Australia Visa

Australia is one of the most developed countries in the world. It is an island known for being the seventh best country in the world as well as for being an educational hub. It is also popular for its iconic structures such as the Sydney Opera House and for its wildlife. Millions of people travel to Australia every year for tourism, work and education. If you too want to travel to the beautiful country of Australia, you can do so by obtaining an Australia visa. You would also need travel health insurance to be able to travel to Australia.

What is Australia Visa?

Australia visa is an official authorization that allows foreigners to enter the island country of Australia. It is a document attached to the passport that allows its holders to enter, stay as well as transit through the borders of Australia. Australia visa holders can stay for a limited period of time or permanently depending on their visa validity. The Australia visa is granted by the Department of Home Affairs of the Government of Australia.

It is mandatory of all citizens of India to obtain a valid Australian visa for Indians in order to visit Australia. However, Australian High Commission in India has granted VFS Global with the responsibility to collect all Australia visa applications in India. It is mandatory for all applicants of Australia visa to possess a valid health insurance or travel insurance policy.

Features & Benefits of Australia Visa

Available for both visitors as well as migrants
Free transit visa for all
Mandatory health insurance or travel insurance for visa applicants
Visitor visa available for single as well as multiple entries

Types of Australia Visa

Australia provides a variety of visas to people seeking to enter the country. The visas can be differentiated according to the purpose of the travel. It helps the authorities to understand the reason why a foreigner is entering Australia. Here are the various Australian visa types offered to Indians:

Visitor Visa

A visitor visa is a type of Australia visa meant for foreign nationals who wish to travel to the country for vacations, business or for receiving medical treatment. This Visitor visa Australia offers to the world is granted for a short duration of time. It includes Tourist visa, Business visa and Medical Treatment visa. The Tourist visa Australia allows people to travel for vacations as well as to meet family and friends. Business visa Australia permits its holders to attend seminars, conference, meetings and explore business opportunities. Although visitor visa holders can study and obtain training for up to 3 months but cannot work in Australia. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residency holders can apply for Long-term Visitor visas.
Student Visa

Student visa is a type of Australia visa that grants permission to a foreign national to study in Australia. This student visa Australia offers can also be applied by the family members of the students, provided the student had declared their names at the time of applying for this visa. However, guardians of the students will have to apply for a Student Guardian visa.
Family/ Spouse Visa

A Family or Spouse visa is a type of Australia visa that can be used by its holder to move to his/ her spouse or partner in Australia. The spouse visa Australia offers can be applied only by the spouse or partner of an existing Australian citizen. This type of visa can also be applied by parents or children who want to live with their children or parents living in Australia.
Transit Visa

Transit visa is a type of Australia visa that allows people from outside the country to transit to another country from Australia. The purpose of this visa is to get permission to access the international transit areas of an Australian airport to catch a connecting flight to another country. People entering the country through non-military ships can apply for a Maritime Crew visa. This type of Australia visa is granted for a maximum of 72 hours.
Resident Return Visa

Resident Return visa is a type of visa that permits its holders to return to Australia as a permanent resident. It can be applied by a person who is a non-Australian citizen but a permanent resident of the country and needs to constantly travel to & from the country. Australia PR visa or permanent residency visa allows its holders to travel in and out of the country innumerable times as long as the visa stays valid. An applicant of this visa can also include family members under the same application. This Australia PR visa is linked digitally to the passport and not posted as a label on the passport.
Work Visa

A Work visa is a type of Australia visa that can be used by foreign nationals to work in Australia. This Australia work permit provides a variety of short-term and long-term visa to people who want to engage in different kinds of work. You can get this working visa Australia grants for a period ranging from 6 months to 4 years. While most people apply for 489 visa Australia for skilled work, you can also apply for Investor visa Australia for staying there permanently.

