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VISITING AUSTRALIA - BUSINESS PEOPLE
There are a number of options available for people wanting to visit Australia temporarily for business purposes. The main options are summarized below.
For Less than 3 Months
The Business (Short Stay) visa (subclass 456) allows a bona fide business person to make a visit to Australia of up to three months to conduct business - a conference, negotiation or an exploratory business visit.
A single-entry or multiple-entry visa may be issued.
In many countries, you can obtain a Business (Short Stay) visa at the same time you purchase an airline ticket. Ask for a Business Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for Australia .
Alternately, you can apply for a short-stay visa on the Internet - see the DIMIA website for details; Or you can lodge a written application at An Australian Immigration office.
We can of course further advise on your particular situation and these visa subclasses.
This gives accredited business people pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies (no need to individually apply for visas or entry permits each time you travel) . Participating countries include:
- Australia
- Brunei Darussalam
- Chile
- Chinese Taipei
- Hong Kong ( China )
- Indonesia *
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- New Zealand
- People's Republic of China *
- The Philippines
- Malaysia
- Peru *
- Thailand
For information about the period of stay allowed in each participating economy, see the summary on the APEC Business Mobility Group website at: http://www.businessmobility.org/key/stay.html | |
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For longer stays, the Temporary Business Entry (Long Stay) visa caters for business entry of up to four years.
Visas are available under arrangements for:
- Sponsorship by an Australian or overseas business - if your business is unable to meet its skill needs from within the Australian labour force, you may be able to sponsor personnel from overseas on a temporary basis, to work in Australia for up to four years.
- Labour agreements - this is a formal agreement negotiated between the Australian Government, employers (including industry or employer associations) and other interested parties (for example, unions or professional associations).
- Invest Australia Supported Skills agreements - this is designed to encourage international firms to choose Australia as a location for foreign direct investment.
- Service sellers - this is for representatives of overseas suppliers of services negotiating, or entering into, agreements to supply their services in Australia.
Businesses which have no formal operating base in Australia may apply to bring employees to Australia in order to:
- establish a branch, joint venture, or agency distributorship and subsidiary branches in Australia ; or
- fulfil obligations for a contract or other business activity in Australia
More Information on Temporary Business Entry (more than 3 months)
For more information on long term business entry to Australia please contact us at
General Information. The Australian Government operates an Overseas Student Program (OSP) that allows people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to study in Australia .
Any person who is not an Australian resident may apply to study in Australia under the OSP.
A person who wants to study under the program must obtain a student visa before they can commence a course of study in Australia .
You can be granted a student visa only if you wish to undertake a registered course or part of a registered course on a full-time basis.
A registered course is an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider who is registered with the Australian Government to offer courses to overseas students.
The Australian education system is divided broadly into four levels of schooling:
- primary;
- secondary;
- vocational education; and
- training and higher education.
However, there are also other options available to students from other countries wishing to undertake study in Australia , such as English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and non-award courses.
Links between visa subclasses and courses/qualifications
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Student visa subclass |
Courses/qualifications |
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Subclass 570
Independent ELICOS |
English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) undertaken as a stand-alone course, not leading to an Australian award |
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Subclass 571
Schools |
Primary school. Secondary school including junior and senior secondary
Approved secondary exchange programs |
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Subclass 572
Vocational Education
and Training (VET) |
Certificate I, II, III, and IV
Diploma, Advanced diploma |
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Subclass 573
Higher Education |
Bachelor degree
Associate degree
Graduate certificate
Graduate diploma |
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Subclass 574
Masters and Doctorate |
Master degree including master by coursework and master by research
Doctoral degree |
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Subclass 575
Non-award Foundation
Studies/Other |
Enabling course: non-award foundation studies
Other full-time courses or components of courses not leading to an Australian award |
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Subclass 576
AusAID and Defence |
Full-time courses of all types undertaken by AusAID or Defence students sponsored by the Australian Government |
Different assessment levels within each of the student visa subclasses determine eligibility for a student visa, by establishing the threshold requirements that an applicant must meet in order to be granted a student visa.
The assessment levels are prescribed according to the passport held and the education sector of study. For more information, see Country Assessment Levels table .
The higher the assessment level, the greater the minimum evidentiary standards a student visa applicant has to satisfy in respect of criteria relating to financial capacity, English proficiency and other relevant matters.
Assessment level 2, 3, 4 and 5 applicants must make their initial student visa application while they are outside of Australia.
For further information about Student Visas in Australia please complete the Study in Australia Questionnaire or email or telephone/fax your enquiry. For email contact
The Working Holiday Program provides opportunities for people between 18 and 30 from some countries (see below) to holiday in Australia and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment.
The visa allows a stay of up to 12 months from the date of first entry to Australia , regardless of whether or not you spend the whole time in Australia .
You are allowed to do any kind of work of a temporary or casual nature, but work for more than three months with any one employer is not permitted.
Working holiday makers must hold a passport of a country which has a reciprocal arrangement with Australia . Currently, these countries are:
The United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Finland, the Republic of Cyprus, Italy and France.
A working holiday agreement has also been signed with Belgium . This agreement is not yet in effect.
Australia is negotiating working holiday maker arrangements with a number of additional countries.
You are permitted to work in Australia while holding a Working Holiday Maker visa. If your principal purpose of visiting Australia is to work (other than incidentally to your holiday), then the Working Holiday visa is not appropriate.
You need to apply for a more suitable temporary entry visa. For further information please contact us at
Australia 's temporary residence program includes a category for those wanting to live in Australia in retirement. A Retirement visa allows retirees to spend some of their retirement years in Australia . Initially, a Retirement visa allows a four year period of stay in Australia . Visas for further stays are usually granted for two years at a time.
What is a Retirement visa?
A Retirement visa is a temporary entry visa. It does not lead to permanent residency in Australia or to Australian citizenship.
If you are over the age of 55, have no dependants (other than a spouse), and are able to be self-supporting in Australia without cost to Australia's social and welfare services, you may apply for a subclass 410 visa in order to spend some retirement years in Australia.
Sponsorship or nomination is not required.
Visa holders have a limited work rights condition which allows them to work for up to 20 hours per week.
Who can apply for a Retirement visa?
You can apply for a Retirement visa if you:
- are 55 years of age or older;
- have no dependent family members;
- have sufficient capital for transfer to Australia of:
- A$870,000 (or A$800,000 if you have a non-dependent child living permanently in Australia ); or
- A$350,000 plus and a pension or other capital for investment to provide an annual income of over $52,000; or
- A$315,000 plus and a pension or other capital for investment to provide an annual income of over $50,000, if you have a non-dependent child living permanently in Australia
- are of good health and character;
- have comprehensive health insurance provided by an Australian company; and
- understand that you will not be covered by Medicare ( Australia 's national health cover) or entitled to Australian social security benefits.
- Note you may purchase a home or property in Australia , but you will need approval to do so from Australia 's Foreign Investment Review Board.
We can of course further advise on your particular situation and the temporary retirement visa subclasses. Please email us at