Visas and Immigration
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Latest news
Scammers targeting Work and Holiday visa ballot registrations
The Department of Home Affairs received concerning reports of scammers targeting Work and Holiday visa ballot registrants who share their personal information online or with unauthorised third parties.
It is your responsibility to protect your personal information. Do not post personal details and identifying information (date of birth, passport number, national ID card, or any other identifiers) on social media or share this information with someone else, as scammers may use your details to commit fraud.
If your identity information has been used by someone else in ImmiAccount, report it using the online technical support form on our website at ImmiAccount Technical Support Form (homeaffairs.gov.au).Please note that we cannot give any updates on individual registrations.
New Work and Holiday visa ballot process
We are pleased to announce that from 1 October 2024, eligible Vietnamese passport holders interested in applying for a first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa can register in a visa pre-application (ballot) process for program year 2024-2025.
Eligible Vietnamese passport holders interested in applying for a first Work and Holiday visa in 2024-25 can submit an online registration for the visa ballot from 1 October 2024 to 8 October 2024 inclusive.
We will conduct random select registrations from 14 November 2024 to 30 April 2025. Those randomly selected to apply will be notified by email.
For further information, including how to register, visit New Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application process (homeaffairs.gov.au)
A new version of the myVEVO app
myVEVO app provides a fast and convenient way for visa holders to check their Australian visa details including expiry date, work and study rights and travel conditions. For further information about myVEVO app, please see News page (homeaffairs.gov.au).
Australian Government’s Migration Strategy
On Monday 11 December 2023, the Australian Government released its Migration Strategy, which sets out plans for reforming Australia’s migration system so that it aligns with the current and future needs of the nation and will help build a prosperous and secure Australia.
For further information about the Migration Strategy and specific reforms, see Migration Strategy (homeaffairs.gov.au)
For the latest immigration and citizenship news, see News archive.
Pre-lodgement enquiries
Visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs. Australian Consulate-General and Australian Embassy staff in Vietnam are unable to assist with general visa or citizenship enquiries.
The Department of Home Affairs website has the most up to date and comprehensive information on applying for visas and citizenship. The website also has useful definitions and tools to help you understand the department’s requirements. Visit the website at Immigration and citizenship.
If you are having trouble locating information on the department’s website, the Home Affairs Digital Assistant may be able to help. The Digital Assistant can help you find information on Australian visas, citizenship and border entry. Visit the Immigration and citizenship website, and click the Ask a question button to get started.
Please also visit our Frequently Asked Questions and Specific visa information and checklists sections below for information about lodging certain types of applications in Vietnam, with information both in English and Vietnamese.
Post-lodgement enquiries
The Department of Home Affairs does not provide pre-lodgement migration advice. However, if you have a specific enquiry in relation to an application that has already been lodged with the Department (but not yet decided), and the information on this website and the department’s main website does not answer your question, you can send your enquiry to the department by completing the online Australian Immigration Enquiry Form at Australian Immigration Enquiry Form (homeaffairs.gov.au).
Global Service Centre
If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre (GSC) on +61 2 6196 0196, Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm (local time).
International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges.
Using an interpreter
When you call the GSC, select option 6 to engage a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) interpreter in your language. Option 6 can be selected straight after dialling the GSC number.
Alternatively, a TIS interpreter can be engaged directly via:
- TIS website: Search | Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or
- Home Affairs website See: Family and friends helping with your application
Check [your application] twice, submit [your application] once
In order to help us process your application faster, there are things you can do to make sure that when you submit your visa application it is ‘decision ready’. For further information about this, see Check twice, submit once (homeaffairs.gov.au).
Note - If any of your supporting documentation is not in English, you will need to include a translation in English, as well as a copy of the original document. Each translated document must include (in English) the translator’s:
- full name, address and telephone number; and
- qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
Note - We recommend that you lodge your application early and you book your flight only after your visa has been granted. The Australian Government does not accept any responsibility or liability for financial losses related to the booking of flights and accommodation, which are incurred by applicants whose visa application was finalised later than expected or whose application was ultimately unsuccessful.
Travel to Australia during peak holiday seasons
If you are planning to visit Australia during upcoming summer holidays, we encourage you to apply as early as possible and submit complete applications, including English translations of documents not issued in English.
