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Visitor and working holiday visas, lodged to be granted first time.
A Visitor visa for family, tourism or business, or a Work and Holiday visa for young people from India and other eligible countries. Short visas are refused more often than people expect, usually on the genuine temporary stay requirement. We prepare them with the same care as any permanent visa.
Three common reasons to visit
Whether it is a wedding, a new grandchild or a working holiday, the application must show why you are coming, how you will support yourself and why you will leave.
My parents or family want to visit me
The Sponsored Family stream lets an Australian relative sponsor the visit and may allow longer stays. Evidence of the visitor's ties at home, funds and previous travel compliance carries the application.
I want to travel or see Australia before a longer visa
The Tourist stream suits holidays and short visits. A history of refusals, a previous overstay or a weak reason to return home are the issues to address before lodging.
I am 18 to 30 and want a working holiday
The subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa (India, Vietnam, China and 28 other countries) and the subclass 417 Working Holiday visa (the UK, Canada, Ireland and 16 others) let you work while you travel for a year. Second and third visas need specified work, but what counts and where differs between the two visas, and UK passport holders are exempt from the work requirement altogether. A first visa of either kind must be applied for and granted while you are outside Australia.
Visitor streams and working holiday options
Each stream has its own evidence and conditions. Choosing the wrong one, or applying onshore when you should not, is a common cause of refusal.
Tourist stream
Holidays, visiting friends and family, or short non-work activities. Apply in or outside Australia.
- The stay period is set by the Minister on each grant, commonly 3, 6 or 12 months
- Evidence of funds, itinerary and ties to your home country
- Condition 8101, no work, is mandatory
- Condition 8503, no further stay, may be imposed. It turns on the risk assessment, not on the length of the grant
Sponsored Family stream
For visitors sponsored by an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative. You must be outside Australia when you apply.
- A security bond may be required, although it is rarely requested in current practice
- Conditions 8101, 8201, 8503 and 8531 are all mandatory on this stream, so no further stay applies as a matter of law rather than as a possibility
- Unlike most offshore visitor refusals, a refusal in this stream is generally reviewable on application by the sponsor
Work and Holiday, Working Holiday
Twelve months of travel with work rights for young people from partner countries. Every first 462 applicant must meet the educational qualification requirement for their country and have functional English. Some 462 countries also need a letter of government support, though India does not. China, India and Vietnam require ballot selection before an application can be made.
- Aged 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for ten of the nineteen 417 countries
- Conditions 8547 and 8548 apply: no more than six months with one employer, and no more than four months of study
- Second and third visas need 3 and 6 months of specified work, which must be paid in accordance with Australian law and awards and must not have been for an excluded employer
Business Visitor stream
Short business visits for conferences, negotiations or exploratory visits, without working for an Australian business.
- Commonly granted for up to 3 months per entry, although the period is set by the Minister
- Condition 8115, not 8101, applies: business visitor activity is allowed, work for an Australian business is not
- Cannot sell goods or services to the public
eVisitor and ETA
For most European, UK, Canadian, United States, Japanese, Korean, Singaporean, Malaysian, Bruneian, Hong Kong and Taiwanese passport holders these are the right product, not a subclass 600. Both carry no visa application charge.
- eVisitor subclass 651 for 36 European and UK passports
- Electronic Travel Authority subclass 601 for 33 passports, applied for through the app, which charges its own service fee
- Both allow 3 months per entry over 12 months and carry condition 8115, not 8101
Visitor and working holiday visas at a glance
Department of Home Affairs charges effective 1 July 2026, with the stay, age and work limits that go with each visa. Where the Regulations leave the stay period to the Minister, the figure shown is what is commonly granted rather than a rule.
| Visa and stream | Charge | Stay | Age limit | Work rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 600 Tourist, applied outside Australia | AUD 250 | Set by the Minister, commonly 3, 6 or 12 months | None | No work. Condition 8101 mandatory |
| Subclass 600 Tourist, applied in Australia | AUD 630, plus AUD 700 subsequent temporary application charge where it applies | Set by the Minister | None | No work. Condition 8101 mandatory |
| Subclass 600 Sponsored Family | AUD 250 | Set by the Minister. Apply from outside Australia | None | No work. Conditions 8101, 8201, 8503 and 8531 all mandatory |
| Subclass 600 Business Visitor | AUD 250 | Commonly up to 3 months per entry | None | Business visitor activity only, condition 8115 |
| Subclass 600 Approved Destination Status | AUD 250 | Set by the Minister. Approved tours from specified parts of China | None | No work |
| Subclass 600 Frequent Traveller | AUD 1,845 | Travel for up to 10 years, 3 months per entry | None | Business visitor activity only, condition 8115 |
| eVisitor (subclass 651) and Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) | No visa application charge. The ETA app charges its own service fee | 3 months per entry over 12 months | None | Business visitor activity only, condition 8115 |
| Subclass 417 Working Holiday, first | AUD 840 | 12 months | 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for ten countries | Full work rights, conditions 8547 and 8548 |
| Subclass 417 second and third | AUD 1,000 each | 12 months each | As above | Needs 3 months (second) and 6 months (third) of specified work. UK passport holders exempt |
| Subclass 462 Work and Holiday, first | AUD 840, plus the ballot registration fee for China, India and Vietnam | 12 months | 18 to 30 for every 462 country | Full work rights, conditions 8547 and 8548. Apply from outside Australia |
| Subclass 462 second and third | AUD 1,000 each | 12 months each | As above | Needs 3 months (second) and 6 months (third) of specified 462 work |
A non internet application charge of AUD 80 applies to a paper application for a working holiday visa. Country eligibility, age limits, ballot arrangements and the specified work rules are set by legislative instruments that changed on 1 July 2026 and change again without much notice, so the lists on this page are stated as at 1 September 2026 and are confirmed for your matter before lodgement. The current arrangements are published by the Department on its Working Holiday Maker programme news page.
