Why Australian Tourist Visas Are Refused (and How to Avoid It)
Home Affairs doesn't publish a list of reasons tourist visas are refused. A Visitor visa (subclass 600) is refused when an applicant doesn't satisfy one of its criteria: a genuine intention to visit temporarily, enough money for the stay, and the health, character and debt requirements. Those criteria are public, so you can test your application against each one before you lodge it.
Independent guide — not a government service. Australian Visa Online is an independent information resource. We are not affiliated with the Australian Government or the Department of Home Affairs, and we do not lodge applications on your behalf.
This page is about prevention: what the department assesses, and what weak applications tend to leave out. If you want the visa basics first, read our complete guide to the Visitor visa (subclass 600). If you have already been refused, go to what to do after a subclass 600 refusal, which covers review rights and reapplying.
What the department assesses
Home Affairs says a refusal letter explains itself: "We will tell you why we refused your visa and whether you have a right to a review of the decision." The reasons it gives map back to the criteria below.
| What is assessed | Where it comes from | What weak applications miss |
|---|---|---|
| Genuine, temporary visit | Clause 600.211 of the Migration Regulations | Evidence of ties at home; a clear, believable plan |
| Enough money | Clause 600.212 | Itemised statements; proof of funds from whoever is paying |
| Past compliance with visa conditions | Clause 600.211(a) | An honest account of past overstays or breaches |
| Health requirement | Tourist stream eligibility | Exams for applicants aged 75+, or long stays from high TB-risk countries |
| Character requirement | Tourist stream eligibility | Full declaration of convictions and pending charges in any country |
| Debts to the Australian Government | Tourist stream eligibility | Repayment or a repayment arrangement |
| Best interests of a child | Tourist stream eligibility | Consent forms from a parent who isn't travelling |
| Being in the right place | Clauses 600.411 and 600.412 | Being outside Australia at decision time (for offshore applications) |
The legal test behind "genuine visitor"
The central criterion is one clause. Clause 600.211 requires that "the applicant genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose for which the visa is granted, having regard to:
- (a) whether the applicant has complied substantially with the conditions to which the last substantive visa, or any subsequent bridging visa, held by the applicant was subject; and
- (b) whether the applicant intends to comply with the conditions to which the Subclass 600 visa would be subject; and
- (c) any other relevant matter."
The department's own summary is shorter. You "must only intend to: stay temporarily in Australia; obey any condition and stay period attached to your visa."
In plain English, the decision maker weighs how you behaved on your last visa, whether you will follow this one's rules, and anything else that bears on whether you will leave on time. There is no checklist score, so the evidence you choose matters.
Visiting family is a recognised purpose. The Tourist stream expressly covers visiting "an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident, who is a parent, spouse, de facto partner, child, brother or sister of the applicant." Having relatives in Australia is not a problem in itself. The question is still whether you will return home.
What weak applications miss
Proof of reasons to go home
The official list asks for "proof that you have reasons to return home," such as an employer letter, proof you study at home, immediate family at home, or a house or other major assets. A weak application states these things. A strong one documents them. The "Check twice, submit once" page also suggests a current payslip, a letter granting leave from work, a certificate of enrolment, or your children's birth certificates.
Money that matches the trip
You need "adequate means" to support yourself, or access to them, for the stay you describe. Home Affairs publishes no minimum balance, so the test is whether your evidence fits your plans. The official examples are itemised personal bank statements for a 3-month period, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records, term deposits and credit card statements. If someone in Australia is paying, the department asks for proof of their funds as well.
A clear reason and a plan
Home Affairs suggests you "outline your reason for travelling to Australia and include details of your plans while you are here," and says "you may want to include an itinerary." If you are visiting family or friends, include their invitation letter. If you are going to support someone, for example during an illness, include evidence such as a letter from their doctor. The department decides the stay period case by case, looking at "how long you want to stay" and "why you want to stay in Australia", so make the two fit together.
Your travel and visa history
The department asks you to outline your previous travel history "in as much detail as possible." Your history with Australian visas matters too, because clause 600.211(a) looks at whether you complied with your last visa. Overstaying has a harder consequence as well: a re-entry ban may apply if you "overstay your visa by more than 28 days," and an exclusion period "may last for up to 3 years, although some people can be permanently excluded." You can still apply for a temporary visa while banned, and you can ask the department to set the ban aside (waive it).
Accurate, consistent details
Spell your name exactly as it appears in your passport (Home Affairs' tip: "Watch out for autocorrect."), list every name you have used, and submit everything requested "even if you have previously held a visitor visa for Australia." Each family member lodges separately, so check each application.
