Visas for Australia: the 408 visa

Whatever the activity that we are going to carry out in Australia, the Spanish need to apply for a visa.

If our intention is to travel to carry out activities known as business, such as attending fairs or congresses, visiting suppliers or clients, negotiating the terms of a contract, etc. In all these cases we will have to process the visa known as 651 (if you are interested in having information about the 651 visa, be sure to contact us) but we must be very clear that with the 651 visa we cannot carry out work-related activities, such as the provision of a service, the installation and start-up of equipment, carrying out repair and maintenance activities, and in general all kinds of work-related activities.

People who want to carry out any of the activities described above must apply for a 400 visa , also known as Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa 400.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

What you should know

The visa known as Visa 400 is the visa that we must process if we want to send workers to Australia to carry out tasks of technical assistance , installation, maintenance, commissioning, training, etc.

It is especially suitable for carrying out activities related to the purchase of equipment or installations not manufactured in Australia and whose sales contract specifically specifies this need to move personnel to participate in the installation and start-up.

The profile of the worker must be “highly qualified” and the activity to be carried out in Australia must be such that it is practically impossible to find an Australian who can carry it out.

The activity must be perfectly defined and must be such that it can be carried out within the period of stay allowed so that the worker can return to Spain upon completion.

This visa can only be applied for while outside Australia,  so we have to process it before traveling.

It is an electronic visa that does not need to be stamped in the passport.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

Visa duration.

By duration of the visa we have to understand the period during which the visa is valid and therefore we can use it to travel.

In the case of the 400 visa, from the moment of its issuance the visa has an initial validity of six months.

This means that we have six months to travel to Australia from the moment the visa was granted to us.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

Maximum stay allowed and number of entries and exits.

The maximum stay allowed in the country when one enters with a 400 visa can be up to 6 months, but to achieve stays that exceed three months we will have to justify it by providing a detailed project agenda as well as other justifications to the file.

With the 400 visa, it is normal for a maximum stay of three months or less to be granted, depending on what has been included in the supporting documentation for the application.

This period starts counting from the day the first entry is made and even if you leave the country and re-enter the period it is not interrupted.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

Can it be extended?

This visa cannot be extended.

If you need to stay longer you will have to leave and reapply for a new 400 visa.

In principle there are no limits on the number of visas that can be applied for in a year.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

Processing time

By processing time we have to understand the time it takes for the Australian government to manage a 400 visa.

The average processing time varies depending on the time of year, but you can calculate that it will be around 22 calendar days from the moment the request is made.

However, we must take into account that the preparation of the documentation that is necessary to provide with each file is complex and its preparation may require many days, so it is advisable to start processing the 400 visa between 3 and 4 months before the need.

Visas for Australia, the 408 visa.

Processing fees

The official fee charged by the Australian Government Immigration Department is 325 AUD.