Visas and Immigration
English | Vietnamese
This is the website of the Department of Home Affairs, Australian Visa office in Vietnam.
News from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
Lifting of COVID-19 Border Restrictions
From 00:01 Wednesday, 6 July 2022,
- Passengers travelling to Australia will no longer be required to provide evidence of vaccination;
- Unvaccinated visa holders will not require a travel exemption;
- Passengers will not be required to complete the Digital Passenger Declaration (Air) or Maritime Travel Declaration (Sea); and
- Passengers departing Australia will not be required to provide evidence of their vaccination status
Please note masks are still required to be worn on flights to Australia.
Visa Application Charge (VAC) Refunds for Students and Working Holiday Makers
Students
As part of the Government’s response to COVID19, Student visa holders who are currently offshore and travel to Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 March 2022, are eligible for a refund of their visa application charge. You will be able to apply for a refund up until 31 December 2022. Students are also able to work unlimited hours in any sector in Australia for at least the next 3 months.
Student visa holders can travel to Australia without applying for a travel exemption but must be fully vaccinated with an Australian approved or recognised vaccine.
For information on these changes visit: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/temporary-relaxation-of-working-hours-for-student-visa-holders
The "Study Australia" website also provides information on the VAC refunds and other matters of interest to international students.
For information on vaccine requirements visit: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers
Working Holiday Makers
As part of the Government’s response to COVID19, Working Holiday Maker visa holders who are currently offshore and travel to Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 April 2022, are eligible for a refund of their visa application charge. You will be able to apply for a refund up until 31 December 2022. Working Holiday Makers can also now work for the same employer for more than 6 months until 31 December 2022.
Working Holiday Maker visa holders can travel to Australia without applying for a travel exemption but must be fully vaccinated with an Australian approved or recognised vaccine.
For information on these changes visit: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/whm-program/latest-news
For information on vaccine requirements visit: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers
VAC refunds
For information on how to apply for a refund of a Visa Application Charge, visit:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-in-situation/get-a-refund
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/refunds-and-waivers-visa-application-charges
Please note, the refund requests will be processed in Australia and may take six weeks to three months to action. Neither the Australian Embassy in Ha Noi nor the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City will be able to advise of the progress of any refund application lodged.
News from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam
The Australian Embassy is aware of organisations and individuals claiming to be able to facilitate visas under the planned Australian Agriculture Visa program. This visa program is currently under development and therefore applications for Australian Agriculture Visas cannot currently be made. Further information about the program, including a fact sheet, can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
Be wary of advertisements from organisations and individuals falsely claiming to be able to facilitate visas to Australia. For further information, see below “Be aware of visa scams that operate in Vietnam”.
Novel coronavirus and Australian visas
The Australian government has announced measures to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the Australian community.
Visa applicants and travellers should view the latest information available on the following websites:
- Department of Home Affairs COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- Department of Health Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources
If you are an immediate family member of an Australian citizen or permanent resident who need to travel to Australia urgently, you must lodge an application online. Once you have lodged, you can request urgent processing here.
We are currently prioritising visas for people who are exempt from Australia’s current travel restrictions. Please note we will not be processing visas for anyone who does not meet the exemption until after the restrictions are lifted.
Australian Visa Application Centres in Vietnam
The Australian Visa Application Centres (AVACs) in Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, operated by VFS Global, have resumed operations for Biometrics collection, strictly by appointment. Paper applications will not be accepted by mail or at the office.
However, AVAC operating hours continue to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, please visit the website of VFS Global Vietnam for up-to-date information about their opening hours at each site here.
From 30 September 2021 all applications for visitor visas (subclass 600) must be lodged online via ImmiAccount.
Urgent visa applications must be lodged online through ImmiAccount. Login to or create an ImmiAccount here.
Visa related enquiries should be submitted by using the web-based Australian Immigration Enquiry form.
Home Affairs website in Australia
The Department of Home Affairs website will help you to choose a suitable visa from all the visa types, and outline all the eligibility criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
See our pages in English and in Vietnamese for more information on:
- How to apply for a visa
- Application fees
- Processing times
- Biometrics
General Visa Information
We recommend you lodge your application early and online. The Commonwealth of Australia does not accept any responsibility or liability for financial losses incurred by applicants whose visa application was finalised later than expected or whether an application was unsuccessful.
