Traveling to a new country entails extensive planning, especially if your goal is to stay there for a long period of time. If you’re an adventurous soul like us, you already know that the first thing to do, once you’ve chosen a destination, is to find out if that country requires you to get a visa to enter. Therefore, today we’ll walk you through the criteria needed to get a visa for Australia.
This exotic destination has a wide range of visa options for each traveler. However, it is important to mention that these depend solely on your personal status, the bilateral agreements between your home country and Australia, and other temporary terms and conditions, such as the volume of applications they can process at a given time.
Stick around to learn more about the costs, types of visa, requirements, and the application process. This article may be your pass to Australia!
Types of Visa for Australia
Before applying for a visa, you should take into account some aspects that could determine what type of visa you need. This is a list of some of the most common conditions:
- Purpose of your stay: travel, study, work, visit a family member
- Time you want to stay in the country: short, medium or long term
- Whether you are traveling alone
- Age
- Nationality
- Level of training and work experience
- English level
- Financial solvency
As mentioned previously, getting a visa for Australia will depend on your personal status and the purpose of you visit, however, there are four main types of visas that you should know of:
- Tourist and visitor
- Studying and training
- Working and skilled visas (temporary or permanent)
- Family and partner visas
If you are not sure what type of visa best suits your needs, visit the Australian Government’s Visa Finder.
Tourist visa for Australia
The tourist visa for Australia is one of the most requested visas and it is designed for those who travel for any of the following reasons:
- Sightseeing
- Studying for a period of less than 3 months without the option to work
- Visiting a family member or acquaintance
- Doing business as a visitor
Depending on your purpose and your nationality, you will either require a visa to enter Australia, or simply a tourist card. Nevertheless, there are two types of tourist visa that you can choose:
- Visitor Visa (subclass 600)
- eVisitor (subclass 651)
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
With this type of visa, you can enter Australia for the purpose of sightseeing, visiting a family member or taking a business trip for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months. It can be requested from within or from outside Australia.
Cost of Visitor Visa 600
- $ 140 if requested from outside Australia (offshore)
- $ 345 if requested from within Australia (onshore)
Requirements to obtain the Visitor Visa
To apply for this visa, outside Australia, you must present the following documents:
- Sufficient financial evidence to cover all travel expenses. Example: bank statements, paycheck statements, recent annual tax returns (if applicable).
- If you are an employee, a letter from the employer indicating the type of contract, seniority, salary and vacation period granted.
- As a student, you must present the certificate of the school, university or institute where you are going to study (LoO or Letter of Offer). If you are going to visit family or friends, you’ll need an an invitation letter. If your family member or friend is paying for your stay, you must provide evidence of the funds available to cover these expenses.
- Any information that indicates that you have incentives to return to your country such as assets or documentation.
Get more info about the Visitor visa for Australia here.
eVisitor Visa (Subclass 651)
The eVisitor Visa is pretty similar to the Visitor Visa 600, but it is free and can only be requested by people from certain countries from outside Australia. It is usually granted in approximately 48 hours, and allows you to stay for up to one year with the condition that you leave the country every three months.
Which countries can apply for the eVisitor Visa?
- Most of European countries including Spain and Andorra.
- No country in Latin America is on the list, so, in this case, the Visitor Visa is the best bet.
Find more about the eVisitor here.
Are you allowed to work with a tourist visa in Australia?
The answer is ‘no’! Although there are a lot of people who are willing to take the risk of working illegally with a tourist visa, we strongly suggest our Growers to choose a different path.
Otherwise, you risk being deported by the Australian authorities and getting banned from entering Australia or other countries such as Canada, the United States or New Zealand for a period of 10 years.
Student Visa for Australia (500)
To get this visa, you can apply in or outside Australia. It is valid up to 5 years upon your enrollment. Just keep in mind that the type of course will determine the length of stay. The student visa, as of 2020, costs AUD620.
The great thing about this visa is that you can bring family members to Australia with you! Although it comes at a cost. With the student visa for Australia you can travel in and out Australia and work up to 40 hours every 2-week period while studying.
Some things you need to to keep in mind:
If you decide to stay longer after graduating, you might be eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa (485). Check eligibility and visa processing times.
Work and Holiday Visa (462)
This visa allows you to work full time for one year in Australia with the possibility of extending a second year.
- It is limited to certain countries including Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Peru (none more from Latin America).
- You need to be over 18 years old and under 31 or 36 years of age, depending on the country.
- There is a limited amount of visas, depending on the country, that is renewed every year.
- It can only be requested once in a lifetime.
- After six months, you must change your employer.
- Must be ordered from outside Australia.
- If you want to know how to apply step by step for the Work and Holiday visa, find out here!
