Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
Special Program
This visa lets you stay in Australia to take part in an approved special program. Special programs can include youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community programs, school language assistants or "gap year school volunteering ".
Stay
Up to 12 months
Cost
From AUD310
Processing Time
We process:
- 75% of applications: 45 days
- 90% of applications: 50 days
- Take part in a special program in Australia to exchange culture, knowledge and social experiences
- Stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months with members of your family unit
- Apply for the visa in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance
With this visa the applicant can
- Take part in a special program in Australia to exchange culture, knowledge and social experiences
- Stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months with members of the family unit
- Apply for the visa in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance
You must
- have an invitation to participate in an approved special program
- be supported or sponsored depending on your circumstances
- apply online
With this visa, you can
- stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
- include members of the family unit in your visa application
This activity aims to enhance international relations and cultural exchange by allowing people to share cultural and social experiences and knowledge in the Australian community through participation in activity-specific programs.
Cultural exchange should be the main purpose of the program.
There are 4 special program types under this visa.
Cultural enrichment or community benefits program
Other Programs
This program type lets you take part in activities in Australia to exchange ideas, beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions with people of different or similar ethnic or social backgrounds.
We encourage approved Australian organisations to promote these exchanges to foster mutual understanding and tolerance in the Australian community.
The program should last between 3 and 12 months.
Your activities might include:
- learning about Australian Indigenous languages and cultures
- pastoral care, religious teaching or evangelism
- social research, environmental conservation or outdoor education
- teaching other languages and cultures
- volunteering with a charity to do outreach work
You can't undertake training or tourism as your primary activity.
Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.
School Language Assistants program
This program type lets you assist an Australian language teacher at an Australian school for up to 12 months.
You must intend to pursue a career in teaching.
You must only work as a teaching assistant at the school. You will assist qualified Australian language teachers in language and cultural matters.
The Australian school does not need a special program agreement with us.
School-to-school Interchange program
This program lets you to come to Australia as a school assistant for up to 12 months.
You must have recently completed your schooling and be on a gap year before starting work, further studies or training.
You will work as a voluntary assistant. You will not replace qualified teaching staff or take formal classes by yourself.
Your home school (usually a boarding school) does not need a special program agreement with us
Youth exchange program
This program allows for stay in Australia for between 3 and 12 months to partcipate in a youth exchange program. Your sponsor must be part of a broader organisation that sends young Australians overseas for a similar experience. Your sponsor must have a Special Program Agreement with us.
The program should usually last between 3 and 12 months.
Your home organisation must allow an Australian to have a similar experience in a foreign country.
Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. We grant the length of stay based on the activity we approve you to do on the visa.
We usually grant this visa for no more than 12 months.
The visa is granted with multiple entry. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
If you are overseas when the visa is granted, the visa stay period starts on the day that you enter Australia. If you are in Australia, the visa starts on the day that it is granted.
Your visa grant letter will tell you how long you can stay.
Stay longer
You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. Explore your visa options.
Include family
You can:
- include members of the family unit in your application when you apply, or
- add family members to your application at any time before we make a decision
Family members who apply for the visa with you must also meet our health and character requirements.
Subsequent entrants
If we grant you the visa, your family members might be able to apply to join you in Australia later as subsequent entrant.
Cost
The visa costs AUD310 for the main applicant.
There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.
You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.
Processing times
Your application might take longer to process if:
- you don't fill it in correctly
- you don't include all the documents we need, or we need more information from you
- it takes us time to verify your information
We can't process your application if you don't pay the correct visa application charge. We will let you know if this is the case.
Your obligations
Your activities must not harm the work, training or job conditions of Australian citizens or permanent residents.
You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.
Learn more about conditions for this visa.
If your sponsor, supporting organisation or individual stops your activity or employment, you must do one of the following:
- if eligible, apply for a new visa; or
- leave Australia within 28 days of stopping work for your sponsor/supporter, or earlier if your visa is expiring
Travel
You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
If we grant you a visa, we will send you a grant notification letter containing the visa grant number. You can use this number to access your digital visa record.
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