Australia has four visitor visa options: the ETA (601) for select non-European passports, the free eVisitor (651) for most European passports, the Subclass 600 for everyone else (and for stays beyond three months), and the Transit visa (771) for layovers. Approval depends on convincing the Department you will leave when your visa expires (the Genuine Temporary Entrant test).
- Four visitor visa options: ETA (601), eVisitor (651) for Europeans, Subclass 600 for everyone else and Transit (771) for a max. 72h stay
- Refusal rates vary wildly: UK applicants see ~1% refusal; some nationalities face 30%+ refusal rates
- Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) is the single most important assessment criterion. Prove you'll leave
- Processing times: ETA/eVisitor often same-day; Subclass 600 ranges from 1 day to 2+ months depending on nationality
- Remote work is allowed for overseas employers if it's incidental to your visit, but full-time remote work is a grey area
- Get a personalised estimate: Use our Visa Time Checker to see realistic processing times for your situation
Planning a trip to Australia? Whether you're visiting the Great Barrier Reef, attending a business conference, or reuniting with family, you'll need a visitor visa. You might know it as a vacation visa, tourist visa, holiday visa, or business visitor visa, but they all fall under Australia's visitor visa program. With multiple subclasses, processing times that vary wildly by nationality, and refusal rates exceeding 20% for some countries, the process can feel overwhelming.
This guide covers everything from choosing the right subclass to whether you can work remotely. We've based it on official Department of Home Affairs policy, FOI data covering millions of visa decisions, and our experience helping thousands of applicants.
What are the types of Australian visitor visas?
Australia offers four visitor visa options, and the right one depends on your passport and trip purpose: the ETA (601) for select non-European passports, the eVisitor (651) for European passports, the Subclass 600 for everyone else, and the Transit visa (771) for layovers under 72 hours.
What is the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601)?
The ETA is a quick, electronic visa for passport holders from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and several others.
Key features:
- Cost: AUD $20 (via the Australian ETA app)
- Stay: Up to 3 months per visit
- Validity: 12 months with multiple entries
- Processing: Usually instant
- Cannot be extended while in Australia
Apply through the official "Australian ETA" mobile app, which uses NFC to read your passport chip.
What is the eVisitor visa (subclass 651)?
The eVisitor is a free electronic visa for passport holders from European countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Key features:
- Cost: Free
- Stay: Up to 3 months per visit
- Validity: 12 months with multiple entries
- Processing: Usually instant
- Cannot be extended while in Australia
Note: British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories, and British Overseas Citizen passport holders are not eligible and must apply for Subclass 600.
What is the Subclass 600 visitor visa?
The Subclass 600 is Australia's main visitor visa for travellers who don't qualify for the ETA or eVisitor, and it requires supporting evidence assessed by a case officer.
Five streams:
- Tourist stream: For holidays, visiting family, or recreation. Can be applied onshore or offshore.
- Business Visitor stream: For meetings, conferences, or negotiations, not actual work.
- Sponsored Family stream: For applicants from certain countries with an Australian sponsor. Often involves a security bond.
- Frequent Traveller stream: For regular business travellers with good visa history. Valid up to 10 years (AUD $1,480).
- Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream: For Chinese citizens travelling with registered tour groups.
Key features:
- Cost: AUD $200-AUD $1,480
- Stay: 3, 6, or 12 months
- Processing: 1 day to 67+ days depending on stream and nationality
- Can be extended (if no "8503 - No Further Stay" condition)
What is the Transit visa (subclass 771)?
The Transit visa (771) is a free, short-stay visa for travellers passing through Australia to another destination, with a maximum stay of 72 hours.
Who needs it? If you hold an ETA or eVisitor-eligible passport, those visas cover transit. If you need a Subclass 600 for tourism, you'll also need a transit visa just to change planes.
Key features:
- Cost: Free
- Stay: Maximum 72 hours
- Validity: Single or multiple transits within 12 months
- Processing: Usually 2-7 days
Can you leave the airport? Yes. Unlike some countries, Australia's Transit Visa lets you explore the city during your layover, just depart within 72 hours. If staying in the international transit area for under 8 hours, check if you qualify for Transit Without Visa (TWOV).
