Australian visitor visa processing time is currently around 1–3 weeks, with Chinese New Year approaching, if you are planning to travel to Australia or visit family over the holidays, now is the time to start your visa application!!!

Come to Australia — visit family and friends

Come to Australia — travel and sightseeing

Come to Australia — reunite for the holidays

Come to Australia — business visit

If you are NOT the parent of a PR holder / citizen

and you want to visit family or travel — how do you choose?

One-year validity

up to 3 months per stay — the most common offshore visitor visa

Suitable for: typically used by parents, siblings, relatives and friends coming to Australia for a short trip; also used by parents of temporary residents (e.g. Subclass 485/500/491/482 holders) who want to come to Australia to be with their children.

Most common misconception: many people think the 3-month stay must fall within the 1-year validity period — this is completely wrong.For example, with the visitor visa shown below, if the holder enters on 5 December 2020, they may stay until 5 March 2021 (not only until 10 December 2020).

Three-year validity

up to 3 months per stay — a less common offshore visitor visa

Suitable for: same as above, except that this visa can generally only be applied for through certain accredited travel agents in China. It is often referred to as a “business visa”, but it is in fact still a visitor visa.

Three-year validity

up to 12 months per stay; no more than 12 months of stay in any 18-month period

Suitable for: the applicant must be the parent of a PR holder or Australian citizen, must have previously held an Australian visitor visa, and is required to take out health insurance and complete a medical examination。

although this is often called a “family-visit visa”, it is in fact still a visitor visa.Once a child obtains permanent residence, this is typically the visa applied for on behalf of their parents.

Eighteen-month validity

up to 12 months per stay; no more than 12 months of stay in any 18-month period

Suitable for: almost identical to Type 3, the only difference being that it applies to parents of PR holders who have never been to Australia before。Because most parents will have visited Australia at least once before deciding to stay for a longer period on their next trip, almost all applicants go for the 3-year visa — applications for this category are less common.。

Five-year validity

up to 12 months per stay; no more than 12 months of stay in any 18-month period

Suitable for: also almost identical to Type 3, the only difference being that the PR holder’s parents must have already lodged a Parent migration application (Subclass 103 / 143)。

One-year validity

up to 6 or 12 months per stay

generally available to parents of PR holders or citizens, with a medical examination required。applications are relatively rare — in most cases it is better to apply for Type 3 in the first instance.

Ten-year validity

up to 3 months per stay; no more than 12 months of stay in any 24-month period

Suitable for: same as Type 1, but the visa application charge is considerably higher, and biometric collection (facial image and fingerprints) is also required at a visa application centre (currently collected in Hong Kong, China). This visa is therefore best suited to high-net-worth or business travellers who want to avoid repeat applications.

Relative-sponsored, single entry

a visitor visa with a permitted stay of 1–12 months after entry

Many DIY applicants assume that having a PR-holder relative or child in Australia means they should apply for this category — this is not correct.

The relative-sponsored category has a number of restrictions — for example, it is single-entry only, the permitted stay is relatively short, and an 8503 “No Further Stay” condition is typically imposed.We therefore only recommend this category for applicants with a previous refusal history, applicants from high-risk locations, or applicants with more limited financial circumstances — and only where there is a citizen or PR-holder relative in Australia willing to act as sponsor.

business visit

Commonly used for travelling to Australia for business site visits, contract negotiations, calls, and conferencesand similar purposes.

Applying for this category is not as simple as “a friend with an Australian company sending over an invitation letter”.。

The Australian company must issue a formal invitation and supporting letter, and the applicant must be able to provide sufficient business-visit supporting evidence， — for example, the necessity of the trip: is it for training? for a meeting? for on-site technical support? You also need to demonstrate the business relationship between the Chinese and Australian companies, the applicant’s own working relationship with the Australian company, and the reason this particular person needs to travel to Australia.

Relative-sponsored, single entry

Only available through certain accredited tour groups in China as a group application. This visa carries an 8503 condition and cannot be extended onshore. Not covered in detail here.。

If you are the parent of a PR holder / permanent resident

please watch the video below

【Exactly how long can a parent’s visitor visa last?】

If you need assistance with a visitor visa, feel free to get in touch. If you have a blank passport or more limited supporting assets, we strongly advise against a casual DIY application — leave the professional work to the professionals.