Australia Visa Types
There are many types of Australian visas, but I will only talk about the dry goods today and introduce the seven major types of visas, including common tourist visas, student visas, skilled migration, work visas, investment migration, family reunion visas, etc. Sydney and Melbourne use the same approach.
Student visa
Student Visa (subclass 500)
As the name suggests, this visa allows people studying or who already have working experience in China to come to Australia to further their studies or education. Children over the age of 6 can apply for this visa.
Student Guardian Visa (subclass 590)
This visa is for a parent or guardian of a student visa applicant or holder under 18. This visa allows the parent or guardian to come and live with the student in Australia for care and guardianship.
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
This visa is a temporary visa that allows the applicant to travel to Australia for tourism, business or to visit friends or relatives. Depending on the purpose of travelling to Australia and the applicant’s circumstances, the validity of this visa ranges from 3 months to 10 years. However, it is generally valid for 1 year and allows multiple visits to Australia.
The following two subclasses of this visa category are available at Australian Visa Application Centres outside Australia:
Tourist Subclass
For applicants travelling to Australia for a short period for holiday, leisure, or to visit friends or relatives.
Student Groups: Student groups not exceeding three months may apply for a Tourist Subclass visa. If joining or organising a student group to Australia, please refer to the Visitor Visa – Tourist Subclass (Visa Class 600) Document Checklist. Please note that teachers and staff in tour groups should apply for a Business Visitor subclass of the Visitor Visa (Visa Class 600).
Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents
Business Visitor Subclass
Visiting Australia for a short-term business visit, including:
conducting routine-type business visits or government visits
contract negotiations
Government-to-government visits
attending conferences, seminars, job interviews or vocational examinations
Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462)
This visa offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people with higher education and English language skills to work in Australia. Australia currently allocates 5,000 places per year to China in batches. Visa holders can stay in Australia for up to 12 months after first entering the country to engage in cultural exchange activities and tourism but cannot work for the same employer for more than six months; they can also study for a short period of up to four months.
Work Visas
There Are Several Types of Work Visas:
New Employer Sponsored Visa (Temporary Skill Shortage Visa) – Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
This visa replaced the previous subclass 457 Temporary Work Skilled visa and became the newest work sponsorship visa. This visa is effective from 18th March this year. It is a Temporary Resident visa, and the applicant needs to be sponsored by an employer.
Employer-Sponsored Permanent Residence Visa – Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)
This visa allows businesses or organisations in Australia to employ professionals from overseas and sponsor them to work and live in Australia, with a one-off right to permanent residence. There are three routes for this visa, which can be applied for within or outside Australia.
Remote employer-sponsored visa – Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme visa (subclass 187)
This visa is a permanent residence visa for businesses in remote areas of Australia to employ overseas professionals and sponsor them to work and live in remote areas of Australia.
Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485)
The visa is valid for 18 months to 4 years, depending on the qualification. Once the visa is approved, the holder is not bound by the rules and regulations of a student visa and can work part-time, study the course of their choice and travel freely in and out of Australia.
Skilled Migration
Skilled Migration Consists of Several Different Categories of Visas:
Capable Recognition Graduate Visa (subclass 476) (engineering only)
This is an 18-month temporary graduate visa for engineering graduates (applicants must never have held a 476 or 485 visa). Applicants can apply for this visa as long as they are less than 31 years of age, have obtained a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in an engineering discipline within the 2 years prior to application (if they are Chinese graduates, they must have graduated from a designated Australian institution), and have an IELTS with a minimum score of 5 in a single subject and 6 in total, and do not require a vocational assessment. Applicants must be outside Australia at the time of visa grant.
Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)
This visa is an application for permanent residence based solely on the applicant’s academic qualifications, work experience/professional skills, language proficiency, etc. and does not require sponsorship.
Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190)
This visa is based on the applicant’s professionalism, English language, work experience, etc. The applicant will be invited to complete skilled migration by obtaining a nomination from the Australian state/territory government (nomination requirements vary from state/territory to state/territory) in order to achieve the migration points.
