How many types of visa are there for Australia?

There are over 120 types of Australian visas and each is designed for different needs and has its own criteria. There are lots of options, but you’ll likely find a tourist visa the easiest to obtain unless you’d like to stay somewhere for an extended period of time. If you work as a professional, manager or tradesperson, you may be eligible for Skilled Migration to Australia. An immigration visa is the hardest to get, and most people will be unable to obtain this type of visa during their lifetime. Three common ways of becoming a permanent resident are through gaining: a family-stream permanent visa, a work-stream permanent visa, business or investor-stream permanent visa.

What type of visa does Australia have?

Visitor visas

There are few types of Australian visitor visas, the most common are:

  1. Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)

  2. eVisitor (subclass 651)

  3. Transit visa (subclass 771)

  4. Visitor (subclass 600)

Electronic and eVisitor visas are the simplest and can be applied online and get a visa almost instantaneous. The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is for all passports that are not eligible for Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or eVisitor (subclass 651) visas.

There are also another types of visitor visas in Australia, they are:

  1. Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)

  2. Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

The Working Holiday visa lets people 18 to 30 years old have their first extended holiday in Australia and work here to help fund their trip. The 1-year stay can be extended by undertaking specific work in rural areas.

Working and skilled visas

These visas allow its holders to stay in Australia temporary or permanently, depending on the visa. Most common working and skilled visas in Australia are:

  1. Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

  2. Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

  3. Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) (which can then lead to permanent 191 Skilled Regional Visa): This visa could be one of the easiest immigration options available to qualifying applicants.

  4. Business Innovation and Investment (provisional) visa (subclass 188)

  5. Business Innovation and Investment (permanent) visa (subclass 888)

Visa subclass 189 is among the most popular Australian Visa Types. It is structured for the invited workers with specific skills and experience to work in Australia. You will be allowed to live, study and work permanently anywhere in the country if you meet all the requirements. Workers will also enjoy the same rights as Australian citizens if the Visa is granted.

There are also another types of working and skilled visa in Australia: Business Owner (subclass 890), Global Talent visa (subclass 858), Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Investor visa (subclass 891), Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494), Skilled-Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476), Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489), Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887), State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa (subclass 892), State or Territory Sponsored Investor visa (subclass 893), Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408), Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403), Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400), and Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482).

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) allows you to remain in Australia to study, live or work after you have finished your education in the country. The Visa is composed of two streams and i.e. Graduate Work Stream and Post Study Work Stream.

Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) is designed to allow skilled workers to live and work in Australia permanently. It is nominated, so it is more difficult to obtain than other visas, but permanent residence is worth it.

Family and partner visas

As there are different types of family members that can make up a family, there are various types of family visas that are available for immigration to Australia. The most common visas in Australia are:

  1. Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801): these are for those people that have found an Australian “love”

  2. Parent visa (subclass 103): established Australian residents can bring their parents across

  3. Child visa (subclass 101 and 802): for the children of Australian residents

Studying and training visas

Although many people come to study in Australia with an aim to immigrate Down Under, there is no official stream called ‘immigration through education’. Once an applicant completes an Australia education, he/she would most likely go via the Skilled Migration path (see above).

  1. Student visa (subclass 500)

  2. Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)

  3. Training visa (subclass 407)

Training visa 407 is a temporary visa for applicants to undertake training within a nominated occupation or develop their career skills in Australia. It is particularly appealing to Subclass 485 visa holders or students who have got at least 1 year of relevant study/work experience in the identified nominated occupation, who are unable to meet the threshold required for skilled or employer sponsored visas. If successfully granted, you can spend additional time building up experience in the relevant occupation, in order to subsequently meet the strict criteria for skilled or employer sponsored visas.

This was all about the different Australian Visa types. Seek the advice of our VAVO mentors if you’re planning to kickstart your study abroad journey in one of the prestigious universities in Australia and need guidance regarding the study visa.

What type of visa do I need for Australia?

The quickest and easiest visas for Australia to apply for are the ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) and the eVisitor visa. Applicants can submit their request from anywhere outside Australia as long as they have a device that can connect to the internet. The whole application process takes minutes to complete.

Those not eligible to apply for an Australia eVisa, as well as those wishing to stay for more than 3 months, will require one of the more traditional Australian visa types. This could be an Australia visitor visa for tourism or business, a study visa, or a work visa, depending on the purpose of their stay.

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How to get an Australian visa

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Studying and training visas in Australia