Difference Between Tourist Visa and Work Visa

Australia is easily one of the most beautiful countries, with better employment rates, colourful cities, and various opportunities to live a better life. If you have a business it’s looking to expand to the country, you must ensure that your employees acquire an Australian work visa.

But if you are looking to plan a vacation in Australia, you must acquire an Australian tourist visa for yourself. In this specific guide, you will learn more about both these types of visas and some differences between them.

What Are the Types of Work Visas in Australia?

Australia offers you various types of work visas that can suit different professions; the visas are made for skilled workers, short-term trainees, specialised workers, experienced business people, investors and much more.

Your employees will likely fall under the skilled worker category and can apply for any of the following work visas:

• Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa:

Under this visa, an employer will nominate a skilled worker to live and work in Australia.

• Skilled independent visa:

The invited international workers and New Zealand citizens who have the skills required by Australia can live and work in this country and acquire this visa.

• Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa:

An Australian employer will nominate an international employee to live and work permanently in any regional part of Australia.

• Skilled nominated visa:

For this visa, employees nominate skilled workers to live and work permanently in Australia as residents. If you want to work permanently in Australia, this visa is for you.

• Temporary Skilled shortage visa:

In this case, employers must nominate a proper skilled worker to work temporarily in Australia.

• Temporary Regional visa:

This is a temporary visa for skilled workers who wish to live and work in a specific Australian region.

• Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa:

This temporary work visa is short-term and for highly specialised work.

• Temporary Work (International Relations) visa:

This is another temporary work visa that is meant to enhance Australia’s international relations.

• Distinguished Talent visa:

This is a permanent Australian work visa for workers who have an internationally recognized record of great achievement in a specific area.

• Business talent visa:

This is a visa meant for creating a new or an existing company in Australia.

What Are Some Requirements to Acquire Australian Work Visas?

There are different requirements for each Australian work visa, and some of them are based on immigration point systems. If you are an Australian business owner, you must know that your employees may require different work visas based on their work.

Some of the requirements to fulfil to acquire an Australian work visa are as follows:

• It is important to complete a medical exam
• The character requirements have to be met
• You must demonstrate competent English
• You require to have three years of specific work experience
• You must be under 45 years of age
• You must already know about life in Australia
• You must sign the Australian values statement.

What is the Application Process for a Work Visa?

If you are an employer, you can choose to think of Australia’s work permits as being two different categories, namely skilled visas and sponsored visas. If your employer requires a skilled visa, they must submit an EOI or Expression of Interest via SkillSelect.

They will get points for different factors like skills, education, age, language proficiency and many more. If their profile is selected, they will be nominated either by you or the Australian state territory. With the help of sponsored visas, employees can be sponsored for them to be able to apply for the visa. But if you are a business owner, you must be an approved sponsor with a nomination TRN number or an employer ID.

Read More – Difference Between Business Visa and Work Visa

What Are the Eligibility Criteria for an Australian Tourist Visa?

The eligibility requirements for an Australian tourist visa are as follows:

• You must have enough funds to be able to support yourself
• You need to display that you have the intent to return back to your home country
• You must let the authorities know about the purpose of the visit
• You must display that you have good health
• You must show proof that there are no criminal records in your name
• You must not have outstanding debts towards the Australian government
• You should not seek or accept any jobs in Australia
• You should not opt to study under this visa
• You must follow all the rules of Australia.

If visiting your friends or family, you must show the following:

• The letter of invitation

If travelling the country, you must do the following:

• You must show all the travel documents

If you are visiting for any medical reasons, you must:

• Display the required medical documents.

What Are the Different Australian Visitor Visa Streams?

The different Australian tourist or visitor visa streams are as follows:

• Tourist stream (Apply in Australia):

This is a tourist visa stream, and only people who wish to go to Australia to visit the country as a tourist can apply for this visa.

• Tourist stream (Apply outside Australia):

This is an Australian tourist visa stream that you can apply for outside of Australia to visit the country for exploration with family.

• Sponsored family stream:

This visa stream is for people who want to visit their family in Australia. The family members usually sponsor the trip to Australia.

There are also other streams such as business visitor stream, approved destination status stream and frequent traveller stream.

What Are the Documents Required for an Australian Tourist Visa?

The documents required for acquiring the Australian tourist visa are as follows:

• A valid passport
• Old photos of yourself
• Recent photographs of yourself as per the requirements
• The completed visa application form, specifically form 1419
• Documents that show the purpose of your visit
• Income tax returns
• Bank account statements
• Fixed deposits if you have any
• Medical test results
• X-ray exams
• Travel Insurance
• Personal cover letter
• Accommodation proof
• Travel insurance.

What is the Application Process for an Australian Tourist Visa?

To get an Australian tourist visa, you must follow the steps given below:

• You must choose a suitable visa for yourself
• You must submit all the important documents required for Australian Business Visa
• You must properly fill in the visa application form
• You must pay the required visa fees
• You must arrange an appointment to submit the visa application form
• After meeting the eligibility criteria, you will acquire a tourist visa.

What is the Main Difference Between a Tourist and a Work Visa?

The main difference between a tourist and a work visa is that under a tourist visa, you will only be able to visit Australia as a tourist and not be able to undergo any work. But when you have a work visa, you can work in any region of Australia as per your eligibility.

Why is Australia Considered One of the Most Popular Tourist Destinations?

Australia is considered a popular tourist destination due to the following reasons:

• You can travel to some of the most beautiful cities.
• The landscape of Australia is a sight to behold.
• The monuments and history that surround Australia are unique.
• The travelling policies in Australia are not only concise but clear too.

Final Words

Whether you want to acquire a work or tourist visa, you must learn more about these two visas. You can contact a reputed visa agent or immigration lawyer to help you file an Australian visa and provide beneficial advice to ensure you receive your preferred visa.