Australian Visa Types 2023

20th April 2023

Australian Visa Types - Move To Australia

Did you know there are 74 different Australian visa types in 2023 currently? And that within these 74 different visa types there are sometimes multiple sub classes which means there are well over 100 different visas available for people coming to visit, study or work in Australia.

The visa process is often the most confusing and stressful part of your emigration plans, and understanding the range of Australian visa types can be overwhelming.

In this post I’m going to break down the main types of visas you can get for Australia, and highlight some of the most common ones used for people to visit, study and work in Australia.

This is by no means a comprehensive post about Australian visa types – you can see all visas on the Home Affairs website – but it will show some of the most popular visas issued to people wanting to come to Australia for a variety of reasons.

This blog is not intended as any form of advice. This information is freely available on the Australian Home Affairs website to view and has been collated into this post about Australian visa types in 2023.

Current Australian Visa Categories 2023

There are 6 main categories of visas you can get to enter Australia. These are:

Visitor visas
Studying and training visas
Family and partner visas
Working and skilled visas
Refugee and humanitarian visas
Other visas

There are also a range of repealed visas which are visas that used to exist but have since been withdrawn completely or replaced with other visa types, such as the 176 skilled sponsored visa (the one we arrived on!) and the 457 temporary work skilled visa (which was very popular with many South African migrants to Australia).

When we moved to Australia, my husband’s experience and skills met the requirements for the 176 skilled sponsored visa. We were able to move as permanent residents which was great because I had full working rights too. We went for the state sponsored option as that gave us extra points and had to choose between WA, Queensland and South Australia – no prizes for guessing where we ended up!

At the time, the fee structure was for the whole family, so you just paid one fee for all members of your immediate family. A year after we moved to Australia, the fee structure changed so spouses and children all attracted their own additional fee to be included on the visa – I worked out that it would have doubled the cost of our visa, and we likely would have been unable to afford it.

So the lesson here is – if you qualify for a visa and you think you can afford to move, be like Nike and just do it! Because you never know what changes are just around the corner.

Popular Australian Visa Types 2023

Visitor Visa – Subclass 600

Tourist Stream – apply from outside Australia

This visa stream lets you visit Australia as a tourist, to go on a cruise or to see family and friends.

Stay: 3, 6 or 12 months

Processing time: 25% in 4 days and 90% in 35 days

Cost: from $150

Visitor Visa – Subclass 600

Sponsored Family Stream – apply from outside Australia

This visa stream lets people who are sponsored, usually by a family member, come to Australia to visit their family members. Your sponsor may have to pay a security bond. You must be sponsored by an eligible family member who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident

Stay: up to 12 months

Processing time: 25% in 9 days and 90% in 37 days

Cost: from $150 plus bond

Student Visa – Subclass 500

With this visa you can participate in an eligible course of study, bring family members to Australia, apply inside or outside Australia, work unlimited hours in any sector (current rules in April 2023).

You must be enrolled in a course of study in Australia, hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories, must be 6 years or older, prove you have a welfare arrangement, if you are under 18, if in Australia hold an eligible substantive visa.

Stay: up to 5 years and in line with your enrolment

Processing time: varies

Cost: from $650, unless exempt

Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)

This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.

It has 3 streams – direct entry, labour agreement and temporary residence transition streams.

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: depending on stream, from 42 days to 18 months

Cost: from $4,115

Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)

This regional provisional stream visa allows people who have lived and worked in designated regional areas of Australia on an eligible visa, live and work in Australia permanently.

You don’t need a sponsor or nominator, you must hold an eligible visa for at least 3 years (and complied with conditions of that visa) and must have had a taxable income at or above a specific income threshold for at least 3 years while holding your eligible visa.

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: case by case basis

Cost: from $435

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

With this skilled independent points tested stream visa you can work and study anywhere in Australia. You can also sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence.

You must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation, be invited to apply for this visa and satisfy the points test.

The process for applying for this visa is:

Check your occupation is on the skilled occupation list
Check you have at least 65 points and you are eligible
Submit an expression of interest in SkillSelect
Wait for an invitation to apply for this visa
Gather your documents
Apply for your visa within 60 days of invitation

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: 25% of applications in 82 days and 90% of applications in 3 months

Cost: from $4,240

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

This visa lets nominated skilled workers live and work in Australia as permanent residents.

