600 Visitor Visa 2026: Fee, Stay Length & Streams

Overview

The Subclass 600 Visitor visa is for tourism, visiting family, or business visitor activities. It has four streams — Tourist, Business Visitor, Sponsored Family and Frequent Traveller — and is generally granted for stays of 3, 6 or 12 months per entry. It does not permit work, and study is limited to 3 months. Parents of Australians can be granted longer-validity Tourist stream visas (up to 5 years) with 12-month stays, limited to 12 months in any 18-month period. On 17 September 2026 the Government announced that a 'No further stay' condition (8503) will be attached to all future visitor visas; a start date had not been published at the time of this update.

The Subclass 600 Visitor visa covers tourism, visiting family and business visitor activities — but no work. You choose one of four streams to match your purpose, and the visa is usually granted for 3, 6 or 12 months per entry. Parents of Australians can get longer-validity visas of up to 5 years. Below are the points visitors ask about most, updated for the changes announced in September 2026.

Can you work or study on a 600?

No work is permitted on any 600 stream — that includes casual, unpaid or “helping out” work. Study or training is limited to a maximum of three months. Business Visitor stream holders may attend meetings, conferences and contract negotiations but may not work for an Australian business or sell to the public. If you want to work or study longer, you need a different visa (for example a Working Holiday, Student or work visa).

How long can you stay?

Visitor visas are typically granted for 3, 6 or 12 months per entry, decided case by case based on your purpose, funds, ties to home and travel history. Your grant letter states the exact stay period and whether you can enter once or multiple times. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents can be granted multiple-entry Tourist stream visas valid for up to 5 years (if they are in the Parent visa 103 queue), 3 years (with a compliant Australian visa history) or 18 months (first visit), each allowing stays of up to 12 months but no more than 12 months in any 18-month period — so after a 12-month stay you must spend 6 months outside Australia.

Will your visa carry “No further stay” (condition 8503)?

Condition 8503 stops you applying for most other visas while you are in Australia. It has always been attached to Sponsored Family stream visas and is often attached to Tourist visas for higher-risk profiles. On 17 September 2026 the Minister for Home Affairs announced that 8503 will be attached to all future visitor visas — applying to new grants only, so existing visas are unaffected. When this page was updated the Department had not yet published a start date or the regulation. If your visa carries 8503, you must leave Australia to apply for another visa unless the Department waives the condition because of major changes beyond your control.

Which stream should you choose?

The Tourist stream is for holidays and visiting family or friends; the Business Visitor stream is for meetings, conferences and negotiations (not actual work); the Sponsored Family stream is for visiting an eligible Australian relative who sponsors you — applied for from outside Australia, single entry, with a security bond of A$5,000 to A$15,000 possible; and the Frequent Traveller stream gives citizens of China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste a visa valid for up to 10 years with 3-month stays (see how long you can stay on a 600). Passport holders from eligible European countries can use the free eVisitor (651), and other low-risk nationalities the ETA (601), instead of a 600.

Applying onshore or offshore

You can usually apply for a Tourist stream 600 inside or outside Australia (the Sponsored Family stream must be lodged offshore). Where you apply, your travel history, and the strength of your ties to home all affect the stay period and whether it’s granted — so a well-evidenced application matters, especially for higher-risk profiles. If you apply onshore without condition 8503 you will normally be granted a bridging visa while the new application is decided.

Fees and processing times shown above are sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and displayed with the date verified.

Who is eligible for the Subclass 600 visa?

Genuine intention to visit temporarily for tourism, family or business visitor activities and to leave before the visa expires
Adequate funds for the stay and onward travel
Meet health and character requirements, and hold health insurance if asked
Sponsored Family stream: an eligible Australian relative approved as sponsor (a security bond of A$5,000 to A$15,000 may be required)
Frequent Traveller stream: a passport from China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or Timor-Leste

How much does the Subclass 600 visa cost?

The base application charge is A$250. Tourist (applying outside Australia), Business Visitor and Sponsored Family streams. Applying for the Tourist stream from inside Australia is A$630 (plus a possible A$700 subsequent temporary application charge); the 10-year Frequent Traveller stream is A$1,845. Checked against the official Home Affairs pricing table on 29 October 2026. See every Subclass 600 stream's charge and processing time, or compare every visa on our Australian visa fees table. Fees are indexed each year — see the official Visa Pricing Estimator for the current figure.