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489 for temporary residence) (subclass 887 for permanent residence)
This is a two-step visa. Firstly, the applicant will be invited to apply for a 489 visa by obtaining sponsorship from a remote state/territory government or a relative to achieve the migration points, and the visa will be valid for 4 years after approval. The applicant can apply for a Conversion 887 Permanent Resident Visa after living in a remote area of any state in Australia for two years and working full-time for one year.
Investment Migration
Business Innovation and Investment (provisional/permanent) visa (subclass 188/888)
According to the applicant’s financial strength and intention, this visa is divided into five channels, from creating a business in Australia to investing AUD 15 million through different channels to apply for 188 Provisional Resident Visa. Visa holders can transfer to 888 Permanent Resident Visa by meeting certain conditions according to the channel they take when using.
Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
This visa is a one-step permanent residence visa for eligible medium to large business owners who wish to set up a new business or participate in the management of an existing business in Australia. This visa requires state/territory government sponsorship, which varies from state to state. Usually, it requires the applicant to invest a certain amount of money to establish or take an equity stake in a business in that state and to operate it for at least 2 years.
Overseas/Domestic Distinguished Talent Visa – Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 124/858)
This visa is available to overseas talents who have made an internationally recognised exceptional contribution or outstanding achievement in the following fields: professional occupations, arts, sports and academic research. At the time of application, the applicant must still be active in his or her specialisation field and be nominated by a qualified Australian individual or body. This visa is also a one-step process to permanent residence.
Family Reunification Visa
Spouse Visa
Offshore/Inland Spouse Reunion Provisional and Permanent Residence Visa – Partner (Provisional and Migration) visa (offshore subclass 309/100)(onshore subclass 820/801)
This visa is designed to reunite spouses who have registered their marriage to an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or who have been cohabiting for more than 12 months. Applications can be made either onshore or offshore. This type of visa is usually a two-step process but can be a one-step process depending on the circumstances of the applicant and sponsor.
Temporary visa for offshore unmarried couples – Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
This visa allows an offshore fiancée (husband) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen to come to Australia to register their marriage. The visa is valid for 9 months.
Parent Migration Visa
Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173/143)
Parent visa (subclass 103)
Also known as the Parent visa, this visa requires a queue of applicants to be processed after the application has been lodged, and the current waiting period can be up to 30 years.
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884/864)
This visa is also a parent visa, but the difference is that the applicant’s parent must be 65 years of age or older. The sponsor must have resided in Australia for at least 2 years prior to sponsorship.
Aged Parent Queue Permanent Residence Visa – Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
This visa is for elderly parents over the age of 65 years to apply for permanent residence in Australia, sponsored by a child or spouse who is resident in Australia. The current waiting period can be up to 30 years.
Child visa
The Department of Home Affairs has announced that from 1 April 2020, all new applications for the following visa classes will be made:
Child Class (subclass 101)
Adoption (subclass 102)
Relative Orphan (subclass 117)
Need to be mailed to:
Department of Home Affairs Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Locked Bag 7
northbridge wa 6865
AUSTRALIA
Alternatively, applications can be couriered to:
Department of Home Affairs Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Wellington Central
836 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005
AUSTRALIA.
Applicants will be required to provide biometric information upon receipt of the relevant required documentation from the Department of Home Affairs. These applications can no longer be lodged through the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC). For more information on the Child Migration Visa, click here.
Other Visa Categories
Offshore/Internal Aged Dependent Caregiver Permanent Resident Visa – Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 114/838)
This is a visa category for single, widowed or divorced elderly people who are financially dependent on relatives in Australia (children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews).
Offshore/internal carer permanent residence visa – Carer visa (subclass 116/836)
This visa is available to applicants who have a relative in Australia with a health condition and are willing and able to provide careful, ongoing care and attention to that relative. The relative in Australia must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and have a health problem that a relevant organisation has assessed as having a severe impact on their daily life and requiring at least two years of direct care and attention.
