Immigration to Australia

Visitor Visa

If an applicant wishes to go to Australia for tourism, seeing relatives or friends, pre-arranged medical treatment or short - term study (3 months or less) and the  intention is not to work during the stay, can very well apply for visitor visa.

On a standard visitor visa you can stay up to 3 months from the date of entry. The visa is for multiple travel and can be used to enter Australia for 1 year from the date of issue. You are not permitted to work on this visa. You can also apply for a long stay visa. This is usually granted for stays up to 6 months.   Applications are generally processed within 24 hours.  

The applicant must meet the following conditions to enter Australia on Visitor visa:

•    Applicant must hold a passport approved for ETA
•    Applicant’s Visit to Australia is for -
o    tourism,
o    visiting relatives,
o    business meetings,
o    a convention or conference, or
o    a short term project or event requiring a high level of skill;
•    Applicant  will not work in Australia if you hold a tourist ETA;
•    Applicant will not stay in Australia for more than three months;
•    Applicant is in good health and has no criminal convictions.

The applicant can choose one of the following categories to apply for Visitor visa:

Short Stay Visitor - allows the applicant to stay in Australia for 3 months or less

Long Stay Visitor - allows the applicant to stay in Australia for more than 3 months, usually 6 months. There can be exceptions in certain circumstances, for instance, in respect to aged parents visiting children (up to 1 year stay) or parent caring for young child while involved in formal studies.

Medical Treatment - allows the applicant to stay in Australia for either elective or emergency medical treatment. The choice can be made by the applicant to choose Short Stay Medical Treatment visa (up to 3 months) or Long Stay Medical Treatment visa (more than 3 months).

Medical treatment visa

Australia has excellent hospital facilities and medical treatment centers (including organ transplants, heart surgery, and donor programs). Many people travel from neighboring countries to take advantage of Australian health care.  There are some regulations and charges which can make obtaining the visa a lengthy process.

Business Visitor Visa

If an applicant have  sufficient funds to support during the stay; do not engage in any activity affecting work opportunities of Australian residents, and would like to enter Australia for business for less than 3 months,  the applicant should apply for a Business Visitor visa.

A multiple entry visa valid either 1 year, or 5 years or for the life of the  passport (whichever is greater up to 10 years), which allows the applicant to stay up to 3 months each time when the applicant arrives in Australia.   A single entry visa can also be applied for.  This type of visa also includes the applicant’s spouse and dependant children.

Sponsored Family Visitors Visa

Sponsored Family Visitors visa is a special short stay visa for people traveling from certain countries, to which visitors often do not return home when their visa expires. The family member sponsoring will have to provide proof of relationship, and compelling reasons why the applicant will return to the home country when the  visa has expired.

Bridging visa

Australian Bridging Visas are granted to overseas nationals who are in Australia. The applicant in  overseas cannot apply for an Australia Bridging Visa.

This group of visas is granted to people who are either already in Australia without a substantive visa, or who would otherwise become 'visa less' if a Bridging Visa were not granted.

There are several classes of bridging visas - they are used to make 'non-citizens' lawful who otherwise would be unlawful in the following situations:

• During the processing of an application, made in Australia, for a substantive visa (any visa     which is not a bridging visa or criminal justice visa), including merits review of a decision to refuse such an application;
• while arrangements are made to leave Australia;
• at other times when the 'non-citizen' does not have a visa (for example, when seeking judicial     review) and it is not necessary for the person to be kept in immigration detention.