Watch the game, seethe family, sign the deal:the visitor visa foreveryone else.
The subclass 600 is the visitor visa for people whose passport does not get an ETA or eVisitor, who need longer than three months, or who have a refusal or a conviction to explain. Five streams, charges from $250 offshore to $630 onshore, and no work. The test the Department applies is whether you genuinely intend to visit and then leave.
Government charges, subclass 600
- Tourist stream, applying from outside Australiaper person$250
- Tourist stream, applying from inside Australiaper person$630
- Business Visitor streamoutside Australia only$250
- Sponsored Family streamoutside Australia only, sponsor required$250
- Frequent Traveller streamChinese passport holders, up to ten years validity$1,845
As at 1 July 2026. Every traveller, including each child, lodges their own application and pays their own charge. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
A visitor visa for tourism, family visits and business meetings, with no work.
The subclass 600 Visitor visa lets a person visit Australia for tourism, to see family or for business visitor activities, usually for up to three months per visit and sometimes six or twelve. The Tourist stream charge is $250 from outside Australia and $630 from inside, work is not permitted, and the applicant must satisfy the Department that they genuinely intend to stay temporarily.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 600 page and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Do I qualify? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
One visa, five streams. Pick by purpose and by where you apply from.
The stream sets the charge, where you can lodge, how long you can stay and which conditions are attached. Applying in the wrong stream is refused, not corrected.
ETA and eVisitor for eligible passports
- 01
Tourist stream
Holidays, visiting family and friends, short courses. $250 from outside Australia, $630 from inside. Stays of three, six or twelve months per visit. Parents of Australians can be considered for longer validity.
- 02
Business Visitor stream
Conferences, negotiations, exploring business opportunities, site inspections. $250, lodged from outside Australia. No work for an Australian business and no selling goods or services to the public.
- 03
Sponsored Family stream
A settled Australian citizen or permanent resident relative sponsors the visit. $250, lodged from outside Australia. The Department can ask the sponsor for a security bond, and condition 8503 always applies.
- 04
Frequent Traveller stream
For Chinese passport holders who travel often. $1,845, valid for up to ten years, with stays of up to three months at a time and a cap on time spent in Australia over any period.
- 05
Approved Destination Status stream
For Chinese nationals travelling in organised tour groups through an approved travel agent. The agent lodges the applications; individuals do not apply in this stream themselves.
Choose the stream, prove you will leave, lodge in the right place.
A visitor visa is decided on the genuine temporary entrant test. Everything in the application should answer one question: why will this person go home?
Choose the stream
Purpose, passport and location decide it. Business Visitor and Sponsored Family must be lodged from outside Australia. Tourist can be lodged inside Australia if you hold a substantive visa without condition 8503.
Evidence of a temporary stay
Employment or study you will return to, family who stay behind, property, a return ticket or the funds for one, and a travel plan that matches the length of stay. Bank statements in your own name, or a letter from whoever pays.
The invitation
If family in Australia are hosting, a letter setting out the relationship, their status, their address and what they will provide. For a sponsored family visit the sponsor lodges a sponsorship form and accepts obligations.
Lodge and wait
Online through ImmiAccount. Onshore applicants receive a bridging visa while the 600 is decided. Processing times vary by stream and are published monthly; a complete application with clear evidence is decided faster.
Grant and conditions
Condition 8101, no work. Condition 8201, study of no more than three months. Condition 8558, no more than twelve months in Australia in any eighteen. Sometimes condition 8503, no further stay, and 8501, keep health insurance.
Six reasons, and how each is answered.
Refusals cluster around the same points. Most can be addressed in the application if you know they are coming.
- 01
Weak ties to home
No job, no study, no dependants, no property. Address it with whatever ties exist, in documents rather than statements, and with a travel plan that has a clear end.
- 02
Funds that do not add up
Deposits that appear the week before lodgement, or a host who cannot show income. Use statements over several months and explain any large transfer.
- 03
Previous refusals or overstays
Anywhere, not only Australia. Declare them. An undeclared refusal is far worse than a declared one, and a false answer can bring a bar on future visas.
- 04
A history of long visits
Repeated stays that add up to living here. Condition 8558 limits time in Australia to twelve months in eighteen; an application that ignores this pattern is refused.
- 05
Health
Older applicants and anyone planning a longer stay may be asked for a health examination and evidence of health insurance. Certain conditions need advice before lodging.
- 06
The wrong stream or the wrong place
A business visitor lodged from inside Australia, or a tourist application from someone whose visa carries condition 8503. These are refused on the criteria, whatever the merits.
Fans, corporate guests and family for Australia's biggest decade.
The Rugby World Cup runs from 1 October to 13 November 2027 and the Brisbane Games from 23 July to 8 August 2032. Visitor demand peaks in the months before both, and so do processing queues.
