa program, and eligibility depends on the relevant stream.
Applicants may need to satisfy requirements relating to:
- Employer nomination
- Occupation
- Skills and experience
- Age
- English
- Licensing or registration
- Health
- Character
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — Subclass 494
The subclass 494 visa allows eligible skilled workers to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia when sponsored by an eligible employer.
It may provide a pathway to permanent residence through the applicable regional pathway.
Family and Partner Visas
Australia provides several visas for people who want to join eligible family members in Australia.
Major family visa categories include:
- Partner Visas
- Prospective Marriage Visa
- Child Visas
- Parent Visas
- Carer Visas
- Remaining Relative Visas
- Aged Dependent Relative Visas
Partner Visas
Australia’s Partner visa system generally involves temporary and permanent stages.
Partner Visa — Offshore
The combined partner pathway includes:
- Partner (Provisional) visa — subclass 309
- Partner (Migrant) visa — subclass 100
These visas are generally used by eligible partners who are outside Australia when applying for the provisional stage.
Partner Visa — Onshore
The onshore pathway includes:
- Partner (Temporary) visa — subclass 820
- Partner (Permanent) visa — subclass 801
Applicants must satisfy the relationship and other relevant requirements.
Evidence may include:
- Marriage certificate
- Evidence of living arrangements
- Financial evidence
- Social evidence
- Communication records
- Evidence of the relationship history
The exact evidence required depends on the circumstances.
Prospective Marriage Visa — Subclass 300
The Prospective Marriage visa allows an eligible person to come to Australia to marry their prospective spouse.
After marriage, the applicant may be able to apply for a Partner visa if the relevant requirements are met.
Child Visas
Australia has several visa pathways for eligible children of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Examples include:
- Child Visa — subclass 101
- Dependent Child Visa — subclass 445
Eligibility depends on the child’s relationship, age, dependency and the parent’s immigration status.
Parent Visas
Australia has several parent visa categories.
Examples include:
- Parent Visa — subclass 103
- Contributory Parent Visa — subclass 143
- Contributory Parent (Temporary) — subclass 173
- Aged Parent Visa — subclass 804
Parent visa requirements can include the Balance-of-Family Test, sponsorship, assurance of support, health and character requirements, and other criteria.
Some parent visas can have very long processing periods.
Carer Visa — Subclass 116
The Carer visa may allow an eligible person to move to Australia to provide long-term care to a qualifying relative who has a medical condition or disability and meets the relevant requirements.
Business and Investment Migration
Australia has historically offered business and investment migration pathways.
However, the availability of business and investment visas has changed significantly.
Applicants should check whether a particular program is open to new applications before relying on information published online.
Dream Visa Guide should clearly distinguish current programs from closed or legacy business migration categories.
National Innovation Visa — Subclass 858
The National Innovation Visa is designed for exceptionally talented individuals who can make a significant contribution to Australia.
Potential applicants may include highly accomplished individuals in areas such as:
- Global research
- Technology
- Critical technologies
- Entrepreneurship
- Renewable energy
- Health
- Agriculture
- Arts and other eligible fields
The visa is invitation-based and highly selective.
Applicants generally need strong evidence of exceptional achievement and recognition.
Working Holiday Visas
Australia operates working holiday arrangements with eligible countries and jurisdictions.
The main visas are:
Working Holiday Visa — Subclass 417
The Working Holiday visa allows eligible young people from participating countries to holiday and undertake permitted work in Australia.
Work and Holiday Visa — Subclass 462
The Work and Holiday visa is available to eligible passport holders from participating countries and has additional eligibility requirements compared with some subclass 417 arrangements.
Age, nationality, education, English and other requirements can vary.
Protection Visa — Subclass 866
The Protection visa is intended for eligible people in Australia who meet Australia’s protection obligations.
This is a specialised humanitarian and protection pathway.
Applicants should obtain appropriate professional immigration advice where necessary because protection applications involve complex legal and factual requirements.
Special Category Visa — Subclass 444
The Special Category visa is available to eligible New Zealand citizens who meet the relevant requirements for entry to Australia.
It is an important visa pathway for qualifying New Zealand citizens.
