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Types of Australian Visas: A Complete Guide

India is one of the most popular countries where travel enthusiasts visit Australia. Moreover, according to the Australian Government's Tourism Department, the annual visit of Indians to this "Land Down Under" is predicted to reach 1 million by 2030. However, aspiring travellers need to acquire a visa to move to Australia. There are different types of Australian visas discussed in the upcoming segment. Individuals can select one that suits their requirements.

What Are the Different Types of Australian Visas?

Wondering, "how many types of visas are there in Australia?"

 If yes, take a look at the different types of Australian visas tabulated below:

Types of Visas in Australia Meaning
Visitor This visa is applicable for travellers who intend to visit Australia for a short term, such as for family visits, tourism or business purposes.
Studying and Training This visa allows trainees, international students, guardians or parents of underaged students to visit Australia for a limited time.
Family It is issued to dependent adult members, minors or caregivers of permanent residents or citizens of Australia or New Zealand.
Parent It is valid for parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens.
Partner This visa is for de facto partners, spouses, or prospective spouses of New Zealand citizens, Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Humanitarian It is issued to refugees to meet the protection obligations of Australia.
Work As the name suggests, this visa entitles the holder to work in Australia.
Bridging It allows travellers to stay in Australia during the processing of their requests for immigration applications.
Business and Investment It is applicable for entrepreneurs planning to operate a new or an existing business or wish to invest in Australia.
Working Holiday It is issued to travellers of selected countries that hold holiday and work contracts with Australia and allows them to work while travelling to Australia.
Transit This visa is issued to those who want to transit through Australia for a maximum of 72 hours.
Special Category This visa is issued to New Zealand citizens and permits them to study, stay and work in Australia for an indefinite time.
Resident Return It allows Australian permanent visa holders to travel in and out of Australia without negatively hampering their permanent resident status.
Australia Declaratory It is a travel permit issued to Australian citizens who cannot visit other foreign countries using their passports.

What Are the Additional Requirements & Details of Each Australian Visa Type?

Go through the additional requirements and details of each Australian visa category,  illustrated in each separate table below:

Visitor Visa

Points of Consideration Description
Eligibility Travellers must have sufficient funds to cover the cost of staying in and returning from Australia and have a genuine intention to visit this country.
Document requisites Valid passport, old passport (if available), duly filled visa application form, documents to prove intention behind the visit to Australia, bank statements, IT returns, medical test report, fixed deposits and property investment (if available), accommodation proof, cover letter and travel insurance
Approximate visa fees Ranges between AU$366.31 to AU$1074.20.
Validity Ranges between 3 to 12 months
Sub-categories Tourist, e-Visitor, Medical Treatment visas and Electronic Travel Authority

Studying and Training Visa

Points of Consideration

Explanation

Eligibility 

Student visa

Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time educational course, have a genuine reason to travel to Australia, meet health and character requirements, and have insurance cover.

Training visa

Individuals should be sponsored or nominated by a legitimate sponsor or invited by the institution of the Commonwealth Government; meet occupational training and character requirements.

Document requisites 

Student visa 

Valid passport, duly filled visa application form, fee receipt, COE, acceptance letter, statement of purpose, English language test scores, documents to prove financial capacity and educational qualification, OSHC.

Training visa

Valid passport and IDs, invitation letter, proof of sponsorship, documents to show financial capacity, health insurance, English language test scores, assistance documents and volunteer forms 

Approximate visa fees   

Student visa

AU$624.73 + AU$466.07 (for applicants aged 18 and above) or + AU$153.69 (for applicants below 18 years)

Training visa

AU$307.40 (excluding charges required for health checkups, English language tests, or migration fees)


Validity 

Student visa

It depends on the duration of the course 

Training visa

Up to 2 years

Sub-categories 

Student visa, Training Visa, and Student Guardian visa

Family Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Permanent residents or citizens of Australia or New Zealand must sponsor the applicant's visa, meet character and health requirements, and provide proof of relationship with members residing in Australia.
Approximate visa fees Ranges between AU$367.78 to AU$6450.99.
Validity It is based on which visa individuals have applied for and the situation of the sponsor.
Sub-categories Adoption, Carer, Aged Dependent Relative Visas, New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary), Orphan Relative, Remaining Relative and Dependent Child visas