Tern Tip
For long layovers, apply for the Transit Visa rather than relying on TWOV. It's free and gives you flexibility to leave the airport. Apply well in advance as processing can be unpredictable.
What if your flight is delayed past 72 hours?
Overstaying makes you technically unlawful, but the Department has discretion for genuine emergencies. Document everything, contact Immigration immediately, and consider applying for a Subclass 600 to regularise your status. Taking no action is always the wrong choice.
Which Australian visitor visa is right for you?
The right Australian visitor visa depends on three factors: where you are now, which passport you hold, and how long (and how often) you plan to stay. Use the steps below to narrow down the correct subclass before you apply.
Step 1: Where are you now?
- Already in Australia: Your only option is Subclass 600. ETA and eVisitor can only be applied for offshore.
- Outside Australia: Continue below.
Step 2: Check passport eligibility
- ETA-eligible (USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan): Apply for ETA (601)
- eVisitor-eligible (Most EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland): Apply for eVisitor (651)
- Neither: Apply for Subclass 600
Step 3: Do your needs exceed ETA/eVisitor limits?
- Need more than 3 months per visit? → Subclass 600
- Want validity longer than 12 months? → Subclass 600 Frequent Traveller
- Being sponsored by Australian family? → Subclass 600 Sponsored Family
For most travellers from ETA/eVisitor-eligible countries taking a standard holiday, the electronic options are ideal. But if you're onshore or need longer stays, Subclass 600 is where you'll end up.
Not sure? When you start an application with Tern, we'll recommend the right visa for your situation.
What do case officers look for in a visitor visa application?
Case officers assess visitor visa applications against one central question: will you leave Australia when your visa expires? Every other check (financial capacity, travel history, ties to home, consistency of evidence) feeds back into that single judgement.
What is the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement?
The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is the single most important visitor visa criterion: you must convince the Department your stay is temporary and that you will leave when your visa expires. Everything in your application supports this central question.
Case officers don't just assess whether you could overstay. They assess whether your circumstances make overstaying likely.
The Department examines:
- Ties to home: Employment, property, family, studies
- Travel history: Previous visa compliance
- Circumstances in Australia: Who you're visiting, what you're doing, how long
- Consistency: Does your story add up?
What evidence do I need for a Subclass 600 visitor visa?
A strong Subclass 600 application combines four evidence categories: financial capacity, ties to your home country, a clear travel purpose, and verifiable identity documents. Each category answers a specific case-officer concern.
Financial evidence:
- Bank statements (3-6 months) showing sufficient funds
- Pay slips or income evidence
- If sponsored: sponsor's financial capacity
Ties to home country:
- Employment letter with leave approval and return date
- Business registration (if self-employed)
- Property ownership documents
- Dependent family members remaining at home
- University enrolment (if studying)
Travel purpose:
- Detailed itinerary with dates and activities
- Flight and accommodation bookings (refundable is fine)
- Invitation letter (if visiting someone)
- Conference registration (if business visitor)
Identity:
- Valid passport with 6+ months validity
- Previous visa grant letters
- National ID documents
Do I need flights and hotels before applying?
No confirmed bookings required, but a detailed itinerary strengthens your case. Many applicants book refundable travel to demonstrate plans. A vague "I plan to see Sydney" is weak; a dated itinerary showing specific activities is much stronger.
How much does travel history matter for a visitor visa?
Travel history matters but isn't decisive. Previous compliance with Australian, UK, US, or Schengen visas works in your favour, while no travel history is not disqualifying as long as you compensate with stronger evidence of home ties.
How does criminal history affect a visitor visa?
You must declare all criminal convictions on a visitor visa application, including spent convictions and juvenile offences. Having a record doesn't automatically mean refusal, but the Department cross-checks international databases, so honesty is essential.
The good news: Having a record doesn't automatically mean refusal. What matters is the nature of offences, sentences involved, and how you present your circumstances.
The 12-month threshold: Under section 501 of the Migration Act, you have a "substantial criminal record" if convictions total 12 months or more (including suspended sentences). Under this threshold, minor offences typically don't result in refusal.
