AUSTRALIA VISITOR VISA
For people to visit or extend their stay in Australia for holiday, sightseeing, social or recreational reasons, to visit relatives, friends or for other short-term non-work purposes.
SPONSORED FAMILY VISITOR VISA:
This visa allows people to travel to Australia to take a holiday or visit their family.
The applicant must have an eligible relative in Australia or an Australian Government official willing to sponsor them.
The sponsor provides a guarantee that their visitor will leave Australia before the visa expires. Support from the sponsor is taken into account by the visa decision-maker
Who is this visa for?
This visa is for you if you want to visit your family in Australia or to holiday in Australia for reasons other than business or medical treatment.
You must be outside Australia when you apply for this visa.
HOW MUCH WILL THIS VISA COST?
A non-refundable visa application charge must be paid when your visa application is lodged. Your sponsor will make the payment on your behalf when they lodge the application in Australia. In some cases a financial security bond may also be requested.
WHAT DOES THIS VISA LET ME DO?
You can visit Australia once, usually to stay for a period of up to three months or six months, but in certain circumstances a stay of 12 months may be granted. While in Australia you can:
- Visit family and friends
- Engage in tourist activities
To be a sponsor for this visa, you must be:
- An Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Aged 18 years or over
- Settled in Australia for a reasonable period, usually two years
You must also be one of the following:
- A relative (partner, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or the ‘step’ or adopted equivalent of any of these)
- A member of an Australian parliament (Commonwealth, State or Territory)
- An authorized person representing a Commonwealth, State or Territory department or instrumentality
- A local government mayor
SPONSORSHIP VALIDITY PERIOD
If you are granted a visa, the sponsorship remains in place until you leave Australia. If you choose not to travel to Australia then the sponsorship remains in place until the visa expires. A sponsor cannot have their sponsorship cancelled while the visa is still valid.