Visitor Visas · Published 2026-09-24 · Updated 2026-10-03
Visitor Visa 600: How Long Can You Stay in Australia?
Reviewed by a registered migration agent ·
MARN 1795282
Updated
Most people on a Visitor visa (subclass 600) can stay 3 months per visit — that is the Department’s default — with 6 or 12 months granted only where the reasons for a longer visit are well evidenced. The visa itself can be valid for much longer than any single stay: parents of Australians can be granted visas valid for up to 3 or 5 years, and eligible passport holders in the Frequent Traveller stream get up to 10 years — but every visit is still capped (12 months and 3 months respectively). The stay period is set by the decision-maker, printed on your grant letter, and cannot be extended — only replaced with a new visa, and only if your conditions allow it.
How long can you stay on a 600 visa?
Two numbers matter on any Visitor visa, and people mix them up:
- Validity — the window in which you can travel to Australia (for example, 12 months from grant, multiple entry).
- Stay period — the maximum length of each visit, counted from the date you enter.
Home Affairs’ own wording for the Tourist and Business Visitor streams is: “Generally, we grant a stay period of 3 months. We might grant a stay of up to 12 months in certain circumstances.” A 6-month stay sits in between and is sometimes granted for longer family visits. Whether your visa is single or multiple entry, and exactly how long each stay can be, is decided case by case and shown on your grant letter — check it in VEVO before you book anything.
Which 600 stream are you on?
| Stream | Who it’s for | Typical validity | Stay per visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist (apply in or outside Australia) | Holidays, visiting family and friends | Usually up to 12 months; parents of Australians up to 18 months, 3 or 5 years | Usually 3 months; up to 12 months in certain circumstances |
| Sponsored Family (apply outside Australia) | Visitors sponsored by an Australian relative; a security bond may be required | As granted; condition 8503 always attached | Usually 3 months; up to 12 months in limited circumstances |
| Business Visitor (apply outside Australia) | Meetings, negotiations, conferences — not work | Multiple entry; ASEAN and Timor-Leste citizens up to 5 years | Usually 3 months |
| Approved Destination Status (ADS) | Citizens of the People’s Republic of China on tours run by approved ADS agents | For the tour | Must stay and leave with the tour group |
| Frequent Traveller | Citizens of China, nine ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste who travel often for tourism or business | Up to 10 years, multiple entry | Up to 3 months; no more than 12 months in any 24-month period |
Can I get a 12-month tourist visa?
Yes, but it is the exception rather than the rule. A 12-month stay period is granted “in certain circumstances” — in practice most often to parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents, and to applicants with a strong travel-compliance history and clear ties to home. Expect to explain why you need a full year and to show you can support yourself for it. The hard ceiling: no Visitor visa lets you stay more than 12 consecutive months in Australia.
Is there a 10-year visitor visa for Australia?
Only for some passports. The Frequent Traveller stream can be granted for up to 10 years, multiple entry, with a maximum of 3 months per visit and a cumulative cap of 12 months in any 24-month period (condition 8573). It is available to citizens of the People’s Republic of China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste; the stream was originally China-only and was extended to ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste in late 2024. It is a genuine visitor visa — a 10-year validity does not let you live in Australia.
Can parents of Australians get a 3-year or 5-year visitor visa?
Yes. Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens can be granted a multiple-entry Tourist stream 600 valid for longer than 12 months, in three tiers:
- 18 months — parents who have not previously travelled to Australia.
- 3 years — parents who have held a previous Australian visa and complied with its conditions.
- 5 years — parents outside Australia who have lodged a Parent (subclass 103) visa application and are in the queue.
Whatever the validity, each stay is capped at 12 months, and the visa carries condition 8558: no more than 12 months in Australia in any 18-month period. After a full 12-month stay, that means at least 6 months outside Australia before the next visit. Adequate health insurance for the whole stay is required, and these visas generally carry condition 8503. If your parents want to stay longer at a stretch, the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) allows 3 or 5 years per grant, up to 10 years in total — or see the permanent parent visa options.
Can I extend my 600 visa?
No — Visitor visas cannot be extended. What you can sometimes do is apply for a new Tourist stream 600 from inside Australia before your current visa ends. You must:
- still hold a substantive visa (or one that ceased within the last 28 days);
- not have condition 8503 (or 8534/8535) on your current visa; and
- not be seeking a stay that would take you past 12 consecutive months in Australia.
If your current visa expires while the application is processed, you are granted a Bridging visa A. A BVA keeps you lawful but has no travel facility — leave Australia and it ends, so you would need a Bridging visa B before any trip. Grant of the new visa is not automatic: the Department re-tests whether you are still a genuine temporary visitor, and back-to-back onshore visitor visas draw scrutiny.
Switching to a different visa is a separate question. With no 8503, an onshore partner visa is often possible. Since 1 July 2024, Visitor visa holders cannot apply for a Student visa onshore. And if you want a year of work and travel, the Working Holiday visa 417 or Work and Holiday visa 462 is the visa built for it.
