Tourist Visa

A tourist visa is normally reserved for a non-citizen who does not have a residence or occupation in Australia and whose sole objective of visiting the country is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives, or for other short-term non-work purposes. Unless an individual is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen, they will need a valid Australian visa to enter the country. New Zealand passport holders may apply for a visa upon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa to Australia before leaving their home country.

Australia is an amazing place to visit for a vacation. Whether you are simply travelling for pleasure or for other reasons, you’ll surely enjoy Australia’s beautiful landscapes and diverse culture. Tourist visa is designed to grant an individual with the desired stay to get an opportunity to travel across the length and breadth of the beautiful island continent. It facilitates visiting several provinces and to meet and stay with the near and dear ones in the country or to attend business meetings.

Over the years, the visa system has been reformed in Australia, and this has brought about a change in the way visitor visas were granted earlier. To keep up with the technologically advanced environment ETA Australia or Australia eVisitor visas have been introduced and are currently available to the residents of 45 qualifying countries. Australia’s e-visa is an online process and grants an applicant a stay in Australia for up to 90 days and is a 12-month Multi-Entry Visa. Accordingly, an online application procedure for an e676 Tourist visa was also developed. All the other passport holders who do not qualify for the ETA online can apply from an Australian Consulate for a visa. As of March 2013, subclass 676 or the tourist visa in Australia is no longer being granted and has since been superseded by the visitor visa for Australia (subclass 600.)

Subclass 676 Visa- Tourist Visa– Foreign travellers visiting Australia require a visa before entering the Country. The tourist visa (subclass 676) in Australia was previously accessible and permitted stays for up to 3 to 12 months for tourism purposes, but it has been replaced now. New applications for this visa category have been closed, and one can apply for the subclass 600 visitor visa instead. The applicants applying for a tourist visit need to demonstrate their genuine intent to visit Australia temporarily as a Tourist. Applicants also need to meet the health and character requirements as set out by the Department and may be required to demonstrate that they have adequate funds to support their travel in Australia.
Subclass 676 was designed as a temporary tourist visa for people who wished to visit Australia for tourism, holiday, recreational purpose, and for those who were visiting family and friends. This visa allowed the applicant to stay up to a period of twelve months in Australia. Through the grant of this visa, people were allowed to travel throughout Australia. Sometimes the applicants are permitted a visa only for a single entry; in such a situation, if the applicant wishes to come back or visit Australia again, they required a new visa. Further, if the visa allowed for multiple entries, the applicant is allowed to travel to and from Australia many times from the date of issuance of the visa till the validity of the applicant’s visa. In all cases, the applicant is allowed to stay only for the period for which the visa had been granted.

The holders of a subclass 676 tourist visa are permitted to study for not more than three months during their stay in the country.

The holders of a tourist visa in the country are not allowed to work while staying in Australia as per the visa requirements. They are only permitted or able to do some unpaid volunteer work. While doing volunteer work on this visa, the applicant might get reimbursed for out of pocket expenses such as meals, accommodation, etc.

If an applicant is already in Australia on the previously issued 676 Australian tourist visa, they may be able to apply for the visitor visa (subclass 600) as per their eligibility to continue staying in the country for tourism purposes. The application, in this case, must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the expiry of the current tourist visa for Australia. However, if the applicant’s tourist visa (subclass 676) has no further stay condition, they cannot apply for a visitor visa (subclass 600).

Usually, the processing time for a tourist visa is low. Processing time for a low risk, non-sponsored visas are generally lower than high risk or sponsored visa application. However, the visa pre-requisites must be met for a successful visa decision. For accurate assessment of the visa application form, the Department may seek additional information from both the candidates and the external agencies (if any). To lower the processing time of the visa application form must-

Fill the visa application form completely and correctly
Attach all the required documentary evidence as per the requirement of the visa category.
Provide further information (if any) to the Department without any delay.

As the tourists are dependent on their own funds for their stay in the country, it is advisable to opt for a medical/ travel insurance plan to cover the unforeseen expenses that one might have to incur during their stay in the country as a tourist. A medical / travel insurance plan will help to limit the extent of expenses in the country on specific grounds like-

It will secure you if your luggage is lost.
If you need any medical assistance, it will not dig your pocket.

Medical Treatment Visa (subclass 602)

The main objective of a Medical Treatment Visa is to enable anyone to go to Australia for three purposes. Those are:

For consultations or medical care.
To assist someone who has this visa or has applied for it and needs medical care.
For an organ donation.

Investor Retirement Visa (subclass 405)

The Investor Retirement Visa(Subclass 405) is a temporary visa for self-funded retirees who do not have any dependents and wish to live their golden years in Australia.

The basic requirements for this visa are:

You are required to be 55 years of age or older.
There are no dependencies on you.

Special Program Visa (subclass 416)

The Special Program Visa or Subclass 416 Visa is typically requested for special programmes. That is where a sponsor approved for the programme has sent an invitation for participation. The goal is to improve cross-cultural and international interactions between the Australian community and foreign countries.