Australian permanent resident return visa – Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157)
This type of visa is a permanent residence renewal visa for Australian permanent residence visa holders. Generally, once a person has obtained permanent residence in Australia, he/she can live in Australia permanently without leaving the country. However, if the visa holder wishes to leave the country, he or she will need a valid permanent residence visa to enter Australia.
Medical Visa (subclass 602)
Medical visa holders can come to Australia for medical treatment, counselling, and organ donation. Applicants can apply for this visa from within or outside Australia. If the applicant applies in Australia, the applicant must be in Australia at the time the visa is issued. If the application is made outside Australia, the applicant must be outside Australia at the time of issue.
From 2 March 2019, medical visa applications (602 visas) must be lodged online through ImmiAccount at the Department of Home Affairs, and paper applications for medical visas will no longer be accepted at the Visa Centre.
Application Requirements and Documents Needed for Various Types of Australian Visas
Student Visa
These documents refer to the attachments that need to be uploaded when submitting your visa application and are the supporting documents you submit to Australian Immigration. This includes identity, qualifications, proof of financial resources, insurance, etc. Generally PDF files.
- Passport Passport (mandatory, no notarization required)
- Identity Card Scan + Translation Citizen Identity Card Translation (mandatory, no notarization required): Scan and translate the front and back of the ID card, refer to the online template and solve it yourself. Through the WORD document, each side of the scanned image and translation is on the same page and ultimately turned into a PDF document, so the file format is not accessible to change.
- Birth Certificate + translation Birth Notarisation / Household Notarisation (mandatory, either one or the other, notarization required)
- Certificate of No Criminal Record (best to prepare)
- CoE (mandatory, no notarisation required): Confirmation-of-Enrollment (CoE) is a letter of confirmation of enrolment issued by the Australian government.
- 6. OSHC provider name, start and end date (mandatory, no notarization required): full name Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a kind of insurance. OSHC will give you the option to choose whether or not you want to buy the insurance through the school when you accept the Offer (this is the most common and least expensive way to purchase insurance). Is the most common, least troublesome, and safe option).
- 7. Photo Visa Photo (required, no notarization needed)
- 8. Transcripts, academic degrees, and proof of enrolment (mandatory, notarised, depending on the circumstances).
- 9. Language proof (required). IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
- 10. GTE (must, without notarization): The Australian Immigration Department requires every applicant for a student visa to write a Letter Statement for Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Requirement indicating that they are applying for a student visa just temporarily to stay in Australia to study, and nothing else. The applicant must write a Letter Statement for Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Requirement to show that he/she is only applying for a student visa for a temporary stay to study in Australia and nothing else.
- 11. Income Certification / Bank Certificate of Deposit + translation of Personal Certificate of Deposit (required, no notarization required).
- 12. Parental Authorisation (mandatory, no notarization required): If your parents pay your tuition fees and living expenses, and the name of your bank deposit or income certificate is your parent’s, then you need a parental authorisation letter stating that your parents will sponsor you to complete your studies, please refer to the online template for details.
- 13. All entry and exit records (mandatory, no notarization required): This is mainly in completing the online application form; you will be asked to state which countries or regions you have visited, the time of entry and exit and the purpose of your visit.
- 14. Physical examination (mandatory, no notarization required): apply for a physical exam before submitting your visa application (create an account on the Immigration Department’s official website ImmiAccount–>New Application–>Health–>My Health Declaration).
Tourist Visa
- Fill in the application form online: log in and register on the official website of Australia Visa Application, select New Application after registration, and then choose Visitor Visa (600).
- Personal information, including passport, ID card, passport-size photo, household registration, and family member form Form 54, must be filled in Chinese and English～.
- Proof of funds: Relevant documents to prove the applicant’s financial situation and his/her ability to pay for the expenses during his/her stay in Australia.
- Proof of employment: Employees must provide proof of employment, stating the position, salary and time of employment; self-employed companies must provide a business licence; students must provide proof of enrolment.
- Birth certificates of children under 18 years old, parents’ marriage certificate (if available), ID cards of both parents and written signature authorisation from different travelling parents.