Australia's major events to 2032- 01
Fans
Eligible passports use the free ETA or eVisitor. Everyone else needs a 600 Tourist stream visa at $250. Apply as soon as tickets and flights are confirmed, not the month before.
- 02
Corporate hospitality guests
Clients and partners attending as guests of an Australian business use the Business Visitor stream at $250, or an ETA or eVisitor. A letter from the host company describing the program helps.
- 03
Teams, officials, media and crews
Anyone working at the event, paid or not, needs a 408 Temporary Activity visa, not a visitor visa. Sponsors and organisers should plan that a year out.
- 04
Family of players and staff
Partners and parents travelling to watch use the Tourist stream, or the Sponsored Family stream where an Australian relative sponsors. They cannot work at the event on a visitor visa.
Which visitor visa, by passport and situation.
Most visitors never need the 600. This is the quick route to the right one.
| Passport and situation | Visa | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland and similar passports, visits under three months | eVisitor, subclass 651 | $0 |
| United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and similar passports, visits under three months | ETA, subclass 601 | $0 plus an app service fee |
| Any passport, a stay over three months or a history to explain | 600 Tourist, from outside Australia | $250 |
| Already in Australia and want to stay longer | 600 Tourist, from inside Australia | $630 |
| Business meetings, conference or inspection, passport not ETA or eVisitor eligible | 600 Business Visitor | $250 |
| Parent, sibling or other close relative sponsored by Australian family | 600 Sponsored Family | $250 |
| Chinese passport, several visits over the coming years | 600 Frequent Traveller | $1,845 |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. ETA and eVisitor holders who need longer can apply for a 600 from inside Australia before their current stay ends.
What a visit costs in government charges.
Each traveller pays their own charge, children included. Health checks, insurance and our fixed professional fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. A security bond requested in the Sponsored Family stream is refunded when the visitor leaves on time. A family of four applying from overseas is four Tourist stream charges.
Subclass 600, answered plainly.
How long can I stay on a 600 visa?
Usually up to three months per visit, sometimes six, and twelve months for some family visits. Condition 8558 limits most visitors to twelve months in Australia in any eighteen-month period. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents can be considered for longer validity.
Can I work on a visitor visa?
No. Condition 8101 prohibits work, and that includes unpaid work for a business. The Business Visitor stream allows meetings, conferences and negotiations but not work for an Australian employer. Work needs a 400, 408 or 482.
What is condition 8503, and can it be waived?
Condition 8503 means no further stay: you cannot apply for most other visas while in Australia. It is always attached to Sponsored Family visas and sometimes to Tourist visas. A waiver is possible only for compelling circumstances that arose after grant and were outside your control.
Can I extend my visitor visa from inside Australia?
Not the same visa, but you can apply for a new 600 Tourist stream visa from inside Australia for $630 if your current visa does not carry condition 8503. Lodge before it expires and a bridging visa keeps you lawful while it is decided.
I was refused a visitor visa before. Can I apply again?
Yes. Address the reasons in the refusal letter directly with new evidence. Refusals of applications lodged from outside Australia generally have no review right, apart from some sponsored family cases. Onshore refusals can be reviewed at the Administrative Review Tribunal for $3,727.
Do I need a visa for the Rugby World Cup 2027?
Yes, unless you hold an Australian or New Zealand passport. The tournament runs from 1 October to 13 November 2027. Eligible passports use the free ETA or eVisitor; everyone else needs a 600 Tourist stream visa at $250. Apply early.
Can my partner in Australia sponsor me for a visitor visa?
The Sponsored Family stream is limited to certain relatives and needs a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident sponsor. A partner can support a Tourist stream application with an invitation and evidence of funds instead. If the plan is to stay together in Australia, the partner visa or the 300 prospective marriage visa is the right conversation.
Where this visa connects.
- 601 / 651Open
ETA and eVisitor
Free visitor visas for eligible passports, three months per visit.
- 408Open
Temporary Activity visa
For anyone working at an event, from players to crews.
- EventsOpen
Australia's major events to 2032
Rugby World Cup 2027, Brisbane 2032 and the visas each needs.
- PartnerOpen
Partner visa
When a visit turns into a life together in Australia.
Articles on this visa
- Rugby World Cup 2027 for Fans: ETA, eVisitor or the 600 Visitor Visa, and What a Past Refusal Means
- T20 World Cup 2028: Two Countries, Four Visa Groups, and Why a Commentator Is Not a Player
- Rugby World Cup 2027: The Visa Timeline for Teams, Staff and Broadcasters
- Netball World Cup Sydney 2027: The 408 Visa for Squads and Officials, and When an Invitation Beats a Sponsorship
Refused before, or a visit that needs to go right first time?
One consultation picks the stream, sets out the evidence the Department expects and gives you a fixed fee for the application.