If you exceed the threshold: You'll need to demonstrate good character through Form 80, police certificates, statutory declarations, and character references. Processing takes at least 3 months, potentially up to 12.
Key advice:
- Be completely honest. The Department cross-checks international databases
- If you have convictions, apply for Subclass 600 (not ETA/eVisitor) to allow character assessment
- Consider submitting Form 80 proactively
- Seek professional advice for serious offences
If you have a more serious criminal history or exceed the 12-month threshold, we've written a comprehensive guide to criminal records and Australia's character test that covers exactly what gets assessed, how to present your case, and what to expect at each stage.
How does country risk affect visitor visa applications?
The Department applies a risk framework based on historical compliance rates from each country, which directly affects processing time, refusal rate, and evidence expectations. If you hold a high-risk passport you cannot change that, but you can prepare an application strong enough that a sceptical case officer has no grounds for refusal.
Check your profile using our Country Risk Tool.
Tern Tip
For higher-risk countries: don't just meet minimum requirements. Exceed them. Provide 3-6 months of bank statements, include property deeds, document dependents staying behind. Make your application so comprehensive that a case officer has no reason to doubt your return.
What are the common reasons for visitor visa refusal?
The most common visitor visa refusal reasons are failing the GTE test, insufficient financial evidence, inconsistent information across documents, previous visa violations, implausible travel plans, and poor-quality scans. Most are preventable with careful preparation.
- Failure to establish genuine temporary intent: Weak home ties, vague travel purpose
- Insufficient financial evidence: Low balance, unexplained deposits
- Inconsistent information: Dates don't match, documents contradict
- Previous visa violations: Overstays, undisclosed refusals
- Implausible travel plans: Budget doesn't match activities
- Poor quality documents: Blurry scans, untranslated documents
At Tern, our platform cross-references and flags issues before submission. We also write a personalised cover letter that frames your application narrative for the case officer.
Do I need biometrics for an Australian visitor visa?
Applicants from certain countries (China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and others) must provide fingerprints and a facial photograph at an Australian Visa Application Centre. Biometrics are a mandatory gate for these nationalities, not a speed-up.
New in late 2025: The Australian Immi App allows eligible applicants who've previously provided biometrics to submit facial biometrics via smartphone.
Biometrics don't speed up processing. They're just a mandatory gate. Book your appointment promptly after receiving the request.
Can I apply for a visitor visa while another visa is processing?
Yes, in most cases. You can hold a pending offshore partner (309/300) or skilled (189/190) application and still apply for a Subclass 600 to visit Australia, as long as you can show why you'll still leave when the visitor visa expires.
- Offshore partner visa (309/300): Apply for Subclass 600 separately to visit while waiting
- Skilled visa (189/190): You can hold a visitor visa with a pending skilled application
If you have a permanent visa pending, be prepared to explain why you'll still leave when your visitor visa expires.
How likely is an Australian visitor visa to be approved?
Australian visitor visa grant rates sit around 80 to 85% overall, but the headline number hides huge variation by nationality, with low-risk passports approved 98 to 99% of the time and high-risk passports approved 60 to 75% of the time. About 70% of the outcome is within your control through evidence quality and consistency.
How do visitor visa grant rates vary by nationality?
Visitor visa grant rates sit around 80 to 85% overall, but this masks huge variation:
- Low-risk countries (UK, Germany, Japan): 98-99%
- Medium-risk countries (India, China): 85-92%
- High-risk countries (Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh): 60-75%
How much of a visitor visa outcome is luck versus preparation?
About 70% of the outcome is within your control: evidence quality, consistency, and addressing case-officer concerns proactively. The remaining 30% (nationality, processing centre, seasonal workload, manual review triggers) is outside your control.
About 70% is within your control: Evidence quality, consistency, addressing concerns proactively.
About 30% is outside your control: Nationality, processing centre, seasonal workload, whether you trigger manual review.
You can't change your passport, but you can submit an application so strong that even a sceptical case officer has no grounds for refusal.
What happens if my visitor visa is refused?