First Work and Holiday Visa (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old
- Cost: AUD845
- Have a passport from any eligible country
- Work while you living in Australia
- Apply for a second Work and Holiday visa if you meet certain eligibility criteria
Second Work and Holiday Visa (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old
- Cost: AUD845
- Being this their 2nd time applying for a Work and Holiday Visa
- Have a passport from any eligible country
- You can do any kind of work
- You must have completed 3 months of specified subclass 462 work while holding your first (subclass 462) visa
- Allows you to apply for a third Work and Holiday visa if you meet certain eligibility criteria.
Third Work and Holiday Visa (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old.
- Cost: AUD845.
- Being this their 3rd time applying for a Work and Holiday Visa.
- Have a passport from any eligible country.
- You can do any kind of work.
- You must have completed 6 months of specified subclass 462 work while holding your second (subclass 462) visa.
For more information about the Work and Holiday Visa, click here.
Working Holiday Visa for Australia (417)
This type of visa should not be confused with the Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) because, although they are similar, there are very important differences. The Working Holiday Visa is only available for certain countries, most of them European, but it is not available for any country in Latin America or for Spain.
France or Italy, among others, are eligible to apply for this visa. So, if you have dual nationality and a passport from one of these countries, you may be able to apply for it.
First Working Holiday Visa for Australia (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old – Canadian, French, and Irish citizens 18 to 35
- Cost: AUD845
- Have a passport from any eligible country
- Work while you living in Australia
- Apply for a second Work and Holiday visa if you meet certain eligibility criteria
Second Working Holiday Visa for Australia (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old – Canadian, French, and Irish citizens 18 to 35
- Cost: AUD845
- Being this their 2nd time applying for a Working Holiday Visa
- Have a passport from any eligible country
- You can do any kind of work
- You must have completed 3 months of specified subclass 462 work while holding your first (subclass 417) visa
- Allows you to apply for a third Work and Holiday visa (if you meet certain eligibility criteria)
Third Working Holiday Visa for Australia (Requirements)
- Age range: 18 to 30 years old – Canadian, French, and Irish citizens 18 to 35
- Cost: AUD845
- Being this their 3rd time applying for a Working Holiday Visa
- Have a passport from any eligible country
- You can do any kind of work
- You must have completed 6 months of specified subclass 462 work while holding your second (subclass 417) visa
Find more information about the Working Holiday Visa here!
Temporary Graduate Visa (485)
This visa lets you stay in Australia for a period of 3 to 5 years, after completing university studies in the country.
Therefore, you can only obtain this visa if you have previously studied a Bachelor’s, Postgraduate, Master’s or PhD in Australia. You must apply for this visa while you are in possession of the previous visa and always before 6 months have passed since the end of your course.
Although the cost of this visa can vary you’ll pay around AUD1,500. More information about the Temporary Graduate Visa here.
Sponsorship Visa
You are eligible to apply for this visa if an Australian company decides to hire you for a minimum of two years. Obtaining this visa means that an Australian company is betting on you as a worker and is willing to pay for you to stay working with them.
Characteristics of the sponsorship visa:
- It is a temporary work visa linked to a specific company
- You must work exclusively for that company
- You can bring your partner and family with you
- May require to demonstrate a proficient level of English
Skilled Shortage Visa (190)
This visa aims to incorporate, into the Australian labor market, professional profiles that the country lacks. In order to apply, there is a list of the most demanded professions where you must check if your profile exists and if you meet the requirements for the application.
Thus, you must comply with a point system, demonstrate a good level of English, and receive an invitation from the Immigration Department.
Partner Visa (820 and 801)
If you have an Australian partner and both can demonstrate joint cohabitation for at least 1 year, this visa can allow you to travel together. The companion will be allowed to work in Australia for 40 biweekly hours during the entire stay and may study for a maximum of 3 months.
The couple visa is only combinable with the following visas:
- Student Visa
- Skilled Visa
- Visa Sponsor
Partner Visa (820)
This visa is only temporary. However, getting it is the first step towards getting a permanent Partner visa (801). And to apply for it, you must be in Australia.
Cost
From AUD7,715 for most applicants, but for those planning to tie the knot, the price goes down to AUD1,285.
Partner Visa (801)
With this visa you are allowed to stay permanently in Australia upon marrying an Australian citizen. Check the requirements here.
How GrowPro Can Help You
We hope this guide helps you in your journey towards living or studying in Australia. As you can see, getting a visa for Australia is not as hard as it seems since there are plenty of options for you to choose from.
At GrowPro, our main priority is to help you achieve your goals. If you want to learn more and get a customized plan, pick any of the Experiences below, fill out the form, and one of our representatives will contact you shortly.
Our team of experts will help you make the right decision by creating a plan tailored to your budget and needs. What’s your pick?
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