An Australian Visitor visa (subclass 600) for an Indian passport holder costs AUD 250 from 1 July 2026, is lodged and decided entirely online through ImmiAccount, and allows stays of three, six or twelve months per entry depending on what the officer grants. Home Affairs' global processing figures published on 29 September 2026 show half of Tourist stream applications decided within 21 days and 90 percent within 33 days. This guide covers who qualifies, what goes into the file, how biometrics and health checks affect the timeline, and what each refusal reason means.
The short version, with the price card and checklist, is on the Australia Visitor visa route page. This article is the long version with the reasoning behind each document.
Who needs an Australian visitor visa in 2026?
Every Indian citizen, for every visit. The Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) and eVisitor (subclass 651) are limited to listed passports, and India is not on either list, so the subclass 600 is the only tourist route. Transit through Australia for up to 72 hours needs the free Transit visa (subclass 771) unless you already hold a visitor visa.
The visa has three streams for applicants outside Australia. The Tourist stream covers holidays and visiting family and friends. The Business Visitor stream covers meetings, conferences and negotiations where you are not paid by an Australian entity. The Sponsored Family stream lets an eligible relative in Australia sponsor the visit, and Home Affairs may ask the sponsor for a security bond of AUD 5,000 to 15,000 that is forfeited if you overstay. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents also have the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for stays of three or five years at a much higher charge.
What does the officer actually decide?
The decision turns on the genuine temporary entrant criterion. The officer must be satisfied that you intend a temporary stay, have enough money for the trip, meet health and character requirements, and will comply with the conditions. Home Affairs weighs your circumstances in India (employment, business, property, family), your immigration history in Australia and elsewhere, the purpose of the visit and whether your financial position supports it. Family in Australia helps with the purpose but also raises the question of whether you will leave, so the ties to India matter more, not less, when visiting relatives.
Condition 8503 (no further stay) is often imposed on visitors with weaker ties. It prevents applying for most other visas while in Australia, including student and partner visas, so an applicant who may later want to switch should ask for the condition not to be imposed and explain why.
How much does it cost?
| Item | AUD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream, outside Australia | 250 | Per person; children pay the same |
| Business Visitor stream | 250 | Meetings and conferences; no paid work |
| Sponsored Family stream | 250 | Australian sponsor; security bond may be requested |
| Tourist stream, applying inside Australia | 630 | Plus AUD 700 subsequent temporary application charge where it applies |
| Transit visa (subclass 771) | Nil | Up to 72 hours |
| Biometrics collection | VFS service fee | Charged by the collection centre, not Home Affairs |
Visa application charges are indexed each 1 July; the 2026 change took the visitor charge from AUD 200 to AUD 250. The charge is paid by card in ImmiAccount and is not refunded on refusal. Health examinations with a Bupa-approved panel physician and translations are paid separately. Vistolane charges the government fee at the official rate and shows it separately on the Australia destination page.
What documents go in the file?
Identity. The passport bio-data page, previous passports showing travel history, a recent passport-style photograph, and Aadhaar or PAN as a supporting identity document. Each traveller has their own application, including children.
Purpose. For a holiday, an itinerary with hotel bookings. For a family visit, an invitation letter from the relative with their citizenship certificate or visa grant notice and address evidence. For business, an invitation from the Australian company and a letter from your employer stating the purpose and who pays. A return travel reservation is enough; do not buy non-refundable tickets before the grant.
Funds. Six months of bank statements with salary credits visible, two years of income tax returns (ITR-V or Form 16; GST returns for business owners), and, where someone else pays, their statements, employment evidence and a signed letter. Sudden large deposits need a documented source.
Ties to India. An employer letter with designation, salary, start date, approved leave dates and confirmation of the job on return; a GST certificate or incorporation documents for the self-employed; marriage and birth certificates of dependants staying in India; property and fixed deposit documents.
Upload everything as PDFs or JPGs in ImmiAccount. The travel document checklist helps you tick items off before lodging.
How long does the Australian visitor visa take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Gathering documents | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Lodgement to biometrics request and appointment | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Decision | 21 days for half of applications; 33 days for 90 percent |
| Grant to travel | Same day; electronic visa, check VEVO |
Most Indian applicants receive a biometrics request after lodging and must attend a VFS Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Kochi. Processing pauses until the fingerprints and photo are collected, so book immediately. Health examinations are required for stays over six months and for visits to hospitals or childcare settings; a referral after lodgement adds weeks. Six to eight weeks before travel is a comfortable filing window; apply earlier for the December peak.
At the border and during the stay
Australian Border Force checks the visa electronically against the passport. The stay period runs from each entry. Working is not permitted; a short course of up to three months is. Overstaying by even a day creates a bar on future visas; if you need longer, apply onshore for a further visitor visa before the current stay ends, unless condition 8503 applies. A visitor with a compliant history is often granted longer validity, up to three years, on the next application.
Why Australian visitor visas are refused, and what fixes each reason
Genuine temporary entrant not satisfied. Limited ties, an open-ended visit, or family in Australia with little to return to. Rebuild the file around a dated purpose and the ties: approved leave, business evidence, property, dependants; keep the requested stay realistic.
Funds. Recent lump sums or a balance that cannot support the trip at the stated cost. Show six months of statements with the source of every large credit and match the trip to your income.
Inconsistent or unverifiable documents. An employer letter that could not be verified or mismatched dates trigger public interest criterion 4020 and a three-year bar. Submit only genuine documents with working contact details and check every date across the file.
Immigration history. Undeclared refusals or cancellations anywhere. Declare all of them with the letters and a short factual explanation of what has changed.
Health. A referred examination not completed in time. Book the panel physician promptly; for long visits, complete the examination before lodging.
There is no merits review for an offshore visitor visa refusal. You can reapply at once, and the new file should address each point in the decision record.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane prepares and lodges the subclass 600 application in ImmiAccount, books the biometrics appointment when the request arrives and tracks requests for information with a guaranteed lodgement date. Start with the free eligibility check or open the Australia Visitor visa route page for the checklist and the price card.
