Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)

Last updated 17 October 2018 (for month ending 30 September 2018)

Processing times vary.

For more information read Global visa and citizenship processing times

You might be able to get this visa if you:

• intend to stay in Australia for three months or less and apply from outside Australia, and you have the support of an organisation or individual in Australia who has responsibility for the events or activities being undertaken who passes the support test
• intend to stay in Australia for more than three months and you are sponsored by an approved sponsor for this visa who passes the sponsorship test
• meet the requirements of the activity type in which you are applying for this visa
• have adequate financial support for you and your family while you are in Australia
• have adequate arrangements for health insurance while you are in Australia
• meet health and character requirements
• genuinely intend to remain temporarily in Australia to do the work or activity specified in your application.

You must not intend to engage in any activity that will have adverse consequences for employment or training opportunities, or conditions of employment, for Australian citizens or permanent residents.

The genuine temporary entrant requirement (GTE) is an integrity measure to ensure that the temporary visa programme is used as intended and not as a way to maintain ongoing residency in Australia. Temporary residents are generally not able to extend their stay in Australia beyond four years by applying for this visa.

The GTE requirement applies to all temporary activity visa applicants. The officer assessing the visa will consider whether the individual circumstances of the visa applicant indicates that their intention is for a temporary stay in Australia.

You must satisfy us that you have a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily.

When assessing the GTE requirement, we will consider:
• your circumstances
• your immigration history
• compliance with visa conditions
• if you are under 18 years old, the intention of your parent, legal guardian or partner
• any other relevant matter.

While you are in Australia, you must be able to support yourself and any eligible dependant family members who come with you. You might be asked to provide evidence of funds, such as an employment contract, bank statements or a letter from your financial institution stating your financial position. Allowances, accommodation and other assistance from your employer can also be considered when looking at your ability to support yourself.

You must meet certain health requirements. The results of your health examinations are generally valid for 12 months.

This applies to you and any dependent family members included in the application.

You are able to organise your health examinations upfront before lodging a visa application.

You are responsible for all your health costs while you are in Australia. You will not be covered by Australia's national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.

You must make adequate arrangements in Australia for health insurance, for the period of your intended stay in Australia, unless you are covered by Medicare. You should ensure that your insurance will provide at least the level of coverage required for the purpose of your stay. Your health insurer could be in either Australia or your home country.

Attachment A in the health insurance standard template letter (142KB RTF) is a guide to the level of health insurance we will accept as adequate.

This applies to you and any dependent family members listed in the application.

If your proposed duration of stay in Australia will be for a period of 12 months or more, then police certificates should be provided when you lodge your application for this visa. For all other situations, do not arrange for police certificates until we tell you to.

You must meet certain character requirements. You must provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age.

If you intend to work as a domestic worker (executive): Provide police certificates when you lodge your application for this visa.

Sponsors, and visa applicants are required to provide a statement in relation to current or previous conduct that constitutes a breach in 'paying for visa sponsorship' activity. This declaration is included in the visa application form.

See: Paying for visa sponsorship – declaration requirement.

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this visa can be granted.

This also applies to all dependent family members in your application who are 18 years of age or older.

Visa applicants for special program should have functional English language. This is to ensure that participants fully experience the cultural and social benefits of the special programme and to ensure occupational health and safety standards are met.

If you apply in Australia or you apply outside Australia and you intend to stay for more than 3 months you must provide the following from your sponsor:
• Sponsors Transaction Reference Number or Sponsorship Application ID
• Sponsor approval letter or receipt for lodgement of the sponsorship application.
• A written statement from the sponsor that they will meet the sponsorship obligations for you and all dependent family members included in your application.

The Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) is for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis to undertake one of the following activities:
• Entertainer: to work in the entertainment industry in film, television or live productions in either a performance or behind-the-scenes role, such as directing, producing and other production roles.
• Invited participant: for people who are invited for stays up to 3 months by an organisation operating in Australia to participate in a specific cultural or social event or events. For example, conferences, sporting, religious and other community events.
• Researcher:
  • to participate or observe in an Australian research project after being invited to do so.
  • to undertake a research activity at an Australian tertiary or research institution related to your field of study.
• Religious worker: to be a full-time religious worker, serving the religious objectives of a religious institution in Australia.
• Special program: to participate in an approved special program that provides opportunities for youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefits.
• Sport:
  • play, coach or instruct or adjudicate under contract to an Australian sporting club or organisation
  • participate in a high-level sports training program
• Exchange: to work in a skilled position under a reciprocal staff exchange arrangement to:
  • give participants an opportunity to experience another culture
  • enhance international relations
  • broaden participants’ experience and knowledge.
• Superyacht crew: to be employed as a superyacht crew member on board a superyacht in Australia.
• Domestic worker (executive): to work full time in the household of certain senior foreign executives.
• Australian Government endorsed event: to participate in a government endorsed major 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.

This is a temporary visa. You can be in or outside Australian when you apply for this visa and when the visa is granted.

Applying in Australia

If you apply in Australia you must be sponsored by an approved temporary activities sponsor or sponsor who passes the sponsorship test.

Applying outside Australia

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.

This visa allows you to:

• stay in Australia for the period that aligns with the activities that you have been approved to undertake on this visa. The maximum stay periods allowed are:
  • Invited participant activity type – up to three months
  • Australian Government endorsed event activity type – up to four years
  • Any other activity type – up to two years
• do the work or activity specified in your application
• bring eligible family members with you to Australia
• enter and leave Australia as many times as you want while your visa is valid.

Note: For some activity types such as superyacht crew members and special program participants, the stay period is usually no more than 12 months.

Temporary visa holders are generally not able to extend their stay in Australia beyond four years by applying for this visa.

From AUD 285

You might not need to pay the visa application charge.

Other costs

You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

Use the Visa pricing estimator to estimate the cost of your application.

Visa pricing estimator

You can apply when you are in or outside Australia.

The following definitions are used in these pages:
• Australian organisation: a body corporate, a partnership or an unincorporated association (other than an individual or a sole trader) that is lawfully established in Australia
• foreign government agency:
  • an organisation conducted under the official auspices of a foreign national government and operating in Australia, including overseas tourist and media bureaus, trade offices and other foreign government entities
  • a foreign diplomatic or consular mission with a presence in Australia
  • an organisation conducted under the official auspices of an international organisation that is recognised by Australia and that is operating in Australia (such as the United Nations).
• government agency: an agency of the Australian Government or of an Australian state or territory government
• religious institution: an organisation that is operating lawfully in Australia where:
  • the organisation’s objectives and activities reflect its character as a body instituted for the promotion of some religious object
  • the beliefs and practices of the members of the organisation constitute a religion
• sporting organisation:
  • an Australian organisation that is lawfully operating in Australia
  • an Australian government agency
  • a foreign government agency that administers or promotes sport or sporting events.

Workers in Australia – including visa holders with permission to work – have rights under Australian workplace law.

The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) provides information on pay rates, shift calculations, leave arrangements and notice and redundancy entitlements.

See also: Workplace rights for all visa holders working in Australia

Your visa is valid for the period that aligns with the activities that you have been approved to undertake in Australia. The maximum stay periods allowed are:
• Invited Participant activity type – up to three months
• Australian Government Endorsed Event activity type – up to four years
• Any other activity type – up to two years

Note: For some activity types such as superyacht crew members and special program participants, the maximum stay period is usually no more than 12 months.

If your Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) is granted when you are outside Australia, the stay period starts from the day that you first enter Australia as the holder of this visa.

For detailed information regarding who you can include in your application see including family members in your application. You should read and understand this before completing your applications.

All family members who will come with you or who will join you later in Australia must be:
• included in your visa application (even if they will join you later in Australia)
• sponsored if your stay in Australia is for more than 3 months (your sponsor must agree, in writing, to sponsor your family members)

Members of your family unit must be able to show that they have access to adequate means of support for their stay and meet health and character requirements.

Members of your family unit can apply for this visa as either a combined applicant (included in your application) or as a subsequent applicant (at a later time, separate from your application). Applications can be made using ImmiAccount. Subsequent applicants should apply using the Temporary Activity, International Relations or Training Visa (Subsequent Entrant) (403,407,408) form in ImmiAccount.