Validity of Different Types of Australia Visa

Types of Australia Visas		Australia Visa Validity
Visitor visa	Tourist visa	Up to 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 3 years, 5 years
	Business visitor	Up to 3 months
	Medical Treatment	As long as the treatment lasts
Student visa		Up to 5 years (for study)Up to 2 years (for training)
Transit visa		72 hours
Resident Return visa		3 months, 1 year, 2 years,
Family/ Spouse visa		9 months (for prospective marriage visa)2 years (for contributory parent temporary visa)
Work visa	Skilled regional (provisional) visa	4 years
	Temporary skill shortage visa	Up to 2- 4 years
	Business innovation & investment (provisional) visa	3 months, Up to 4 years
	Temporary work (international relations) visa	Up to 9 months (Seasonal Worker Program)Up to 12 months (Domestic worker scheme)Up to 2 years (Government Agreement stream)Up to 3 years (Pacific Labour Scheme stream)Up to 4 years (Foreign Government Agency stream)
	Temporary Activity visa	Up to 12 months

Who Should Apply for Australia Visa

All Indian citizens who wish to travel to Australia will need an Australian visa for Indians. Whether you want to travel for vacations, for studying, for work or to live with one of your family members, obtaining an Australia visa for Indians is mandatory. Even if you want to just transit from one of the international airports in Australia, you would require a visa from the Department of Home Affairs in Australia. Make sure to purchase international travel insurance as it is compulsory for all Australia visa applicants to have health insurance.

How to Apply for Australia Visa?

Applying for Australia visa involves an easy and convenient procedure. Applicants can apply for Australia visa both online and offline. Online lodgement is the quickest and most popular way of applying for Australia visa. Follow the steps given below to apply for Australia visa online:

Visit the official website of Australia’s Department of Home Affairs
Select the type of visa you want to apply
Apply for the selected visa
Create an ImmiAccount Australia and login
Fill up all the details in the visa application form
Pay the visa fees online
Give your biometrics, if required
Australia visa will be issued to the people with successful application

Documents Required to Apply for Australia Visa

All applicants of Australia visa for Indians need to submit a few documents along with their visa applications. The document checklist can be found on the official website of Australia’s Department of Home Affairs. You can also go through the list of documents needed to be submitted along with different kinds of Australia visa below:

Copy of the passport
Copy of birth certificate/ driving license/ aadhaar card
Documents supporting change in name, if any
Two recent passport size photo with applicant’s name written on the back (45 mm x 35 mm)
Travel Health insurance
Proof of financial capacity to afford travel and stay in Australia
Health & character documents, if asked
Letter of invitation or offer letter by the company offering work (in case of work visa)

To find out about all the supporting documents you need along with different Australia visa types, refer to the table below:

Australia Visa Types	Documents Required
Visitor Visa for medical treatment	Form 48ME i.e. application for the visa NOC from parents of minor children Form 1257 ie.e declaration from the parents to allow the minor child to stay with relatives Letter from the doctor in Australia mentioning your condition, treatment, its estimated duration and cost Letter from the doctor accepting the payment arrangements
Student visa	Confirmation of enrollment (CoE) or offer letter to study for a course in Australia Letter of support/ acceptance from relevant authorities in case applying under special category Proof of accommodation in Australia as well as welfare letter (in case the student is a minor) Form 1229 signed by both parents granting consent to the student (in case the student is a minor) Travel Health insurance in the form of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Proof of financial capacity to afford travel and stay in Australia for 12 months with an annual income of the sponsor to be a minimum of AUD 60,000 for students and AUD 70,000 students accompanied by family members Satisfactory test score in English language exam approved by the Australian government Statement letter declaring that you intend to stay in Australia for a temporary period of time Proof of relationship with spouse/ partner via marriage certificate, family book, etc. Proof of previous employment via payslips Form 956, if required Proof of enrolment in Australian school by dependent children Copy of research topic and your CV (if going to conduct research in Australia)
Family/ Spouse visa	Application letter for migration to Australia as a spouse/ partner Form 888 completed by two witnesses Form 80 Original police clearance certificate from each country where the applicant have stayed for more than 1 year Copy of marriage certificate Proof of de facto relationship between the applicant and the Australian citizen (for people applying on de facto criteria) Copy of separation/ divorce/ death certificate of deceased partner/ spouse, if any Copy of service record or discharge papers from the military Form 40SP signed by the sponsor Copy of passport of the family member who is an Australian citizen ITR for the last three years Information on current professional activities such as education, work, etc. Consent letter from both parents/ legal guardians of the minor child Copy of adoption certificate (in case of migration of adopted child)

Australia Visa Fee

Each Australia visa application attracts a visa fee that has to be paid in order to obtain the visa. Take a look at the visa fee for each type of Australia visa:

