Special Program stream

• stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• include members of the family unit in your visa application

This activity aims to enhance international relations and cultural exchange by allowing people to share cultural and social experiences and knowledge in the Australian community through participation in activity-specific programs.

Cultural exchange should be the main purpose of the program.

There are 4 special program types under this visa.

Cultural enrichment or community benefits program

Other Programs

This program type lets you take part in activities in Australia to exchange ideas, beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions with people of different or similar ethnic or social backgrounds.

We encourage approved Australian organisations to promote these exchanges to foster mutual understanding and tolerance in the Australian community.

The program should last between 3 and 12 months.

Your activities might include:

• learning about Australian Indigenous languages and cultures
• pastoral care, religious teaching or evangelism
• social research, environmental conservation or outdoor education
• teaching other languages and cultures
• volunteering with a charity to do outreach work

You can't undertake training or tourism as your primary activity.

Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.

School Language Assistants program

This program type lets you assist an Australian language teacher at an Australian school for up to 12 months.

You must intend to pursue a career in teaching.

You must only work as a teaching assistant at the school. You will assist qualified Australian language teachers in language and cultural matters.

The Australian school does not need a special program agreement with us.

School-to-school Interchange program

This program lets you to come to Australia as a school assistant for up to 12 months.

You must have recently completed your schooling and be on a gap year before starting work, further studies or training.

You will work as a voluntary assistant. You will not replace qualified teaching staff or take formal classes by yourself.

Your home school (usually a boarding school) does not need a special program agreement with us

Youth exchange program

This program allows for stay in Australia for between 3 and 12 months to participate in a youth exchange program. Your sponsor must be part of a broader organisation that sends young Australians overseas for a similar experience. Your sponsor must have a Special Program Agreement with us.

The program should usually last between 3 and 12 months.

Your home organisation must allow an Australian to have a similar experience in a foreign country.

Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.

This is a temporary visa. We grant the length of stay based on the activity we approve you to do on the visa.

We usually grant this visa for no more than 12 months.

The visa is granted with multiple entry. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

If you are overseas when the visa is granted, the visa stay period starts on the day that you enter Australia. If you are in Australia, the visa starts on the day that it is granted.

Your visa grant letter will tell you how long you can stay.

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. Explore your visa options.

You can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply, if:

• allowed under the Special Program agreement, and
• specified in the letter of support from your sponsor.

Family members who apply for the visa with you must also meet our health and character requirements.

The visa costs AUD535.00 for the main applicant.

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application when they apply.

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost. We base this on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu

You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

Your application might take longer to process if:

• you don't fill it in correctly
• you don't include all the documents we need, or we need more information from you
• it takes us time to verify your information

We can't process your application if you don't pay the correct visa application charge. We will let you know if this is the case.

Your activities must not harm the work, training or job conditions of Australian citizens or permanent residents.

You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.

Learn more about conditions for this visa.

If your sponsor, supporting organisation or individual stops your activity or employment, you must do one of the following:

• if eligible, apply for a new visa; or
• leave Australia within 28 days of stopping work for your sponsor/supporter, or earlier if your visa is expiring

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

If we grant you a visa, we will send you a grant notification letter containing the visa grant number. You can use this number to access your digital visa record.

You must be travelling to Australia to take part in an approved special program. There are 4 types of special programs:

• cultural enrichment or community benefit programs
• youth exchange programs
• school language assistance programs
• school-to-school interchange programs

The main purpose of the program you take part in should be cultural exchange. You should be here to share cultural and social experiences and knowledge by taking part in the program.

You must have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia and any dependent family members who travel to Australia with you.

You must be the right age for the special program you apply for.

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.

You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.

You must have adequate health cover for the whole of your stay to be granted this visa. Your cover should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport.

See more about health insurance for overseas visitors.

Reciprocal healthcare agreements

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.

You can't use our temporary visa program to maintain ongoing residency in Australia.

The genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement helps us to make sure that you use temporary visas correctly.

We generally do not let temporary residents extend their stay in Australia beyond 4 years by applying for this visa.

We must be satisfied that you have a genuine intention to stay here temporarily.

When assessing your application, we will consider:

• your situation
• your immigration history
• previous compliance with visa conditions
• if you are under 18 years old, the intention of your parent, legal guardian or partner
• any other relevant matter

If you are in Australia, you can only apply for this visa if:

• you currently hold a substantive visa, or
• your last substantive visa ceased within the last 28 days.

We will only grant this visa to a child younger than 18 years if everyone who has parental responsibility for them has consented to us granting it.

We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

If you owe the Australian Government money, you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back.

When you apply for the visa, you must declare if you have ever engaged in conduct that could constitute a breach of the prohibition on paying for visa sponsorship.

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application. If you have had a visa cancelled or refused, you might not be eligible for this visa.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused. See Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia, see Can I go to Australia.