If your visitor visa is refused, your appeal rights depend on where you applied: offshore applicants generally have no right of review unless an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative lodges the appeal, while onshore applicants can appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) within 21 to 28 days.
Offshore applicants: Generally no right of review, unless an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative lodges the appeal.
Onshore applicants: May appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) within 21-28 days. Fee: ~AUD 3,374. Success rate: ~34%.
Honestly, re-applying with stronger evidence is often more practical than appealing.
How long do Australian visitor visas take to process?
Australian visitor visa processing times range from instant for ETA and eVisitor to over two months for some Subclass 600 streams, with median Tourist stream processing of 12 days and 90th percentile of 29 days.
What are the standard visitor visa processing times?
For a personalised estimate, use our Visa Time Checker.
Why do visitor visa delays happen?
Visitor visa delays are usually driven by five factors: high-risk nationality (which always triggers manual processing), incomplete applications, employment or financial verification checks, seasonal peaks, and silent security checks. The first three are within your control.
- Nationality: High-risk countries always go through manual processing
- Incomplete applications: Missing documents trigger information requests
- Verification checks: Employment and financial verification takes weeks
- Seasonal peaks: December-January and university intakes create backlogs
- Security checks: Some applications get flagged with no explanation
How can I avoid visitor visa delays?
To avoid visitor visa delays, submit a complete and consistent application from day one with NAATI-certified translations, and respond immediately to any Department information requests. Spamming ImmiAccount with messages does not move you up the queue.
Do: Submit complete applications; ensure documents are clear, certified, and NAATI-translated; respond immediately to information requests.
Don't: Spam ImmiAccount with messages; submit unnecessary documents; expect calling the Department to help.
Can I pay for priority visitor visa processing?
Applicants from India, the UAE, or China can pay AUD 1,000 for the Priority Consideration Service, which targets a 2-business-day decision and must be requested from your country of citizenship. Genuine medical emergencies can also request priority with supporting evidence.
Priority Consideration Service: For AUD 1,000, applicants from India, UAE, or China can request priority processing (aimed at 2 business days). You must apply from your country of citizenship.
Medical urgency: For genuine emergencies, request priority with supporting evidence.
What conditions apply to an Australian visitor visa?
Australian visitor visas come with conditions covering stay length, multiple entries, and what you can and cannot do while in Australia, including a near-blanket ban on Australian-source work.
How long can I stay in Australia on a visitor visa?
Stay length depends on the subclass: ETA and eVisitor allow up to 3 months per visit, while the Subclass 600 grants 3, 6, or 12 months depending on the period applied for and the case officer's decision.
- ETA/eVisitor: Up to 3 months per visit
- Subclass 600: 3, 6, or 12 months (you choose)
The period is cumulative: a 12-month visa with 3-month stay condition means multiple visits, but no single stay over 3 months.
Can I enter Australia multiple times on the same visitor visa?
Most visitor visas allow multiple entries within the visa's validity period, so you can leave and return as long as each individual stay stays within the per-visit cap. Repeatedly staying close to the maximum duration on back-to-back visits raises red flags for case officers.
Using back-to-back visitor visas to effectively live in Australia will attract scrutiny and likely refusal of future applications.
Can I work remotely for my overseas employer on a visitor visa?
You can generally work remotely for an overseas employer on an Australian visitor visa as long as the work is incidental to a genuine holiday. Department policy treats checking emails and occasional calls as compatible with Condition 8101, but full-time remote work for months at a time sits in a grey area.
Short answer: generally yes, if it's incidental to your visit.
Visitor visas include Condition 8101 prohibiting work, but Department policy clarifies that "online work" for an overseas employer, incidental to a holiday, isn't a breach.
Permitted:
- Checking emails, occasional video calls
- Short periods of remote work while primarily holidaying
Grey area:
- Full-time remote work while "holidaying" for months
Not permitted:
- Working for Australian employers
- Receiving Australian income
- Freelancing for Australian clients
- Helping a friend's business, even unpaid
Tern Tip
If planning significant remote work, frame your application around genuine tourism plans with documented itineraries. If your calendar shows 40-hour work weeks while "visiting" for three months, that's a red flag.