Your family cannot enter Australia before you. When your visa ends, your family must leave Australia with you or stay after you finally depart.

Your family must:
• intend to remain members of your family unit.
• maintain adequate health insurance while they are in Australia
• not become involved in activities disruptive to, or violence threatening harm to, the Australian community or a group within the Australian community.

Your family can work or study in Australia while their visa is valid.

We will tell you if there are any other conditions they must comply with when you are granted the visa.

Outside Australia:

If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, do not make arrangements to travel to Australia until you are advised in writing that you have been granted a visa. Wait for a decision from us before you leave your job, sell your home or book your travel.

In Australia:

If you apply for this visa in Australia, you could be eligible for a Bridging visa that allows you to stay in the country lawfully while your application is processed. If you are given a Bridging visa A, you can apply for a Bridging visa B (BVB) to travel outside Australia while you wait for a decision.

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

You can check your visa conditions in Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).

During your stay in Australia, you must:
• maintain adequate health insurance while you are in Australia
• continue to meet the requirements of the visa activity type in which you were granted the visa
• leave Australia when your visa ends (unless you are granted another visa)only engage in work or an activity for the employer or organisation identified in your visa application (you cannot become unemployed, leave your position to do work or an activity for someone else, or work for someone else in a second job)
• only engage in work or activity consistent with the position or role identified in your visa application
• not become involved in activities disruptive to, or violence threatening harm to, the Australian community or a group within the Australian community.

Note for entertainers only: It is a condition on your visa that you must not change details of the times and places of engagements specified in the application to be undertaken in Australia during the visa period, without the prior permission in writing of the Secretary of the department. You must ask permission from the Entertainment Visa Centre (NSW) to make any changes to your itinerary, including new events, changes in times or new venues. You can contact the Entertainment Visa Centre at: entertainment.visas@border.gov.au

If the sponsor or supporting organisation or individual ceases your activity or employment, you must do one of the following:
• find another organisation who is willing to sponsor you and apply for a new visa
• find another individual or organisation or individual who is willing to support you and apply for a new visa
• if eligible, apply for a different visa or leave Australia within 28 days or sooner if your visa ends before 28 days have passed.

You can use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO for Organisations) to check the visa details and entitlements of a person that you have sponsored.

All activities types for the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) do not require sponsorship where the visa applicant is outside Australia and intends to stay for three months or less. Instead the individual or organisation in Australia who is responsible for the events or activities must meet the Support test.

These support or sponsorship requirements do not apply to persons applying for a Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa to enter Australia under endorsement for an Australian Government Endorsed Event.

If the person you want to bring to Australia will be either:
• in Australia at time of application
• outside Australia and is intending to stay in Australia for more than three months

they must be sponsored (with the exception of Australian Government Endorse Events).

To sponsor a person to work or undertake an activity in Australia on this visa, you must:
• apply online to become an approved temporary activities sponsor
• already be an approved long stay activity sponsor, training and research, professional development, entertainment, special program or superyacht crew sponsor This will allow you to sponsor applicants up until 18 May 2017. See transitional arrangements.

To sponsor an applicant for a Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) you must meet the Sponsorship test.

To sponsor or support someone for this visa you must be one of the following types of individuals or organisations:

• Australian organisation lawfully operating lawfully in Australia:
  • an Australian organisation that is lawfully established and operating in Australia, such as a business, a body corporate, unincorporated body (other than an individual or a sole trader), non-profit organisation.
• Government Agency:
  • an agency of the Australian Government or an Australian state or territory government.
• Foreign Government Agency:
  • a foreign government agency operating in Australia such as a consular or diplomatic mission as well as foreign tourist and media bureaus, trade offices and other foreign government entities.
• Religious institution:
  • a religious institution that is lawfully operating in Australia and endorsed as a charity by the Australian Tax Office.
• Sporting organisation:
  • An Australian organisation, a government agency or foreign government agency that is lawfully operating in Australia and administers or promotes sport or sporting events.
• Foreign organisation:
  • a company registered in another country and lawfully operating in Australia that wants to carry on business in Australia is a foreign organisation'. Corporations sole, exempt public authorities, and unincorporated bodies in Australia cannot be 'foreign companies'.
• Superyacht captain, owner or operator:
  • a person who is the captain or owner of a superyacht, or an organisation that operates a superyacht.

