Sponsored family stream
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Sponsored Family Stream
This visa stream lets people who are sponsored, usually by a family member, come to Australia to visit their family members.
With this visa you can
- Visit family or friends
- Be here as a tourist, for a cruise or for any purpose except business or medical treatment
- You can study or train for up to 3 months in total on this visa. But if your main reason for travelling to Australia is study, a student visa might be more appropriate.
You can’t work.
Cruise
You will need a visa if you enter Australia during a cruise.
If your cruise is a round trip cruise, the time you spend on the cruise counts as time spent in Australia – that is, we do not consider you have left Australia. A round trip cruise will not reset your stay period on your visa.
Ask your cruise operator or travel agent if we consider your cruise to be a round trip cruise.
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. We might grant it for up to 12 months.
We determine the length of your visa on a case by case basis. Things we might consider when determining your stay period include:
- How long you want to stay
- Why you want to stay in Australia
You might not be granted the length of stay you want.
We can grant this visa with one entry or multiple entries. If we grant you a visa with multiple entry, you can leave and re-enter Australia on the visa while it is valid.
Stay longer
You can’t stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for another visa.
You can’t apply for a new visa because your visa will have condition 8503, no further stay. In limited circumstances you might be able to request a waiver of the no further stay condition.
You must not breach condition 8531, must not remain in Australia beyond visa period, if it is applied to your visa.
You can explore your visa options.
Include family
You can’t include family members in your application. A separate application must be made for each member of your family, including those listed on your passport.
If other family members are applying for this visa, your applications can be processed together. Learn more when you apply for the visa.
Newborn child
Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.
Apply from
You must be outside Australia when you apply and when we decide on your application.
Processing times
We process:
- 75% of applications in 25 days
- 90% of applications in 48 days
Your application might take longer to process if:
- You do not fill it in correctly
- You do not include all the documents we need or we need more information from you
- It takes us time to verify your information
Your obligations
You must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
Health insurance
We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.
See what we consider adequate health insurance.
Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.
Reciprocal healthcare agreements
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from the Department of Human Services about reciprocal healthcare agreements.
Travel
If we grant your visa with multiple entries, you can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
If we grant you a single entry visa and you leave Australia, you can’t re-enter on the visa. You must apply for another visa to come back.
Check if you have multiple or single entry in Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) or your visa grant letter.
Visa record
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
