Australia doesn’t run one visitor visa — it runs five, all filed under the same subclass number. The Visitor visa (subclass 600) covers everything from a two-week holiday to a family-sponsored visit to repeat business travel, and which stream you apply under changes your fee, your evidence burden, and sometimes your processing time. Picking the wrong stream, or under-preparing for the single test that decides almost every refusal, is where most avoidable rejections happen.
The five streams, and which one you actually need
- Tourist stream — the default for holidays, sightseeing, or visiting friends and family informally. Covers the vast majority of applicants.
- Sponsored Family stream — for visitors invited and sponsored by an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible visa holder relative. Requires a completed sponsorship form from the Australia-based relative, and in some cases a security bond.
- Business Visitor stream — for short business activities (meetings, negotiations, conferences) that stop short of actual work for an Australian employer.
- Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream — for tourists travelling as part of an approved tour group, available only to nationals of specific countries and only through registered travel agents.
- Frequent Traveller stream — a longer-validity option for eligible nationals who travel to Australia regularly and want to avoid re-applying for every trip.
Most applicants reading this want the Tourist stream — it’s the one covered in the fee and process detail below, with notes on how Sponsored Family differs.
Stay length: 3, 6 or 12 months — you don’t fully control which
You can be granted a stay of 3, 6, or 12 months on the Tourist stream, but the length isn’t something you simply select — the case officer decides based on your circumstances, travel history, and the purpose you’ve described. Don’t assume you’ll get 12 months just because you asked for it; build your travel plans around the shorter end unless you have a strong prior travel history with Australia or a documented reason for a longer stay.
Fees (2026)
- Tourist stream: AUD 190 for most applicants — the baseline fee for a standard holiday or family-visit application
- Sponsored Family stream: AUD 415, reflecting the extra sponsorship documentation the Department checks; some Sponsored Family applications also require the Australia-based sponsor to lodge a security bond, typically in the AUD 5,000–15,000 range, refunded once the visitor departs on time
- Frequent Traveller stream: priced well above the Tourist stream, reflecting the multi-year validity you’re paying for
Fees are reviewed periodically — confirm the current amount on the official Department of Home Affairs page before you pay, since fee schedules change without much notice.
Processing times: faster than most applicants expect
For the Tourist stream, roughly half of applications are decided within about 12 days, and 9 in 10 get a decision within 29 days — provided the application is complete and the online lodgement path (rather than paper) is used. Paper applications, incomplete evidence, or cases that trigger extra checks can extend well beyond that. Apply online through ImmiAccount, which is the default and fastest path for the large majority of applicants outside Australia.
The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) test decides almost every case
Every stream of the subclass 600 turns on the same underlying question: will you leave Australia when your visa expires? Officers assess this through what’s known as the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement — not a single document, but a pattern read across your whole application:
- Ties to your home country. Stable employment, property, family responsibilities, or ongoing study that gives you a concrete reason to return.
- Financial capacity. Bank statements and payslips that plausibly cover the trip without suggesting you’re relocating your entire financial life.
- Travel history. A record of visiting other countries and returning on time is strong supporting evidence; a first-time international trip isn’t disqualifying, but it does mean your other evidence needs to work harder.
- A credible, specific purpose. A vague “tourism” claim with no itinerary reads worse than a concrete trip plan — dates, an itinerary outline, and a plausible reason for the visit length all help.
There’s no fixed threshold or checklist that guarantees a pass — the GTE assessment is holistic, and a weak point in one area (thin funds, no travel history) can usually be offset by strength elsewhere (strong home ties, a sponsoring relative with a clean record). See our broader Australia Skilled Worker visa guide if your actual goal is longer-term migration rather than a visit — the subclass 600 is explicitly a temporary visa and won’t get you closer to permanent residence.
What to prepare
- Valid passport with at least the validity your travel dates require
- Recent bank statements and, if employed, a letter confirming your role and approved leave
- A trip itinerary — flights, accommodation, or a clear outline of your plans
- For Sponsored Family applicants: your sponsor’s completed sponsorship form and evidence of the relationship
- Health insurance is not mandatory for most Tourist stream applicants but is strongly advisable given Australia’s out-of-pocket medical costs for visitors
FAQ
Can I work on a subclass 600 visa? No — the Tourist and Sponsored Family streams don’t permit work. The Business Visitor stream allows specific business activities but not paid employment for an Australian employer.
Can I extend my stay once I’m in Australia? You can apply for a new Visitor visa from within Australia before your current one expires, but approval isn’t automatic — it goes through the same GTE assessment as a fresh application, and repeated extensions can themselves undermine your “temporary” case.
Does a refusal affect future Australian visa applications? A refusal on its own doesn’t create a formal ban, but it becomes part of your immigration record and can make future GTE assessments more demanding, particularly if the refusal cited credibility concerns rather than a simple paperwork gap.
Is the subclass 600 the same as an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)? No. The ETA is a separate, lighter-weight product for eligible passport holders taking short trips; the subclass 600 is the full visa application route used when you’re not eligible for an ETA or need a longer stay than it allows.
This is preparation guidance, not immigration advice — streams, fees, and processing times change, and every GTE assessment turns on your individual circumstances. Confirm current details directly with the Department of Home Affairs before applying. Join the VisaMet waitlist for AI-powered document screening that checks your evidence pack against exactly the pattern GTE officers look for.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600), Department of Home Affairs — Tourist stream, Department of Home Affairs — Sponsored Family stream.