Published 27 July 2026 · Updated 14 August 2026
The most online of the big visas
Australia's Visitor visa (subclass 600) is applied for entirely through ImmiAccount: form, document uploads and payment online, and most Indian tourist applicants do not need a biometrics appointment. No courier, no counter. The visa is electronically linked to your passport and airlines verify it digitally.
Tourist grants are commonly 3, 6 or 12 months validity with 3-month stays, single or multiple entry. The case officer chooses based on your purpose and history.
What Australia's "genuine visitor" test means
Home Affairs assesses whether you are a genuine temporary entrant. In practice your uploads should tell one consistent story:
- Identity & travel: passport bio page, photo, itinerary
- Funds: recent bank statements, ITRs, salary slips, sized sensibly for your trip length
- Ties: employment letter with leave, business ownership, family and property circumstances
- Purpose: bookings or a family invitation, with the host's Australian status and their side of the story for sponsored visits
Because everything is uploaded once, document quality replaces the counter clerk: legible scans, consistent names and dates, and a short cover letter stitching the story together. That letter helps borderline files.
Fees and timelines
The base application charge for the tourist stream rose to AUD 250 on 1 July 2026, up from AUD 200, roughly Rs 16,700 (paid online; no VFS fee unless biometrics are requested). Processing time varies a great deal: clean files can clear in under two weeks, complex ones stretch to 4–6. Apply 6–8 weeks before travel, earlier for December, since Australian summer is Indian wedding-holiday season.
Where files stumble
Uploading statements as phone photos, leaving out the invitation-side evidence for family visits, and booking non-refundable flights before grant (do not do this; Home Affairs itself warns against it).
FAQ
Is there an interview or biometrics?
For most Indian tourist applicants, neither; Home Affairs requests biometrics selectively. If asked, it is a short VFS visit.
Can I visit New Zealand on this visa?
No. New Zealand is a separate application. We often pair the two for one long trip; ask about sequencing.
Multiple entries for a stopover-return routing?
Request multiple entry with your routing evidence. Singapore or Bali stopovers both ways are a common Indian pattern and straightforward to justify.