Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408

The Temporary Activity 408 visa Australia allows its holders to engage in a specific type of work (sport events, domestic work or religious work) and stay in Australia on a short, temporary basis. 

Overview of Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408

There are a lot of options of work or temporary activity available for this class of visa.The stay time can vary from 3 months to 4 years, depending on the kind of stream you apply for. All you will need is an eligible sponsor, be well-equipped for the work you are applying for and fulfil the rest of the 408 visa requirements for that stream of visa. To apply, you can be inside or outside Australia at the time of application. 

Opportunities and benefits of Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408 visa 

The different streams are for different kinds of temporary activities (either work related or for entertainment). All these visas allow you to travel to and from Australia and include your family members in the application. Let’s see what you can do with each one: 

Australian Government Endorsed Events

• Stay in Australia for up to 4 years, depending on your role in the event 
• You can travel to and from Australia for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 event or for the COVID-19 pandemic
• Family members can also apply with you 

Special Program

• Stay in Australia for up to 12 months, with the permission to travel back and forth 
• Family members can be included in the application 
• Special programs include cultural and community benefit programs, School language assistance, School-to-school interchange and Youth exchange) 

Religious Work

• Allows you to work full-time for a religious institution for up to 2 years, with permission to travel to and from Australia 

Research activities

• Observe or take part in research activity at a tertiary institution for up to 2 years

Invited for other social and cultural activity (Invited Participant)

• Can stay in Australia for up to 3 months to attend a community-based event 

Sporting Activities

• Stay in Australia for up to 2 years if you are going to coach, judge for or play for a sporting organisation in Australia  

Entertainment Activities

• If you’re working on a production project in the entertainment industry, this visa allows you to stay for up to 2 years 

Superyacht Crew

• Being a part of the crew for a superyacht, you can get this visa to stay in Australia for up to 12 months

Exchange Arrangements

• You can stay in Australia for up to 2 years as part of a staff exchange program that lets you work in an Australian organisation 

Domestic work for executives

• Allows you to work in the household of a senior foreign executive for up to 2 years

Eligibility requirements for Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408

Here are the different visa streams and their requirements

Australian Government Endorsed Events

• Written endorsement from FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Local FIFA Subsidiary to participate in the FIFA event 
• Have the financial ability to support yourself and family members in the application 
• English language should be at vocational level for the Support Innovation event 
• Children below 18 should have parental approval 

Special Program

• You should be solely applying for cultural exchange with an approved program 
• Be the right age for the kind of program you are going for 

Religious Work

• Have the relevant employment contract with the religious organisation 
• Be qualified for the job in the institution 

Research activities

• Be invited to participate in the research project 
• Prove that you are an established researcher or student/ recent graduate 

Invited for other social and cultural activity (Invited Participant)

• You should be invited to participate in the event 

Sporting Activities

• Prove that you are a sports trainee, elite player, coach, instructor or adjudicator
• Have a suitable agreement with the sporting body you are going to work with 

Entertainment Activities

• Provide proof of your engagement in the project (which should be an eligible entertainment category)

Superyacht Crew

• Letter of employment from the superyacht owner 
• You can’t apply with family members 
• Be older than 18 years 

Exchange Arrangements

• You must have the skills and qualifications to exchange the job with an Australian citizen
• There should be a letter of agreement between both the organisations and the exchange should benefit employees from both organisations

Domestic work for executives

• Be older than 18 years of age and have experience in domestic work 
• Proof of invitation from the executive, as well as employment agreement 

Conditions and restrictions for Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408 visa

You can apply for these streams if you don’t owe any money to the Australian government, nor have any cancelled or rejected Australian visa in your record. The Australian values statement also needs to be signed when applying. You and all family members have to fulfil the health and character requirements and have the relevant health insurance. 

You and the family members who are visa holders will have to obey Australian laws and the activities they participate in should not disrupt the lives of the citizens. Extension of this kind of visa is not allowed and you will have to explore other visa options when this one expires. 

Special programs, Religious work, Research activities, social and cultural activities, all require an eligible sponsor or supporter to apply for the visa. You must declare that you have not paid for the sponsorship and you must have the financial resources to support yourself and dependents. 

The application process for Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408

408 visa processing times can vary between 3 days and 24 months so check the Immigration website for the processing time of your application for the Temporary Activity Visa subclass 408. 

You will have to apply online and make an ImmiAccount. Then upload the scanned copies of the required documents for your visa. The most basic documents required in this visa type are as follows: 

• Your passport 
• Academic and professional proof of your qualifications 
• Documents from the sponsor that have details about your stay 
• Bank statements, employment contracts, etc. to prove presence of funds 
• Health and character certificates 
• Identity documents of dependents and proof of their relationship with you (if applicable) 

The costs associated with Temporary Activity Visa – Subclass 408

Visa fee for all streams: 325 AUD 

It is free for COVID-19 Pandemic event and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 event