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How to extend your stay in Australia on a Visitor visa?

Is your Visitor visa expiring, but you would like to stay longer in Australia? In this case, you will have to apply for a further visa of the same kind or another visa. Let us explore how you can go about staying in Australia for a longer period of time.

Key points (2026)

  • There is no “extension” of a visitor visa. To stay longer you must apply for a new visa before your current visa expires.
  • Check your expiry date and conditions in VEVO. Condition 8503 (no further stay) stops most onshore applications unless it is waived.
  • From 1 July 2024, visitor visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia.
  • From 1 July 2026 the application charge for an onshore Visitor visa (subclass 600) is AUD 630.
  • A waiver request does not give you a bridging visa, so apply early.
Visa Expiry and Conditions

Firstly, it is crucial that you are aware of your visitor visa’s expiry date and the conditions that are attached to your visa. You can check this on your original visa grant. Alternatively, you can also check the expiry of your visa and the conditions on the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). You must be aware of the expiry date and the conditions because it allows you to plan when you should apply for another visa as well as if there are any conditions preventing you from applying for a visa.

Condition 8503

A condition to look out for is the 8503 condition that may be attached on a visitor visa. The 8503 condition prevents the visa holder from being granted another substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while in Australia. It is known as the No Further Stay condition. However, this condition can be waived. To waive the condition, there must be a major change in your circumstances, the change must be beyond your control and it must be compelling and compassionate.

Some examples of change include:

  • Inability to travel due to medical reason
  • Death or serious illness within close family
  • Natural disaster in home country
  • War or civil unrest in home country

Some examples of change that are usually not accepted by the Department include:

  • Entering into a de facto relationship or marriage to an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • Pregnancy, unless there is medical proof that you cannot travel.

It is important to note that it may take some time for the Department to process your waiver request. While they are deciding on the waiver, you are not given a bridging visa. Therefore, it is important that you leave yourself sufficient time to apply for the waiver before your visa expires.

Apply for a visa to extend your stay

If you want to stay longer in Australia, you will have to apply for another visa. This may be another visitor visa or another substantive visa. These may include temporary visas such as a work visa (Skills in Demand, subclass 482). Note that since 1 July 2024 visitor visa holders cannot apply for a student visa (Subclass 500) while in Australia; you would need to apply from outside Australia. You may also apply for permanent visas such as partner visa (subclass 820/801) or permanent work visa (subclass 186). The visa you choose will depend on your eligibility and the purpose of your extended stay in Australia.

However, it is important to bear in mind, that some visas take time to prepare and there may be different stages involved. As such, it is better to plan early and apply before your visa expires.

Once you have applied for another substantive visa, you will be given a bridging visa. The bridging visa will allow you to stay lawfully in Australia while the Department assesses your visa application. It is likely you will be given a bridging visa A (BVA). With a BVA you cannot return to Australia if you travel. It ends when you leave the country. For this reason, if you are required to travel overseas, you must apply for a bridging visa B (BVB) after you have been granted the BVA.

COVID-19 impacts (historical)

During COVID-19, if you were unable to travel back home and had an 8503 condition attached to your visa, the government took a more flexible approach in assessing the waiver and prioritised requests by visa expiry date. These COVID-19 arrangements have ended.

Conditions 8531 and 8558

If you have condition 8531 (must not remain in Australia after stay period ends) or condition 8558 (can’t stay in Australia for more than 12 months in any 18 month period), you are not prevented from making a further visa application. As such, you must apply for another visa before your visa expires to extend your stay in Australia. With condition 8558, a further visitor visa will usually only be granted for the time left within the 12 in 18 month limit.

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Extending your stay: FAQs

Not as such. You apply for a new visa, such as another Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream, before your current visa expires. You need to show a genuine reason for the extra stay and enough funds, and your visa must not have condition 8503 unless it has been waived.

Apply well before your visa expires, ideally several weeks ahead. If you apply while your visa is still valid, you will usually get a bridging visa that keeps you lawful while the new application is processed.

No. Since 1 July 2024, visitor visa holders cannot lodge a Student visa application in Australia. You would need to leave Australia and apply from offshore.

You become unlawful, which can lead to an exclusion period and affect future visas. Contact us straight away if your visa has expired or is about to expire.

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