If you need help with immigration, see Who can help with your visa application.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must acknowledge the Australian Values Statement. This confirms that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you apply for the visa. Learn more about Australian Values.

Before you travel

Check your travel documents

You must have:

• a valid visa to enter Australia
• a valid passport or other travel document.

At the border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving in Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card. You will be given this card onboard.

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use the SmartGate.

What you can do when you have this visa

• stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• take part in a special program that promotes cultural exchange.

To see your specific conditions and work entitlements use VEVO.

What you must do on this visa

You and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.

See your conditions in VEVO.

Learn more about visa conditions and how they work.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your relationship status
• the birth of a child

See how to tell us if there is a change in your situation.

See how long you can stay

The visa stay period starts on the date you enter Australia.

You can check your visa stay period in your visa grant letter or use VEVO.

To see when you must leave, use VEVO.

Staying longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer.

See your options.

Travelling on your visa

You must make your first entry to Australia by the date specified in the visa grant letter. This is the Must not arrive after date.

Once you make your first entry to Australia your Visa stay period starts. Your Visa stay period is the length of time you can stay in Australia.

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want during your Visa stay period while the visa is valid.

Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa. The visa stay period does not start again each time you enter Australia. Any time you spend outside of Australia counts as part of the stay period.

See your conditions in VEVO.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

Working

To see your conditions for work, use VEVO.

If you have permission to work, you are protected by Australian workplace law. See your workplace rights and entitlements.

Bringing family

Members of your family unit, who did not apply for the visa with you might be eligible to apply for a subsequent entrant visa.

Apply for a subsequent entrant visa using the Temporary Activity, International Relations or Training Visa (Subsequent Entrant) (403,407,408) form in ImmiAccount.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

Ensure your visa is still valid.

See what to do if your visa has expired or is about to expire.

At the border

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

Getting your superannuation

You are likely to have some money in a superannuation fund if you worked in Australia and you are:

• aged 18 years or older
• paid AUD450 or more before tax in a month.

See how to access your super.

Proving you have been to Australia

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia request your international movement records.

You can support or sponsor an applicant and any family members who apply for the visa with them to travel to Australia to take part in a special program that promotes cultural exchange.

It costs AUD420.00 to apply to become an approved temporary activities sponsor.

There is no cost to sponsor someone for the visa after you are approved.

Your sponsorship normally last for 5 years.

You must meet your obligations as a temporary activities sponsor.

Your sponsorship obligations may last for a different period as specified by legislation. Learn more about your sponsorship obligations.

You are responsible for meeting these obligations even if you appoint someone, such as a migration agent, to act for you.

Approval as a temporary activities sponsor

Your approval as a temporary activities sponsor will last for five years unless we tell you otherwise.

You can apply to extend your sponsorship in ImmiAccount before it expires.

Sponsorship expiry reminders

From 1 July 2026, Temporary Activities Sponsors will receive an automated email reminder 90 days before their sponsorship expires. This will help avoid delays for sponsored visa applicants.

Ensure your sponsor contact details are up to date so you can receive these reminders.

Temporary activity sponsor obligations

You must meet your obligations as a temporary activities sponsor. See more about temporary activities sponsor obligations.

You are responsible for meeting these obligations even if you appoint someone, such as a migration agent, to act for you.

Obligations as sponsor of a visa holder

You must also meet your obligations to the visa applicant you sponsor. These are to:

• pay travel costs for the visa holder (and any family members who come to Australia on the visa with them) to return home, if requested
• absorb the cost of sponsorship, including migration agent costs, and not attempt to recover them from the visa holder
• ensure the visa holder only does the activity in relation to which the visa was granted

You might have to pay costs to find and remove the person you sponsor if they become unlawful.

You can't withdraw your sponsorship or support of a visa holder after we grant the visa.

You must email or post a letter to us using the contact details below if any of the following occurs:

• your address or contact details change
• the person you sponsored does not start the job, program or activity we granted the visa for
• the person you sponsored unexpectedly leaves the job, program or activity we granted the visa for
• you change your formal arrangement or agreement with the person you sponsor
• you change the end date of the position, program or activity
• you pay the return travel cost of the person you sponsored
• your organisation ceases to exist as a legal entity

Your obligation to inform us starts on the day the sponsorship is approved and ends 2 years after your sponsorship ends, unless you start sponsoring another visa holder.

Email

sponsor.notifications@abf.gov.au

Post

Write to your nearest office.

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 717
Canberra ACT 2601

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 9984
Sydney NSW 2001

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 9984
Brisbane QLD 4001

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 864
Darwin NT 0801

Adelaide Monitoring
GPO Box 2399
Adelaide SA 5001

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 794
Hobart TAS 7001

Sponsor Monitoring
GPO Box 241
Melbourne VIC 3001

Sponsor Monitoring
Locked Bag 7
Northbridge WA 6865