Australia’s borders are currently closed and entry to Australia remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Travel to Australia is only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual exemption. You need to apply for an exemption using the Travel Exemption portal https://travel-exemptions.homeaffairs.gov.au/tep at least two weeks, but not more than two months, before your planned travel. If you are not granted an exemption, you should not continue with your travel plans, as you will not be permitted to board a flight to Australia. If you are granted a travel exemption, you need to take evidence of that exemption decision to the airport. See https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions
Specific visa information and checklists
| Visa Type and relevant information | Basic purpose | Checklist |
| Visitor (Tourist stream) visa - Subclass 600 | Holiday or to visit family and friends | English and Vietnamese |
| Visitor (Business Visitor stream) visa - Subclass 600 | Short business-related visits | English and Vietnamese |
| Transit - Subclass 771 | Passengers transiting in Australia on their way to another country | English and Vietnamese |
|
Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa - Subclass 400 |
Short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work in Australia | English and Vietnamese |
|
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa - Subclass 403 |
Work in specific circumstances that improve Australia's international relations | Please refer to our Home Affairs website for more details |
| Temporary Activity visa - Subclass 408 | Specific types of work or activities on a short-term, temporary basis | Please refer to our Home Affairs website for more details |
| Medical Treatment visa - Subclass 602 |
To travel to Australia
|
English and Vietnamese |
| Student visa - Subclass 500 | Study full time in Australia or join a family member who holds a Student visa |
Student: English Student Subsequent Entrant: English |
| Student Guardian visa - Subclass 590 | Provide support and welfare in Australia for a child who holds a Student visa | English |
| ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) |
Vietnamese citizens are not eligible for an ETA. |
For information about ETA eligible passports, plesae click here |
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship - Subclass 461 |
The New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) (Subclass 461) visa allows someone who is not a New Zealand citizen to live in Australia with a family member who:
** holds a Special Category (Subclass 444) visa and is living in Australia, or ** is eligible to hold a Special Category (Subclass 444) visa and is accompanying you to Australia. This is a temporary visa valid for five years. If you are a resident in Vietnam, a checklist to help you lodge a complete application is available in English. |
English |
For a comprehensive list of visas, eligibility requirements and the lodgement process, see the Department of Home Affairs website.
2. Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) visa
General Information
The Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa allows:
- stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the first date of arrival
- work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer
- study for up to four months
- leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid
- apply for a second or third Work and Holiday visa if you have completed specific types of work in regional areas.
The program year commences on 1 July each year and ends on 30 June the following year. There is an annual visa cap of 1,500 first Work and Holiday Maker (subclass 462) visas granted to Vietnamese passport holders.
The Australian Government has recently announced a one-off cap increase for the program year 2022-23 to the number of places available to Working Holiday Maker visa applicants from countries with which Australia has a Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa arrangement. With the 30 per cent one-off cap increase for the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, this cap will now be 1,950.
Due to the high volume of interest in Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas by Vietnamese passport holders, the Department of Home Affairs will release the annual cap of 1,950 places gradually over the program year. If you wish to lodge an application for a first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa please monitor the status of country caps page on the Department’s website. This will advise you if places are open or if they have been temporarily suspended. Please continue to check the Department’s website to see when applications open again. Once the annual cap is filled the Department’s website will be updated to ‘closed’ for Vietnam, which means no further applications will be accepted until the new program year commences.
Application process for Vietnamese citizens
The Document checklist outlines all the steps in the visa application process for Vietnamese citizens.
Updated information on the status of the annual limit for Vietnamese citizens (whether places are still available) is on the Status page of the Department of Home Affairs website. For general information on this subclass, see the Department of Home Affairs website.
View the current fees and charges for a Work and Holiday visa here.
Australian Citizens
As this is a reciprocal arrangement, Australian citizens are able to apply for a Work and Holiday Visa to Vietnam. For more information on the program and the visa application process, please directly contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia or the Department of Employment (DOE), Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA). More information can also be obtained from the Australian Embassy in Hanoi by completing an Immigration Enquiry Form.
| Visa Type and relevant information | Basic purpose | Checklist |
| Partner visa - Subclass 309 and 100 |
For a spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia. You apply for the temporary and the permanent Partner visas together. |
English |
| Prospective Marriage visa - Subclass 300 | To marry your prospective spouse in Australia and then apply for a Partner visa. | English |
| Child visa - Subclass 101 | For a child outside Australia to move to Australia to live with their parent(s). | English |
| Adoption visa - Subclass 102 |
For a child adopted outside Australia to live in Australia with their adoptive parent(s). Important: If you are considering adopting a child in Vietnam, the Australian Government does not issue 'Letters of No Objection', 'Letters of Support', or 'To Whom it May Concern Letters' in relation to private adoptions by expatriate Australians. The Department's involvement in expatriate adoptions is limited to determining whether or not the child meets immigration requirements in order to enter and remain in Australia. |
English |
| Orphan Relative visa - Subclass 117 | For a child who does not have a spouse or de facto partner to come to Australia to live with their relative(s) if their parents are deceased, unable to care for them, or can't be found. | English |
| Dependent Child visa - Subclass 445 | For a child to stay in Australia temporarily while their parent's permanent Partner visa application is being processed. | English |
4. Resident Return visa (Subclass 155 and 157)
A Resident Return (subclasses 155 and 157) visa is for current or former Australian permanent residents and former Australian citizens who want to enter or return to Australia as permanent residents.
