The Visitor visa (subclass 600) covers tourism, visiting family and business visits to Australia. Registered migration agents in Brisbane explain the streams. Book a consult.
The Visitor visa (subclass 600) lets people come to Australia for a short stay, whether that’s a holiday, visiting family, or a business trip. It’s the main visa for anyone who wants to spend time in Australia without working or studying long term. If you’re planning a trip, bringing your parents over, or coming for a conference, this is usually the visa you need.
Our registered migration agents in Brisbane help visitors and the families sponsoring them put together applications that actually get approved, especially the tricky ones where a case officer might doubt the visitor will leave on time.
The subclass 600 is a temporary visa for short stays. It’s granted for a set period, usually a few months per visit, and it doesn’t lead to permanent residency on its own. It comes in several streams, so the right one depends on why you’re coming and who, if anyone, is sponsoring you.
Tourist stream. For people coming for a holiday, to see the country, or to visit family and friends. You can apply from outside Australia, and in some cases from inside.
Family Sponsored stream. For people visiting family in Australia where a relative sponsors the visit. A sponsor may need to provide a financial guarantee, which can help where the department wants extra assurance the visitor will comply with their visa.
Business Visitor stream. For short business trips, such as attending a conference, meetings or negotiations. It does not let you work for or be paid by an Australian business.
There are other visitor pathways too, but for most people coming to Australia for a genuine short stay, one of these three 600 streams is the answer. We’ll match you to the right one.
The 600 is right for you if you want to:
Take a holiday in Australia.
Visit your children, grandchildren or other family living here.
Come for a business meeting, conference or short professional visit.
Spend time in Australia while a longer-term visa, such as a parent visa, sits in a queue.
It’s not the visa for you if you want to work, study long term, or settle permanently. Those need different visas, and applying for a visitor visa when your real intention is to stay is a common and costly mistake. Case officers look closely at whether you genuinely intend a temporary stay.
The single biggest reason visitor visas are refused is the department not being satisfied the applicant will leave at the end of their stay. You have to show you’re a genuine visitor with reasons to return home, and that you have the funds to support yourself while you’re here.
This matters most for family-sponsored visits from countries the department treats as higher risk. The evidence you provide, your ties at home, your travel history, your reason for visiting and your sponsor’s support, is what turns a shaky application into a strong one. We know what case officers are looking for and help you present it properly.
A lot of families use the Visitor visa to keep everyone together while they wait. Permanent parent visas can sit in a queue for a long time, and a 600 visa lets a parent spend meaningful stretches in Australia in the meantime. It’s not a substitute for the parent visa, and there are limits on how long a visitor can stay and how often they can come and go, but used well it bridges the gap.
We often set up a visitor visa alongside a parent visa application, so the family isn’t stuck waiting years with no time together. If a longer, continuous stay is the goal, we’ll also talk you through whether the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa is a better fit.
Sometimes people already in Australia want to apply for a further visa. Whether you can do that depends on your current visa and any conditions on it, such as a “No Further Stay” (8503) condition, which can block a new application from inside Australia. If you apply for another visa onshore while your current one is ending, you may be granted a bridging visa to keep you lawful while the department decides. We check your conditions before you make a move that could leave you stuck.
We pick the right 600 stream for your reason for visiting.
We build the genuine-visitor evidence that gets family-sponsored and higher-risk applications over the line.
We handle the sponsor’s side, including any financial guarantee.
We coordinate visitor visas with parent visa applications so families stay together during long queues.
We check your visa conditions before you apply onshore, so you don’t get caught by a “No Further Stay” condition.
It’s a temporary visa for short stays in Australia, covering tourism, visiting family and short business trips. It’s granted for a limited period per visit and doesn’t let you work or lead to permanent residency by itself.
There’s a government application charge that depends on the stream and can change, and there may be extra costs like health checks or biometrics. Rather than quote a figure that could be out of date, we’ll give you the current cost for your situation at your consultation.
It’s usually granted for a set period per visit, commonly up to several months, and the exact stay is written on your visa grant. Some grants allow multiple entries over a longer validity. We’ll explain what your grant permits.
Yes. Many families use the tourist or family-sponsored stream to bring parents over for a visit, including while a permanent parent visa is in the queue. Strong evidence that the parent will return home is key to approval, and we help build it.
No. The 600 does not allow work in Australia. The Business Visitor stream lets you attend meetings, conferences and negotiations, but you can’t be employed or paid by an Australian business.
Only short study is generally allowed, up to a limited number of months. For a full course you’ll need a student visa. We can help you work out which one you need.
Sometimes, but it depends on your current visa and its conditions. A “No Further Stay” (8503) condition can prevent a new application onshore. Check with us before you assume you can extend.
It’s an amount a sponsor may be asked to lodge as security that the visitor will comply with their visa conditions and leave on time. It can be refunded if the visitor complies. We’ll tell you if your case is likely to need one.
The most common reason is the department not being satisfied you’ll leave at the end of your stay, or that you have enough funds. Weak evidence of your ties at home and your reason for visiting is usually behind it. Good preparation is the fix.
In some cases, yes, if your visa conditions allow it. People do apply for a partner visa onshore, but conditions like 8503 can prevent this. It’s important to check before you travel, so speak to us first.
Yes. We help visitors applying from outside Australia and the family members sponsoring them here, and we handle the process remotely.
