🇦🇺 Australia Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) Guide 2026
Australia's Subclass 600 visitor visa covers tourism, business, and family visits for 3, 6, or 12 months — and since March 2026, the government has new power to pause travel for entire visa classes on short notice.
Cost and Duration
The Subclass 600 costs approximately AUD $190-$200 to apply and covers stays of 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on the stream and your circumstances. It's the standard route for tourists, business visitors, and people visiting family, and most tourist stream applications are decided relatively quickly.
What You Can't Do
No work is permitted — if you want to work, you need a Working Holiday visa or Student visa (which includes limited work rights) instead. Study beyond 3 months isn't allowed either; short courses and training are fine, but longer study requires a Student visa. Visitors also don't have automatic access to Medicare unless their home country has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia — some visitor visa grants include Condition 8501, requiring you to maintain adequate private health insurance for your stay.
New in March 2026: Arrival Control Powers
Since 14 March 2026, the Australian Government has held the power (under Section 84B of the Migration Act) to temporarily pause travel for entire classes of offshore temporary visa holders, including visitor visas — a new tool that didn't exist before. Importantly, this power is narrow in practice, not blanket: as of mid-2026 it has only been used once, restricting Iranian-passport holders with offshore Subclass 600 visas for 6 months from 26 March 2026, citing regional conflict risk. It does not apply to visitor visa holders generally, does not affect anyone already inside Australia, and does not cancel a visa — it temporarily renders it inactive only if you're outside Australia when a determination targeting your specific group is active. Several Australian migration law firms have explicitly warned against misleading social media claims of a broader "ban on all temporary visa holders." Still, checking your visa status in ImmiAccount before booking travel is sensible practice given the power now exists.
Using a Visitor Visa as a Bridge to a Partner Visa
If you're visiting a partner who's an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the visitor visa can work as a short-term option while preparing a Partner Visa (Subclass 820/801) application — but check your visitor visa's specific conditions first. A visa with Condition 8503 ("no further stay") blocks onshore applications for most other visas, including the partner visa, unless that condition is formally waived.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming visitor status includes Medicare access. Only nationals of countries with a reciprocal healthcare agreement get this — everyone else needs private travel insurance, sometimes as a formal visa condition.
- Not checking for Condition 8503 before planning an onshore partner visa application. This "no further stay" condition can block the exact transition many visitors are hoping to make.
- Panicking over misleading "visa ban" claims online. The March 2026 arrival control power has only ever been used once, narrowly targeting offshore Iranian-passport Subclass 600 holders — it doesn't affect visitor visa holders generally, though checking ImmiAccount before travel is still sensible practice.
- Trying to study for more than 3 months on a visitor visa. Short courses are fine; anything longer needs a proper Student visa application.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Australian visitor visa cost?
Approximately AUD $190-$200 for the Subclass 600, covering stays of 3, 6, or 12 months depending on the stream.
Can I work on an Australian visitor visa?
No. Work isn't permitted on the Subclass 600 — you'd need a Working Holiday visa or Student visa (which includes limited work rights) instead.
What changed for Australian visitor visas in March 2026?
The government gained the power (from 14 March 2026) to temporarily pause travel for entire classes of offshore temporary visa holders, including visitor visas. In practice this has only been used once so far, narrowly restricting Iranian-passport holders with offshore Subclass 600 visas for 6 months — it doesn't apply to visitor visa holders generally or to anyone already inside Australia. Still, checking ImmiAccount before travelling is sensible practice now that the power exists.