The validity periods and permitted stays of Australian visitor visas have changed recently. Many parents of Australian permanent residents and citizens are currently receiving visitor visas valid for only 6 months, sometimes with condition 8503 attached, requiring frequent renewals.
This has led many applicants to take another look at Australia’s 10-year visitor visa. What exactly is it? Can applicants from mainland China apply? What requirements do they need to meet? Here is a guide to all of these questions.
What is Australia’s 10-year visitor visa?
Australia’s 10-year visitor visa is the Frequent Traveller stream of the Subclass 600 Visitor Visa.
Eligible applicants can receive a visa valid for up to 10 years and make multiple trips to and from Australia during its validity period.
However, a 10-year validity period does not mean you can live in Australia continuously. This stream generally permits a maximum stay of 3 months per entry and carries visa condition 8573.
Condition 8573 requires visa holders to spend no more than a total of 12 months in Australia in any consecutive 24-month period.
The 10-year visitor visa is therefore better suited to people who need to make repeated trips to and from Australia over an extended period, without needing to live in Australia continuously for long periods.
Why is the 10-year visitor visa worth considering now?
In the past, parents of Australian permanent residents or citizens applying for visitor visas commonly received visas valid for 3 or 5 years, and some visas allowed longer stays on each visit.
In that situation, although the 10-year visitor visa had a longer validity period, its maximum stay of 3 months per visit made it less attractive to parents who needed to spend extended periods caring for their children.
Recently, however, many parents of permanent residents and citizens applying for visitor visas have received visas valid for only 6 months or with shorter permitted stays, potentially also with condition 8503, “No Further Stay”, attached.
Parents who need to travel to and from Australia over an extended period to care for their children or family may therefore need to apply repeatedly for new visitor visas.
This makes the advantages of a 10-year visitor visa more apparent. Although each stay is limited, it allows multiple trips to and from Australia over a longer period, reducing the need to reapply frequently for visitor visas.
What are the main requirements for a 10-year visitor visa?
As the 10-year visitor visa belongs to the frequent traveller category, assessment generally focuses on the applicant’s purpose of travel, financial capacity, and ties to both Australia and their home country.
Financial capacity and evidence of funds
A 10-year validity period means the applicant may make repeated trips to Australia over an extended period, so their financial circumstances need to be able to reasonably support their travel plans.
Rather than simply providing a short-term deposit certificate, it is more important to demonstrate that funds come from genuine, stable sources and to explain income sources and day-to-day finances.
Applicants should therefore provide as much evidence of their long-term financial capacity as possible, such as stable income, bank statements, assets and other documents demonstrating their financial means.
Purpose of travel and ties to your home country
Applicants also need to give a reasonable explanation of why they need to visit Australia repeatedly over an extended period.
For example, applicants may have close family ties in Australia, travel there regularly for holidays, or have other reasonable long-term travel needs. These can be explained in the context of their actual circumstances.
Ties to China are also very important, such as stable employment, family relationships, assets and other factors demonstrating that the applicant will leave Australia as required by their visa.
For a visitor visa with a long validity period, the Department will still consider whether the applicant genuinely intends to visit, rather than seeking to use a visitor visa to live in Australia long term.
Does the 10-year visitor visa require a health examination and fingerprints?
One notable difference between the 10-year visitor visa and an ordinary visitor visa is the biometric collection requirement.
Applicants generally need to complete a health examination as directed by the Department and provide biometrics, including fingerprints and a facial image.
After receiving the relevant notice, check the requirements and deadline in the letter promptly and complete the collection as instructed.
If you cannot complete biometric collection within the specified time, you also need to request an extension from the Department promptly; otherwise, your visa application may be affected.
How do applicants from mainland China provide fingerprints?
There are currently no Australian visa biometric collection centres in mainland China. Applicants from mainland China who receive a biometric collection notice therefore generally need to visit an Australian visa biometric collection centre in another region to complete the process.
For applicants lodging their applications in mainland China, Hong Kong is generally a common choice.
Before lodging a 10-year visitor visa application, we therefore recommend planning ahead for an Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and the associated travel arrangements, so that you are not left with insufficient time to complete biometric collection after receiving the notice.
If you cannot complete collection within the specified period, contact the Department as soon as possible to request an extension, rather than waiting until after the deadline.
What should you do after receiving health examination and fingerprint notices?
After lodging a 10-year visitor visa application, keep checking ImmiAccount and emails from the Department.
If you receive a health examination notice with a HAP ID and a biometric collection notice with a VLN, arrange the relevant appointments as soon as possible, as instructed.
When attending a health examination or biometric collection centre, bring your original passport and the relevant notice documents issued by the Department, and make sure the personal and application details in those notices are correct.
As health examinations and biometric collection involve additional appointments and travel arrangements, see the detailed procedure below:
Who is the 10-year visitor visa suitable for?
The 10-year visitor visa is better suited to applicants who need to make repeated trips to Australia over an extended period but do not need to stay continuously for a long time on each visit.
For example, some parents of Australian permanent residents or citizens may need to visit regularly to see family, take holidays or provide short-term help to their families. In these circumstances, a 10-year multiple-entry visa can reduce the inconvenience of frequently reapplying for visitor visas.
However, if an applicant actually needs to live in Australia continuously for an extended period, relying solely on a 10-year visitor visa is not appropriate.
A long validity period for a 10-year visitor visa does not give the applicant long-term residence rights in Australia. Condition 8573 still limits their cumulative time in Australia.
If you need to stay in Australia long term, consider the 870 parent visa
If parents actually need to stay in Australia for as long as possible, rather than travel back and forth frequently, the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa may be more suitable.
The 10-year visitor visa offers a long validity period and multiple entries, but each stay is limited and subject to condition 8573. The 870 temporary parent visa primarily caters for parents who wish to live in Australia continuously for a longer period.
When choosing a visa, look beyond the number of years it is valid. Consider how long your parents need to stay in Australia each year, whether they need to care for their children over an extended period, and your family’s future plans.
If you are preparing to apply for Australian visitor visas for your parents, or would like to know whether the 10-year visitor visa or the 870 temporary parent visa better suits your family, we recommend an individual assessment of the applicant’s background, finances, travel history and family circumstances in Australia.
