Subclass 600 visa: Visitor

Streams

Home Affairs lists these streams on its Visitor visa page. The Tourist stream has separate pages for applying outside and in Australia.

600 Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)

For visiting family or friends, a holiday, a cruise or any purpose other than business or medical treatment. Home Affairs generally grants 3 months, and up to 12 months in certain circumstances, with single or multiple entry. Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, but can't stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period. See the Tourist stream (outside Australia) page.

600 Tourist stream (apply in Australia)

For people already in Australia who want to stay longer as a visitor. Applicants must be in Australia when they apply and when the visa is decided, and their current visa must not have a condition that prevents further stay, such as condition 8503. See the Tourist stream (in Australia) page.

600 Sponsored Family stream

For visitors sponsored by an eligible relative in Australia. The standard stay is 3 months, and up to 12 months in limited circumstances. The visa is generally single entry, must be used within 6 months of grant, and has condition 8503 (No Further Stay). The sponsor may be asked to pay a security bond. See the Sponsored family stream page.

600 Business Visitor stream

For short business visits, such as business or employment enquiries, negotiating or reviewing a contract, an official government visit, or a conference, trade fair or seminar (without being paid by the organisers). Home Affairs generally grants 3 months. APEC Business Travel Card holders with 'AUS' on the card may not need to apply separately. See the Business Visitor stream page.

600 Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream

For citizens of the People's Republic of China travelling in a tour group organised by an approved travel agent, who lodges the application for them. Applicants must be in China when the application is lodged and decided, and must leave Australia with their tour group. See the Approved Destination Status stream page.

600 Frequent Traveller stream

For citizens of China, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, to visit family or friends or for business visitor activities. It can be granted for up to 10 years, with stays of up to 3 months per entry and no more than 12 months in total in any 24-month period. Applicants must give biometrics at an Australian Biometric Collection Centre. See the Frequent traveller stream page.

600 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of the Tourist stream page. The other streams use the same core criteria:

• Genuine visitor. Intend to stay only temporarily and obey the visa's conditions and stay period.
• Money. Have, or have access to, enough money to support the stay.
• Health. Meet the health requirement.
• Character. Meet the character requirement.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government has been paid back, or there is an arrangement to pay it.
• Best interests of the child. Home Affairs may refuse the visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Stream-specific requirements:

• Tourist (in Australia). Home Affairs considers whether the reasons for not holding a substantive visa are beyond the applicant's control. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, it won't grant the visa to a Visitor, Work and Holiday, Working Holiday or bridging visa holder if it would mean staying more than 12 consecutive months.
• Sponsored Family. A sponsor who is a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident, usually living in Australia for the last 2 years. The sponsor must be the applicant's partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew (or step equivalent). A sponsor can also be a member of an Australian parliament, a mayor or a government agency.
• Business Visitor. Do only business visitor activities.
• Approved Destination Status. Be a Chinese citizen travelling with an approved tour group.
• Frequent Traveller. Hold an eligible passport, give biometrics, and have enough money to leave Australia at the end of the stay.

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' Tourist stream page, the visa lets holders:

• visit family or friends
• be in Australia as a tourist, for a cruise, or for any purpose except business or medical treatment
• study or train for up to 3 months
• leave and return while the visa is valid, if it was granted with multiple entry

Holders can't work. Business Visitor stream holders can do business visitor activities and tourism, but can't work for or provide services to an Australian business, or sell goods or services directly to the public. Holders are liable for their own healthcare costs, and Home Affairs may attach condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance).

The visa can't be extended. To stay longer, holders apply for another visa, if their visa has no condition that prevents further stay.

Family members and cost

Family members can't be included in a Visitor visa application. Each family member, including those listed on the same passport, must lodge a separate application. Families can tell Home Affairs they are travelling as a group.

Home Affairs' Current visa pricing data lists these charges for each applicant:

For the Tourist stream applied for in Australia, the price data also lists a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD 700, which can apply depending on the applicant's visa history. From 1 July 2026, a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. There is no fee to become a Sponsored Family sponsor, but a security bond may be asked for. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics can cost extra.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of the Tourist stream (outside Australia) page.

Before you apply

1. Check the passport is valid. Get a new passport before applying, if one is planned.
2. Health exams can be done before applying, or when Home Affairs asks.
3. Anyone giving immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person.

Apply

1. Gather identity documents and evidence of being a genuine visitor, such as money for the stay. Applicants asking for a longer stay should say so and explain why. Applicants under 18 provide a birth certificate.
2. Have non-English documents translated into English.
3. Apply online in ImmiAccount, attach documents, submit family applications together and pay the charge.

After you apply

1. Applicants outside Australia must stay outside Australia until the decision.
2. Home Affairs may ask for biometrics, health exams or more documents. It may decide the application without asking for more.
3. Home Affairs tells the applicant its decision in writing, including the stay period and conditions.

Applying in or outside Australia

Most streams must be applied for from outside Australia, and the applicant must be outside Australia when the visa is decided. Approved Destination Status applicants must be in China. Only the Tourist stream (apply in Australia) can be applied for in Australia, and the applicant must be in Australia when it is decided.

600 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: 600, 601 and 651