All You Need To Know About 408 Visa In 2023

Covid has affected all spheres of life. Due to COVID-19, the Australian government has issued 408 Visa. This is a temporary visa valid for a specific period for those individuals who want to take part in certain activities in Australia.

These activities can be related to religion, research, culture, and sports etc. The article will guide you about this visa. By reading this piece of writing, you will learn about eligibility, expenses, stay duration, and benefits of a 408 visa. 

Essential 408 Visa Activities:

Cultural globalisation has made it possible for countries to call citizens of other countries to take part in their specific activities. Australia is one of the states that provide temporary activities visas. This promotes peace and harmony among nations. 

The following are 10 categories enlisted by the Australian embassy:

1. Religious workers who indulged in religious work such as preaching 
2. Sports persons participating in sports events and competitions
3. Individuals invited by Australia for specific events such as cultural conferences
4. Domestic worker
5. Individuals who are part of a staff exchange program in Australia
6. Activities authorized by the Australian government
7. People related to the entertainment field such as actors, musicians or singers 
8. Researchers particularly in the academic domain
9. Crew members of Superyacht
10. Individuals participating in special programs backed by the Australian government 

Are You Eligible? 

Not everyone is eligible to apply for a 408 visa. The foremost condition is that you must be in Australia when you are applying for this visa. The Australian embassy will not approve if you try to apply outside of Australian territory. Other crucial factors of eligibility criteria are:

• Desire to work in shortlisted spheres by the Australian embassy. 
• You must meet all the requirements and skills that you need to participate in an activity. To prove it, you can submit an employment certificate. 
• You should have a 408 visa health insurance.
• You need to prove that you can financially support yourself. In this regard, you are required to showcase a strong bank statement of an authentic financial institute. 
• You don’t need to have a high command of the English language. Even with 4.5 bands in IELTS, you are eligible to apply for this visa. 

Expenses of Visa 408 Australia

You will be amazed to hear that visa 408 is budget-friendly. The fee for this visa is only 405 Australian dollars. However, you may require to pay extra charges for health insurance, translation of documents, and other related expenses. 

Stay Duration: 

A single rule is not followed for all activities in this covid visa. The nature of the activity in which you are participating will determine what will be your stay duration. Most of them offer 2 years stay period while others validate your stay only about 12 months. 

Particularly, those activities authorized by the government will allow people to stay in Australia temporarily for a maximum of 4 years. The following guides you about the duration of your stay period of most general activities:

• Special program:12 months period
• Religious worker: maximum for 2 years
• Domestic worker: 2 years
• Superyacht crew members:12 months
• Researchers: 2 years 
• Exchange programs: 12 months
• Australian government programs: upto 4 years

What You Can Do With Your Visa 408?

This subclass visa has many benefits that are all worth it for you. You can:

• Have an amazing chance to take part in various activities 
• Stay in Australia lawfully for a specified period
• Transfer it into a study visa
• Gain both soft and hard skills
• Get experience abroad
• Take your family members with you after checking their eligibility 
• Take a tour of Australia 
• Get all work rights provided by the Department of home affairs(DHA), if you work in a critical sector of agriculture, food or health care etc. 
• Cross-cultural interconnection

Final Words!

If you possess any skill shortlisted by the Department of home affairs, you must avail yourself of this amazing opportunity to get visa 408. All you need to see is that you have talent, financial ability to support yourself and other eligibility requirements. With this visa, you can have a tremendous opportunity to explore Australia.