Australia separates visiting from working very strictly: every visitor route on this page allows tourism, family visits and limited business activities, and none of them allows you to take a job. Which visitor product you use depends on the passport you hold and the purpose of your trip. This guide explains the main options in plain language.
The main visitor routes
Visitor visa, ETA, eVisitor and transit.
Visitor visa (subclass 600). The Visitor visa is the standard route for people who are not eligible for the ETA or eVisitor, and for anyone who needs a longer or specific-purpose stay. It has several streams: the Tourist stream for holidays and visiting family and friends, the Sponsored Family stream where an Australian relative formally sponsors the visit, and the Business Visitor stream for short business trips. You apply online, show the purpose of your visit and demonstrate that you are a genuine visitor — that you have reasons and means to return home at the end of your stay.
Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601). The ETA lets passport holders from a list of eligible countries and jurisdictions apply through the Australian ETA mobile app for short tourist or business visitor trips. It is linked electronically to your passport; there is no visa label.
eVisitor (subclass 651). The eVisitor serves the same short-trip purpose for passport holders of eligible European countries. Like the ETA it is granted electronically and recorded against your passport rather than as a sticker or stamp.
Transit visa (subclass 771). If you are passing through Australia on your way to another country, some nationalities need a Transit visa even for a short stopover. Check whether your passport requires one before you book connecting flights through Australian airports.
What visitors can and cannot do
The rules that keep a visit lawful.
Visitor visas are for genuine, temporary visits. Tourists can travel anywhere in Australia. Business visitors can attend conferences and trade fairs, take part in negotiations and make general business or employment enquiries — but they cannot work for an Australian business, sell goods or services to the public, or be paid from an Australian source. Paid work of any kind requires a work visa, and working on a visitor visa can lead to cancellation and future refusals. Decision-makers look at your employment, family and financial ties, your travel history and the credibility of your stated purpose, so an application that is honest and well-documented matters more than a long one.
Planning a visit before a work move
Using a visit the right way.
Many skilled workers visit Australia first to attend interviews, industry events or simply to see where they might live. That is a legitimate use of a visitor visa, and the job search itself can continue online from anywhere. What a visitor visa cannot do is convert a holiday into working rights: if an employer wants to hire you, the sponsorship or skilled process described on our Australia work visas page is the route, and it normally runs while you are outside Australia or holding a visa that allows the application.
How AlfaCareers jobs connect
Find Australian jobs that mention sponsorship.
Planning a move rather than a visit? Browse live vacancies on our Jobs in Australia page, or search every country on Find Jobs.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is general guidance only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change frequently — always confirm current requirements on the official government websites linked on each guide, or consult a qualified immigration adviser. For Australia, migration agents must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (Visitor visa, Electronic Travel Authority, eVisitor and Transit visa pages).