Follow the tips below to help you apply for a visitor visa to come to Australia.
Submit your application well in advance of your travel
Attach all required documents
You must submit all the documents we ask for with your application, including a clear copy of the personal details page of your passport.
Make sure you opt-in to receive electronic communications from us when you apply for a visa through ImmiAccount.
Check autocorrect hasn’t changed your name
Visa applications are being submitted with incorrect names due to auto-correct changing applicants’ names on smartphones or tablets. Make sure your name is spelt exactly as it appears on your passport and include your middle name.
Check the format of your date of birth
Make sure you have entered your date of birth in dd/mm/yy format.
Attach translated copies of all documents
If any of your required documentation is not in English, you will need to include a translation as well as a copy of the original. Each translated document must include (in English) the translator’s:
- full name, address and telephone number
- qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
If you are under 18
If you are under 18 years old and you intend to travel by yourself or with only one parent,you must include Form 1229 - Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 yearswith your application. Your parent/s or legal guardian must complete and sign Form 1229. You must also provide a copy of the driver’s licence or passport (or other form of identification with signature and photo) ofwhoever signed the form.
If you are under 18 years old and you intend to travel without a parent or guardian and you will not be staying with a relative or travelling with an organised tour, you must include both of the forms below with your application:
Form 1229 - Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years. Your parent/s or legal guardian must complete and sign Form 1229. You must also provide a copy of the driver's licence or passport (or other form of identification with signature and photo) of whoever signed the form
Form 1257 - Undertaking Declaration. This has to be completed and signed by the person nominated byyour parent/s or legal guardian/s to provide accommodation and be responsible for you during your stay in Australia.
Provide birth certificates and passports for applicants under 18
If you are applying for a visa for a family member who is under 18 years old, you need to include a copy of their birth certificate and passport, as well as a copy of the passports of both parents.
Check your ImmiAccount regularly. We will send you requests for further information to ImmiAccount. If you respond quickly, you will get a faster visa decision. You can also check the status of your application in ImmiAccount.
Have enough money to support yourself during your stay
When you apply for your visa you must show you have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia. You will need to attach documents such as your most recent bank statement to your ImmiAccount.
Include an invitation from friends or family
If you’re planning to come to Australia to see family or friends, include a copy of a letter sent from them inviting you to visit.
Provide proof that you intend to return home
As part of your visa application you must include documents that prove you intend to return to your home country for work, family, study or other reasons. These documents could include:
- a current payslip
- a letter from your employer granting you leave from work
- a certificate of enrolment in education in your home country
- your children’s birth certificates.
Complete your biometrics quickly
Once you have submitted your visa application, check your ImmiAccount regularly to see if you need to provide us with more information, such as biometric data (photo and fingerprints).
If you have been asked for biometric data, you need to do this as soon as possible so your visa application is not delayed.
You may have to travel some distance to a nominated biometric collection centre. Start arranging to get your biometric data collected as soon as you receive the request.
Non-New Zealand citizens living in New Zealand: attach a copy of your current visa
If you are a non-New Zealand citizen living in New Zealand, you will be asked to provide information about the type of visa you hold in New Zealand. Attach a copy of your New Zealand visa to ImmiAccountas part of your Australian visa application.
More information
For more information on the steps you need to take and the documents you need to provide as part of applying for a visitor visa to Australia, see Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream - Step by step.
If you need help with your visa application
If you need help with your visa application you can:
- use a registered migration agent, a practising lawyer or someone else authorised to provide immigration assistance
- use the online visa assist services available in some countries from the Australian Government’s service delivery partners,VFS Global and TLScontact.
Visa processing times
Visa processing times are updated as new data becomes available. For an indication of how long your visa application may take to process see our visa processing times guide can give you an indication of how long your visa application may take to process.
