Where possible, we will prioritise your visa application if you have a compassionate and compelling reason to urgently travel, such as severe illness or a death in the family.  So that we can identify if your application requires priority processing, you should follow these steps:

• Complete your visa application using in your ImmiAccount .
• Submit biometrics (if required).
• Review your declaration in relation to your intention to visit a medical facility (if applicable).
• Complete health checks (if required).
• Submit an enquiry by completing the Australian Immigration  Enquiry Form .
  • You will need to select the Overseas Post as 'Pretoria' and
  • under type of enquiry please select 'Documented compassionate request for travel (hospitalised family in Australia) or Government Officials'.
  • Provide your application reference number, full name, date of birth and passport.
  • Detail the nature of the compassionate reason to travel.
  • Upload documentary evidence of the compassionate reasons, such as a medical report, into your ImmiAccount , and attach these documents to the Australian Immigration  Enquiry Form .

If your reason does not meet compelling or compassionate grounds, your application will be processed within Global visa processing times, see: global visa and citizenship processing times .

PLEASE NOTE: Flight bookings and confirmed travel purchases, attending a wedding as a guest, or birthday celebrations, are generally not considered compassionate and compelling grounds for priority processing.

We do not recommend that you book flights or make travel commitments until you have been advised that you hold a valid visa to travel to Australia.

Foreign government employees travelling to Australia on a Diplomatic or Official/Service passport for official business purposes to represent their Federal/National/Central government (not State, Provisional or Local government) may be eligible for visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver.

All subclass 600 Business Visitor visa applications must be submitted online and documents uploaded as detailed under ‘Gather your documents’ see: Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream (homeaffairs.gov.au)

To be considered for a visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver, applicants should upload the following documents into their ImmiAccount:

• Diplomatic or Official/Service passport
• Official Note Verbale/ Third Party Note issued by the applicant’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Note Verbale must include all travelling members, passport numbers and reason for travel.

If you cannot provide both of the above you may not be eligible for a visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver: you should pay the relevant visa application charge and submit biometrics if you have received a biometrics submission request letter.

The information below is designed to enable fast and effective processing of your application.  Applications are processed according to date of lodgement only.  We will not prioritise an application based on travel dates for a purchased ticket.

Lodge early.   The earlier an applicant lodges, the sooner a finalisation can be made, enabling applicants to then purchase flight tickets.  Processing will not be expedited to meet flight deadlines.  A ticket is not listed as a requirement under Step 2 in the step by step guide on the immigration website.

Lodge a complete application - Check Twice, Submit Once.  Applicants should use the information on the immigration website before and during the application process.  Use the page “Explore visa options” to locate the most appropriate visa subclass for your intended travel.  Read the information provided in the various tabs and follow the “step by step” guide.  This tab provides details on each step of the process as well as providing a list of required documents.  Please use this guide to ensure you upload as much information as possible to enable a quick assessment.  We may finalise your application without requesting further information from you. 

Please Note: a valid application requires a complete residential address or a description leading to the residential address.  We understand that some applicants reside in areas where there is no official complete address.  In the absence of an official complete address the Department will accept other information which details the location of their residential address. The following are some examples of acceptable residential address information:

• Complete official residential address, Example: The number of the house, flat, or apartment and the name of the street and the town where you live; or
• Title Deed which details plot, property location
• Detailed description of the residential address location, Example: From the corner of ABC Street and DEF Street in ABC Town, walk north, turn the second street on the right,  the house is the tenth house on the right ; or
• GPS co-ordinates plus a description of the property/residence/house/apartment. To obtain GPS coordinates please see the below help guide
• Apple - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7359202?hl=en
• Android - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7047426?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid

A P.O. Box address is not acceptable.  Your application may be deemed invalid if you do not provide a complete residential address.

You are encouraged to Check Twice, Submit Once.

Processing Times . The global processing times are based on global averages and should not be used to plan when you lodge your application.  Applicants should submit a fully documented online application as soon as they make plans to travel to Australia.   Processing times are impacted each month because of application volumes, ie Christmas or Easter peak periods

Group Applications.  We assess applications on a case-by-case basis. You can help improve processing times by lodging a complete fully documented application. The checklists provided on ImmiAccount will help you make sure you attach all required documentation for your application. We will finalise some applications quickly while some may take longer.  Some applications may require external checks such as health, character or national security checks which will take longer to finalise.  Please do not contact us to enquire about one member of the group.  They may require further processing or information
Make sure you note the specific information required for applicants under 18 yrs.

ImmiAccount is your online gateway to the Department and provides many online service options including: lodging online applications; making payments; updating your details or circumstances; uploading documents and tracking the progress of your application.  Requests loaded via your ImmiAccount will be actioned quickly.  Required documentation should be uploaded into your immiAccount, resulting in fewer delays while the case officer locates your information.   It is in your best interests to ensure that a contracted agent has uploaded full and complete documentation as listed on the Home Affairs website. 

Meet your deadlines, eg. biometrics, health or a request for additional information.   You may be required to undergo a medical exam, provide a response or provide biometrics.  If so you will receive an official request via email.  Please read this letter carefully and take note of any deadlines. If you are required to provide biometrics you must do so within 14 calendar days.  If you cannot secure an appointment within that timeframe you should inform the department via your ImmiAccount.  Failure to provide biometrics or provide evidence of an appointment may result in your application being refused.

Visa Validity Periods.  When applying for a visa you may be able to specify a desired visa validity period.  Whilst every effort is made to provide visa holders with their desired visa validity, this cannot always be accommodated. 

If you are granted a visa, it may not be for the length of stay you have requested or may not match the length of stay on an Australian visa you have previously held.  For example, you may have previously held a Tourist visa with a three-year entry validity, but your most recent visa was granted for a one-year entry validity.  Once a visa application has been decided it cannot be revisited and grant periods cannot be changed.

If you are granted a visa, you should check the visa validity on the visa grant notification letter.  You can also check your visa validity via the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system, see:

Check visa conditions online (VEVO) (homeaffairs.gov.au)