Subclass 408 Temporary Activity Visa

Subclass 408 Temporary Activity or Temporary Activity Class GG (Subclass 408) visa: What is this visa for

Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa allows you to come to Australia to engage in a number of activities. This visa is valid between 3 months to 4 years and divided into a wide variety of visa streams.

You can apply for Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa if you:

1. are a student coming to Australia as a youth exchange or for cultural enrichment or for community program or for gap year school volunteering or as a school language assistant; or
2. are wanting to do religious work; or
3. to observe or take part in a research project at a university or research institution; or
4. are invited to participate in a community-based social and/or cultural events; or
5. are invited to play, coach, instruct or judge in an Australian sporting team or sport training with a sporting organisation; or
6. are invited to work in the entertainment industry, for example, as film or television or live productions as a performer or production or support staff; or
7. work as a crew member on a superyacht; or
8. work as a staff exchange with an Australian organisation; or
9. an entrepreneur invited to participate in the Supporting Innovation in South Australia event; or
10. work as a domestic helper for a senior foreign executive.

You may be able to apply for Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa if you are an entertainer and wanting to come to Australia to perform for less than 3 months. If you apply for this visa outside Australia, you do not need to be sponsored or nominated. However, if you apply in Australia, you must be sponsored by an approved temporary activities sponsor.

Under this stream, you may apply for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to allow you to participate in social and cultural activities associated with community based events. These activities include (but not limited to):

1. religious;
2. sporting;
3. academic;
4. artistic events;
5. conferences, conventions and trade shows (example, making presentations)

You do not need to be sponsored but will be required to provide a letter of invitation by the event organiser.

If you have been invited to participate in a sporting event, you may apply for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to engage in that event. However, the event must be a high-level competition usually at a national level or the event involves training of local residents (click here to learn more).

You should provide a letter from the peak sporting body responsible for the sport in Australia endorsing you to participate in that event.

The following sportspeople are covered under the Sport activity stream:

1. players;
2. coaches; and
3. instructors

Participating in a sporting event include playing in the event and judging the event.

You may also be to apply for Subclass 408 Temporary Activity under the Sport activity stream if you are on an elite development and being invited to participate in structured sports training program in Australia. However, the sport training organisation must be a sporting club engaging in sporting competitions at a national level.

Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa is also available for religious workers wanting to come to Australia to do temporary full-time religious work. Religious work must be of a devotional nature and you must has had relevant religious training. This visa allows you to come to Australia to provide spiritual leadership, conducting worship and ministering, pastoral care or proselytising.

The religious work must directly serve the sponsoring organisation’s religious objectives.

You may be able to apply for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to work as a Domestic Worker (Executive) for certain senior executives of overseas organisation holding a TSS 482 visa (click here to learn more) or UC 457 visa; or senior executives of foreign government agencies holding GD 403 visa (click here to learn more).

Usually, the Department of Immigration (Department of Home Affairs) policy does not provide a temporary visa to allow domestic workers to work in Australia. This is because domestic workers cannot contribute to Australia by transferring skills to the local workforce, and to protect training and employment opportunities for Australians. However, Domestic Worker activity or stream exists as a concession to recognise the representational and entertainment responsibilities of certain senior executives in Australia.

The Superyacht activity or stream allows crew members to participate or work on the yacht who are not of a security or health or character concern.

If you work for a company having an office in Australia, you may be able to apply for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to work in Australia under a genuine staff exchange arrangement. The exchange activity stream provides for the entry of skilled persons under a reciprocal employment placement for Australian workers with overseas companies. This helps to promote international understanding and cooperation.

The staff exchange stream is not intended for contractor or casual employee.

If you are invited to observe or participate in an Australian research project, you may be able to apply for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to engage in the research activity undertaken in an Australian institution. However, the research must be performed in collaboration with Australian residents. In addition, any research findings, including papers and reports should be provided to the Australian institution once the project is completed.

Student activity stream allows a student who are invited by an approved special program sponsor to apply for Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa to participate in:

1. school language assistants program (SLAP); or
2. school to school interchange program (SSIP); or
3. a youth exchange program based on culture for which both the sponsor and the program have been approved; or
4. an approved cultural enrichment or community benefit program

You can include members of your family in a combined application for Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa.

Note that during the COVID-19 pandemic you may be able to apply for the Subclass 408 Pandemic event (GREE stream) visa, click here to learn more.

Australian migration law is complex and difficult to understand, contact our immigration lawyer for a consultation (fee applies) to help you decide if this visa is suitable for you (click here to find out how an immigration lawyer or registered migration agent can help you). You may also refer to our FAQs for answers regarding visa application or visa cancellation by clicking here.

This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.