Specialists in Australian immigration

Visiting Australia

I have already applied for a visitor visa

If you have already applied for a visitor visa and are scheduled to travel to Australia in the near future and your visa has not been granted, please contact the Global Service Centre in Australia for assistance on 0061 2 6196 0196. 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 are my visa options for visiting Australia?

The type of visitor visa for Australia you apply for will depend on the country of your passport, the duration of your proposed stay 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 enables British passport holders plus those from the European Economic Area to travel to Australia for stays of up to 3 months during each visit in the 12 months from the date the eVisitor is granted. Eligible passport holders also include Monaco, Republic of San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City.

Subclass 600 visitor visa for Australia

This visa is for applicants from non-European countries or British passport holders and those from the European Economic Area who are seeking to stay longer than 3 months in Australia. You will be required to support your application with more detailed information and evidence including:

the reason you are visiting Australia
your planned activities in Australia
details of friends or family in Australia
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.

Costs

The DHA Visa Application Charge is AUD190 for a subclass 600 visa which must be paid at the time your application is submitted. There is no charge for a subclass 651 visitor visa.

Concept Australia charges a fee of £150 + VAT to prepare and lodge an application for a subclass 600 visa for Australia and £50 + VAT for a subclass 651 (short stay) visitor visa for Australia.

Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

A Working Holiday visa will allow you to travel to Australia for an extended holiday for up to 12 months and do any kind of short-term work to help pay for your holiday. You must be outside Australia when the 1st application is submitted and when the visa is granted. You must enter Australia within 12 months from the date your visa is granted which becomes active when you enter Australia. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like in those 12 months.

Age requirement

At the time of application for a Working Holiday visa you must be 18 and 35 years of age inclusive.

Second or third working holiday - new arrangements from 01 July 2024

From 01 July 2024, UK passport holders will not have to meet any specified work requirements such as regional farm work when applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa for Australia. If a UK passport holder has already spent 1 or 2 years in Australia on a Working Holiday visa before the new arrangements commence, you can apply for the remaining visa(s) under the new arrangements from 01 July 2024.

Partner & dependent children

You cannot include a partner in your application for a Working Holiday visa and therefore, if you have a partner, he/she must submit a separate application. Working Holiday visa holders also cannot be accompanied by dependent children at any time during their stay in Australia. It is possible to obtain a working holiday if you have a child, but your child cannot join you whilst you are in Australia on a working holiday.

Health & Character requirements

All applicants must meet health and character requirements. If you are currently receiving medical treatment or have previously been convicted of a criminal offence, please discuss your situation with Concept Australia.

Financial requirements

You must have enough funds to support yourself while you are in Australia. This is usually about £3,000 for your initial stay, plus funds to purchase your onward plane ticket when you depart Australia.

Working in Australia

You can only work for the same employer in Australia in one location for 6 months and you must obtain permission from the DHA if you wish to work longer than six months with one employer. You do not need to seek permission if your employment is in plant and animal cultivation, aged care and disability services, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction, and mining in northern Australia, natural disaster recovery work, agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, and child care anywhere in Australia, tourism and hospitality anywhere in Australia.

When you have this visa - other options

If your circumstances change during your working holiday, you can explore other visa options.

For example:

Partner visa

If you have formed a committed relationship with an Australian citizen, Permanent resident, or Eligible New Zealand citizen you may have the potential to be sponsored under the partner visa subclass 820.

General Skilled Migration (GSM)

If you have a recognised skill, you can review your options under visa subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated) or 491 (Skilled Work Regional Provisional)). Places in the GSM program are competitive but living and working in Australia may provide a better chance of being nominated by a state or territory government.

Sponsorship by an Australia employer

If you have a recognised skill and work experience in an occupation on the Skilled Occupations List, you may have the opportunity to be sponsored by an employer - subclasses 482 (Temporary Skilled Shortage), 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) or 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Provisional).

Studying in Australia

You are permitted to study for up to 4 months in Australia as the holder of a Working Holiday visa but if you are interested in gaining an Australian qualification, you may wish to enrol in an approved CRICOS course of study which may offer a pathway to apply for permanent residence.

Costs

The DHA Visa Application Charge is AUD635 for a Working Holiday visa which must be paid at the time your application is submitted.

Concept Australia charges a fee of £150 + VAT to prepare and lodge your application for a Working Holiday for Australia

Processing timetable

50% of applications are decided in less than a day
75% of applications are decided in less than 7 days
90% of applications are decided in within 19 days

Assistance

If you would like Concept Australia to assist you with submitting an application for a Visitor or Working Holiday visa or would like to discuss your visa options as the holder of a Working Holiday visa , please telephone 0208 315 6700 to arrange a consultation or complete the questionnaire below.

> Make an Enquiry

What visa options are there?

Choose the best option for you:

select

Skilled Visas

Expression of Interest

Parent Visas

Partner Visas

Business Visas

Resident Return Visas

Other visas

TSS 482 Visas

Temporary 400 & 408 Visas

Visitor & Working Holiday Visas

FAQ's

If I travel with family, can I include them in my visa application?

