Primary Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible for this visa you must meet the following requirements.

You must be one of the following:

• be sponsored by an approved foreign government agency sponsor
• you must be either:
  • a representative of a foreign government agency to be employed in Australia and who will not be given official status in Australia by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
  • a language teacher employed by a foreign government in an Australian school.
• have adequate means to support you and any accompanying secondary applicants while in Australia
• have health insurance for you and any secondary applicants.

Foreign government/agency representative

If you are applying as a foreign government employee to conduct representative business on behalf of your government you will need to provide a letter of support from your Foreign Ministry or relevant government agency detailing support for your visa application. If you are applying in Australia, the letter may be provided by your Embassy or Consulate in Australia. The letter of support must confirm:

• support for the visa application
• your period of stay
• that you will be representing your foreign government or agency.

Foreign language teachers

If you are applying as a foreign language teacher you need to provide the following statements in support of your application:

• a statement from the Australian school or educational authority supporting your intention to work in an Australian school
• a letter of support from your government's Foreign Ministry supporting your intention to work as an employee of that government in Australia. If you are applying in Australia, the statement may be provided by your Embassy or Consulate in Australia.

Benefit to Australia

You must produce a statement as evidence that your employment in Australia would be of benefit to Australia. This statement can form part of the statement of support provided by the relevant Foreign Ministry or foreign government agency.

The statement should include reasons why it is necessary to employ you and the benefits that employment will have for Australia. It is to establish that your employment will contribute to at least one of the following:

• expansion of local business and export activity
• generation of employment
• promotion and maintenance of good international trade relations
• introduction and transfer of new skills and technology
• improved employment and training opportunities for Australians
• will not disadvantage Australian residents.

Financial requirements

You should be able to demonstrate that you have adequate means of support to cover all expenses associated with your stay in Australia, including the ability to pay for return air fares to your home country and school fees for dependent children if applicable.

You may be asked to provide evidence of funds, such as employment contract, bank statements or a letter from your financial institution stating your financial position. Allowances, accommodation and other assistance from your sponsor can also be considered when looking at your ability to support yourself and any secondary applicants.

Health insurance requirements

You must hold adequate health insurance cover for the entire time you are in Australia. You should ensure your insurance will provide at least the level of coverage required for your purpose of stay. Your health insurance cover does not have to be held with an Australian insurer, arrangements made in your home country may be assessed as being acceptable.

As a guide to the level of health insurance the department will accept as adequate, refer to 'Attachment A' in the health insurance standard template letter.
See: Health Insurance Standard Template Letter (106KB RTF file)

This requirement may not apply to you if your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, and you are enrolled with Medicare.
See: Medicare Australia Health Care for Visitors to Australia

Medicare levy exemption

The Medicare Levy is a tax paid through the personal tax system in Australia. People granted temporary residence visas may be subject to the Medicare Levy. The Medicare Levy is based on the taxable income of the individual for each income tax year.

If you are from a country that has no reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia, you and your dependents, who have not been entitled to Medicare benefits can seek an exemption from the Medicare levy in your end of financial year income tax return. Your lack of entitlement to Medicare benefits must be certified by the Minister for Health.

If you are from a country with reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia, Medicare assistance is available for immediately necessary treatment. Nationals from reciprocal countries are therefore not exempt from the Medicare levy. You will need to complete a Medicare Levy Exemption Certification Form.
See: Medicare

Health requirement

You must meet health requirements and may need to undergo a health examination.
See: Health Requirements

Character requirement

You must be of good character to enter Australia.
See: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you must declare that you will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. For this visa, the values statement is included in the general declaration section of the application form. When you sign the application form it means you will also be signing the values statement. You will not be required to have read the Life in Australia book, but may do so if you wish.

You are also encouraged to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for this visa.
See: Australian Values - Overview

Before lodging an application, please read all related requirements.
See: Eligibility