Specialist Entry Visas for Australia

Specialist Entry Visas for Australia

For people who do not qualify for the regular work visas available in Australia, there are a small number of ‘specialist entry visas’ for people in particular professions. For example:

• academics
• professional sports people
• actresses and actors or others who work in the entertainment industry
• religious workers
• people who are internationally recognised as leaders in their field.

In order to be eligible for any specialist visa, you need to have an Australian citizen or resident be your sponsor. Alternatively an approved organisation can be your sponsor.

Unless you are an internationally recognised leader in your field, there will likely be some restrictions placed on visa with regard to how long you may stay in Australia.

As these are quite unique and specialised, we highly advise that you contact us if you are considering applying for an Australian specialist entry visa.

Types of specialist entry visa

Some key types of Australian specialist entry visa are listed below:

• Distinguished Talent Visas
• Entertainment Visas
• Visiting Academic Visas
• Religious Worker Visas
• Sports Visas

Difficulties with specialist entry visas

As with all visa applications Australian Immigration Lawyers will ensure you do not make the following mistakes when applying for your specialist entry visa:

• Withholding vital evidence or providing false evidence
• Not responding in time to Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) questions
• Misunderstanding Australian immigration law or policy
• Getting confused about the correct procedure or requirements
• Appling for the wrong visa
• Mistaking your eligibility for a particular visa

How long does it take to process a specialist entry visa?

As visa processing times vary, it’s best to check the following Australian Government resource for an accurate estimated processing time.