408 Visa Temporary Activity

This temporary visa lets you come to Australia to participate in events that are endorsed by the Australian Government.

Temporary visa holders will be able to access the 408 COVID-19 Pandemic Event Visa for a period of 12 months if they work in one of the critical sectors. If you are not working in a critical sector and unable to depart Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions – up to 3 months.

Critical sectors include:

• Agriculture

• Food processing

• Health care

• Aged care

• Disability care Child care; and

• Tourism and hospitality

Eligibility

• Be currently in Australia

• Be unable to return to leave Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

• Be a genuine temporary entrant

• Have 90 days or less remaining in Australia with your current visa or your last substantive visa expired less than 28 days ago

• Either provide evidence from your employer that you have ongoing work in a critical sector and that an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident cannot fill the position, or prove that you cannot meet any other visa’s requirements

Process time

• 75% of applications: 78 days

• 90% of applications: 3 months

Common criteria for the rest streams:

• You must have a supporter who passes the support test if you apply offshore and intend to stay for less than 3 months; You need a sponsor if you apply in Australia or apply outside Australia and intend to stay for more than 3 months.

• Have access to enough money to support yourself and any dependents who travel with you during your stay in Australia

• Be a genuine temporary entrant

• Have adequate Health insurance arrangement

This visa lets you stay in Australia to take part in an approved special program. Special programs can include youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community programs, school language assistants or "gap year school volunteering ". The visa holder can stay in Australia up to 12 months with this 408 visa.

Eligibility

• Take part in an approved special program which includes:

  • cultural enrichment or community benefit programs

  • youth exchange programs

  • school language assistance programs

  • school-to-school interchange programs

• Be here for cultural exchange

• Be this age:

  • Cultural enrichment or community benefit program - 18 years or over

  • School language assistance program - 18 to 30 years

  • School-to-school interchange program - 17 to 25 years

  • Youth exchange program - 18 to 30 years

This visa lets you do full-time religious work for a religious institution in Australia. You and your family who apply for the visa with you can stay here for up to 2 years.

Eligibility

• You must have an agreement to work full time as a religious worker with a religious organisation.

• You must have the appropriate experience and qualifications to do the religious work that is set out in your agreement.

Processing times

• 75% of applications: 8 months

• 90% of applications: 10 months

This visa lets you observe or take part in a research project at research or tertiary institution in Australia. You and your family who apply for the visa with you can stay here for up to 2 years.

Eligibility

• Be an established academic researcher, research student or recent graduate

• Be invited

  • For academic research activities

    • You must be invited to observe or participate in an Australian research project at an Australian tertiary or research institution, usually in collaboration with other academics employed there.

  • For research student activities

    • You must be invited to undertake research related to your field of study at an Australian tertiary or research institution.

Processing time:

• 75% of applications: 13 months

• 90% of applications: 25 month

This visa lets you come to Australia if you are invited to participate in a community-based event, including sporting events. You and your family who travel on the visa with you can stay here for up to 3 months.

Eligibility

• You must be invited to travel to Australia temporarily by an Australian organisation to take part in a social or cultural activity associated with a community-based event.

Processing time:

• 75% of applications: 3 days

• 90% of applications: 4 days

This visa allows you to play, coach, instructor adjudicate for an Australian team or do high-level sports training with a sporting organisation. You and your family can stay in Australia for up to 2 years.

Eligibility

• Be an eligible sports trainee, elite player, coach, instructor or adjudicator..

• You must be undertaking full-time, structured sports training aimed at achieving a high-performance outcome with an internationally recognised sports training organisation if you apply for this visa as a sports trainee.

• You must have a suitable formal agreement with your sporting club or sporting organisation in Australia if you apply for this visa as:

  • an elite player

  • a coach

  • an instructor

  • an adjudicator

Processing time:

• 75% of applications: 43 days

• 90% of applications: 8 months

This temporary visa lets you come to Australia to work in the entertainment industry on film, television or live productions as a performer, production or support staff. You can include family members in your visa application.

Eligibility

• have a contract or other proof of your engagement

• Intend to work in an eligible entertainment activity category

Processing time:

• 75% of applications: 74 days

• 90% of applications: 17 months

This visa lets you work in Australia as a crew member of a superyacht. You can stay here for up to 12 months.

Eligibility

• Have an employment contract to work as a crew member on a superyacht in Australia; or a letter confirming employment as a crew member on a superyacht in Australia

• Above 18

Processing time:

• 75% of applications: 25 days

• 90% of applications: 43 days

This visa lets you come to Australia as part of a staff exchange with an Australian organisation. You and your family members who travel here on the visa with you can stay for up to 2 years.

Eligibility

• You must intend to work in a skilled position as part of a reciprocal staff exchange arrangement with an eligible organisation in Australia.

• You must have the necessary skills and/or experience to perform the skilled position set out in the exchange agreement.

• The exchange arrangement must benefit both you and the Australian citizen or permanent resident taking part.

This visa lets you come to Australia to do full-time domestic work in the household of certain senior foreign executives. You and members of your family unit can stay here for up to 2 years.

Eligibility

• You must be invited to work full-time in the household of a senior foreign executive.

• Your wages and employment conditions must meet the necessary standards under the relevant Australian legislation and awards.