Hello Guys Welcome!!
This blog article helps you to apply for the free 408 pandemic visa! If you are not eligible for the pandemic visa you might still can stay longer wit the subclass 600 visitor visa.
If you are on Working Holiday or student visa, still work in critical sectors and your visa is about to expire and you cannot or don’t want to leave Australia, don’t worry too much! The Australian government is very generous during this tough times and most likely you can stay longer in Australia with full working rights with the 408 pandemic visa!
Visitor Visa subclass 600
The bottom line is that applying for any visa is absolutely worth it if you want to stay a bit longer in Australia.
Pandemic Visa subclass 408
Critical sectors among other info for subclass 408:
Source for different bridging visas:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/sitesearch?k=Bridging%20visa%20E%20(BVE)
“This privilege of staying in Australia longer and for free is just due to covid-19. Nevertheless visitors/tourists often apply for extensions to stay longer in Australia legally. Usually it’s because they want more time to make more cash! ;)”
Let’s jump right into it!!
In my Screenshot from the Immi account below you can see that I had the option to apply for bridging visa 050, because I was on Working Holiday visa subclass 417. The application for bridging visa E showed up automatically as you can see on the screenshot below!
If you work in a critical sector or you think you work in a critical sector ;), just apply one day or couple of days before your visa expires in your Immi account for the pandemic visa subclass 408. It says you should apply 28 days before you visa expires, but usually they don’t care to much as long as you apply before you visa expires, because they know that basically almost every flight got canceled among other reasons! With that said make sure you have prove for a canceled flight ticket!
Once you applied you automatically get bridging visa A and are legally in Australia whatever result you will get!
Source:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-activity-408
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/my-visa-has-expired
Here some instructions:
Link for your Immi account:
https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login
You can see my Immi account. The application the for the bridging visa showed up automatically! Continue with subclass 408 pandemic visa. Zoom in for details.
Than just click “New Application” on the top left. Choose “Temporary Activity Visa (408)”.
Next what you must say is that you are in Australia! And due to travel restrictions! (just copy what I put in the screenshots down below! Than continue with all the questions they ask you. In “Length of stay” select what time period you need and start from the visa expire date forward! You just adjust your dates and just copy the rest!
VERY IMPORTANT and I highly recommend to do if you want peace of mind (for subclass 400)
- Make sure to update your phone number in your Immi account!! Sometimes the department will just call you before your visa expires and ask you a view questions about your plans. Just be friendly and say the “truth” ;), that you flight got canceled, that you wanna stay longer in Australia, that you can’t go back to your home country in the moment, that you need to work to maintain yourself. As people told me it can take up to half an hour so be prepared! Usually they extend your visa after the talk directly with full working rights!!!!!
- Or even better you call the immigration first and explain everything and get straight to the “interview”!!
- Make sure you have a canceled flight ticket or any kind of ticket you booked but got canceled wherever you wanted to go! For example to Bali, or any other close country. You have to prove that you actually wanted to go home or abroad but couldn’t!
- Make sure that you can show that you have enough savings, you also need it in the application. If you don’t have enough just transfer money from a friend or family member and than back again! An alternative is to show the copy of your bank account at home. Have at least 3000 AUD (also for tourist visa subclass 600. Of course it depends how long you want to stay, but this is a rule of thumb. Make it as easy as possible for them to extend your visa!
Yes but in “emergency” you could still apply just before your visa expires ;). The immigration is very generous with backpackers due to the circumstances! Yes, I did say it’s for the critical sector however (like farmwork, which is a common backpacker job by the way) many backpacker just want to stay longer without having a critical job, so with the visa your automatically in bridging (which give you more time to think what to do! With tourist visa you can stay longer in Australia as well, if your in Australia already and don’t want/have a job in the critical sector! That’s very important info for backpackers!
You want to make at as easy as possible for them to extend you visa. It’s good to call and actually talk to human beings and explain your personal situation. Chances are the extend your stay after the call automatically without having even a job in critical sector. One reason could be that you cannot return to your home country due to covid (for example the case for Argentinian citizens or you have to pay the quarantine yourself once at your home country for Canadian citizens etc.
Another reason is, that you just get the info “just in time” so you have to apply whenever you know that is possible. Not all backpackers are aware of the 28 days rule ;)). Again that’s why it makes sense to call ASAP.