Australia Visa Types		Australia Visa Fee (In AUD)
Visitor visa	Tourist visa	145
	Business visitor	145
	Medical Treatment	315
Transit visa		Free
Student visa	For study	620
Student visa	For training	310
Resident Return visa		405
Family/ Spouse visa	For spouse or partner	71607715 (for prospective marriage visa)
	For children	2665
	For parents	6415 (Permanent visa)31930 (contributory parent visa temporary)47755 (contributory parent visa permanent)
Work visa	Skilled regional (provisional) visa	4045
	Temporary skill shortage visa	1265
	Business innovation & investment (provisional) visa	5375
	Temporary work (international relations) visa	310
	Temporary Activity visa	310

Travel Insurance for Australia Visa

Australia must be one of the most urbanized countries but it cannot guarantee safety from any eventualities during your stay there. In fact, adversities can take place even before you commence your trip. What if you meet with an accident a day before your travel or a natural disaster cancels all the flights? All your excitement for the trip will come crashing down if such emergencies force you to postpone or cancel your trip. On the top of it, you will incur huge losses on flight tickets, hotel and tour bookings. You can stay protected from such situations if you have a travel insurance policy.

Travel insurance is a safety net that provides protection to the insured travellers against any unforeseen incidents. It not only keeps you adequately protected but also compensates you for any losses that you may incur due to the emergency. By purchasing a travel insurance for your trip to Australia, you can get covered for medical expenses, daily hospital cash, loss or delay in check-in baggage arrival, loss of passport, medical evacuation, flight delay, trip cancellation & curtailment, missed connection flight, personal liability, medical repatriation, emergency cash assistance, personal accident cover, hijack cover, home burglary insurance, etc.

A travel insurance policy can be purchased for a single trip as well as for multiple trip. Travellers can also opt for a plan that best suit their trip requirements. For instance, senior citizens can opt for senior citizen travel insurance and business travellers can get a corporate travel insurance. Families can purchase a family travel insurance policy which provides protection on family floater basis. All insurance companies provide custom-made student travel insurance plan that offers extra covers including sponsor protection, study interruption, compassionate visit, payment card security cover and bail bond.

In order to apply for an Australian visa for Indians, you need to first obtain a travel health insurance. No visa applicant will be granted an Australia visa without a health insurance policy. Make sure to obtain your travel insurance policy before you apply for the Australia visa.

Processing Time for Australia Visa

Different types of Australia visa takes different amount of time to get processed. In order to find out how much time will you take to get your Australia visa, refer to the table given below:

Australia Visa Types		Visa Processing Time
Visitor visa	Tourist visa	20 to 25 days
	Business visitor	12 to 18 days
	Medical Treatment	32 to 56 days
Transit visa		8 to 14 days
Student visa	For study	12 to 182 days (depending different types of courses)
Student visa	For training	43 to 83 days
Family/ Spouse visa	For Partner visa	18 to 29 months16 to 21 months (provisional)17 to 22 months (prospective marriage visa)
Family/ Spouse visa	For child visa/ adoption visa	12 to 23 months
Resident Return visa		5 to 84 days
Work visa	Temporary skill shortage visa	34 to 54 days
	Temporary work (international relations) visa	13 to 21 days
	Temporary Activity visa	28 to 43 days

Countrywise Visa Information for Indian Citizens

FAQs

Q: What types of visa are there for Australia?

Ans: Australia visa for Indians are broadly divided into six categories:
1. Visitor visa

2. Transit visa

3. Student visa

4. Family/ Spouse visa

5. Work visa

6. Resident Return visa
Q: Do I need a visa to go to Australia?

Ans: Yes. All applicants with an Indian passport require a valid Australia visa in order to travel, stay and transit from Australia. Find out the type of Australia visa that suits your purpose of travel before applying.
Q: Can I get married in Australia on a tourist visa?

Ans: Yes. There is no restriction on getting married in Australia if you are travelling on a tourist visa.
Q: Do I need travel insurance for Australia?

Ans: Health insurance is a pre-requisite to obtaining an Australia visa. All applicants of Australia visa need to have a valid travel health insurance before they can get a visa to travel to Australia.
Q: Is healthcare free in Australia for tourists?

Ans: Healthcare is free only for Australian citizens. Tourists need valid health insurance or travel insurance to not end up spending a fortune by availing medical facilities in Australia.