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Pakistanis visiting Australia for a holiday or to see family usually apply online through ImmiAccount for the Visitor visa (subclass 600), in the Tourist stream or, if an eligible relative will sponsor them, the Sponsored Family stream. The visa is electronic, and you must show you are a genuine visitor who can fund the trip.
Key points
- Most Pakistanis use the Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream, applied for online through ImmiAccount.
- The Sponsored Family stream suits applicants whose eligible relative in Australia will formally sponsor them, and a security bond may be asked for.
- The decision turns on the genuine visitor requirement: your reasons to visit, your funds and your reasons to return to Pakistan.
- The visa is electronic with no label in your passport, so read the grant notice for your stay and conditions such as No Further Stay.
- Answer every request for information on time, because the department can decide without the missing evidence.
Do Pakistanis need a visa to visit Australia?
Yes. For an Australia visit visa from Pakistan, most people apply online for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) before they travel, whether the trip is a holiday in Sydney or a visit to children in Melbourne. There is no visa on arrival. Our Australia visit visa guide shows the current official charge and processing time, with the date we checked them.
The decision is made on the evidence you upload, so your documents carry the whole case. If you would like a second pair of eyes before you submit, VisaWala's visit visa service offers a free first assessment.
What is the subclass 600 visitor visa?
The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is Australia's main visa for tourism and family visits. It lets you travel to Australia, stay for the period on your grant notice and then leave. It does not allow work, and it is not a route to study beyond a short course.
The visa is electronic. Nothing is stuck in your passport; the grant is linked to your passport number, and airline and border staff check it electronically. That is why you must travel on the same passport you used to apply. To see how Australia compares with other destinations, browse our visit visa guides.
The subclass 600 is not the right choice if you:
- Want to study a full course: our article on the Australia student visa from Pakistan covers the subclass 500
- Want to work: you need an employer-sponsored or other work visa
- Are a parent hoping for long stays with children in Australia: look at the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
- Are travelling for business meetings or a conference: the Business Visitor stream is explained in our Australia business visa guide
Tourist stream or Sponsored Family stream?
Visitors from Pakistan usually choose between two streams of the same visa. The subclass is the same, but who is involved and what you prove differ.
| What changes | Tourist stream (outside Australia) | Sponsored Family stream |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | Holidaymakers and most family visitors | Visitors whose eligible relative in Australia will formally sponsor them |
| Who is involved | You apply on your own | Your relative acts as sponsor and must show they are eligible |
| Invitation | An invitation letter helps for family visits | Formal sponsorship, usually with an invitation letter too |
| Security bond | Not part of this stream | May be asked for; refundable if the visa conditions are met |
| How you apply | Online through ImmiAccount, from outside Australia | Online through ImmiAccount |
Most applicants use the Tourist stream, even when visiting family. The Sponsored Family stream makes sense when your relative is eligible and willing to take on formal responsibility, including a bond if the department asks. The official rules are on the Department of Home Affairs page for the Tourist stream (apply outside Australia).
What does the genuine visitor requirement mean?
The genuine visitor requirement is the test at the centre of every subclass 600 decision. The case officer must be satisfied that you intend a genuine visit, for tourism or family, and that you will leave Australia when your permitted stay ends.
To decide, officers look at your whole situation: your job or business in Pakistan, your family responsibilities, your property, your travel and visa history, and whether the length and purpose of the trip make sense together. A retired father visiting his daughter for a grandchild's birth makes obvious sense. An applicant with no settled work planning a long, open-ended stay raises questions.
Australia visitor visa documents checklist
Upload clear colour scans, with English translations of anything in Urdu. These are the documents Pakistani applicants are usually asked for.
Everyone
- Passport photo page, plus old passports showing your travel history
- Bank statements and other evidence of funds for the trip
- An employer letter confirming approved leave, or business registration and tax records
- Evidence of ties to Pakistan, such as property papers, family responsibilities or ongoing studies
- A short itinerary with flight reservations and accommodation
If you are visiting family
- An invitation letter from your relative
- Proof of your relative's status, such as an Australian passport, citizenship certificate or visa grant
- Proof of relationship, such as the NADRA Family Registration Certificate or birth certificates
- Your relative's financial evidence, if they are paying for your trip
Sponsored Family stream
- Your relative's sponsorship and evidence that they are an eligible sponsor
- A security bond, if the department asks for one
How much money should you show?
This is the question applicants ask most often. Home Affairs does not publish a fixed amount for visitors; your funds should comfortably cover flights, accommodation and daily costs for the stay on your form, and fit your income. Our guide to the bank statement for a visit visa explains how officers read statements, and our guide to the invitation letter for a visit visa covers what your relative should write.
1. Choose your stream and plan realistic dates
Decide between the Tourist and Sponsored Family streams, then set dates that fit your leave from work, your children's school terms or your business commitments. A stay that looks out of step with your life in Pakistan is a common reason officers doubt a visit.
