Short Stay Specialist (subclass 400/408) — Visa2AU

Highly specialised short-term work. Category: Visitor.

The 400 (Temporary Work — Short Stay Specialist) and 408 (Temporary Activity) visas cover short, highly specialised assignments, events and activities that do not fit standard sponsorship.

At a glance

• Government charge: From AUD 415 (400) / AUD 415 (408)
• Indicative professional fee: $3,300 AUD (Fixed professional fee per application)
• Typical processing: 2–8 weeks (stream dependent)

Eligibility

• Highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience not readily available in Australia
• Genuine short-term purpose (generally up to 3 months, 6 in strong cases)
• Invitation or support from an Australian organisation
• Meet health and character requirements

Key documents

• Invitation/support letters
• Evidence of specialised expertise
• Itinerary and project details
• Financial evidence

Frequently asked questions

When is a 400 better than a 482?

For genuinely short, specialised assignments where full sponsorship is disproportionate — equipment installation, expert assessments, one-off projects. It cannot be used to fill ongoing positions.

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Source: https://visa2.au/visas/short-stay-400-408 · Visa2AU — MARN-registered migration agents (MARN 0534230, 2418663), North Sydney, Australia.