Temporary Work Visa 400
400 Visa Australia
Temporary Work Visa 400 (Short Stay)
The highly specialised work stream of this temporary visa lets you do short-term, highly specialised work in Australia. It is suitable if you have specialised skills, knowledge or experience not generally available in Australia.
Stay: We can grant for up to 6 months (depending on the circumstances).
Generally, for a stay period longer than 3 months, a strong business case must be provided with the application. You can’t apply for this visa in Australia or stay longer by extending this visa.
Processing times:
- 75% of applications: 18 days
- 90% of applications: 41 days
- you must have highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can help Australian business and can't reasonably be found in Australia
- you must only do the work or activities for which your visa was granted
With this visa, you can
- work in a highly specialised job
- the work or activity must be non-ongoing
You must
- have highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can help Australian business and can’t reasonably be found in Australia
- only do the work or activities for which your visa was granted
With this visa you can
- work in a highly specialised job
- bring family members with you, but they are not allowed to work or study in Australia, except to do a language training program
Employers must provide a contract or letter of offer. See what they have to do in:
- Learn about employing migrants
- Step by step, Gather documents, Work documents
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. You can stay in Australia for up up to 6 months, depending on the circumstances.
You must arrive in Australia within 6 months of the date the visa is granted, or a lesser period specified by the Minister. We will let you know in your visa grant letter. Your stay period as shown on your visa grant letter will start on your first date of arrival in Australia. The stay period will not reset each time you arrive in Australia.
Stay longer
You can’t stay in Australia longer by extending this visa.
Include family
You can include Members of the family unit in your application when you apply.
Both you and your family members who apply for the visa must meet our health requirements and character requirements.
Any family members included in your application are not permitted to work or study in Australia. You must be able to show that you and your family have enough means to support yourselves while in Australia.
Apply from
You must be outside Australia when you apply for the visa and we decide on your application.
Processing times
Your application can take longer to process if:
- you do not fill it in correctly
- you do not include all the documents we need, or we need more information from you
- it takes us time to verify your information
We can’t process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. We will notify you if this is the case.
When applying for your subclass 400 visa, you will need to allow time for the application to be processed, taking into account the date you are intending to travel to Australia.
Your obligations
You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.
Adequate health insurance
Health insurance
We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.
Reciprocal healthcare agreements
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia.
Travel
The visa is granted with either:
- single entry – if you leave Australia, you can’t re-enter Australia on the visa, or
- multiple entry – you can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
Re-entering Australia on a multiple entry visa does not re-start the period of stay you were granted.
The period of stay you were granted starts on the date you first enter Australia.
If you are granted a single entry visa, you will only be allowed to enter Australia once. You will need to apply for a new visa if you want to return to Australia after you leave.
If you are granted a multiple entry visa you can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
Have highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience
You can apply for this visa if you have specialised skills, knowledge or experience that:
- can assist Australian business
- can’t reasonably be found in the Australian labour market
- will be non-ongoing
Non-ongoing work means work that is likely to be completed within 6 months or less, and you do not expect or arrange to stay in Australia after this time for any reason related to that work.
You will need to show that you have the skills, knowledge or experience to do this work. Things you could show us include:
- a copy of your resume
- any licenses or qualifications you have
- a letter from your overseas employer explaining your current position and duties.
The Australian business or overseas employer might need to show that they have tried to find Australian workers to do the work first, as this visa can’t be granted if it affects employment or training opportunities for Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Have work, not in the Australian entertainment industry
You will need to provide proof that you have work. To see what you need to provide go to Step by Step, Gather documents.
You can apply for a subclass 400 to:
- direct, produce or have any other role in a production that will not be shown in Australia (you will need to provide a distribution contract or other evidence to support this)
- come to Australia for a promotional activity, for example:
- an actor visiting Australia for a red carpet premiere
- a rock band in Australia for a promotional tour but no performances
The subclass 400 visa does not allow a person to:
- perform as an entertainer in Australia or support an entertainer or group of entertainers performing in Australia
- direct, produce or take any other part in a production that will be shown, broadcast or performed in Australia (including theatre, film, television, radio, concert or a recording).
If you want to do these activities, you should consider applying for the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) – Entertainment.
Be able to support yourself and any dependents
While you are in Australia, you and your family members must have adequate means to support yourselves.
Meet our health requirement
You and your family members must meet our health requirement.
Meet our character requirement
You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.
Be a genuine visitor
You must only intend to:
- stay temporarily in Australia
- do the things you are allowed to do on this visa
Genuine temporary entrant requirement
You can’t use our temporary visa program to maintain ongoing residency in Australia.
The genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement helps us to make sure that you use temporary visas correctly.
We must be satisfied that you have a genuine intention to stay here temporarily to do the things you are allowed to do on this visa.
When assessing this, we will consider:
- your situation
- your immigration history
- previous compliance with visa conditions
- any other relevant matter
Have paid back your debt to the Australian government
If you owe the Australian Government money, you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back.
Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.
Read And Associates offer Professional Guidance
Here at Read and Associates our team of migration agents can provide you with the appropriate guidance and advice which will help you put forth the best visa application possible. Specialising in applications for medical professionals, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work with you. Book a consultation to find out more.