The Special Program visa (subclass 416) also has a stream called the Seasonal Worker Program in addition to the Special Program.

Transit Visa (subclass 771)

The transit visa (subclass 771) is for travellers who:

Enter Australia by air before joining the crew of a non-military ship as a bearer of a Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988)
Transit through Australia for no more than 72 hours

If you are entering the workforce of a non-military ship:

You must be outside of Australia.

You must possess a valid Maritime Crew visa and the required crew documents.
You must also be outside Australia and have a confirmed booking to depart from Australia for another nation within 72 hours.

Basic Requirements

E-Help is here to aid you with your procedure for visa application. We will also assist you with documentation and inform you about everything you need to prepare beforehand.

Some basic requirements that you may need to prepare are as follows:

Health examinations
Financial records
Character assessments
Insurance
Accommodation on a payment basis

Visitor Visas for parents of Australians

Due to the lengthy processing times for parent visas, some allowances are granted for families of children who were born in Australia.

The visa may be issued for a maximum of:

1. 5 years– For parents waiting for a Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103) who reside outside of Australia;

2. 3 years– For parents outside Australia who have previously had an Australian visa and adhered to the conditions of that visa. Parents who have either not applied for a Parent Visa (Subclass 103) or who have applied but are not yet in line for that visa;

3. 18 months- For parents who have never visited Australia before and have either not filed for a Parent visa or have applied but are not yet in line for the visa.

However, no matter which of the above visa is issued to you, it comes with these two conditions.

You cannot spend more than 12 months in Australia at any one visit or more than 12 months in any 18 months; and
While you are in Australia on a visitor visa, you cannot apply for another visa.

The DIBP could also request that an Australian sponsor your visa. In that case, your sponsor must be an Australian citizen and fit a specific description of a relative.

The sponsor must assure you that you will abide by the terms of your visa and assume liability for any debts you accrue to the Australian government while in the country.

Each candidate they sponsor may be requested to post a bond. The bond must be paid before the visa is accepted. It will be returned once you leave Australia per your visa’s terms. Bond amounts can cost approximately AUD$5000 per applicant.

Eligibility Criteria – Business Visitor Stream

For those coming to Australia for a brief business trip, there is the Business Visitor Stream. For example, broad enquiry about a company or job, engaging in negotiations or attending a conference.

In this stream, you have to:

Satisfy the standards for character and health;
Have enough funds to support yourself while visiting Australia;
Intend to engage in business visitor activities (detailed below);
Perform business-related tasks only, such as attending seminars or meetings.
Must not owe the Australian government any unpaid debts.

Eligibility Criteria – Tourist Stream

To be eligible for the tourist stream, you have to:

Satisfy the standards for character and health.
Own sufficient funds to cover your expenses when visiting Australia.
Visit Australia for tourist reasons, such as a vacation or to see family and friends.
Demonstrate to the DIBP that you are an actual temporary applicant.
Have proper health insurance.
Should not owe any unpaid debts to the Australian government.

Eligibility Criteria – Family Sponsored Visitor Stream

You can visit Australia by using a Family Sponsored Visitor Visa. You must show the following to be qualified for the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600):

Meet the necessary standards for character and health.
You should have sufficient money saved up to pay for your trip.
Be a real visitor and show that you are only staying in Australia for a short time.
In case you are a minor, you must prove that it is in the child’s best interest.
Must have a sponsor. Your sponsor can either be a relative in Australia or an official of the Australian government
Must not have any unpaid debts to the Australian government.

You can apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream if a family member wishes to support you without acting as a sponsor. You must include a letter of invitation along with your application.

Contact Us

If you seek the guidance of our tourist visa consultants/ immigration agent for lasting solutions based on the type of your visa and duration or if you wish to extend your stay in the country, get in touch with our team of experts at +61 7 3172 4965. The process to apply for a tourist visa to Australia is simple and organized, but with the large number of conditions attached to it, the Australian visa stipulations may seem to be daunting and overwhelming. For a successful, reliable, and efficient immigration service, speak to some of the most trusted Australian migration agents/visa consultants at E-Help. We manage the whole visa process and help you submit a valid and successful Australian visa application form.

We, at E-Help, offer a superior, quick, and comfortable Australian visa facilitation service. We have a highly professional and dedicated team of visa experts. Our immigration agents are here to cater to all your Australian visa application requirements and conditions. Our visa consultant will communicate with you and screen your profile to understand your preferences, requirements, eligibility and then identify the segment that can offer you the highest possibility of successful migration along with the best prospects.

We have been successful in helping thousands of overseas students, couples, families, tourists, and corporate migrants to fulfil their Australian dream. We would love to be a part of your journey of converting the Australian dream to reality! To book an appointment with our family visa/consultants immigration agents, contact us or dial us at +61 7 3172 4965.