You apply for an Australian visa online through ImmiAccount, the Department of Home Affairs portal that handles almost every subclass, though short-stay travelers from eligible countries use the Australian ETA app or the eVisitor page instead. The steps are the same in outline: pick the right subclass, create your account, complete the form, upload your documents, and pay the Visa Application Charge to formally lodge. What changes between visas is the fee, the evidence you’ll need, and how long you’ll wait.
Pick the Right Subclass Before You Start
Applying under the wrong subclass wastes the fee and delays your travel. Match the visa to your passport and your purpose before you open any portal.
For tourism or short business trips of up to three months, passport holders from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and several other countries use the Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority. You apply through the Australian ETA app, pay a AUD $20 service charge, and usually have approval within minutes.1Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority
Citizens of European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and a handful of other European countries qualify for the Subclass 651 eVisitor. It’s free, covers the same three-month stays for tourism or business, and is lodged directly through the Home Affairs website rather than ImmiAccount.2Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 651 eVisitor
If your passport isn’t eligible for either, or you need more than three months, the Subclass 600 Visitor visa is the standard route. It has several streams (tourist, business visitor, sponsored family, approved destination status), and both cost and stay length vary by stream. Check the Visa Pricing Estimator on the Home Affairs site for the exact fee.3Department of Home Affairs. Visitor Visa Subclass 600 Tourist Stream – Apply Outside Australia
To study in a registered Australian course, you’ll need the Subclass 500 Student visa. As of July 2025 the base application charge is AUD $2,000 per applicant.4Study Australia. Student Visa Subclass 500
Two subclasses cover young travelers who want to work while in Australia. The Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa is open to passport holders from the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, and several other countries. United States citizens are not eligible for the 417 and must instead apply for the Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa.5Department of Home Affairs. First Work and Holiday Visa Subclass 462 Both require you to be 18 to 30 years old when you apply, and you must lodge before turning 31.
Create Your ImmiAccount
For most subclasses, registration on ImmiAccount is the first step. It’s free and needs only a valid email address, a username, and a password that meets the site’s security rules.6Department of Home Affairs. Create Your ImmiAccount One account can manage several applications, so families or groups can lodge under a single login.
Once you’re in, the portal walks you through the form for your chosen subclass: biographical details, employment history, travel history, and information about your intended stay. Progress saves automatically, so you don’t need to finish in one sitting. The application sits in draft, invisible to case officers, until you pay the fee.
Documents You’ll Need to Upload
The exact document list depends on the subclass, but a few items appear almost everywhere.
A clear scan of your passport’s biographical page is mandatory. Proof of financial capacity is standard for visitor and student visas, typically bank statements or similar records covering at least three months and showing you can support yourself without relying on Australian public funds.
Any document that isn’t in English must be accompanied by a translation completed or endorsed by a NAATI-accredited translator. NAATI is Australia’s translator credentialing body, and the translation must include the translator’s name, NAATI credential number, signature, and date. A translation done by anyone without NAATI accreditation can hold up or sink your application.
The Department may also ask for police clearance certificates from any country where you’ve lived, a Form 80 (personal particulars for character assessment), or a Form 1563 (statement of character).7Department of Home Affairs. Character Requirements for Visas Not every applicant gets these requests, but having police certificates already in hand saves weeks if they’re asked for.
Student applicants have two extra requirements. You must satisfy the Genuine Student requirement, which looks at whether you’re genuinely coming to study rather than screening out anyone who might later seek permanent residency. The Department accepts that a genuine student may eventually apply for permanent residence, and that intention alone won’t count against you. You’ll need to explain why you chose Australia and your specific course, and show your circumstances fit a genuine study intention.8Department of Home Affairs. Genuine Student Requirement You’ll also need to maintain Overseas Student Health Cover from a government-approved provider for the entire stay under Visa Condition 8501, with the policy starting on arrival and running until the visa expires (typically two months after your course ends).9Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 500 Student Visa
File Formats and Upload Rules
ImmiAccount accepts PDF, JPEG, PNG, Word, and several other formats. Each file can be up to 5 MB, except digital photographs, which cap at 3.5 MB. Encrypted or password-protected PDFs won’t be accepted.10Department of Home Affairs. Attach Documents to Your Application Descriptive file names (“Surname_Passport”, “Surname_BankStatement”) help case officers find things quickly.