Consequences include visa cancellation, deportation, fines up to AUD 31,000, and a three-year ban. If remote work is your primary purpose, consult an immigration professional.
What's the difference between a business visit and work?
A business visit covers meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations, and exploring opportunities, while "work" means providing paid services, ongoing employment, or filling a role an Australian could otherwise do. The line matters: crossing it can trigger visa cancellation.
Allowed: Meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations, exploring opportunities.
Not allowed: Providing paid services, ongoing employment, work an Australian could do.
How do family, group, and onshore visitor visa applications work?
Visitor visa applications can be lodged as families on a single application, by groups of friends with linked but independent assessments, or onshore as switches from another visa subject to "No Further Stay" rules.
How do family visitor visa applications work?
Families can apply together on a single Subclass 600 application, processed as a single unit with one primary applicant. Each adult still needs their own evidence of home ties, and processing time follows the slowest member.
- List one primary applicant (usually a parent)
- Include dependent children under 18
- Each adult needs their own evidence of home ties
- Processing time follows the slowest member
Friends can apply together for convenience, but each is assessed independently. A weak application won't sink the group, but won't be strengthened by association either.
Do I need a medical exam for a visitor visa?
Most visitor visa applicants do not need a medical exam, but you may need one if you're staying over 3 months and from a high-TB country, are aged 75+, will enter healthcare or educational settings, or the Department specifically requests one.
- Staying over 3 months and from a high-TB country
- Aged 75+ (must prove fitness to travel and have insurance)
- Entering healthcare or educational settings
- The Department requests it
Wait for the request before booking with a panel doctor.
Will I have a visitor visa interview?
Visitor visa interviews are rare and usually conducted by phone or video, most commonly for first-time applicants from high-risk countries, applications with internal inconsistencies, or the Sponsored Family stream.
Can I switch from a visitor visa to another visa onshore?
You can switch from a visitor visa to a small number of onshore visas (notably the partner 820 and certain regional skilled visas), but most pathways like the student 500 or first Working Holiday visa require leaving Australia and applying offshore. The 8503 "No Further Stay" condition blocks almost all onshore switches.
What you CAN apply for onshore:
- Partner visa (820): If already in an established, genuine relationship meeting partner visa criteria
- Certain skilled visas in regional areas
What you CANNOT apply for onshore:
- Student visa (500): Generally must leave and apply offshore
- Working Holiday visa (417/462): First WHM visa must be applied for outside Australia
The 8503 condition: If your visa has "No Further Stay," you generally cannot apply for any other visa while in Australia. A waiver exists in limited circumstances only. Check your grant letter carefully.
Tern Tip
If your plans might change (meeting a partner, deciding to study), consider requesting a visa without 8503 when applying. You can't remove it once attached.
Where does the visitor visa data in this guide come from?
The statistics in this guide come from official Australian government data, including FOI-released processing-time and refusal-rate datasets covering millions of decisions, plus published Administrative Review Tribunal appeal statistics.
- Visa processing times: FOI Reference DA25/10/00449, approximately 4.5 million decisions (July 2024–September 2025)
- Visa refusal rates: FOI Reference DA24/02/00115
- Appeal success rates: Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) statistics
For personalised assessment, use our Visa Time Checker and Country Risk Tool.
Frequently asked questions
Final thoughts
Australian visitor visas range from nearly automatic (ETA and eVisitor) to genuinely challenging (Subclass 600 for high-risk nationalities). Understanding what the Department looks for (genuine temporary intent supported by consistent, comprehensive evidence) puts you ahead of most applicants.
Your nationality sets your baseline scrutiny level, but doesn't determine your outcome. A well-prepared application from a high-risk country beats a sloppy one from a low-risk country.
Before you apply:
- Use our Visa Time Checker for a realistic estimate
- Check your Country Risk Profile to understand evidence requirements
Ready to apply: Start your application with Tern. Our practitioner-configured eligibility checks select the right visa, our system cross-checks your documents to catch inconsistencies, and we write a personalised cover letter to frame your application for the case officer. Applications are reviewed before submission, and complex cases are escalated for lawyer review.