You must also show that you:
• have a good business record and abide by Australian laws
• have the capacity to comply with the sponsorship obligations.

Lawfully operating in Australia

Your organisation must be lawfully established and actively engaged in business activities in Australia.

Good business record and abide by Australian laws

To meet this requirement:
• there must be nothing adverse known about you or a person associated with you that could affect your suitability as a sponsor, unless it is reasonable to disregard that information
• if you have previously sponsored overseas workers to Australia, you must have a satisfactory record of complying with Australian laws
• the activities of your organisation or agency must not be illegal in Australia.

Further information is provided in Adverse information for sponsors.

To meet the sponsorship test, an individual or organisation must:
• be an approved sponsor
• have agreed in writing to sponsor the visa applicant and any family members travelling with them
• have not withdrawn that agreement or ceased to sponsor the applicant
• have nothing adverse known by us about you or a person or organisation associated with you, unless it is reasonable for us to disregard that information.

A sponsorship lasts for up to five years.

If you are approved as a temporary activities sponsor, you can apply to vary (extend) your sponsorship before it expires to allow you to continue to sponsor people. If the sponsorship period expires, you will need to re-apply and be approved to sponsor further visa applicants.

You must be able to comply with the following sponsorship obligations:
• cooperate with inspectors
• keep records
• provide records and information to the Minister
• tell us when certain events occur
• not recover from, transfer or charge certain costs to another person
• ensure that the visa holder participates in the nominated occupation, program or activity set out in the visa application
• pay costs to locate and remove an unlawful non-citizen
• ensure the visa holder engages in the position or role for which the visa was granted.

Depending on the activity in which the visa was granted, you may also be required to comply with the following sponsorship obligations:
• pay travel costs to enable sponsored people to leave Australia
• secure an offer of a reasonable standard of accommodation
• to make the same or equivalent position available to Australian exchange participants.

You are responsible for meeting all igigations, even if you have authorised someone else to act on your behalf, including a migration agent.

You must comply with your obligations as a sponsor. We monitor your compliance with the sponsorship obligations and whether your visa holders are upholding their visa conditions.

We monitor you while you are a sponsor and for up to five years after you cease being a sponsor. We do this routinely and in response to information provided to us, and in three main ways:
• exchanging information with other Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies, including the Department of Employment, the Fair Work Ombudsman, and the Australian Taxation Office.
• writing to you to ask for information in accordance with the obligation to provide records and information
• site visits, usually to the sponsored business premises, with or without notice

Your compliance with the sponsorship obligations might be investigated by Immigration inspectors who have investigative powers under the Migration Act 1958. Failure to cooperate with inspectors is a breach of the sponsorship obligations.

If you do not meet your obligations, we could take one or more of the following actions:

Administrative

• you could be barred from sponsoring more people for a specified time
• you could be barred from applying for approval to be a sponsor, in relation to this visa or another one
• all of your existing approvals as a sponsor could be cancelled.

Enforceable undertaking

You could be invited to enter into an enforceable undertaking. Enforceable undertakings require you to promise, in writing, to undertake to complete certain actions to demonstrate that the failures have been rectified and won’t happen again.

Civil

• we can issue an infringement notice of up to AUD10200 for a body corporate and AUD2040 for an individual for each failure.
• we can apply to a court for a civil penalty order of up to AUD51 000 for a corporation and AUD10200 for an individual for each failure.

Other circumstances in which administrative action might be taken

In addition, you could also have sanctions imposed if:
• you provide false or misleading information to us or the Migration Review Tribunal
• you no longer satisfy the criteria for approval as a sponsor or for variation of a term of that approval
• you have been found by a court or competent authority to have contravened a Commonwealth, state or territory law
• the person you have sponsored breaks a law relating to the licensing, registration or membership needed to work in the nominated position.

