On this page:
- Temporary work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
- Temporary work (International Relations) visa
- Training visa
- Temporary activity visa
- Temporary Work (Skilled) visa
Temporary Work Visa (subclass 400)
The Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa is a temporary visa that lets you enter Australia to:
- do short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work
- in limited circumstances, participate in an activity or work relating to Australia's interest.
Generally the stay period allowed is up to three months.
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403)
The Temporary Work (International Relations) visa allows you to come to Australia on a temporary basis:
- in relation to a bilateral agreement (Government Agreement stream),
- to represent a foreign government, who will not be given official status in Australia, or a person who is to be employed as a foreign language teacher by a foreign government in an Australian school (Foreign Government Agency stream),
- to do domestic work in the household of someone who holds a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (Subclass 995) (Domestic Worker Stream), or
- as a person with statutory privileges and immunities (Privileges and Immunities stream).
Training visa (subclass 407)
The Training visa is for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis to participate in occupational training or professional development.
This visa allows people to:
- take part in workplace-based training to enhance your skills in your current occupation, area of tertiary study, field of expertise
- participate in a professional development training programme in Australia.
This visa is not appropriate for persons whose sole intention is to work.
Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
The Temporary Activity visa allows you to come to Australia on a temporary basis to:
- work in the entertainment industry
- participate in activities at the invitation of an Australian organisation
- participate or observe in an Australian research project
- work in a skilled position under a staff exchange arrangement
- participate in high-level sports competitions or sports training programs
- participate in a special programme approved by the department that provides opportunities for youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefits
- do full-time religious work
- be employed as a superyacht crew member
- do full-time domestic work in the household of certain senior foreign executives
- participate in a government endorsed event.
This visa requires sponsorship if:
- your stay in Australia is for more than three months
- you apply in Australia.
There is no nomination required for this visa.
If you apply from outside Australia and you intend to stay in Australia for three months or less, the organisation or individual in Australia who has responsibility for the events/activities you will be involved in must pass the support test.
If you apply from outside Australia and you intend to stay in Australia for more than three months you must be sponsored by an approved temporary activities sponsor or sponsor who passes the sponsorship test.
Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457)
On 18 April 2017, the Government announced that the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457 visa) will be abolished and replaced with the completely new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in March 2018.
The implementation of key reforms began on 19 April 2017:
- Introduction of the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) to replace the previous ‘Skilled Occupation List’ (SOL)
- Introduction of the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) to replace the previous ‘Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List’ (CSOL)
- 216 occupations have been removed from the list of occupations
- 59 caveats that now apply to specified occupations
- New visa validity periods with a maximum of 2 years for occupations that are eligible for the subclass 457 programme but are not listed on the new MLTSSL
Further information on these reforms is available at Abolition and replacement of the 457 visa – Government reforms to employer sponsored skilled migration visas.
Page Last Updated: 25 April 2017