With this visa you can work and study anywhere in Australia. You can also sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence.

The process for applying for this visa is:

Check your occupation is on the skilled occupation list
Check you have at least 65 points and you are eligible
Submit an expression of interest in SkillSelect
Wait for an invitation to apply for this visa
Gather your documents
Apply for your visa within 60 days of invitation

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: 25% of applications in 87 days and 90% of applications in 36 months

Cost: from $4,240

Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887)

This visa is for people who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia on a previous, eligible visa. Like the previous 2 visas, you can work and study anywhere in Australia and can also sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence.

To qualify for this visa, you must hold an eligible visa or have held an eligible visa that expired outside Australia during the concession period, have lived for at least 2 years and worked full time for at least 1 year in a specified regional area, unless COVID-19 concessions apply, and have complied with the conditions of the eligible visa you hold or have held.

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: 25% of applications in 18 months and 90% of applications in 27 months

Cost: from $435

Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)

This visa is for entrepreneurs, investors and business owners to continue their activity in Australia. It has 5 different streams:

Business innovation stream
Investor Stream
Significant investor stream
Premium investor stream
Entrepreneur stream

Each has its own requirements and different processing times but the basic eligibility is that you hold a relevant stream of the subclass 188 visa or in relation to applications for a subclass 888 visa in the Business Innovation stream, hold a relevant stream of the subclass 188 visa, or a subclass 444 (Special Category) visa, or a subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay)) visa granted in certain circumstances.

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: from 26 to 35 months, although some streams have no processing times available

Cost: from $3,025

Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

This permanent visa lets an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen stay in Australia. With this visa you are also allowed to enrol in Medicare.

You need to meet the balance of family test – which is at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, and there are more eligible children living in Australia than any other single country.

You also have to be sponsored by an eligible child or a community organization if your child is under 18. Sponsorship has to be approved by Home Affairs.

To qualify for applying for this visa, you must:

have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia
not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa

The process for applying for this visa is:

Check your eligibility for this visa
Apply for the visa and pay your first instalment
Your application will be assessed and placed in a queue
Wait for a place to become available
Application will be assessed
Pay the second instalment then visa will be granted

There is an additional charge for each family member that applies with you. You may have additional costs for health checks, police checks and biometrics.

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: years – visas currently under assessment as of April 2023 were submitted in October 2011 (see parent visa queue release dates here)

Cost: from $6,625

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

This permanent visa lets the aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen stay in Australia. You have to be sponsored by an eligible child or a community organization if your child is under 18. Sponsorship has to be approved by Home Affairs.

You also need to meet the balance of family test – which is at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, and there are more eligible children living in Australia than any other single country.

You can stay permanently in Australia, work and study in Australia and enrol in Medicare.

These visas are processed quicker than the subclass 804 ones due to the much higher cost of the visa (see below).

To qualify for applying for this visa, you must:

have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia
not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: years – visas currently under assessment as of April 2023 were submitted in March 2017 (see parent visa queue release dates here)

Cost: from $47,955 (yes you read that right!)

Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

This permanent visa lets the aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen move to Australia.

With this visa you can move to or stay in Australia as a permanent resident, sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia, and apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

To apply for this visa you must:

have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand citizen, unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway
meet the balance-of-family test, unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway or hold a Subclass 173 visa
have an Assurance of Support, unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway
not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa

Stay: permanently in Australia

Processing time: years – visas currently under assessment as of April 2023 were submitted in March 2017 (see parent visa queue release dates here)

Cost: from $47,955 (yes you read that right again!)

I hope you found this blog on current Australian visa types useful. If you’d like to find out more about any of these visas, or what other types of visas are available, head to the Immi website here.

If you’re looking for a migration agent to help you work out if you qualify for any visas to move to Australia, pop me an email and I can help you find a trusted migration agent to assist you. Many offer free or low cost assessments which can be a great way to confirm what pathways you might have when it comes to moving to Australia.

It certainly won’t be easy, cheap, or stress-free, but it will probably be the best thing you ever do, for yourself, and for your kids.

About Author

Reeva Cutting

Helping you move to, settle in, and explore your new home in Australia. Avid reader, beach lover, and horse addict. As someone who has emigrated, not once, not twice, but three times, I know exactly what you’re going through. The ups and downs of emigration are faster than a rollercoaster and I’ve been there – three times!

Australian Visa Types 2023