Former Resident Visa — Subclass 151
The Former Resident visa is a permanent visa available in specific circumstances to certain former Australian permanent residents and former citizens who meet the applicable requirements.
Bridging Visas
Bridging visas are temporary visas that can allow eligible people to remain lawfully in Australia while their immigration status or another visa application is being resolved.
Common bridging visas include:
- Bridging Visa A — subclass 010
- Bridging Visa B — subclass 020
- Bridging Visa C — subclass 030
- Bridging Visa E — subclass 050/051
Bridging visa conditions differ and can include restrictions relating to work and travel.
Australian Visa Application Process
Although the procedure differs between visa subclasses, many applications involve the following steps:
- Identify the correct visa.
- Check eligibility requirements.
- Gather supporting documents.
- Obtain a skills assessment if required.
- Obtain an English-language test result if required.
- Obtain sponsorship or nomination if required.
- Submit an Expression of Interest if required.
- Receive an invitation where applicable.
- Submit the visa application.
- Pay the applicable visa application charge.
- Complete health examinations if requested or required.
- Provide police/character documents where required.
- Provide biometrics if requested.
- Respond to requests for additional information.
- Wait for the visa decision.
Common Australian Visa Requirements
Depending on the visa subclass, applicants may need to demonstrate:
- Identity
- Age
- Qualifications
- Work experience
- English-language ability
- Financial capacity
- Health
- Character
- Genuine temporary stay, where applicable
- Relationship with family members
- Sponsorship
- State or territory nomination
- Skills assessment
- Employment offer
- Relevant registration or licensing
Not every requirement applies to every visa.
Australian Visa Skills Assessment
A skills assessment is required for many skilled migration pathways.
The assessing authority depends on the applicant’s nominated occupation.
For example, different occupations may be assessed by organisations such as:
- ACS
- Engineers Australia
- VETASSESS
- TRA
- AHPRA
- Other relevant assessing authorities
Applicants should identify the correct occupation and assessing authority before submitting a skilled migration application.
English-Language Requirements
English-language requirements depend on the visa subclass.
Accepted tests and minimum scores can differ between visa categories.
Applicants should check the current Department of Home Affairs requirements before booking a test or submitting an application.
Health and Character Requirements
Applicants may be required to satisfy Australian health and character requirements.
This can involve:
- Medical examinations
- Chest X-ray
- Health assessments
- Police certificates
- Character declarations
- Additional documentation where requested
The requirements depend on the visa and applicant’s circumstances.
Australian Visa Refusal Reasons
Applications can be refused for various reasons, including:
- Failure to meet visa criteria
- Incorrect or incomplete information
- Insufficient supporting evidence
- Failure to satisfy health requirements
- Failure to satisfy character requirements
- Problems with sponsorship or nomination
- Failure to meet English requirements
- Inadequate financial evidence
- Failure to meet genuine temporary entrant/visitor requirements where applicable
- Incorrect occupation or skills assessment
- Failure to respond to requests from the Department
- Providing misleading or false information
Applicants should carefully review their refusal decision before deciding whether to reapply, seek review or pursue another available option.
Australia Visa Fees
Australian visa application charges vary according to:
- Visa subclass
- Main applicant
- Additional applicants
- Application location
- Visa stream
- Other circumstances
Fees can change. Applicants should always check the current Department of Home Affairs fee schedule before submitting an application.
The safest source is the Australian Department of Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visa-pricing-estimator
Australian Visa Processing Times
Processing times vary significantly between visa subclasses.
Factors can include:
- Type of visa
- Number of applications
- Completeness of application
- Health checks
- Character checks
- External verification
- Requests for additional information
- Complexity of the case
- Migration program priorities
A published processing estimate is not a guarantee of a decision within a particular period.
Can an Australian Visa Lead to Permanent Residence?
Some Australian visas are temporary, while others are permanent.
Potential permanent residence pathways can include:
- Skilled migration
- Employer sponsorship
- Partner/family migration
- Regional migration
- Talent and innovation pathways
- Other specific permanent visa categories
The availability of a permanent pathway depends on the visa subclass and the applicant’s circumstances.