Visa application, processing, and getting are quite hustling for many people. But without a visa, you can hardly cross the border of other countries. And if you’re planning to visit Australia, then you can’t skip the visa processing.
Though Australia is pretty strict about visas, it doesn’t mean it is very hard to get an Australian visitor visa. Even I would say the Australian visa processing is much easier than any other country as the whole process takes place online.
So, you can apply from your home. All you need is a phone or computer and a strong internet connection.
As always, visa rules can change. I have verified the information below against the latest official sources, but you should always confirm critical details especially fees and document requirements on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website before submitting your application.
What Is the Australian Visitor Visa (Subclass 600)?
The Subclass 600 is Australia’s standard visitor visa for short-term stays. It covers tourism, visiting family or friends, business visits, and even short medical treatment. Depending on your circumstances, you can be granted a stay of 3, 6, or 12 months.
There are several streams within the Subclass 600:
Tourist Stream:The most common. For holidays, sightseeing, visiting friends, short courses or training (under 3 months), or medical treatment. You apply from outside Australia.
Business Visitor Stream: For attending conferences, business meetings, exploring commercial opportunities, or negotiating contracts. You cannot perform productive work or be employed in Australia on this visa.
Sponsored Family Stream: For visiting close relatives who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens. Your family member in Australia must sponsor your application.
Frequent Traveller Stream: For regular business or tourist visitors who want a visa valid for up to 10 years (with stays of up to 3 months each). The fee for this stream is significantly higher (AUD $1,845).
You cannot work, study for more than 3 months, or apply for permanent residency on a Subclass 600 visa.
How Much Does It Cost?
As of 1 July 2026, the fees are:
| Stream | Fee (AUD) |
| Tourist Stream (applying from outside Australia) | $250 |
| Business Visitor Stream | $250 |
| Sponsored Family Stream | $250 |
| Tourist Stream (applying from inside Australia — extension) | $630 |
| Frequent Traveller | $1,845 |
The fee is the same regardless of your nationality. It is non-refundable whether your visa is approved or refused.
You may also need to pay for biometrics collection at a VFS Global centre, depending on your country. Budget for potential courier fees if your local VFS centre charges for document return.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Create an ImmiAccount
Go to immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and create an account. You will need your name, phone number, email address, and to set up security questions.
This is your portal for the entire application, submission, document upload, status tracking, and correspondence with the department.
Step 2: Start Your Application
Log in, select “New application,” then choose “Visitor” and “Visitor Visa (600).” Select the appropriate stream (Tourist, Business, or Sponsored Family).
The form is dynamic, it adjusts based on your answers, so do not be put off by the length. It covers your personal details, passport information, travel plans, employment, education, health declarations, and character questions.
You can save your progress and return later, which I recommend, rushing through it increases the chance of errors.
Step 3: Upload Your Documents
Upload all your supporting documents through ImmiAccount. Accepted formats are JPG, PNG, BMP, or PDF no ZIP files or encrypted PDFs. Keep each file under 5 MB.
If any documents are not in English, have them professionally translated before submitting.
Required documents:
- A clear scan of your current valid passport (the bio-data page)
- A recent passport-size colour photograph
Strongly recommended documents:
- Bank statements: (at least the past 3 months, ideally 6) showing sufficient and consistent funds
- Proof of employment or business: employment letter, payslips, business registration, or student enrolment certificate
- Travel itinerary: your planned dates, flights, accommodation, and activities
- Proof of ties to your home country: property ownership, family obligations, ongoing employment, or study commitments
- Invitation letter from whoever you are visiting in Australia (if applicable)
- Previous travel evidence: copies of previous visas and passport stamps showing your travel history
- Cover letter: optional, but a well-written cover letter explaining your travel purpose, plans, and reasons for returning home can strengthen your application
For Sponsored Family Stream:
- Your sponsor (the family member in Australia) will need to submit their own documents, including proof of their Australian status and a sponsorship form.
Step 4: Pay the Fee
Pay the AUD $250 fee (or the relevant stream fee) through ImmiAccount. Accepted payment methods include credit card, debit card, UnionPay, and PayPal.
Step 5: Biometrics (If Required)
After submitting your application, you may receive an email from the Department of Home Affairs requesting biometrics. If so, book an appointment at your nearest VFS Global centre, bring the biometrics request letter and your passport, and have your fingerprints and photo taken.
