Is your Australia Visitor visa expiring, but you would like to extend your stay in Australia? In this case, you will have to apply for another valid visa of the same kind or another visa. Let us discover how you can go around staying in Australia for a longer period of time.
There are six streams for the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600):
- Tourist Stream (Inside Australia)
- Tourist Stream (Outside Australia)
- family Sponsored stream
- Business visa stream
- Approved Destination Status stream
- Frequent traveler stream
How to apply for a Visitor Visa Extension?
If you want to extend your stay in Australia more than your initial visa allows you, you will require to apply for a further visa extension of the same kind or a new visa.
The quantity of time you are able to stay in Australia is at the decision of the Department of Home Affairs and will vary on the visa that you have or the visa that you apply for.
What if I have an 8503 condition on Visitor Visa?
This condition specifies that you must leave before visa expiration: You must not stay on in Australia after the end of the time of stay allowed by the visa. If this situation is set on your visa, you will not be capable to waive the 8503 condition. To be able to apply for another visa, you must prove your conformity with the visa conditions; if not, your visa can be terminated and subsequently being incapable to extend your Visitor visa onshore.
An 8503 condition is typically imposed on visitor visas (from the family-based stream, and visitor stream), training and research visa and working holiday visa. With the numbers of those affected by the novel covid19 rising, those who want to stay in Australia for a more extended time could request a waiver in the condition.
To waive the condition, there must a main change in your conditions, the change must be away from your control and it must be exciting and compassionate.
Some examples of change include:
- Lack of Ability to travel due to medical purpose
- Death or serious disease within close family
- War or civil unrest in home country
Are there any government fees with the Requesting Waivers?
No, there are no further Government fees required to pay with requesting waivers. However, there may be fees linked with legal representation.
Apply for a visa to extend your stay
If you want to extend your stay in Australia, you will have to apply for another visa. This may be another visitor visa or another substantive visa. These may contain temporary visas such as a work visa (Subclass 482) or a student visa (Subclass 500). You may also apply for permanent visas such as partner visa (subclass 820/801) or permanent work visa (subclass 186). The visa you choose will depend on your eligibility and the purpose of your extended stay in Australia.
However, it is important to bear in mind, that some visa takes time to get ready and there may be different phases involved. As such, it is safer to plan early and apply before your visa expires.
If you are not capable to travel back due to COVID-19 and you have an 8503-condition attached to your visa, the authority has taken a more adaptable approach in evaluating the waiver. The waiver request will be arranged according to the visa expiry date.
How Migration agent can help you?
If you are doubtful if you would be qualified for extending Visitor visa or how to fill out your submission correctly, speak to a registered migration agent as soon as you are aware that you will need to extend your stay in Australia.
