NAVIGATION:
For people from the People’s Republic of China who are travelling in an organised tour group.
As the visa applicant, you must:
- be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
- apply for your visa through an agent that is registered under the Approved Destination Status Scheme
- genuinely intend to visit Australia on an organised tour
- have access to sufficient funds to cover your costs whilst you are in Australia
- meet the relevant health and character criteria (this could include a requirement to obtain health insurance for the period of your stay in Australia)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Once you have provided the required information and supporting documents, we will prepare and lodge your visa application with the Department of Home Affairs(DOHA). The main criterion is that you meet the requirements referred to above.
You must be outside Australia when your application is lodged, and you must be in the PRC when your visa is granted.
APPLICATION FEE
AUD 190
PROCESSING TIME
Visa processing times are based on the age of applications finalised in a given period. Many applications finalised recently had been on-hand for some months while borders were closed.
CHECKLIST
The Department of Home Affairs has a ‘step by step’ guide, which refers to the documents you need for your application. You can find this checklist under Gather Your Documents on their webpage.
Visa Validity Period
Should your application be approved, you will be granted a temporary visa, allowing you to travel to Australia on a short-term basis as part of an organised tour. Depending upon your particular circumstances, you will be granted either a single entry visa (allowing you to enter Australia once, for a specified length of time) or multiple entry visa (allowing you to enter Australia multiple times for short periods whilst your visa is valid e.g. stays of up to 3 months at a time over a 12-month period).
Visa Conditions
There are several conditions that apply to Visitor visas. In particular, visa holders MUST NOT:
- work or provide services to any business/organisation in Australia, or sell goods or services to the public whilst in Australia (although business visit activity IS permitted)
- study for more than three months in Australia
Other conditions may also be imposed by the DOHAin certain cases, including the requirement that the visa holder not apply for any further visas whilst in Australia.
PLEASE NOTE: The actual time taken by the DOHAto approve an application and grant a visa varies from case to case depending upon your particular circumstances. Each application is unique and the processing time may differ based on your country of origin and even the DOHAcase officer assigned to your application.