Not all nationalities require biometrics, your application will tell you whether this step applies to you.
Step 6: Wait for a Decision
Current processing times (as of mid-2026):
| Stream | Typical Processing |
| Tourist Stream (offshore) | 7–33 days (median 16 days) |
| Business Visitor | 3–26 days (median 6 days) |
| Sponsored Family | 27–86 days (median 42 days) |
These are indicative some applications take longer, particularly if additional security checks or health assessments are needed. You can track your application status through ImmiAccount.
When should you apply? For the Tourist stream, applying 8–12 weeks before your trip gives you comfortable buffer. Do not leave it to the last minute, but you also do not need to apply six months ahead unless you are applying under the Sponsored Family stream.
How Much Money Do You Need to Show?
Australia does not specify an official minimum bank balance. What matters is demonstrating that you can genuinely afford your stay, accommodation, food, transport, activities, and a return flight.
As a practical guide: Australia is not a cheap destination. If your accommodation and flights are already booked and paid for, showing a few thousand dollars in savings may be sufficient. If nothing is pre-booked, you will need to show considerably more.
The key is consistency, visa officers look for a steady income and a healthy account balance over several months, not a large unexplained deposit made shortly before the application.
Common Reasons for Refusal
- Insufficient proof of genuine temporary stay: The officer is not convinced you will leave Australia when your visa expires.
- Weak financial evidence: Not enough funds, or funds that appear to have been recently deposited to inflate the balance.
- Incomplete or inconsistent application: Missing documents, contradictory answers, or sloppy form completion.
- Undisclosed travel or visa history: Failing to mention previous visa refusals (from any country, not just Australia) or prior overstays.
- Character or health concerns: Criminal history, certain health conditions, or failing to meet character requirements.
- Vague or unconvincing travel purpose: No clear plan for what you will do in Australia or why.
A refusal is not permanent. You can reapply, and many people succeed on a subsequent attempt by addressing the issues that caused the first refusal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
u003cstrongu003eu003cstrongu003eHow long can I stay on a Subclass 600 visa?u003c/strongu003eu003c/strongu003e
Depending on your circumstances and the stream you apply under, you may be granted u003cstrongu003e3, 6, or 12 monthsu003c/strongu003e. The specific duration is decided by the visa officer. Most tourist applicants receive 3 or 6 months.
u003cstrongu003eDo I need a return flight booking before applying?u003c/strongu003e
Not necessarily, but having a flight itinerary (even a refundable or tentative booking) strengthens your application. At minimum, you should be able to show you have the funds to purchase a return ticket.
u003cstrongu003eIs health insurance required?u003c/strongu003e
Not for all applicants, but some visas include u003cstrongu003eCondition 8501u003c/strongu003e, which requires you to maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay. Whether this condition applies depends on your nationality and circumstances. Even if it is not required, I strongly recommend travel health insurance Australian healthcare is expensive for non-residents.
u003cstrongu003eCan I work on a visitor visa?u003c/strongu003e
No. Any form of employment, paid or unpaid, is prohibited. If you need to work in Australia, you must apply for a different visa.
u003cstrongu003eCan I study on a visitor visa?u003c/strongu003e
You can undertake short courses or training for up to u003cstrongu003e3 monthsu003c/strongu003e. Anything longer requires a student visa.
u003cstrongu003eHow long is the visa valid?u003c/strongu003e
This depends on your nationality and the type of visa granted. A standard tourist visa is typically valid for 12 months from the date of grant, allowing multiple entries within that period. Each stay is limited to the duration specified on your visa (usually 3 or 6 months per entry).
Need Help With Your Australian Visa Application?
I have been through the Australian visa process myself, and I help travellers prepare their applications properly from getting the documents right to understanding what the visa officer is actually looking for.
I offer a personalised visa application assistance service. I cannot guarantee your visa will be approved that decision belongs entirely to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, but I can help ensure your application is complete, accurate, and presents your case as strongly as possible.
Get Help With Your Australian Visa Application ➔Australian Visitor Visa (Subclass 600)
Application Assistance
What you get
✓Stream selection guidance to determine whether you need the Tourist stream, Sponsored Family stream, or Frequent Traveller stream.