- Seventy-five years old and above need to provide the following additional materials before being allowed to enter the country: stay for 3 months or less than 3 months, need to offer minimum medical insurance for 500,000 offshore insurance (to be enough to cover the health needs during the period in Australia); medical report.
- Evidence of planned tourism activities in Australia and group tour details (not required)
Working Holiday Visa (Class 462)
- Be in Australia for up to 12 months;
- Work with the same employer in Australia for up to 6 months;
- Can travel frequently in and out of Australia;
- Study in Australia for up to 4 months;
- Can stay in Australia for a more extended period if applying for another visa;
- They can apply for a second work and holiday visa (Class 462) if they have worked for 88 days in Northern Australia in agriculture, hospitality or tourism. Of course, to want in order to get a Class 462 work visa, people must:
- Be at least 18 years old but not yet 31 years old;
- Hold a passport from an eligible country/region;
- Have sufficient funds to pay for people’s initial accommodation in Australia ($5,000) and be able to purchase a return or subsequent ticket;
- Not travelling with dependent children;
- Meet the requirements of good health and moral character
- Satisfy other requirements as specified.
Working Visa (Class 485)
There are two types of 485 visas: Graduate Work Stream and Post-Study Work Stream, or PSW visas.
Graduate Work Stream old graduate work visa requirements:
Applicants who have been granted an Australian student visa before 5 November 2011
Applicants who have been granted an Australian student visa before 5 November 2011 are required to apply for vocational assessment at the time of submitting their visa application;
The nominated occupation must be on the MLTSSL Occupational List;
The qualification meets the ‘Study in Australia’ requirement and is relevant to the nominated occupation;
The degree, diploma or qualification must be highly relevant to the nominated occupation;
Be enrolled in a CRICOS registered programme;
IELTS 6 (no less than 5; either A or G).
The application must be submitted within 6 months of completion of the programme (based on the graduation date on the Completion Letter issued by the university).
PSW Visa Application Requirements:
Those who apply for an Australian student visa for the first time after 5 November 2011
Academic level of Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD.
IELTS 6 (no less than 5 in any category; either A or G).
Completion of a CRICOS-registered Australian undergraduate, masters or PhD programme
Must be lodged within 6 months of graduation
485 Graduate Work Visa Checklist of Documents:
Application Fee: AUD$1535 for principal applicants.
Passport Notary: Required for all applicants.
Passport Photo: Latest passport photo taken within 6 months.
Notarised Birth: Required for all applicants.
Proof of English language proficiency (any of the following): IELTS transcript, OET transcript, PTE transcript.
Transcripts and completion letters of Australian qualifications
Career assessment letter (proof): required for Graduate Work stream applicants.
Australian Certificate of No Criminal Conviction, the application link is as follows: https://afpnationalpolicechecks.converga.com.au/ When applying for a 485 visa, it is not required to have already obtained the results of the Australian Freedom from Criminal Conviction (AFP), but at least the application for the AFP must have been submitted, with the application’s The most common mistake regarding the AFP is that applicants do not select the correct type of AFP. Keep in mind that the code for the type of application is 33. If the wrong code is set, there is a high probability that the visa will be refused because of the incorrect kind of AFP.
Proof of marital relationship, notarised marriage certificate, joint tenancy agreement in case of cohabitation, joint bank account, statement of development of relationship between the two persons, form 888, etc.
Medical Insurance: The applicant must have the correct medical insurance (OVHC). The most common mistake is for applicants to purchase student health insurance (OSHC), noting that student health insurance is not the same as 485 visa health insurance.
List of Australia Visa Fees
Australian Student Visa Process
The Australian student visa process is generally divided into six application steps; the preliminary need is to sort out the basic information, send it to the Australian Student Visa Centre, wait for the results of the audit if the smooth passage of the interview will be received after the notice and so on a series of steps! Here are six detailed steps of the Australian student visa process!