Only Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry to Australia. All non-citizens need a visa that allows them to enter and remain in Australia.
For general information on these subclasses, see Resident Return visa on the department’s website. To gather your documents, see Step by step process.
For information on permanent residence including overseas travel and proof of permanent residency, see Permanent resident.
Applications for Australian citizenship by descent for applicants residing in Vietnam.
For Australian citizenship by descent:
· you must have been born outside Australia, and
· at least one of your parents must have been an Australian citizen when you were born.
Information is available on other pathways to Australian Citizenship.
Vietnam information
1. Biometrics Collection in Vietnam
Most applicants who are resident in Vietnam will need to attend in person to provide their fingerprints and a digital facial photograph (unless visiting as an official government representative). For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions page in English and Vietnamese. The collection of biometrics is conducted by appointment only at the Australian Visa Application Centre (managed by VFS Global) in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Please take your original passport with you. This process can be done directly after you lodge your application. Make an appointment with the Australian Visa Application Centre online.
2. Approved Medical Clinics in Vietnam
For Information on Health clinics in Vietnam:
- Select “Vietnam” from the menu at the bottom of the page.
- In the ”Panel physician” menu, click on the “Details” link
- Contact one of the clinics to make an appointment.
3. Be aware of visa scams that operate in Vietnam
Visa Scams
The Australian Embassy and Consulate-General in Vietnam have become aware of several visa scams operating in Vietnam. Please be cautious of any person offering 'guaranteed' Australian visas.
These scammers may contact you by post, email, phone or face-to-face offering a visa in return for payments, personal details and identity documents. They may claim to know someone in the Australian Embassy or Consulate General in Vietnam, or claim to be a ‘registered agent' or ‘Australian visa application service’.
Scammers may try to trick you into believing they are genuine by posing as staff from an Australian Government department, or by using websites which look like official Government sites. Illegal operators often give incorrect advice, steal your money, encourage you to lie on your application and do not deliver the services promised.
Warning Signs
- You get an unsolicited or unexpected offer for a ‘guaranteed’ Australian visa.
- The offer comes via email, post, over the phone, on a website or even face-to-face.
- It claims to be a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’, or your ‘only’ chance to travel or migrate to Australia.
- You are asked to pay the scammer upfront to ‘register’ your interest in getting a visa. The scammer asks you to pay them directly rather than paying the government department and claims that only they can pay the department’s fees.
- The scammer claims to have a special relationship with the Department of Home Affairs.
- They tell you they need to keep your original documents.
Remember
- There is only one official Australian Government provider of visas - the Department of Home Affairs. Home Affairs ’ official website is http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/.
- If you receive an email from the Australian Embassy or Consulate General in Vietnam the email address must end in "@dfat.gov.au".
- Home Affairs charges a one-off fee at the time you lodge your visa application. You can pay the fee directly to the department or to our Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) in Vietnam, operated by VFS Global. You do not require an agent to pay this fee on your behalf.
- No one can influence the outcome of a visa application or the visa decision making process. Only authorised officers from Home Affairs can issue you with a visa and only if you meet all the visa requirements.
- Home Affairs does not have any special relationships with outside agencies and does not give preferential treatment to anyone.
Protect Yourself
- Be suspicious if you are contacted by phone, post, email or approached in person about a visa you did not apply for. Walk away from the person, hang up the phone immediately or ignore the email/letter! The Government does not contact people to offer them visas.
- An Australian registered migration agent (whether operating in Australia or outside of Australia) will be subject to a Code of Conduct, professional development criteria and regulations. To avoid being scammed, you can check the Register of Migration Agents on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) website, to receive the protections of an OMARA registered Migration Agent. More information is available on the Help with your application webpage.
- Never give or send anyone your original identity documents. Government departments may wish to view your original documents in person or may ask for certified photocopies but should never ask to keep your original documents.
- Never provide your personal, credit card or banking details in an email or over the phone—scammers will use your details to commit identity fraud or steal your money.
- If you think you have provided your bank account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
Report
People with information about migration scams or illegal operators should contact Home Affairs.
See: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/departmental-forms/online-forms/border-watch
Please refer to the Home Affairs website for more information.
Contact us
To respond to request or submit an enquiry, use the web-based Australian Immigration Enquiry form.
You can also call the Home Affairs Global Service Centre number on +61 2 6196 0196, open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (local time).
All correspondence (including visa decisions) will be sent to you from a "nil-reply" email address. Do not reply to these emails.
Last updated 06.07.2022