✓ImmiAccount walkthrough guiding you through the online application step by step.
✓Document preparation plan tailored to your nationality, employment and travel history.
✓Financial evidence review showing how to present your funds to meet Home Affairs expectations.
✓GTE statement assistance to help you draft a Genuine Temporary Entrant statement that addresses the key assessment factors.
39 Comments
Hello, my employer will sponsor all my expenses (roundtrip air ticket for 2 weeks stay in AU and accommodation) I am here in Philippines working as independent contractor for my client. I have ff questions below, hope you can give me an advice. Thank you so much in advance.
1. do I need to include this in my cover letter? what is the safe cover letter I can say? if self funded i have low income here
2. what else do my employer need to provide as proof? this is a gift travel to me and like an appreciation gift of my employer
Hello! Great to hear about your upcoming trip, and I’d be happy to help. Here are some suggestions:
Cover Letter: Yes, it’s a good idea to mention your employer’s sponsorship in your cover letter. You can simply state that your employer will be covering all expenses for this trip as an appreciation gift. Mention that you’re an independent contractor and provide a brief explanation of the purpose of your visit. For example, “My employer is generously covering my travel expenses, including airfare and accommodation, as an appreciation for my work.”
Employer’s Proof: Your employer should provide a sponsorship or support letter explaining that they will cover all costs related to your trip as a gesture of appreciation. The letter should ideally include specifics about what expenses they’ll cover (e.g., roundtrip airfare, accommodation) and confirm the purpose and duration of your stay. Additional documents, like proof of the company’s business registration or financial capacity, may also strengthen your application.
Let me know if you need help drafting these documents, and best of luck with your visa application!
Hi, Should I apply separately for my wife and me for a Visitor Visa to Australia?
You may apply for all together
Having navigated the Australian visa process myself, I can attest to its relative simplicity, especially with the online application system. If you’re considering a visit Down Under, opting for the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) is a wise choice. And if you ever need assistance or guidance along the way, Gold migration lawyers are there to lend a helping hand.
Can I apply Australia visit visa subclass 600 without travel history?. Because I never visit any country.
@Ashrafur Rahman. Of course, you can apply Australian visitor visa sub class 600 without any travel history.
i applied for a tourist visa in April 2023, but they refused. The status is
The applicant claims to be employed with xxxxx Electrical as Site engineer. Documents
provided in support of the application include travel details, employment, financial and
income documents along with inviter’s documents.
In assessing these criteria, I have taken into account the information provided by the
applicant in their visa application form and the supporting documents. I find that the
information provided is not sufficient to satisfy me of their genuine temporary stay intention,
and the applicant has not demonstrated that they have sufficiently strong commitments in
India that would be an incentive for them to return to India
now can i re apply for visa
You can re-apply but I think better to get professional guidance. There should be more evidence to return to India.
This was a great and interesting article to read. I have really enjoyed all of this very cool and fun information. Thanks
Hi,
I have submitted my application and paid for it, also I have done the biometrics. Status shows further assessment and i want to upload some more documents as well. Can I still upload it?
@Mandy
Yes, if you need to upload more documents, you can do so easily via your ImmiAccount. Just log in to your dashboard and follow the directions to attach the relevant documents.
Hi,
My wife is on work visa in australia and she had applied for tourist visa for me on my behalf but visa got refused due to insufficient document like my income detail.
Just wanted to know:
1. If i can apply again from my side and if it is mandatory to mention in the online form regarding my first visa refusal or if it is ok without mentioning.
2. Also just wanted to know the list of mandatory documents required to upload along with the recommended documents.. What if I don’t have recommended documents..
3. Since my wife is on work visa, can she sponsor me ?if yes, what all documents is required apart from invitation letter from my wife?
Hi Prashant. Your first question answer is you must need to tell them about your previous visa refusal even if it was not for Australia. Also, could you please share a bit more privately? Using our contact us page.
Hi there
I have applied my Visitor Visa Subclass 600 on Dec 25th 2022 and still the application status is stuck at ”Further Assessment”. I have provided all requested documents = total is 23 docs uploaded to the immi account.
Any idea when I will be able to get the Visa grant letter for my application.
Thank you.