Parent Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Purpose of issuance Issued to aged and working parents of permanent residents, Australian citizens or citizens of New Zealand to stay in Australia permanently or temporarily.
Eligibility Should be sponsored by a child who is a permanent resident or a citizen of Australia, or a citizen of New Zealand; if not applied for this visa as a retiree, must not hold or have applied for Sponsored Parent visa while submitting an application for it, meet health and character requirements, have health insurance cover and assurance of support.
Document requisites Valid passport, passport size photographs, birth certificates, application form, documents to prove the legal status of the sponsor and family relationship, visa fee receipt, evidence of rendering military service (if any), proof of all children's resident status (if any)
Approximate visa fees AU$4322.79 (for main applicant) + AU$2161.40 (for partner and child more than 18 years old)+ AU$1083.18 (per child age below 18 years)
Validity 5 years
Sub-categories Parent, Aged Parent Visa, Contributory Aged Parent, Contributory Parent, Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary) visas

Partner Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility A relationship with an individual who is a citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen should be genuine, the applicant has been in a relationship with his or her spouse for the past 12 months and meets character and health requirements.
Document requisites Documents as evidence of the relationship include joint ownership of assets and joint bank accounts, among others. Other documents include passport size photographs, PCC, passport, etc.
Approximate visa fees AU$7784.61 (valid for sub-class 100, 309, 300, 801, 820) or AU$1299.08 (valid for sub-class 801, 820, through Prospective Marriage Visa sub-class 300)
Validity This visa remains valid till the decision is finalised on a permanent visa of an applicant.
Sub-categories Prospective Marriage, Partner (Provisional), Partner Visa (Temporary), Partner Visa (Migrant) And Partner visas (Permanent)

Humanitarian Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility The applicant should not owe any outstanding amount before the Australian Government, meet character and health requirements, and abide by law and order of Australia.
Document requisites Valid passport, visa application form, Forms Form 956 or 956a, photographs, family certificates, biometric details, parental consent form, required forms, photocopies of old visas, documents to show experience of applicants in a humanitarian circumstance
Approximate visa fees It depends on each visa type. For example, fees for Protection Visas categorised as sub-class 785, 866, and 790 are 2,156, while fees for Humanitarian Visas- falling under the sub-class of 201, 200, 204 and 203 are nil.
Validity The validity of temporary protection and safe haven enterprise visas is 3 and 5 years, respectively. Visas that feature indefinite validity are- protection visas, humanitarian visas – 204, 203, 202, 201 and 200 and Global Special Humanitarian visas 202.
Sub-categories Refugee, Global Special Humanitarian, Temporary Protection, Safe Haven Enterprise, and Protection visas

Work Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Applicants must meet character requirements, complete medical check-ups, be competent in the English language, possess 3 years of working experience, should be below 45 years of age, have signed the Australian value statement, and know the Australian way of life.
Document requisites Valid passport, passport size photographs, employment offer letter, PCC, health and travel insurance, character assessment form 80, English language competency proof, and documents of educational qualification
Approximate visa fees Ranges between AU$310.10 to AU$4041.09 and varies based on the types of visas
Validity Ranges between 6 months to 5 years, depending on each visa type.
Sub-categories Global Talent, Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional), Employer Nomination Scheme, Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, Skilled Nominated, Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional), Skilled Independent, Skilled Work Regional (Provisional), Skilled Recognised (Graduate), Temporary Activity, Temporary Work Visa (International Relations), Temporary Work Visa (Short Stay Specialist), Temporary Graduate and Temporary Skill Shortage visas.

