Visitor Visa (Subclass 600)

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is the paid, more flexible alternative to the free eVisitor. Most Irish holidaymakers should use the eVisitor. The 600 exists for the situations the eVisitor cannot handle.

Do you actually need it?

Be honest about this before paying for an application you may not need.

If the eVisitor covers you, use it. Our eVisitor page explains the three month rule, which is more generous than most people assume. If you are not sure a visitor visa is what you need at all, start with which visa Irish citizens need.

The streams

Tourist stream. General tourism and family visits, lodged from Ireland. The usual choice, and the cheapest.

Sponsored Family stream. An eligible family member in Australia sponsors your visit. Used for longer stays, and the sponsor takes on obligations. The Department may require a security bond, refundable if you comply with your visa.

Business Visitor stream. Business activities where the eVisitor is not suitable — longer engagements or more complex arrangements. Still not a work visa.

Fees, processing times and conditions differ by stream, and the settings change. Confirm against the Department's current guidance before lodging.

The genuine temporary entrant test

This is what the application turns on, and it is where refusals come from.

The case officer has to be satisfied that you intend a genuine temporary visit and will leave at the end of it. The longer the stay you request, the more carefully that gets examined — a request for twelve months invites the question of whether you are really planning to live in Australia.

Evidence that supports you:

• Ties to Ireland. Employment you are returning to, study you are enrolled in, property, a lease, family commitments, dependants.
• Funds. Bank statements showing you can support the stay you are proposing without working.
• A coherent plan. Travel dates, a rough itinerary, accommodation, return flights or a clear explanation of your intended return.
• An invitation letter, if visiting family, explaining the relationship, the purpose and the length of the stay.
• An explanation of the length. If you are asking for six months, say why six months. A retired couple visiting a daughter over an Australian summer is coherent. "Six months, general travel" invites doubt.

Irish applicants are generally well placed here. Ireland is a low-risk country for visitor visas and most applications are straightforward. Problems arise from thin applications rather than from nationality.

Conditions to check on your grant

Condition 8503, no further stay. Where imposed, you cannot apply for most other visas while inside Australia. This matters more than it sounds: if you met an Australian partner during your visit and wanted to apply onshore for a partner visa, 8503 would prevent it. It is commonly attached to sponsored family visits.

No work. Visitor visas do not permit work for an Australian employer.

Study limit. Up to three months. Beyond that you need a student visa.

Read your grant notice properly rather than assuming. The conditions on it, not the general rules, are what apply to you.

Applying from Ireland

1. Create an ImmiAccount and select Visitor visa (subclass 600).
2. Choose the stream that matches your purpose.
3. Complete the form and pay the charge for that stream.
4. Upload supporting evidence — funds, ties to Ireland, itinerary, invitation letter.
5. Complete health examinations if requested, which is more likely for longer stays and older applicants.

Processing is considerably slower than the eVisitor, and longer or sponsored applications take longer again. Apply well ahead of travel and do not book non-refundable flights before you have a decision.

Health examinations and longer stays

For stays beyond six months, or for older applicants, the Department is more likely to require a medical examination. It has to be done by a panel physician rather than your own GP, and it adds both cost and weeks to the timeline.

If you are planning a long family visit, factor that in from the start rather than treating it as a surprise.

Healthcare while visiting

Ireland's reciprocal healthcare agreement gives Irish citizens access to medically necessary treatment in Australia. It does not cover ambulance transport in most states, dental, or anything you travelled to Australia to receive.

Travel insurance matters more on a long visit, not less, particularly for older visitors. See our Medicare guide.

If you want to stay longer term

A visitor visa is not a route to living in Australia, and trying to use it that way tends to end in a refusal or a re-entry ban. The genuine routes are:

• Working Holiday visa if you are 35 or under and want to work and travel
• Employer sponsorship if you have skills an Australian employer will sponsor
• Partner visa if you are in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Student visa if a qualification is genuinely the purpose

How we can help

We help Irish applicants decide whether they need a 600 at all, choose the right stream, and build the evidence that the genuine temporary entrant assessment turns on. Long family visits and applications following a previous refusal are where we add the most.

You can apply directly yourself at any time through the Department of Home Affairs. Get in touch if your situation is not a simple holiday.