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Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Australia visitor visa guide
Most Indian families visiting Australia use the Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream. You apply online from India, and you must be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made. This guide reflects the official Department of Home Affairs pages as of October 2026.
Visa
Visitor visa (subclass 600). Most families use the Tourist stream (apply outside Australia). There is also a Sponsored Family stream.
Length of stay
Up to 12 months. Generally a stay of 3 months is granted. Up to 12 months may be granted in certain circumstances. Your grant letter sets your stay.
Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents
May be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, case by case. You cannot stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period.
Application charge
From AUD 250 per applicant for the Tourist stream applied outside Australia, as of October 2026. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics may cost extra.
How to apply
Online through ImmiAccount. Each family member applies separately. Family applications can be submitted together.
Biometrics
Only if the Department asks. It will tell you which biometrics are needed and how to give them.
Processing time
Use the official visa processing times guide. It shows times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and does not guarantee a decision date.
1Visitor visa for a graduation ceremony
Parents and relatives usually apply for the Tourist stream. It covers visiting family. A student on a student visa cannot sponsor you for the Sponsored Family stream, because a sponsor must be a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Apply well before the ceremony. Do not book travel you cannot change until you have the grant in writing. Ask for a stay that matches your plan. The Department decides the length of stay case by case, and it may not grant the length you ask for.
Be ready to explain who you are visiting, why, how long you will stay, where you will stay, who is paying, and why you will return to India. Keep your answers simple and consistent with your documents.
Useful supporting documents: an invitation letter from your son or daughter stating your relationship, the purpose and length of your visit, and whether you will stay with them; the graduation invitation or confirmation from the university; proof of your relationship, such as the student's birth certificate; copies of the student's passport and Australian visa; your travel plan; and proof of funds. If the student is paying, add proof of their funds. Translate any non-English documents into English.
2Visitor visa for an event or family visit
The Tourist stream lets you visit family or friends, holiday, or go on a cruise. Weddings, family occasions and visiting a relative studying in Australia are all visits of this kind.
The Sponsored Family stream is for people sponsored, usually by a family member who is a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident. The sponsor usually must have lived in Australia for the last 2 years and may be asked to pay a security bond. This stream is generally granted with a single entry, and condition 8503 (No Further Stay) applies. The Department suggests checking whether the Tourist stream suits you better, as it does not need a sponsor.
You cannot work on a Visitor visa. You may study or train for up to 3 months. Business and medical treatment are not covered by the Tourist stream.
Useful supporting documents: an invitation letter from your relative or friend in Australia (relationship, purpose, length of stay, where you will stay); the wedding or event invitation; proof of relationship; your plans while in Australia; proof of funds. For the Sponsored Family stream, evidence of your relationship with the sponsor.
3Visitor visa for tourism
The Tourist stream covers holidays, sightseeing and cruises. You must intend to visit only, have enough money for your stay, and not work.
If you take a round-trip cruise, the time on the cruise counts as time in Australia. It does not reset your stay period.
Show a clear plan: dates, places, where you will stay and how you will pay. Bank statements and proof of your job or business at home help show you are a genuine visitor.
Useful supporting documents: your travel plan; personal bank statements for 3 months; pay slips, tax records or business accounts; a letter from your employer saying you will return to your job; and proof of family, property or other ties in India.
4Renewal / applying again
There is no renewal. Each visit needs a valid visa, and each application is assessed fresh on its own facts.
Your visa may be single entry or multiple entry. With multiple entry, you can leave and return while the visa is valid. With single entry, you must apply for another visa to return. Check which you have in VEVO or your grant letter.
You cannot extend a Visitor visa. To stay longer you must apply for a new visa. If your visa has condition 8503 (No Further Stay), you cannot apply for another visa while in Australia. The Department may waive this only in limited circumstances.
Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents can ask for a longer visa in the application. They should give the reason and proof, such as evidence that their child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Useful supporting documents: your previous visa grant letter, evidence that you followed your earlier visa conditions and left on time, and updated financial and family documents.
How the application process works
Prepare
Check your passport is valid. If you plan to get a new passport, do it before you apply. Gather your documents, translate any non-English documents into English, and scan them in colour. A document of several pages goes in one file.
Apply online via ImmiAccount
Log in or create an ImmiAccount and fill in the Visitor visa (subclass 600) application. Attach your documents. Give accurate information. Each family member needs a separate application, and family applications can be submitted together.
Pay
Pay the visa application charge online. The Tourist stream charge is from AUD 250 per applicant as of October 2026. The Department will not process your application until you pay.
Biometrics if requested
The Department will tell you if you need to give biometrics (a face photo and fingerprints), which ones, and how. Act on this only when you receive the request.
Health checks, extra information and the decision
You may be asked to have health examinations, or to give more documents or a police certificate. Attach them in ImmiAccount as soon as you can. The Department may decide without asking for more. Stay outside Australia until the decision is made.
Visa grant is electronic
You get the decision in writing. It shows your visa grant number, start date and conditions. There is no label in your passport; the visa is linked to it digitally. Check your stay period, entry type and conditions in VEVO, and keep a copy of the decision with you.
Documents to keep ready
Application documents
Passport pages with your photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates; national identity card if you have one; proof of any change of name; invitation letter from family or friends in Australia; your plans while in Australia; English translations of non-English documents. For applicants under 18: birth certificate showing both parents, and Form 1229 or a statutory declaration from any parent not travelling.
Financial evidence
Itemised personal bank statements for a 3-month period, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records, term deposits or credit card statements. If someone in Australia is paying for your stay, include proof of their funds.
Reasons to return
A letter from your employer saying you will return to your job; proof of study in India; proof of immediate family in India; proof that you own a house or other major assets in India; proof that you can return home.
The official pages set no fixed minimum amount. You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself while in Australia and to leave. Show steady, genuine funds that match your plans.
Before you travel
Do not arrange travel until you have the visa grant in writing.
You cannot work on this visa. You may study or train for up to 3 months.
Your stay is set in your grant. Check the period of stay, entry type and conditions in VEVO before you fly.
You cannot extend this visa. If it has condition 8503 (No Further Stay), you cannot apply for another visa in Australia, except where the Department waives it in limited circumstances.
Carry your valid passport. On arrival, complete an Incoming Passenger Card.
You are liable for all your healthcare costs in Australia. The Department strongly recommends adequate health insurance. Some visas are granted with condition 8501, which requires it.
Tell the Department if your passport, contact details or relationship status change.
Golden Globe Overseas Education can help you understand the process, organise documents and prepare for the interview. Visa decisions are made by the immigration authorities of Australia.
