MARA Registered Migration Agents | MARN: 2518738
The Subclass 600 has four streams, and the right one depends on your purpose, your ties, and where you apply from. A MARA-registered migration agent helps you choose, checks your documents, and lodges with confidence.
The subclass 600 has four streams, and choosing the right one is the single biggest factor in a smooth approval. Here’s how they compare, and what each one means for you.
This is the everyday visitor visa. Use it for a holiday or to visit family. It is also the only stream you can apply for while you are already in Australia.
This stream is for family visits, and an Australian relative must sponsor you. Your sponsor makes a legal promise that you will follow your visa rules. You apply from outside Australia.
This one is for short business trips, such as a meeting, a conference, or talks with a client. You cannot work or be paid by an Australian business. You will need proof of why you are coming, like an invitation letter.
This stream is only for Chinese passport holders who come to Australia often. One visa can last up to 10 years. You can travel in and out as many times as you like, for up to 3 months each visit.
To meet the Australian visitor visa requirements, you need to show you’re a genuine visitor who will leave on time, can fund the trip, and meets health and character rules. This applies to every Subclass 600 stream.
you intend to stay temporarily and return home. Strong ties back home — job, family, property — are the key proof.
evidence you can support yourself and anyone travelling with you, usually bank statements, payslips, or a relative’s support.
you meet Australia’s health rules. Condition 8501 (health insurance) may apply, and an exam may be requested for longer stays or older applicants.
you meet the character requirement and declare any criminal history. Always disclose — non-disclosure is taken seriously.
the visa doesn’t allow work, and study is capped at 3 months. For either, you’d need a different visa.
you need an eligible sponsor (an Australian citizen, PR, or eligible NZ relative), and sometimes a refundable bond.
How much evidence you need depends on your circumstances, nationality, and travel history.
Most parents come on a visitor visa, whether it’s for a few weeks or the better part of a year. The choice comes down to length of stay, health cover, and whether a parent PR application is already in progress. Here’s what to weigh up before you apply.
Medicare doesn’t cover most visitors, so travel and health cover is strongly recommended and required where Condition 8501 applies (common for older applicants).
The 12-month Tourist stream suits one extended visit. For repeated, longer stays, look at the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870).
A visitor visa can bridge the wait — as long as the timing and conditions line up. We’ll help you get the order right.
The cost of a visitor visa (subclass 600) is set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change each year. Budget also for health insurance and any health exam.
| Cost Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) | AUD 250.00 |
| Tourist stream (apply in Australia) | AUD 630.00 |
| Business visitor stream | AUD 250.00 |
| Approved Destination Status stream | AUD 250.00 |
| Frequent traveller stream | AUD 1,845.00 |
| Sponsored family stream | AUD 250.00 |
Charges are indexed every 1 July, so confirm the current figure on the Home Affairs fees and charges page before you lodge.
It depends on the stream. Business Visitor applications move fastest, then Tourist. Sponsored Family takes longest, because the sponsor is assessed alongside you.
| Streams | 50 % | 90 % |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Family | 42 Days | 86 Days |
| Tourist | 16 Days | 33 Days |
| Business Visitor | 6 Days | 26 Days |
These are indicative. Check the live estimate on the Home Affairs processing-times tool, and don’t book non-refundable flights until your visa is granted. Have a fixed date, a wedding, a birth, a graduation? Tell us early and we’ll build the case with your timeline in mind.
A Subclass 600 visitor visa is granted for 3, 6 or 12 months. The Department decides the length based on your purpose, travel history and evidence — you don’t pick it yourself. Your grant notice shows your exact stay and any conditions.
Those conditions matter as much as the length. The common ones:
You can’t apply for another visa while you’re in Australia; you’d have to leave first. Waivers are rare and only for serious situations that arise after grant. Check your grant notice for this before planning to extend.
You can’t stay more than 12 months in any 18 months. This stops back-to-back visitor visas being used to live here long-term.
You can’t work for an Australian business. Helping out in a relative’s shop still counts, so be careful.
You can study for up to 3 months only. Anything longer needs a student visa.
Always confirm which conditions apply to you on VEVO after grant, and read our Visa Conditions Guide. If 8503 is on your visa and you want to stay longer, speak to a registered agent before it expires.
A refusal usually comes down to one gap the Department wasn’t satisfied on — most often the genuine-visitor case. Reapplying with the same evidence tends to bring the same result.
We read the decision, find the reason, and rebuild the application around it — so the next lodgement is stronger, not a repeat.
You need to be a genuine visitor who plans to leave on time, have enough money for the trip, and pass health and character checks. You can’t work. Strong ties to your home country are the main thing that proves you’ll return.
The visa is granted for 3, 6 or 12 months, and the Department decides which. You can’t stay more than 12 months in any 18-month period.
The Tourist stream starts at AUD 250 from outside Australia, and more if you apply onshore. Fees change every 1 July, so check the current amount before you apply.
Yes, unless your current visa has condition 8503 (No Further Stay). You usually get a Bridging Visa A to stay while it’s decided. Applying onshore costs more.
The sponsor provides proof of your relationship and an invitation letter. You provide funds, ties to home, and health insurance. A refundable bond may be asked for.
It’s not always required, but it’s strongly recommended, and required if condition 8501 applies. Medicare doesn’t cover most visitors, so it protects them from big medical bills.
It means you can’t apply for another visa while you’re in Australia you’d have to leave first. It can only be waived in rare, serious situations.
No. A visitor visa never allows work. You can holiday, visit family, attend meetings or cruise, and study for up to 3 months.
It depends on the stream and your country. Many offshore Tourist applications are decided in a few weeks; complex cases take longer. Don’t book non-refundable flights until it’s granted.
Not always many people apply themselves. It helps most if you’ve been refused before, have a complicated history, or need a sponsored or longer stay.
Tell us your plan and a MARA-registered migration agent will confirm your stream, review your evidence, and map your path to lodging.