Appreciate your help
@Rahul Jonathan
The timing for when you will receive your Australian visa grant letter, or any other related documents is dependent on many factors such as demographics and recent trends in applications. While the processing time may vary, it is advisable to wait for at least the designated processing period before reaching out to the authorities regarding an inquiry on your visa status. Best of luck!
Hi, I can’t seem to find the sample copy of the travel itinerary. Can you pls attach it as the hyperlink doesn’t seem to be working
The sample itinerary was added already. Thank you
My Wife and I is in the midst of processing the ETA to go to Australia. We have been rejected once before so I wonder if it’s still advisable to pursue the same path or go with subclass 600? though the first time we did not have our flights booked.
FYI our intention is so that my wife could attend her exam on 16 December 2022 at Brisbane, additionally, we’ll be visiting our relatives in the same city as well. from your article, you mentioned that an invitation letter from our relatives might further strengthen our application. May I please have a copy or a sample of such letter?
I am sorry to hear that you have been rejected once before. While it is not impossible for you and your wife to be approved again, it is still a challenge.
In your case, I would advise you to pursue ETA visa rather than a subclass 600. This is because the ETA visa does not require an invitation letter from your relative in Australia. However, if you choose the subclass 600 route, then I would suggest that you contact our office so that we can write an invitation letter for you and attach it to your application when we lodge it on your behalf.
What should I put in section where it asked for other travel documents? Will this include my expired passport and used/existing visas from other countries?
Do you have any other passports? Or you are a dual citizen? If not a dual citizen please include all your last 5 years travel histories. If you are Malaysian just use their ETA apps.
Do We Need to Upload Certified/ Notarised copies of New and Old Passport all pages?
Hi, you no need to notarized all passport pages. If you have good travel history on your old and new passport then combine all those pages and upload it together with other documents.
Hi, I am in South Australia on a student visa. My wife sister is a citizen here and she applied visitor visa for my wife on 9th June, 2022, but its still not approved. Could you please let me know why this visa is taking so long?
Will my student visa affect their visitor visa?
Some nationality get longer waiting time then others. You are already there legally on a student visa so I don’t think your wife application will have anything with your current student visa.
have your wife got the visa now?
Hello,
I have submitted my visitors visa application last June 19,2022 and the status is for further assessment. What does it mean? How woud I know if there’s incorrect upload of the required attachment, do they email me about it? I am just confused because under actions of my immi account it says Attached documents and health assessment. when I click on health assement it says no further examination required. on attached documemts it says further assessment. This is my second application. my first application was in 2019 and took only 10 days to receive the grant notification. Im considering the delay might due to backlogs. Appreciate your feedback
Hello there, health assement not required for tourists. The Department of Home Affairs will make further assessment on your visa application. You will be informed of this in writing by the Department and be given the opportunity to provide additional information or documents as part of this process. I am agree with you that delay might be the reason of huge backlogs. And regarding incorrect uploads, The answer is, you don’t need to upload any more documents as they are already there unless you received any email for additional documents. Please do Re-check all your uploaded documents one more time. Thank you and wish you good luck on your visa application
With regard to submission of documents not in English should I provide both original and translated documents.
Hi there. Submit only translated copy but make sure do the translation from authorized by them. I submitted only translated copy and keep the original with me. Hope this helps
Hi,what is the processing time now for visitors visa subclass 600 now?
Rgds
At least 30 days+ depending your location and passport you are holding. Some gets faster than others.
I have uploaded documents ie 78 which is more than the maximum limit of 60.
I have uploaded the same document in parts in my 600 Australia sponsor family visa.
What should I do know?
Hi, did they asked you to submit anymore documents? If not then just wait or you may just send them an email to ask your status. Family sponsored visa usually gets approved just wait and let me know if you get your visa.
hello i applied for sub 600 tourist visa on 25th may. before the outbreak i receieved a grant but wasnt able to travel. i re- applied and they didnt want visa money because of previous grant. it says i should get visa in 26 or 37 days max is this true. thank you
They are refunding those who are withdraw their application. In your case i didn’t exactly understand what they mean to giving you visa 26 or 37 days. Usually Australian visa Sub class 600 comes one or two years validity.
Hi, can the Australian border force approve a 600 visa?
Yes. subclass 600 are now issuing as usual.