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Applying for Visitor Visa

Expert Education India   →  Applying for Visitor Visa

Visitor Visa

A visitor may be required for reasons like travelling abroad for a short duration attending a conference, taking part in a study tour, or conducting research. A visitor will be allowed to travel abroad and enter a foreign country for a temporary duration to participate in certain activities. For instance, you can apply for a visitor visa to Australia from India. It could be for any other country like the US, Canada, etc. depending on the country where you want to study.

Indian students can apply for the following reasons:

  • Networking – You can build a global network by travelling abroad and meeting new people, such as at conferences, seminars, workshops and similar events. 
  • Research project – If you are going to be a part of a short-term research project in a foreign country. This visa will allow you to stay and engage in the research project until the project is concluded. 
  • Legal requirement – Some countries make it mandatory for students from certain countries to obtain a visitor visa before entering the country. Without a visitor visa, the individual may not be allowed to enter the country.

The duration offered on a visitor visa may depend on the country you wish to go to. It also depends on the purpose of your visit, which is another reason why you should consider whether this visa is applicable to you. For instance, the duration may vary if you have to attend a short seminar versus taking part in a six-month research project. 

Hence, the period of stay usually ranges from a few weeks to a few months. Some countries offer multiple visa entries on a visitor visa. This feature allows the individual to leave and re-enter the country as and when required.

Documents required to apply for a visitor visa

The general documents required when applying for a visitor visa may vary depending on the country you wish to travel to. Before submission, you must understand all the requirements and gather all the documents, understand the limitations of the visa, how to apply, and schedule an interview accordingly.

Let’s say you wish to apply for a visitor visa to travel to Australia, you must apply for a Visitor Visa Subclass 600. Your submissions and requirements will be as follows:

  • Arrange for a health examination to submit a report. Apply for health insurance as well.
  • You must pass the Australia character test as stipulated under the Migration Act 1958.
  • Proof of sufficient funds to sustain your limited stay duration.

The visitor visa does not allow you to extend your stay nor can you add family members to the application for this visa. If your visa does not have an international travel facility, you must apply for a different visa to come back. However, if the visa allows travel in and out of Australia, you can do so. If the visa has a single entry option, you can go back to your home country and return to Australia only once. The visa subclass 600 has different streams that you can apply for depending on your purpose of travel. It ranges from tourist stream to sponsored family stream, business visitor, frequent traveller, and approved destination status stream. You may contact our immigration counsellors to help you understand the visa type most suited to your requirements.

The fees to pay for a visitor visa to Australia may cost $150 and it takes nearly 48 hours to 37 days to process.

There are also different types of visitor visas:

  • Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) – A 12-month valid visa where you can stay up to 3 months at a time. You can visit with family or friends, go on a cruise, and also undertake a business visit activity. There is no visa application fee but a service charge of $20.
  • eVisitor (subclass 651) – This is also a 12-month valid visa which allows you to stay up to 3 months at a time. You can visit with family or friends, go on a cruise, and also undertake a business visit activity. You can also study or train for up to 3 months. Applying for this visa is free of cost.
  • Transit visa (subclass 771) – This free-of-charge visa allows you to transit through Australia for up to 72 hours before leaving the country. This means you can stay no longer than 72 hours in Australia. You can enter Australia by joining the crew of a non-military ship as a Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) holder.
  • Visitor (subclass 600) – This visitor visa allows you to visit Australia for 3, 6, or 12 months to visit family or go on a business trip. This visa has different streams that vary as per its criteria and eligibility, and costs differ too.
  • Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) – This visa allows you to extend your holiday stay in Australia for up to 12 months. Your age limit range should be between 18 to 30 years old. You are also permitted to work in the country temporarily to fund your stay. This also has different streams depending on its criteria, but the costs are the same, that is, $510.
  • Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) – Similar to subclass 462 but with a small variation. This visa allows you to extend your holiday stay in Australia for up to 12 months. Your age limit range should be between 18 to 30 years old (in some countries, 35 years old). You are also permitted to work in the country temporarily in order to fund your stay. This also has different streams depending on its criteria, but the costs are the same, that is, $510.

Also, you may connect with our Expert Counsellors to understand what type of visitor visa you should apply for to travel to a specific country overseas.