If the person you want to bring to Australia applies from outside Australia and intends to stay in Australia for three months or less they do not need to be sponsored for this visa. Instead the individual or organisation in Australia who is responsible for the events or activities must meet the Support test

AUD 420

If you were approved before 19 November 2016 as a long stay activity, training and research, professional development, entertainment, special program or superyacht crew sponsor, you can use this approval to sponsor a Temporary Activity (subclass 408 ) visa applicant (who is engaging in the relevant activity) during the transitional period, that is until 18 May 2017, or until your sponsor approval ceases (whichever is earlier).

From 19 May 2017 must apply online for approval as a temporary activities sponsor if you want to sponsor a Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa applicant.

If you apply for approval before 19 November 2016 as a long stay activity, training and research, professional development, entertainment, special program or superyacht crew sponsor, your application would continue to be assessed under the pre-19 November 2016 legislation. The sponsorship would only be valid for new Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa applications until 18 May 2017.

To sponsor an entertainer you must be:
• an Australian organisation that is lawfully established and operating in Australia
• an agency of the Australian Government or an Australian state or territory government
• a foreign government agency operating in Australia.

Individuals can no longer sponsor entertainers and will not meet the sponsorship test.

To support an entertainer you must be:
• an Australian organisation that is lawfully established and operating in Australia
• an agency of the Australian Government or an Australian state or territory government
• a foreign government agency operating in Australia
• an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is usually resident in Australia.

You are required to consult with the relevant union if you are sponsoring or supporting one of the following persons:
• Performers in film or television productions subsidised by the government
• Performers in film or television production—not subsidised by government
• Performers not in film or television
• Support staff for an entertainer or group of entertainers
• A person who has a production role other than as a performer.

Consult with unions

Visa application charges (for entertainers only)

To sponsor or support an invited participant activity type application you must be:
• an Australian organisation that is lawfully established and operating in Australia
• an agency of the Australian Gvernment or an Australian state or territory government
• a foreign government agency operating in Australia

and must be directly responsible for the event(s) or activities or have a formal role in preparing for or conducting the event(s) or activity.

To sponsor or support a religious worker activity type application you must be:
• an organisation that is operating lawfully in Australia and endorsed as a charity by the Australian tax office where:
  • the organisation’s objectives and activities reflect its character as a body instituted for the promotion of some religious object
  • the beliefs and practices of the members of the organisation constitute a religion

To sponsor a sports trainee, elite player, coach instructor or adjudicator you must be:
• an Australian organisation that is lawfully operating in Australia
• an Australian government agency
• a foreign government agency

that administers or promotes sport or sporting events

To sponsor a sports trainee, if you are an Australian organisation you must have an international reputation for training elite sportspeople or adjudicators. You cannot be a sporting club that, as its primary activity, competes in sporting competitions below the Australian national level for the sport.

To sponsor or support a researcher you must be either tertiary or a research institution lawfully operating in Australia.

To sponsor or support an exchange participant you must be:
• an Australian organisation that is lawfully operating in Australia
• a government agency
• a foreign government agency operating in Australia.
• with an agreement in place with an overseas organisation for the exchange of staff.

To sponsor or support a member of the crew of a superyacht you must be the captain, owner or operator of the superyacht or an organisation that operates a superyacht.

To sponsor or support a domestic worker (executive) you must be either:
• a foreign government agency that is the employer of the holder of a Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Privileges and Immunities stream who is the national managing director, deputy national managing director or state manager of an Australian office of the agency
• a foreign organisation that is lawfully operating in Australia and is the employer of the holder of a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) who is the national managing director, deputy national managing director or state manager of an Australian office of the organisation.

To be a sponsor for a special program or to support a person for a special program, your organisation must be lawfully established and actively operating in Australia. Individuals or sole traders are not eligible to be sponsors or supporters for this activity type.

• you must have an approved Special Program Agreement with us, unless you are seeking to invite people to Australia under the School to School Interchange Program or the School Language Assistants Program
• if you are proposing to conduct a youth exchange program, you must be an Australian organisation or government agency; and, for any other special program, you must be a community-based, non-profit organisation or a government agency.

Youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefit programs

Applying for special program approval

Cost: There is no application fee for a submission for special program approval

In some cases, you might be asked to provide additional information.

If your application is approved, we will notify you in writing and will finalise a special programme agreement with your organisation.

If your application is not approved, we will advise you in writing.