Subclass 400 Temporary Work Visa Australia (Short Stay Specialist) and Subclass 408 Temporary Activity Visa

Subclass 400 - general criteria

You can apply for this visa to do short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work in Australia if you have specialist skills, knowledge or experience that can assist Australian business and cannot be reasonably found in the Australian labour market. The visa is not for short-term employment in an on-going position, nor for undertaking generic skilled duties that can be done by available Australian skilled workers with similar experience and qualifications. Highly specialised work is usually work that is done by people who can nominate an occupation listed in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2 or 3 and includes skills and knowledge specific to an international company, such as installing imported equipment, after-sales service or emergency repairs.

Key criteria

  • The work activity you want to do is short-term and non-ongoing
  • Maximum stay period is 6 months in Australia
  • Must be outside Australia when application lodged and visa granted
  • You need to be in Australia to perform the work activity
  • You have specialised skills relevant to the proposed work activity
  • You have sufficient funds to support your stay in Australia
  • You have the support of the organisation who invited you
  • You meet health and character requirements

Temporary activity (subclass 408)

This visa allows you to come to Australia to do specific types of work on a short-term temporary basis and has 10 streams.

Applicants must:

•    Be able to support themselves and any dependents
•    Meet health and character requirements
•    Have adequate health insurance
•    Be a genuine temporary entrant
•    Have a supporter or sponsor

Entertainment activities
Sporting activities
Special programme
Research activities
Other social and cultural activity (invited participant)
Religious work
Superyacht crew
Exchange arrangements
Australian government endorsed events
Domestic wok for executives

Entertainment activities

This visa lets you come to Australia to work in the entertainment industry on film, television or live productions as a performer, production or support staff.

Sporting activities

This visa allows applicants with an established reputation in their sporting field to play, coach, instruct or adjudicate for an Australian team, or do high level sports training with an internationally recognised sports training organisation.

Special programme

This visa lets you stay in Australia to take part in a special programme to exchange culture, knowledge and social experiences to include youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefit programmes, school language assistants or gap year school volunteering.  

Research activities

This visa is for academics or students to come to Australia to observe or take part in a research project at a research or tertiary institution in Australia.

Other social and cultural activity (invited participant)

This visa lets you come to Australia if you are invited by an Australian organisation to take part in a social or cultural activity, including sporting events.

Religious work

This visa is for applicants with appropriate qualifications and work experience come to Australia to work full-time as a religious worker with a religious institution.

Superyacht crew

This visa is for crew members who have a contact or letter from the owner to work on a high value luxury superyacht 24 metres or longer which is used for sport or recreation.

Exchange arrangements

This visa lets you come to Australia to exchange jobs with an Australian citizen or permanent resident and work in a skilled position as part of a reciprocal staff exchange arrangement with an Australian organisation.

Australian government endorsed events


This visa requires you to have a letter of endorsement from the organiser to participate in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Twenty20 World Cup in 2020 and the ICC Men’s T20WC in 2020.

Domestic work for executives

This visa is for applicants with appropriate experience to come to Australia at the invitation of certain senior foreign executives to do full-time domestic work in the household.

What services can I expect to receive from Concept Australia?

Concept Australia has been assisting people since 1991 to obtain temporary work visas for Australia.  All of our staff are based permanently in the UK and have previously been employed by the Department of Home Affairs. Concept Australia works directly with its clients and does not sub-contract work out to other companies or individuals. We will take responsibility for the entire management of your application so as to ensure that your case runs as smoothly as possible. Our services include:

•    A personal or Skype consultation to assess your visa eligibility
•    Electronic completion of your visa application form
•    Overview of evidence required to support your visa application
•    Attaching all relevant documents to the ImmiAccount
•    Advice on whether exceptional circumstances exist to present a case for a stay of 6 months
•    Management of your application until your visa is granted

Why should I only use an agent registered with MARA?

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) is managed by the DHA who is responsible for monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents both in and outside Australia. MARA approves continuing professional development activities of all registered agents to ensure they maintain up-to-date knowledge of migration law and procedure so that only the highest level of advice and assistance is provided to prospective applicants.

The DHA strongly advise that if you need assistance with the visa process that you should only appoint an agent who is registered with the MARA. A person who is not registered cannot offer you legal protection and you run the risk of being exposed to migration fraud by someone who has limited knowledge on immigration procedures and who is not accountable for his/her actions.

How long will it take for my subclass 400/408 visa to be granted?

The average timetable for processing"Decision Ready" applications is between 2 - 4 weeks. Applications which have not been completed correctly or supported with all relevant documents will take longer if Department of Home Affairs case officers need to request additional documents or need to verify information.

What to do next

If you would like to find out more about Australia's temporary entry visa programme please telephone Concept Australia on 020 8315 6700 or complete the enquiry form below and submit your details to Concept Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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What visa options are there?

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FAQ's

What is the difference between a subclass 400 and subclass 482 visa?

The subclass 400 visa is for applicants with specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can assist an Australian business to do short-term, highly specialised, non-on-going work.  A subclass 482 visa is for applicants with specific skills to fill labour shortages in Australia for a period of up to 4 years. 

 

Can I get health care in Australia or do I need private insurance?

You are responsible for all your health costs while you are in Australia. We recommend that you take out private health insurance each time you travel to Australia as you will not be covered by Australia's national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia which will cover emergency and necessary treatment. 

 

Can I still get a visa for Australia if I have a criminal conviction?

You must meet certain character requirements to be able to be granted a subclass 400 visa for Australia.  If you have a criminal conviction, you must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not apply for police certificates unless requested by Concept Australia.

 

Can I include my family members in my visa application?

Yes, you can include your partner (married or de-facto), your or your partner’s dependent children and other dependent relatives in your visa application.  Your family members cannot work while they are in Australia if they were included in your visa application.

 

What are the benefits of using a MARA registered migration agent?

The decision to engage a migration agent is a personal choice which will depend on the complexity of your visa application and whether you are confident that you have fully understood all the rules and regulations which will be applied to your case.

If you do need assistance with the visa process, the Department of Home Affairs strongly recommend that you appoint an agent who is registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). A registered migration agent must satisfy a strict code of conduct and:

  • maintain current knowledge of migration law and procedure
  • keep a professional library with direct access to migration regulations via Legend
  • undertake continuous professional development in order to maintain knowledge of migration regulations and policy

 

An agent who is not registered with MARA cannot offer you any legal protection and is not accountable for his/her actions and therefore might:

  • make false claims about your chances of success
  • give you incorrect advice
  • have limited knowledge about current Australian visa legislation and procedures
  • increase your risk of being exposed to migration fraud
  • charge fees which are unreasonable and excessive.
What are the financial requirements for this visa?

Employees must be able to support themselves and their family members who come with them to Australia and may be asked to provide evidence of funds before the visa(s) are granted.

 

Can I combine my work/activity with a holiday?

Yes, providing your holiday is of short term duration and you declare your intention in your visa application. Alternatively, you could undertake the work or activity and then apply for a visitor visa (while in Australia) for your holiday.

 

How long will it take for my visa to be granted?

Providing your application is presented with all relevant supporting documents and is decision ready, you can expect to be granted a subclass 400 visa within 7 - 10 days of lodgement at the Department of Home Affairs.

 

Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) Enquiry Form

If you are considering applying for a Temporary Work Activity visa (subclass 400) for Australia, please complete and submit the form below. The information you provide will be treated in confidence and will not be stored onto a data-base or distributed to third parties.

Concept Australia will contact you to discuss your circumstances and to explain the visa process together with costs for submitting an application for a Temporary Work Activity visa for Australia.





 

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