No. Each family member has to make a separate visa application even if they are included in your passport and do not hold any other passport.

Can I extend my tourism visa for Australia?

If you were granted an evisitor visa (subclass 651) your maximum stay period in Australia is 3 months and you cannot extend your stay by submitting a further application in Australia for the same visa subclass. You can, however, apply in Australia for a subclass 600 visitor visa before your current visa expires. You will be granted a Bridging A visa to enable you to remain lawfully in Australia until your application is decided.

When will I have to enter Australia?

Visitor visas when granted are usually valid for 12 months and during this period you can enter Australia and be able to remain for the authorised specified period which is usually 3, 6 or 12 months.

Why use an agent registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA)?

The decision to engage a MARA registered migration agent is a personal choice. If you do require assistance with the visa process, the Department of Home Affairs strongly recommend that you appoint an agent who is registered with MARA who 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.

Can I undertake voluntary work whilst visiting Australia?

In general a visitor visa does not allow you to work in Australia, however, you might be able to work as a volunteer if:

your main purpose in visiting Australia is tourism and the voluntary work is incidental to tourism
the work is genuinely voluntary and you are not paid for it, other than for meals, accommodation or out of pocket living expenses
the work would not otherwise be done in return for wages by an Australian resident.

Can I undertake business activities whilst visiting Australia?

You can engage in business visitor activities while in Australia provided you do not work for or provide services to a business or organisation and do not sell goods or services to the public.

Business visitor activities include:

making general business or employment enquiries
Undertaking research in preparation for a future business visa application
investigating, negotiating, signing or reviewing a business contract
activities carried out as part of an official government-to-government visit
participating in conferences, trade fairs or seminars, as long as you are not being paid by the organisers for your participation.

Will I have access to Medicare in Australia?

The United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands,, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Malta, Slovenia and New Zealand have Reciprocal Health Care agreements with Australia. Visitors to Australia from threse countries are entitled to limited subsidised health services from Medicare for treatment that is deemed absolutely necessary in an emergency. Treatment for medical conditions can be extremely costly in Australia. For example, one day in hospital can cost over AUD1,000 just in hospital fees. It is therefore your responsibility to consider whether you need to arrange comprehensive medical insurance before you visit Australia.

Can I visit Australia if I have a criminal conviction?

To be granted an eVisitor visa for Australia you must not have a conviction that resulted in a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 12 or more months or been convicted for 2 or more offences where the combined length of the sentences amounts to 12 or more months. If you have concerns as to whether you meet the character requirement, you should apply for a subclass 600 visitor visa for Australia. Completing this form will enable the Department of Home Affairs to consider your personal circumstances in advance of your travel which will minimise the risk of being refused entry at the Austraian border. Visitors arriving in Australia are required to complete an Incoming Passenger Card. This is a legal document and you must disclose any current or previous convictions which may result in you being interviewed at immigration clearance.

Do I need a visa to visit Australia if I have a British passport?

Yes, all non Australian citizens need to apply for the appropriate visitor visa prior to travelling to Australia. The type of visa you apply for will depend on the country of your passport, your proposed period of stay and whether you have any criminal convictions. Please note that the visa granted to you will be linked to the passport presented at the time of application and if you change your passport following the grant of your visa you will need to notify the Deopartment of Home Affairs of your new details to avoid problems when checking in for your flight.

How much funds do I need for visiting Australia?

Although there is no specific amount that you are required to have in your bank account, the Department of Home Affairs will want to see either at the time of application or at the Australian border that you have enough money for the duration of your proposed stay including sufficient funds to purchase an onward flight ticket. As a guide you should have funds of at least AUD5,000 but this amount will depend on the duration of your stay and planned activities. This can be demonstrated through a personal bank statement, credit card or a letter from a family member or friend confirming that you are being supported with accommodation and living expenses.

Visitor/Working Holiday visa Enquiry Form

If you would like Concept Australia to submit a visitor visa application on your behalf, please complete and submit the form below.

Name
Post Code
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)

Email address Contact No.

Please advise the country of your passportPlease advise if you are applying for a visitor visa or working holiday visa.Please advise your intended date of arrival in Australia.If you are applying for a visitor visa, please advise your intended date of departure from Australia.Please advise if you are visiting Australia for tourism or business.Please advise if you have ever overstayed or been refused entry to Australia or any other country.Please advise if you are employed, a student or retired.Please advise if you have ever been convicted of any criminal offence including an offence removed from police records or have been charged with an offence awaiting legal action. If yes, please provide details.Please advise if you are currently being treated for any medical condition.Please state approximately how much funds you will have available to support your stay in Australia.

News

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18/12/2021

An Update On Australian Parent Visas & Visiting Family During The Pandemic

Parents frustrated by long processing delays are exploring alternative visa options to enable them to be with their children and grandchildren in Australia.

30/10/2021

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Click on READ MORE to see if your nominated occupation features on the South Australia skills list.

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What our clients are saying

We are over the moon!!! - Thank you so very much for everything, you have helped make our lives even more wonderful!

Deb and I would like to thank you for your patience and exemplary service given in having the Partner visa granted. We will certainly recommend you to anyone who may be seeking an immigration agent