This visa is very similar in nature to the Tourist Visa with similar requirements. The major difference is that applicants must be sponsored by a relative in Australia.
Visitor visa (subclass 600) – Sponsored family stream
This visa stream lets people who are sponsored, usually by a family member, come to Australia to visit their family members.
A Family Sponsored Visa – Basic requirements
- Meet health and character requirements: You need to manage all your health costs while you are in Australia. You will not be covered by Australia’s national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.Hence, it is recommended to take health insurance each time you travel to Australia.
- Must have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia
- Must have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia
- Must intend to do the activities in the Sponsored Family stream
You must be able to show to the Immigration Department that:
- You are a genuine traveler heading to Australia
- You will visit your family
- You are sponsored by an eligible relative or an Australian government official
A Family Sponsored Visa Detail
The Sponsored Family stream is for you, if you are travelling to Australia to visit your family. You must have a sponsor who might be asked to provide a bond.
You must be outside Australia when you apply and you must be outside Australia to be granted the visa.
If you have a Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679), it will still be valid for the period you were given when the visa was granted.
Number of visits granted on this visa
- You might be allowed to enter only once. If so, you will need to apply for a new visa if you want to return to Australia again after you leave.
- You might be able to travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while your visa is valid, but the total time you spend in Australia should not exceed the period of stay that you have been granted.
Holiday Visa
This visa belongs to the tourist stream which is for people travelling to Australia for a holiday, recreation or to visit family and friends and for other purposes not related to business or medical treatment.
This visa stream is to visit the country. It is required that you are outside of the Australia at the time of application. It is therefore mandatory that you must apply for it only if you are outside Australia.
With this subclass 600 visitor visa:
- You can have a holiday or visit family and friends in Australia
- You can study in Australia for up to three months
- You can work as a genuine unpaid volunteer, but only if an Australian resident would not otherwise be paid to do the work (you can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses such as meals and accommodation).
You would be granted this visa only when you can:
- Meet health and character requirements
- Have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia
- Prove that you intend to do the activities in the Tourist stream
- The Department can also ask you to prove that you hold 12 months of health insurance cover
- Due to the length of the permanent Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103) queue, and the desirability of family reunion, the department can grant a more generous Visitor visa. You will automatically be considered for this if you are a parent or step-parent of: a) an Australian citizen or permanent resident, b) an eligible New Zealand citizen and have applied for the Parent visa.
Though, such cases are considered individually, if you are granted this visa, there are certain conditions to be fulfilled.