Scan quality matters more than people expect. A blurry passport page or a bank statement cropped at the edge can trigger a request for further information and add weeks to processing. Look at every upload before you submit.
Paying the Visa Application Charge
After the form is complete and documents are attached, ImmiAccount shows a review screen and then asks for payment. Your application is only lodged once the payment goes through; before that it sits in draft.
Accepted payment methods are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB credit and debit cards, PayPal, UnionPay, and BPAY. Every method carries a surcharge: credit and debit cards 1.40%, PayPal 1.01%, and UnionPay 1.90%.11Department of Home Affairs. How to Pay for Online Application On a AUD $2,000 student visa charge, the choice of method makes a real difference.
Once payment clears, ImmiAccount confirms lodgement and issues a Transaction Reference Number. Save it. You’ll use it in any correspondence with the Department and to check status. The system also generates a downloadable payment receipt.
What Happens After You Lodge
Processing time depends heavily on the subclass. ETAs and eVisitors are often decided in under a day. The Subclass 500 Student visa showed a median processing time of around 33 days as of early 2026, though individual cases can take longer. Subclass 600 Visitor visa times vary significantly by stream and applicant.12Department of Home Affairs. Visa Processing Times
If a case officer needs more from you, the Department sends a request for further information through ImmiAccount, and you’ll usually have 28 days to respond. Missing that deadline doesn’t guarantee refusal, but the officer can then decide on whatever’s already on file, which rarely helps. Check ImmiAccount and the linked email account often.
Some subclasses need a medical examination by an approved panel physician. If yours does, the Department will notify you through ImmiAccount and give you access to the My Health Declarations portal to book the appointment. Don’t book anything before you’re asked; the Department decides which exams apply based on your circumstances.
You may also be asked to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a facial image). The requirement depends on your specific application, so you won’t know until after lodgement.13Department of Home Affairs. Biometrics If biometrics are requested, you’ll either use the Australian Immi App or attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre run by VFS Global. These centres exist in a limited number of countries, so some applicants will need to travel to reach one.
If you’re already in Australia on another visa and you lodge a new online application, ImmiAccount usually grants a Bridging Visa A automatically to keep your stay lawful while the new application is processed.14Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 010 Bridging Visa A A Bridging Visa A does not let you leave and re-enter Australia. If you travel on it, it expires, and you may not be able to return. To travel while waiting for a decision, apply for a Bridging Visa B before you leave.
After the Grant: VEVO and Your Conditions
Australia doesn’t stamp your passport or issue a sticker. The visa is linked electronically to your passport number, and you check the details, expiry date, and conditions through Visa Entitlement Verification Online, known as VEVO.15Department of Home Affairs. Check Visa Details and Conditions Employers and education providers also use VEVO to confirm your work and study rights.
Read the numbered conditions carefully. Condition 8101, for example, means no work at all in Australia.16Department of Home Affairs. Conditions List Breaching a condition is grounds for cancellation, and a cancellation on your record makes future Australian visas significantly harder to get. Check VEVO before you start any work or change what you’re doing in Australia.
Getting the Application Wrong
Accuracy is not optional. Under Section 109 of the Migration Act, the Department can cancel a visa granted on the basis of incorrect information, even where the error was honest rather than deliberate. The Department can review your entire immigration history for inconsistencies, including previous applications and incoming passenger cards.
Deliberate fraud is far worse. Section 234 of the Migration Act makes it a criminal offence to provide false documents or misleading information in connection with immigration matters, with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.17Federal Register of Legislation. Migration Act 1958 The Department actively investigates document fraud, and a conviction creates a permanent barrier to Australian entry. If you spot a mistake after submitting, contact the Department through ImmiAccount straight away rather than waiting to see whether anyone notices.