Avoid buying non-refundable tickets until the visa is granted. A reservation is enough for the application, and our flight booking team can hold one that matches your dates.
2. Create an ImmiAccount and complete the application
ImmiAccount is the Department of Home Affairs' online account for lodging and tracking applications. If you apply yourself, register with an email address you check often, so that every message about your case reaches you. If someone applies on your behalf, ask for copies of everything submitted in your name.
Start the Visitor visa (subclass 600) application in the stream you chose and answer every question in full. List all the countries you have visited, and declare any previous refusal from any country. Leaving one out can lead to a refusal for giving false or misleading information.
3. Upload documents, pay and give biometrics if asked
Attach your documents under the right headings, then pay the visa application charge online. The current charge is on our subclass 600 guide for Pakistani visitors, and the department's Visa Pricing Estimator gives the official figure.
After lodging, you may receive a request to give biometrics at an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre or to have a health examination with an approved panel doctor. Book as soon as the request arrives. Not everyone is asked, so do not worry if no request comes.
4. Answer requests and read your grant notice
The department may ask for more evidence through ImmiAccount. Reply within the time given; if you do not, the decision may be made without it. Processing times move regularly, and Home Affairs publishes its global visa processing times online.
When the visa is granted, read the grant notice carefully before you book anything else. It shows:
- How long you can stay on each visit
- The date by which you must enter Australia
- Whether the visa allows one entry or several
- Conditions such as 'No Further Stay', which generally stops you applying for most other visas while you are in Australia
Carry a printed copy of the grant notice when you travel, even though there is no label in your passport.
Why Australian visitor visas are refused
The refusal reasons listed in our guide repeat the same themes we see in files from Pakistan:
- Not meeting the genuine visitor requirement, given your circumstances
- Funds that are too low for the trip, or deposits that cannot be explained
- Weak reasons to return, such as no settled work, property or family responsibilities shown
- Past visa non-compliance in Australia or another country
- Missing documents, or no reply to a request for information
- False or misleading information, which can lead to a period during which further visas are refused
If you have been refused, do not simply resubmit the same file. Our guide on what to do after a visit visa refusal explains how to read the decision and what to change.
Before you fly: insurance and arrival
Visitors are generally not covered by Australia's public health system, so travel insurance is strongly advised even where it is not a visa condition. For older parents in particular, our travel insurance team can arrange cover that suits their age and health.
At the airport, carry your grant notice, return ticket, accommodation details and your host's contact details, and be ready to explain your plans in a sentence or two. Keep to the stay on your grant notice; a clean record of leaving on time makes your next visit, to Australia or anywhere else, easier.
Plan your Australia visit visa with VisaWala
Whether it is a first holiday or a long-awaited visit to children in Perth or Brisbane, tell us your plans and who is travelling. VisaWala's visit visa consultants review your documents for free, help you choose the right stream and confirm any fee in writing before you pay. Reach us through the contact form or WhatsApp, or compare verified Australia visit visa consultants in Lahore and Australia visa consultants in Islamabad.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for an Australian visitor visa without an agent?
Yes. The application is made online through ImmiAccount, and many people apply themselves. What matters is a complete, consistent file. If you use someone else, make sure they are properly authorised to act for you, that you see everything submitted in your name, and that you can read the department's messages. Be wary of anyone who promises approval for a fee.
How long can I stay in Australia on a visitor visa?
Your grant notice tells you. The department sets the permitted stay for each visa, and it can differ between applicants. Ask for a stay that fits your purpose and your commitments in Pakistan, because a request that looks longer than your job or family life allows can count against you. Parents who want long visits should look at the subclass 870 instead.
Can my son in Australia sponsor my visitor visa?
He can support your application in two ways. In the Tourist stream, he can invite you and pay for some or all of the trip, sending his status documents and financial evidence. In the Sponsored Family stream, an eligible relative acts as formal sponsor, which can include a refundable security bond if the department asks. Either way, your own ties to Pakistan still matter.
Do I have to give biometrics in Pakistan?
Only if the department asks. Some applicants receive a request to attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre after lodging, and others do not. If you get one, book an appointment promptly and take your passport and the request letter, because a delay on your side can hold up the decision on your application.
Can I extend my stay once I am in Australia?
Only if your visa does not carry a 'No Further Stay' condition, or if that condition has been waived. Check the grant notice before making plans. If an extension is possible, apply before your current visa ends and keep evidence that you can support yourself. Never stay past your permitted stay, as it affects every future application you make.
Will a UK or Schengen refusal affect my Australian application?
It does not stop you applying, but the form asks about previous refusals from any country, and you must answer honestly. The case officer will consider why you were refused and what has changed since. A record of past trips where you travelled and returned on time helps, and hiding a refusal is treated far more seriously than the refusal itself.
Applying for a visit visa?
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