The 400 visa lets you do short-term, highly specialised work in Australia. Short validity, non-ongoing work. Registered migration agents in Brisbane. Call BYD Education & Immigration Consultants.
The Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa, subclass 400, lets you come to Australia to do short-term, highly specialised work that Australians generally can’t provide. It’s built for one-off, non-ongoing work, and it’s granted for a short period. If a business needs a specialist for a specific job for a limited time, or you’re that specialist, the 400 is often the quickest and most fitting option.
Because it’s short and specific, the 400 gets refused when the work looks ongoing or the specialisation isn’t clear. Our registered migration agents in Brisbane help applicants and the businesses engaging them get it right the first time. Here’s how it works.
The 400 is a temporary visa for short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work. The key words are short, specialised and non-ongoing. It’s part of the group of work, business and study visas, and it’s the visa to reach for when a job is genuinely a one-off task needing particular expertise, rather than a role that could be filled by hiring in Australia.
It usually doesn’t require a sponsor in the way an employer sponsored 482 does, which is part of what makes it quicker for the right cases. But the trade-off is that the work has to be clearly specialised and clearly time-limited.
The 400 tends to fit situations like these:
A specialist brought in for a specific project or piece of work that needs skills not readily available in Australia.
A technician or expert who needs to install, repair, service or commission specialised equipment.
A professional engaged for a short, defined task where their particular expertise is the reason they’re needed.
Occasionally, non-ongoing work in other limited circumstances where a short-stay visa is appropriate.
If the work is really an ongoing role, the 400 is the wrong visa, and applying for it anyway usually ends in a refusal. In that case a longer employer sponsored visa such as the 482 is the better path, and we’ll point you there.
The 400 is granted for a short period, and it’s meant to be. It’s not designed for long stays or repeat use to cover what is really continuing work. The department looks closely at whether the stay is genuinely short and the work genuinely one-off. If you think you’ll need longer, or you expect the work to continue, it’s better to plan for a different visa from the start than to lean on the 400 and hit a wall.
The two things a 400 lives or dies on are the specialisation and the short, non-ongoing nature of the work. A strong application spells out exactly what the work is, why it needs specialised skills, why those skills aren’t readily available in Australia, and why the stay is genuinely short-term. Thin or vague evidence on any of those points is the usual reason a 400 struggles. We help you document the case clearly so a decision-maker can see the picture at a glance.
We check whether the 400 genuinely fits, or whether a longer visa suits your situation better.
We help you frame the work as the short-term, specialised, non-ongoing task it needs to be.
We prepare your evidence of specialisation and the reasons for the visit.
We move quickly, because these applications are often time-sensitive.
We respond to any requests from the department on your behalf.
It’s the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa. It lets you do short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work in Australia that generally can’t be provided by the local workforce. It’s granted for a short period.
The 400 is a short-stay visa granted for a limited period. It’s designed for brief, specific work, not for long or continuing stays. We’ll confirm the length that applies to your situation at your consultation.
The 400 generally doesn’t need formal sponsorship the way a 482 does, which is part of why it can be quicker. You do need clear evidence of the specialised, short-term work and who has engaged you. We’ll help you present that.
Work that is highly specialised, short-term and non-ongoing, where the expertise isn’t readily available in Australia. Think a specialist installing or servicing particular equipment, or an expert engaged for a specific short task.
No. The 400 is for non-ongoing work only. If the role is really continuing, you need a different visa, such as an employer sponsored 482. Using a 400 for ongoing work usually leads to a refusal.
Family members can sometimes be included or apply, but the 400 is a short-stay visa, so the arrangements differ from longer visas. We’ll advise you on what’s possible for your circumstances.
These applications are often time-sensitive, and a well-documented case helps. Processing times still vary and depend on your circumstances, so tell us your dates early and we’ll work to them and give you a realistic read.
The 400 is short-term and doesn’t lead directly to permanent residency. If you’ll need to stay longer or return for more work, plan ahead with us so you’re on the right visa rather than stretching a short-stay one.
