Want to get an Australian tourist visa for 12 months? I’ve written articles on this topic before, most notably THIS ONE. As usual, Down Under Visa clients are my inspiration! Lately every second enquiry is somebody wanting a 12 month multiple-entry visa, and sometimes it’s for someone they’ve only known a short time.

As I’ve explained already, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) website makes it look like you just have to pick how long you want the stay for, but it’s really not that simple. It’s not a selectable menu. They won’t just give out a very long visa because you asked for it.

“Visiting” is not the same as “living together”

Purposes of tourist visas

Tourist visas are for visiting, ie. like “tourists”. Those people with loud shirts and who used to have cameras dangling around their necks. Probably clocking you on the back of the head with those annoying selfie-sticks these days.

You can use a tourist visa for doing tourist things and holidaying, etc. You can visit friends and relatives. And yes, perfectly legitimate to visit a fiancée or boyfriend/girlfriend so you can spend time together and to enhance your relationship. The Department policy manual (yes, we have access) makes all of this clear, and yes you can even come here with the purpose of getting married! No problems at all.

What you CANNOT do is to use a tourist visa for the purposes of living-together. You CANNOT use a tourist visa as a “We want to live together this year, and we’ll sort out next year later!” visa. Yet it’s very very obvious to me that this is what many of you would like to do. And if I can see it, the Australian Embassy staff can see it too! They’re not blind.

The issue is this: Who “visits” for 12 months?? 12 months is NOT a “visit”. It’s NOT a “holiday”. It’s living together. Playing house. “Shacking up” for the older generation. YOU know that’s what you’re wanting to do, and so will the Case Officers, and that means refusal.

No, they’re actually not being unreasonable or excessively tough. Try to get a 12 month visa into the US? Or the UK? Or even the Philippines? It won’t happen.

What is a reasonable length of stay?

Three months is pretty standard for a visitor visa, and it’s a good length of time. Gives you time to see if you’re comfortable together on a daily basis. If you haven’t applied before, and especially if your relationship is young, then you have an excellent chance of getting a three month stay on a tourist visa.

Six months? If the applicant has visited a couple of times before, and if your relationship is fairly established, and if you didn’t just return from a visit, then sure. Worth asking, and a good chance you will get it. But be aware they may still only grant three months, but better than a visa refusal.

Twelve months? As I said before, 12 months = 1 year, and = living-together. I’ve seen refused applications where applicants have actually said “We want a 12 month tourist visa, because the fees for partner visas are so high”! Yes, they are too high. Agreed! But does that sound like an applicant just wanting a visit? I don’t think so!

We’re not trying to be boring ol’ killjoys here. We will tell you how it is, though. No BS from Jeff Harvie, ever! You want positive results and you don’t want to waste your time and money. I’m well known for sending applicants away if I think we would be doing just that. Our job is to tell you the truth and to prepare, lodge and manage a visa application that will be successful. Look forward to helping you both!