The health requirement
You must meet the health requirement. Whether you need exams depends on things like your age, how long you plan to stay and the TB risk level Home Affairs gives your country:
- Visitors aged 75 or older applying for a subclass 600: Home Affairs lists a medical examination and a serum creatinine/eGFR test.
- Temporary visa applicants from a high TB-risk country who plan to stay 6 months or more: generally a medical examination, a chest x-ray (age 11 and over) and a serum creatinine/eGFR test (age 15 and over). China, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Vietnam are not on the low-risk list.
- If you have been in Australia in the last 28 days, that time counts towards your length of stay for health purposes.
You can do your exams before you apply or wait to be asked.
The character requirement
You must meet the character requirement. When you apply for any visa, Home Affairs says you must declare criminal conduct you have been charged with that is awaiting legal action, or convicted of, in any country. You may be asked for a police certificate. Under section 501 of the Migration Act, a "substantial criminal record" includes a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or more, or 2 or more terms totalling 12 months or more. Failing the character test isn't limited to that threshold, and the Minister can still choose to grant a visa to someone who doesn't meet it. Character checks can be slow, and the department says it "will not prioritise a case because you have made travel arrangements."
The safest course is full disclosure. Home Affairs requires you to "truthfully answer all questions" and "provide all requested information." If you have a record, say so, give the details asked for, and let the facts be assessed.
Debts to the Australian Government
"If you owe the Australian government money, you must have paid it back, or have arranged to pay it back." Sort this out before you lodge.
Children
"We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18." For a child, that means a birth certificate showing both parents and Form 1229 (or a statutory declaration) from any parent with legal rights who isn't travelling. Our Visitor visa 600 documents checklist lists every item.
Wrong place or wrong stream
- If you apply from outside Australia, "you must be outside Australia when you apply and when we decide your visa."
- If you apply in Australia, you can only apply online if you hold a substantive visa, or yours ceased within the last 28 days.
- In Australia, a Tourist visa won't be granted without exceptional circumstances if you hold a visitor, working holiday, work and holiday or bridging visa and the grant would take you past 12 consecutive months in Australia.
- A current visa with condition 8503 (No Further Stay) stops you applying for a new visa in Australia unless the condition is waived.
The department can decide without asking you
"We may decide your application without requesting further information from you." Don't lodge a thin application and wait for a request that may never come. Upload your full evidence, with English translations, at the start.
A self-check before you lodge
- Could a stranger read my application and understand why I'm going, for how long, and why I'll come back?
- Have I documented my job, study, family or property at home, not just described it?
- Do my bank statements (3 months, itemised) cover the trip I've described? If someone else pays, have I included their proof of funds?
- Have I declared every conviction and pending charge, in every country?
- Did I comply with every previous Australian visa? If not, have I explained honestly?
- Is my name spelled exactly as in my passport, with all other names listed?
- Will I be in the right place (inside or outside Australia) when the decision is made?
- Does each family member have their own complete application?
For a wider view across all visa types, see our top 10 reasons Australian visas are refused.
If it goes wrong anyway
Your refusal letter will say why you were refused. Offshore visitor refusals are reviewable only in limited cases, mainly where an Australian relative sponsored you or you applied to visit a close citizen or permanent resident relative. Your refusal letter says whether you can apply for review. Our guide to what to do after a visitor visa 600 refusal covers the next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common reason Australian tourist visas are refused?
Home Affairs doesn't publish a ranked list of refusal reasons. Refusals come from not meeting a criterion. The criterion that asks the most of your evidence is the genuine visitor test: whether you intend to stay temporarily and follow the visa's conditions, judged on your documents and your history.
How much money do I need to show for an Australian tourist visa?
No minimum is published. You need "adequate means," or access to them, for the stay you describe. Upload itemised bank statements covering a 3-month period and any other proof of income or savings, plus proof of funds from anyone in Australia who is paying for your stay.
Can my tourist visa be refused because I have family in Australia?
Having family in Australia is a recognised reason to visit. The Tourist stream covers visiting a citizen or permanent resident parent, spouse, de facto partner, child, brother or sister. What the department still needs to see is evidence that you will return home.
Will a past overstay stop me getting a visitor visa?
It counts against you, because clause 600.211 looks at whether you complied with your last visa's conditions. An overstay of more than 28 days may also bring a re-entry ban of up to 3 years. You can still apply while banned and ask for the ban to be waived. Declare your history honestly.
Do I have to declare a criminal conviction on a subclass 600 application?
Yes. Home Affairs says you must declare criminal conduct you have been convicted of, or charged with and awaiting legal action for, in any country. Don't assume an old or minor conviction can be left out. Home Affairs requires you to "truthfully answer all questions," so declare it and give the details asked for.
Will Home Affairs tell me why my visa was refused?
Yes. The refusal comes in writing, and Home Affairs says it will tell you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