How long does the Subclass 600 visa take to process?

For the Tourist stream, around 75% of applications are finalised within 26 days, and 90% within 33 days.

Stream	75% finalised within	90% finalised within
Tourist	26 days	33 days
Sponsored Family	61 days	3 months
Business Visitor	13 days	19 days

Official figures as at 29 September 2026. Source: Department of Home Affairs — Global visa processing times. Compare all visas on our processing times tracker. Times are a guide only — complete, decision-ready applications are generally faster.

How do you apply for the Subclass 600 visa?

Choose the right stream. Tourist (including parents of Australians), Business Visitor, Sponsored Family or Frequent Traveller — and check whether an eVisitor (651) or ETA (601) would do instead.
Prepare supporting evidence. Funds, ties to your home country (job, family, property), purpose of visit and travel history. For longer parent visas, evidence of your child's status and your health insurance.
Lodge the application. Apply online in ImmiAccount (onshore or offshore). Sponsored Family stream visas must be applied for from outside Australia.

How it compares

Stream	For	Typical stay	Validity
Tourist	Holidays, or visiting family and friends	3, 6 or 12 months per entry	Usually up to 12 months, multiple entry
Tourist — parent of an Australian	Regular extended visits to your child in Australia	Up to 12 months; max 12 months in any 18	Up to 5 years (in the 103 queue), 3 years, or 18 months (first visit)
Business Visitor	Meetings, conferences, negotiations — no work	Up to 3 months per entry	Up to 12 months typically
Sponsored Family	Visiting an Australian relative who sponsors you	Up to 12 months, single entry	Bond of A$5,000–A$15,000 may apply
Frequent Traveller	Frequent tourism or business (China, 9 ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste)	3 months per stay	Up to 10 years

Frequently asked questions

Can I work on a Visitor visa?

No. The Subclass 600 does not allow work of any kind, including unpaid or 'helping out' work. Study or training is limited to a maximum of three months. Business Visitor stream holders can attend meetings, conferences and negotiations but cannot work for or sell to the Australian public.

How long can I stay on a 600 visa?

Visitor visas are usually granted for a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months per entry, decided case by case and shown on your grant letter together with whether the visa is single or multiple entry. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents can be granted longer-validity visas — up to 5 years if they are in the Parent visa (subclass 103) queue, 3 years if they have a compliant Australian travel history, or 18 months for a first visit — each allowing stays of up to 12 months, but no more than 12 months in any 18-month period.

What is the Sponsored Family stream?

A stream where an eligible Australian relative (for example a child, parent or sibling who is a citizen or permanent resident) sponsors the visitor and takes responsibility for them leaving on time. You must apply from outside Australia, the visa is single entry for up to 12 months, and the Department may require a security bond, usually between A$5,000 and A$15,000, which is refunded if you comply with your visa conditions.

What is condition 8503 'No further stay', and will it be on my visa?

Condition 8503 prevents you from applying for most other visas while you are in Australia — you must leave and apply from offshore. It has long been attached to Sponsored Family visas and some Tourist visas. On 17 September 2026 the Minister for Home Affairs announced that 8503 will be attached to all future visitor visas, applying to new grants only; the regulation and start date had not been published when this page was updated. If your visa carries 8503, a waiver is only available where major changes beyond your control have happened since the grant.

Can I extend my visitor visa or apply for another visa in Australia?

Only if your visa does not carry condition 8503. Without 8503 you can apply onshore for a further Visitor visa or another visa before your current one ends, and you would normally receive a bridging visa. With 8503 you generally cannot apply for most other visas while in Australia. Always check the conditions on your grant notice.

Should my parents use a 600, or the Sponsored Parent 870?

For visits of up to 12 months at a time, the Tourist stream 600 — with the longer parent validity of up to 5 years — is cheaper and does not need the sponsoring child to pass an income test. For continuous stays of 3 or 5 years, the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 is the only visitor-style option, but it requires an approved sponsor earning at least A$83,454.80 and private health insurance. Neither allows work.

Visitor visa (Subclass 600)