Travelling to Australia requires having a valid visa unless you are a citizen of a visa-exempt country. The type of visa that you may need to obtain depends on the purpose of your visit as well as the period of time you plan to stay in Australia.
The most convenient way to get your visa for Australia is to apply online. Australia offers two types of electronic visas: eVisitor visa and ETA. Both visas cover the purposes of leisure and business and are issued for short-term stays.
Should your stay in Australia is long-term oriented, you will probably need to apply for a regular visa directly at the nearest Australian embassy or consulate.
Read on to explore more visa options available for Australia.
How many types of visas are there in Australia?
There are over 100 different types of visas available for Australia. Following, there are the most popular ones:
ETA
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is dedicated to travellers planning to visit Australia for leisure-related activities such as visiting family and friends, spending holidays, and participating in business-related activities, including business conferences and contract negotiations.
ETA is issued as a multiple-entry permit remaining valid for 12 months. Its holder is entitled to stay up to 3 months upon every single visit. At the moment of application for ETA, an applicant must be outside the territory of Australia.
eVisitor
Similarly to ETA, an eVisitor visa covers tourism and business purposes, excluding working and studying.
The validity period and permitted stay are the same – up to 3 months each time within a 1-year period.
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
A Visitor visa (subclass 600) is offered in five visa streams:
Tourist visa stream (applying within Australia)
Tourist visa stream entitles to explore Australia for leisure-related purposes such as visiting friends and family. An applicant must be in Australia when applying for the visa and can stay there for maximally 1 year. This is the perfect option for those whose visas are expiring, and who would like to stay in Australia longer.
Tourist visa stream (applying from outside Australia)
The conditions are the same as listed above, but applicants must stay outside Australia at the moment of submitting the visa application.
Sponsored family stream
This type of visa is dedicated to people who are sponsored by a family member who must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. A sponsor may be required to pay a security bond.
Business visitor stream
A holder of a business visitor visa is allowed to visit the country for business-related purposes and stay there for up to 3 months. This visa, however, doesn’t allow its holder to work in Australia.
Approved Destination Status stream
This visa is dedicated to nationals of certain Chinese areas to travel to Australia on an organized tour group. The allowed period of stay is always indicated in the visa grant letter.
Transit visa
A transit visa (subclass 771) is the type of visa that is required if travelling through Australia to reach another destination.
To be eligible for a transit visa, one needs to have a confirmation of booking a trip to another destination within 72 hours before arriving in Australia and the documents necessary to enter the given destination.
Student visa
If you are a student wishing to take up education in Australia, you may apply for a student visa (subclass 500) covering the purposes of studying, bringing family members to Australia, and also taking up a job.
The student visa enables staying in Australia for up to 5 years, and its holder can travel outside Australia and re-enter the country as many times as their need.
Working Holiday visa
A working holiday visa is a perfect option for travellers aged 18 to 30 years old (for certain countries, it’s 35 years) who would like to spend more time in Australia, combining holidays with work.
There are three types of holiday visas – first, second, and third.
Other visa types
Australia offers many other visas for different purposes, such as partner visas, working and skilled visas, parent visas, medical treatment visas, etc.
What is the easiest visa to get for Australia?
The easiest way to get a visa for Australia is by applying online. Travellers can choose between eVisitor and ETA, both of which are issued for tourism and business purposes but differ only in terms of eligible countries.
To apply for an Australian visa online, an eligible applicant just needs to have a valid passport and follow three easy steps, including filling out the online form, covering the service fee and receiving the approved visa via email.