What does condition 8503 “No further stay” mean?
Condition 8503 means you cannot apply for almost any other visa while you are in Australia (a Protection visa is the main exception). It is always attached to Sponsored Family stream visas (and is typically on ADS visas), and is often imposed on Tourist stream visas where the Department sees a risk you will try to stay on. Lodge a visa application with 8503 in place and the application is invalid — no bridging visa follows.
The Department can waive 8503 on written request (Form 1447), but only where compelling and compassionate circumstances that were beyond your control developed after your visa was granted and caused a major change to your situation. A sudden serious illness, the death of a close family member, or war or a natural disaster at home can qualify. Marriage, pregnancy or starting a de facto relationship generally do not — the Department treats them as foreseeable and within your control. Two more things to know: a waiver does not extend your visa, and a refused waiver cannot be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal. If a follow-on visa is then refused, see what to do if your visa is refused.
Can I work or volunteer on a Visitor visa?
No work — paid or unpaid. Every 600 stream carries a no-work condition (8101, or 8115 for Business Visitors, who may only do business visitor activities such as meetings, negotiations and conferences). “Helping out” in a relative’s shop or café counts as work.
Genuine volunteering is tolerated only within narrow limits: tourism must be the main purpose of your visit; the role must be genuinely voluntary and unpaid, short term, and not work an Australian resident would otherwise be paid to do. A charity needing an admin assistant is still work. Study or training is limited to 3 months (condition 8201). Breaching any of these risks cancellation.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream (apply outside Australia), Tourist stream (apply in Australia), Frequent Traveller stream, Sponsored Family stream, Business Visitor stream, No further stay waiver; Australian Embassy Japan — Longer Visitor visa for parents.
General information only, not migration advice. Your circumstances matter — speak to a registered migration agent.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a 12-month tourist visa for Australia?
Sometimes. The Department's default stay period on a Tourist stream Visitor visa (subclass 600) is 3 months, and it grants up to 12 months only 'in certain circumstances' — most commonly for parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents, or where your ties to home and reasons for a long visit are well evidenced. The stay period is decided case by case and printed on your grant letter. No Visitor visa lets you stay more than 12 consecutive months in Australia.
Is there a 1-year or 10-year tourist visa for Australia?
There is no 1-year or 10-year 'tourist visa' as such. The closest options are: a Tourist stream 600 granted with a 12-month stay period; a longer-validity Tourist stream 600 for parents of Australians (up to 3 or 5 years, but 12 months maximum per visit); and the Frequent Traveller stream, valid for up to 10 years with 3 months per visit and no more than 12 months in any 24-month period, available only to citizens of China, nine ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste.
How long can parents of Australian citizens stay on a visitor visa?
A parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen can be granted a multiple-entry Tourist stream 600 valid for 18 months, 3 years or 5 years depending on their travel history and whether they are in the Parent (subclass 103) visa queue. Each visit is capped at 12 months, and they cannot spend more than 12 months in Australia in any 18-month period (condition 8558). Adequate health insurance is required. For a longer continuous stay, the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) allows 3 or 5 years at a time.
Can I extend my 600 visa while I am in Australia?
You cannot extend a Visitor visa. In some cases you can apply for a new Tourist stream 600 from inside Australia before your current visa ends — but only if your visa does not carry condition 8503 'No further stay', you still hold a substantive visa (or it ceased within the last 28 days), and the new visa would not take you past 12 consecutive months in Australia. If your visa expires while the application is processed, you are placed on a Bridging visa A, which has no travel facility. Grant is not automatic; repeated onshore visitor applications attract close scrutiny.
What is condition 8503 'No further stay' and can it be waived?
Condition 8503 means you cannot apply for almost any other visa while you are in Australia (a Protection visa is the main exception). It is always attached to Sponsored Family stream visas and is often imposed on Tourist stream visas. The Department can waive it, on written request (Form 1447), only where compelling and compassionate circumstances that were beyond your control developed after the visa was granted — for example a serious illness or the death of a close family member. Marriage, pregnancy or starting a relationship generally do not qualify. A waiver does not extend your visa, and a refusal cannot be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Can I work on a 600 Visitor visa?
No. Every 600 stream prohibits work — paid or unpaid, including 'helping out' in a family business. Business Visitor stream holders may only do business visitor activities such as meetings, negotiations and conferences. Genuine volunteering is tolerated only where tourism is the main purpose of your visit, the role is short term and unpaid, and it is not work an Australian resident would otherwise be paid to do. Study or training is limited to 3 months. Working on a Visitor visa can lead to cancellation.
Can I switch from a Visitor visa to a partner, student or working holiday visa in Australia?
It depends on the visa and your conditions. If your 600 has no condition 8503, you can generally lodge an onshore Partner visa (subclass 820/801) and receive a bridging visa while it is processed. Since 1 July 2024, Visitor visa holders cannot apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) from inside Australia. If you are young enough to qualify, the Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa is the visa designed for a year of work and travel.