Visitor visa for Australia

Visiting Australia

I have already applied for a visitor visa for Australia

If you have already applied for a visitor visa to travel to Australia and your visa has not been granted within the published processing timetable, Concept Australia is not able to make a progress enquiry on your behalf. Instead, please contact the Global Service Centre in Australia for assistance on 0061 2 6196 0196.

I have lodged an application but need to provide additional information

If you have lodged a visitor visa application and received a request from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to provide additional information, we can advise you how to prepare your response via a 15 minute consultation for a fee of £45 + VAT.

What type of visitor visa for Australia should I apply for?

The type of visitor visa for Australia you apply for will depend on the country of your passport, the duration of your proposed stay in Australia and whether you have any criminal convictions. We will assess your circumstances and advise which type of visitor visa best suits your needs.

Subclass 651 visitor visa for Australia

This visa is available to British passort holders plus those from the European Economic Area, Monaco, Republic of San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City. You must be outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the DHA decides your application.This is a temporary visa which is valid for a period of 12 months from the date of grant and has a multiple entry facility enabling you to enter Australia any time during the 12 month period and stay for up to 3 months at a time.

What does a subclass 651 visa allow me to do in Australia?

With this visa you can travel to Australia to have a holiday or go on a cruise, visit family and friends or attend business meetings or make employment enquiries. You can also investigate, negotiate, enter into or review a business contract, conduct activities as part of an official government visit and take part in a conference, trade fair or seminar but, the organisers can't pay you. Additionally, you can't work for or provide services to a business or organisation based in Australia or sell goods or services directly to the public.

Subclass 600 visitor visa for Australia

This visa is for applicants from non-European countries or applicants who qualify for a subclass 651 visa  but wish to stay longer than 3 months in Australia. It is also recommended that applicants with criminal convictions apply for a subclass 600 visa as this will enable you to provide a police report and character statements to enable the DHA to assess your conviction history as part of the visa process.

The DHA will determine the length of your visa on a case by case basis and generally will take into consideration the reason for staying longer in Australia and what you plan to do during your stay. The visa can be granted with a single or multiple entry for a period of between 3 and 12 months. If your visa is granted with multiple entry, you can leave and return to Australia at any time while the visa remains valid.

Parents with a child resident in Australia

If you are the parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you meet all the visa criteria, the DHA may grant you a visa that is valid for more than 12 months. Each application is considerde on a case-by-case basis, but you can't stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18 month period. 

What type of evidence will I need to provide?

Subclass 600 visa applicants are required to support their applications with more detailed information and evidence and the DHA will take into account a range of factors to determine whether you are a genuine temporary entrant.This may include your employment, economic and family circumstances and in deciding whether to grant you a visa, the DHA for example will take into consideration evidence that demonstrates: 

• the reason you are visiting Australia
• your previous travel history and whether you have complied with visa conditions
  
• your planned activities in Australia
• contact with friends or family in Australia
  
• you have sufficient funds to support your stay
• employment or retirement details
• evidence of your incentive to return to your home country

Processing timetable

Most subclass 651 visitor visa applications are granted on the same day but, some subclass 600 visitor visa applications can take up to 5 weeks or more to be decided. Please note that Concept Australia is unable to request priority processing with the DHA and therefore you should allow plenty of time to plan your visit to Australia and only book flights once your visitor visa has been granted.

Concept Australia - assistance

We will assess your circumstances and advise which type of visitor visa best suits your needs. Applications must be lodged on line by creating an ImmiAccount on the DHA website. If you require assistance with completing the visitor visa application form and advice on which documents you need to provide in support of your aplication, please telephone Concept Australia on 0208 315 6700 or send an email to info@conceptaustralia.co.uk