What every visitor application must show
The Department applies the genuine temporary stay requirement to every visitor visa. These are the questions your evidence must answer.
- A genuine intention to visit temporarily for the purpose stated, and to comply with the visa conditions
- Enough money for the visit and the return journey, from a source you can explain
- Ties to your home country: employment, family, property, study or business that you will return to
- Immigration history in Australia and elsewhere that is disclosed and, where needed, explained
- Health requirements for longer stays and for applicants from some countries, and character requirements
- For the Sponsored Family stream, an eligible sponsor and, if requested, a security bond
- For working holiday visas, age, passport, and the educational qualification and functional English requirements, plus ballot selection for China, India and Vietnam and a letter of government support for the countries that require one
The law we apply
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Schedule 2, subclass 600, including the genuine temporary stay criterion at clause 600.211, and subclasses 462 and 417.
Schedule 8 visa conditions. Condition 8101 (no work) is mandatory on the Tourist, Sponsored Family and Approved Destination Status streams, while condition 8115 (business visitor activity only) applies to the Business Visitor and Frequent Traveller streams and to the eVisitor and Electronic Travel Authority. Conditions 8547 and 8548 apply to every working holiday visa.
Clause 600.215 requires exceptional circumstances before a grant that would allow a person to stay in Australia for more than 12 consecutive months on visitor, working holiday and bridging visas. This is the provision behind the scrutiny of repeated onshore extensions.
Condition 8503 is a condition of the kind described in section 41(2)(a) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Regulation 2.05(4) sets the waiver test: compelling and compassionate circumstances developing since grant, over which the person had no control, resulting in a major change to their circumstances, with the request made in writing.
Where a visa has been refused previously, the reasons in the decision record must be addressed. Charges on this page are confirmed with you at the time of advice as at 1 September 2026.
How we prepare a visitor visa
Every matter runs under a written agreement that sets out the work and the fee before anything begins.
Assessment
We look at your purpose, funds, ties and history and tell you which stream to use and whether an invitation letter or sponsorship helps.
Evidence and statements
We prepare the applicant statement and any invitation or sponsor letter, with the financial and ties evidence indexed.
Lodgement
We lodge online with the correct stream, health and character documents, and biometrics arranged if required.
After grant
We explain conditions, including no further stay, and plan any later visa so you never overstay.
Why visitor visas are refused
These are the issues that most often decide this visa. We raise them with you at the first consultation, not after lodgement.
Genuine temporary stay not shown
The single most common refusal reason. Weak ties, a long intended stay or a pattern of applications suggesting the visitor may not leave.
Funds without a source
A healthy balance from an unexplained deposit does not satisfy the Department. Statements over time and an explanation of the source do.
Previous refusals not addressed
A refusal on the record must be declared and the reasons dealt with directly. A second application that ignores the first decision usually fails the same way.
Applying onshore with condition 8503
A no further stay condition does not make a further application invalid. It prevents a further substantive visa being granted while you remain in Australia, so the application is lodged, the charge is paid and it is then refused. The waiver test under regulation 2.05(4) is narrow. We check the condition before anything is lodged.
Visitor and working holiday questions
What counts as specified work for a second or third visa?
How long can my parents stay on a Visitor visa?
Can I work on a Visitor visa?
Can I apply for a Work and Holiday visa from India?
Can I extend my visit once I am in Australia?
My visitor visa was refused. Can I apply again?
Get the visitor visa lodged properly the first time
Tell us who is visiting, why and for how long, and send any previous decision letters. We will tell you which stream to use and what evidence will carry it.
The information on this page is general in nature, current as at 1 September 2026, and does not take account of your individual circumstances. It is not immigration assistance or legal advice. Visa criteria, charges, thresholds and processing priorities change; the requirements that apply to your matter are confirmed at the time of advice under a written agreement. No agent can guarantee a visa outcome. Migration Star, Registered Migration Agents, MARN 1797395.