Bridging Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Individuals must hold a Bridging visa B or Bridging visa A, have a genuine reason to return or leave Australia while waiting for the result of the visa application or waiting for a court appeal on a visa application.
Approximate visa fees Bridging visa A - subclass 030, 010, 050, 040, 060 and 051 do not require any fees, while an application for a Bridging visa B- subclass 020 fetches a fee of AU$158.34
Validity 28 days
Sub-categories Bridging visa A (BV), Bridging visa C (BVC), Bridging visa E (BE) and Bridging visa B (BVB)

Business and Investment Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Must provide EOI or expression of interest in SkillSelect, should be invited to submit an application for the permit, Territory or State Government agency or Austrade should nominate the applicant.
Document requisites Valid passport, recent photographs, documents to verify business and personal assets, financial documents, business details, English language proficiency certificate, applicant's managerial position, other documents such as birth certificates, relationship proof for family members need to be submitted.
Approximate visa fees Ranges between AU$6083.07 and A$9452 depending on the visa type
Validity 4 years (valid for provisional)
Sub-categories Business Innovation and Investment Visa (Permanent), Business Owner, Business Innovation and Investment Visa (Provisional), Business Talent Visa (Permanent), State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner Visa, Investor Visa, State or Territory Sponsored Investor Visa

Working Holiday Visa

Points of Consideration

Explanation

Eligibility

Applicants must

be aged between 18 to 30 years

hold a valid passport

documents to prove English language proficiency

meet health and education requirements

possess sufficient funds to cover the cost of living in Australia.

Document requisites 

Photocopies of the first two pages of the passport, birth certificate, two recent passport size photographs, a copy of bank statement, and application form

Approximate visa fees   

₹ 26,960

Validity 

12 months

Sub-categories 

Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417 and 462)

Transit Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Applicants must remain outside Australia, have confirmed tickets to visit the destination country within 72 hours of entering Australia and carry relevant documents to visit that particular country. Additionally, holders of Maritime Crew visas who wish to join a non-military ship's crew can apply for this visa .
Document requisites Valid passport, national identity card, application form, recent photograph, itinerary, appropriate visa, flight ticket, duly signed Australian value statement, have a health insurance plan and meet character requirements are some of the documents that applicants need to submit.
Approximate visa fees Free of charge
Validity 72 hours
Sub-categories NA

Special Category Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Must hold a valid passport of New Zealand and meet character requirements. Applicants with a visa featuring a 'no further stay' provision cannot apply for this permit.
Document requisites A valid New Zealand passport
Approximate visa fees Free of charge
Validity The validity ceases when applicants leave Australia.
Sub-categories NA

Resident Return Visa

Points of Consideration

Explanation

Eligibility 

Applicants must be

residents of Australia for a minimum of 2 years

provide evidence of substantial relationship with Australia

meet character requirements

did not experience visa cancellation previously

Document requisites 

Valid passport, family certificate, national ID card and visa application form

Approximate visa fees   

₹ 22,265

Validity 

3 months to 5 years, depending on the visa type

Sub-categories 

Resident Return Visa (sub-class 155 and 157)

Australia Declaratory Visa

Points of Consideration Explanation
Eligibility Minor visiting Australia with a parent who is not a citizen of this country and urgent requirement of obtaining this visa
Document requisites Valid passport, identity card, birth certificate, documents to prove a legal change in name (if any), proof of Australian citizenship, and written statement mentioning the urgency to obtain this visa
Approximate visa fees The fee for Declaratory (Visa 998) is ₹ 13,063 and ₹ 10,069 for adults and children, respectively.
Validity 5 years
Sub-categories NA

Knowing the details of multiple types of Australian visas will assist aspiring travellers in selecting one that meets their requirements and can apply the same without any hassle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any processing time for the Australian Declaratory Visa?

The visa department processes an Australian Declaratory Visa within the least possible time. Therefore, there is no particular processing time for this visa.

Which countries' citizens are eligible to apply for a Working Holiday Visa?

Argentina, Poland, Bangladesh, Turkey, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia, Uruguay, Malaysia and the United States are a few selected countries where citizens can apply for this Working Holiday Visa.