How to apply for an Australian visa

It’s important to obtain and complete the correct form, pay the correct fee and satisfy other requirements such as being inside or outside Australia, as required.


For most visas where an application is made overseas, you must be outside Australia when a decision is made and for visa applications in Australia, you must be in Australia when the decision is made. If you make a visa application in Australia, you must ensure that you have a visa to return before leaving the country; otherwise, if your application is refused, you may have no right of review. If you apply for a visa in Australia, you’re usually granted a bridging visa to remain within the law if your current visa expires while a decision is being made regarding your application.


You must be careful to indicate the visa class under which you wish to be considered, as your application cannot be considered under any class other than the one noted on your application form. An Application for Migration to Australia form (47) must be completed by all applicants wishing to travel to Australia to live permanently and applications must be sent or delivered to a DIMIA office or an Australian mission overseas with all relevant documentation and the fee.

Family members who apply at the same time can usually apply on the same form and pay just one fee (a child born after an application is made, but before it’s decided, is included in the parents’ application). In certain circumstances, a spouse or dependent child can be added to an application.

Applications for some visas, such as visitors’ visas, may be decided while you wait. In this case, if you’re granted a visa you’re usually given a visa label in your passport. If your application for a visitors’ visa is refused, you're given a notice of refusal. For all other visas, you’re notified of the decision by letter. If you’re refused a visa, you're notified why and, if applicable, where you can apply for a review of the decision and the time limit for doing so.

If you plan to travel to or from Australia while your visa application is being considered (assuming this is possible), you should inform the DIMIA, as a visa will be refused if you’re in the ‘wrong place’ when a decision is made.

Extensions & RestrictionsIf you wish to stay longer than your visa allows, you should apply for another visa. If your visa expires while you’re in Australia and you haven’t applied for an extension, you’re committing a criminal offence and can be fined, given a suspended prison sentence of up to six months or even deported. If you’re deported, you're usually barred from entering Australia for one to three years. People deported for criminal or security reasons are permanently excluded.

If a visa is granted subject to certain conditions, e.g. restrictions on work or study, you must abide by those conditions or your visa may be cancelled. If you wish to change your visa status, e.g. from a visitor to a student, you must leave the country and make a new application while overseas.


This article is an extract from Living and Working in Australia.
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Visa to come to Australia?

It’s important to check the latest regulations with an Australian mission or immigration consultant (such as The Emigration Group) before making a visa application.

With the exception of New Zealanders, anyone wishing to enter Australia for any purpose requires a visa. New Zealanders receive a ‘special category visa’ on arrival and nothing is stamped in their passports; there are no formalities and they can live and work in Australia for as long as they wish.


Before making any plans to live or work in (or even travel to) Australia, you must ensure that you have the appropriate visa, without which you will be refused permission to enter the country and sent back to your home country at your own expense.

There are four main categories of visa: visitor, student, temporary residence and migration.

Multiple-entry visas are issued to those who need to visit Australia frequently over a long period, such as businessmen, entertainers, the parents of children living there and sportsmen.

There are fees for almost all visas.
The processing of visa applications in some categories can take a considerable time in some countries owing to the large number of applications to be processed, and approval can take anything from a few weeks to a number of years.

Information about visas, charges and forms can be obtained from offices of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) in Australia (www.immi.gov.au) and Australian missions overseas. General information about visa applications is contained in making and processing Visa applications (form 1025i).


This article is an extract from Living and Working in Australia
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About Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and a number of other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 The neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east.

The Australian mainland has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians.[2] After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and then European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606,[3] the eastern half of Australia was later claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation as part of the colony of New South Wales, commencing on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established during the 19th century.


On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The population is just over 21 million, with approximately 60% of the population concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

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