Organise Materials
You need to sort out the materials you have on hand to prepare for the visa application. According to the current requirements of the embassy, you need to provide more comprehensive application materials; otherwise, due to the Australian immigration policy in recent years has been entirely open to Chinese students, the number of Chinese students applying to study in Australia has been a straight upward trend, the Australian Immigration Department Overseas Students Processing Centre queuing up a large number of application materials, if an individual case is not prepared sufficient documents, the immigration processing officer is not responsible for notifying the applicant to make up the application documents.
Submission of Documents
As a general rule, the more prepared the visa application documents, the better; of course, there are no documents on hand to hand, but the primary submission of some essential materials can be. In about 2-3 weeks after applying, the embassy will send the letter of acceptance of the visa pre-screening acceptance of the opening of the file and acceptance number, as well as attached to the letter of the medical examination form.
Waiting for the Embassy to Issue the Pre-assessment Notification
You need to wait patiently for the Embassy to issue the pre-assessment notification, which usually takes 1.5-2 months. Waiting for the embassy to give the pre-assessment notice, we need to do a speedy preparation because, according to the embassy’s requirements, we need to prepare for the medical examination within 28 days, followed by the exchange of foreign currency to pay tuition fees, wait until the school receives the pre-paid tuition fees or deposit for you to handle the registration formalities in this time, the school will issue a confirmation of enrolment (COE), and finally, the preparation of Collect the above materials and prepare to send to the Australian Consulate for visa application.
Visa Posting
In the process of visa, posting is not easy and smooth sailing because the embassy will issue the pre-assessment through the notice, which will be based on the applicant’s submission of materials, further investigation, according to the results of the investigation from time to time, not the number of results, if and the visa application materials match completely, will issue a visa as soon as possible.
FAQ
Summary of Frequently Asked Questions for Australian Visa Applications
Q: Do I need a face-to-face visa to study in Australia?
A: No, you do not need a face-to-face visa.
Q: Will preparing my documents and applying for a visa on my own affect the outcome of my visa application?
A: No.
Q: If I get a place in a foreign school, does it mean I will have no problem with my visa?
A: No. Schools mainly check the student’s academic background, while the Immigration Bureau mainly checks the students’ purpose of study and financial ability.
Q: Is it suitable for my visa application if I have relatives abroad?
A: No, it will not.
Q: Can I change my course or institution during the visa assessment period?
A: Yes, but be aware that the previous course or school may incur financial loss due to a refund of fees.
Q: Will I be found guilty of providing false documents when applying for a visa?
A: Yes, the Immigration Department will ask the Chinese Embassy staff to conduct a telephone survey so that false documents may be detected.
Q: I have a history of visa refusal. Can I apply again?
A: You can apply again as long as it is not due to falsification of documents. The last refusal will not affect the result of this visa, and the application period will be the same as the first visa.
Q: How can I check the progress of my visa?
A: You can check the progress of your e-visa at https://www.ecom.immi.gov.au/inquiry/query/query.do?action=eVisa.
Q: What is an e-visa?
A: E-Visa is an online application system developed by the Australian Department of Immigration to improve the efficiency of student visa processing. Nowadays, with the use and promotion of the e-visa system, more and more students who want to study in Australia choose e-visa. Because e-visa is fast, it dramatically shortens the visa assessment cycle. If the applicant’s medical examination goes well and no telephone survey is required for further verification. Usually, most of the assessments can be concluded within 1 to 2 months.
Q: Who can apply for a sub visa?
A: All student visas in Australia can be submitted electronically, but the student needs to be in China at the time of submission. A companion visa can also be submitted electronically if you are applying with the principal applicant.
Q: If my e-visa application is unsuccessful, can I get a refund of the visa application fee?
A: Yes.
Q: How long does it take to apply for an e-visa, and how much faster is it than a regular visa?
A: The fastest processing time for an e-visa can be less than a week, and the slowest processing time can be up to 12 weeks. However, the majority of e-visa applicants will be granted a visa within one and a half months. The PVA process was cancelled after the new policy on 5th November, and the speed has improved.