For further information on how to lodge a complete application for a visitor visa, see Applying for a visitor visa (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Please also review the Vietnamese-specific Temporary Entry Visa (subclass 600) checklist below.
Citizenship ‘facilitation’ letters
The Australian Embassy and Australian Consulate-General are unable to provide ‘facilitation letters’ or ‘certificates of nationality’ for children born in Vietnam to Australian parents or to one parent of Australian nationality and one parent of another nationality.
The Embassy and Consulate-General understand that some local authorities in Vietnam have sometimes requested parents to produce ‘facilitation letters’ or ‘certificates of nationality’ in order to obtain a birth certificate for their child.
Under Australian law, a child born outside Australia to an Australian citizen parent is not automatically an Australian citizen. They are required to lodge an application for Australian Citizenship by Descent with the Australian Government and await a decision regarding citizenship.
Allegations related to suspicious border activities
If it doesn’t feel right, flag it anonymously with Border Watch. Border Watch is the single collection point for the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF) for allegations related to suspicious border activities and is not limited to immigration and citizenship. One small observation could help stop a much larger border crime. You can report suspicious immigration, customs and border related activity via the Border Watch Online Report.
Also, please see below for information about scams specifically operating in Vietnam.
Compliments, complaints and suggestions
Your feedback is valuable to the Department of Home Affairs. The department uses your feedback to improve services and investigate and respond to any issues of concern. You can find more information on the department’s website at Compliments, complaints and suggestions.
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
Vietnam-specific visa information and checklists
When applying for a Subclass 600 Visitor visa please ensure you apply for the stream (Tourism or Business) that is appropriate for your purpose of travel. The stream cannot be changed after lodgement, so if you have applied for the incorrect stream, your application will be refused. Applications lodged for the incorrect stream are not eligible for a refund of the visa application charge. For further information on what you can do under the Business Visitor stream, see Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream (homeaffairs.gov.au) and the Tourism Stream Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Please note that Visitor (Business Stream) Subclass 600 visa does not allow work in Australia and you may need to consider another visa option:
Working in Australia (homeaffairs.gov.au)
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 |
Please refer to our Home Affairs website for more details about how to apply for this visa. For Vietnamese visa applicants under 18 years of age, please also refer to the information provided at point 4 below. |
Student Guardian visa - Subclass 590 | Provide support and welfare in Australia for a child who holds a Student visa | Please refer to our Home Affairs website for more details about how to apply for this visa. |
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 applications cap for this program year has been filled. We will continue processing unfinalised applications and will provide further information in due course. Please refer to the status of country caps at Status of country caps (homeaffairs.gov.au).
Application process for Vietnamese citizens
In the 2024-2025 program year, the Australian Government will implement a new visa pre-application (ballot) process for some high demand Work and Holiday partner countries.
The new pre-application process will introduce ballots for first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa applicants from China, Vietnam and India only. We will provide further details, including ballot opening dates, once we finalise the arrangements.
For more information, see New Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application process.
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.
Protecting Your Personal Information
What you post online (forums, group chats, communities) can seriously affect you.
The Embassy has received concerning reports of scammers targeting Work and Holiday visa applicants who share their person information online. Please report any suspicious contact about your applications via the online enquiry form: Australian Immigration Enquiry Form (homeaffairs.gov.au)
You are responsible for safeguarding your personal information, so think before you post or share anything online that may contain your personal details and information.
If you choose to share sensitive information publicly there may be serious consequences. You may unknowingly expose yourself to potential criminal activities by third parties who may want to take advantage and use your information for illegal purposes that includes but are not limited to blackmail, scams and identity fraud.
Sensitive information includes:
- Full Name
- Date of Birth
- Passport / National ID numbers
- Letters from the Department (Requests such as Health or Grant letters)
- Client ID, HAP ID, Request ID, or TRNs
If you must share documents containing your personal details, consider removing or covering sensitive information before sharing online.
Think before you post anything online. The consequences can be serious.
Refer to the Department of Home Affairs website for a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a:
Please note the following documents are specific to Vietnamese applicants which should be provided in addition to the documents listed on the Department's website.
- Colour scans of the original Identity Card of the main applicant and all dependent applicants (aged 15 years or over).
- Colour scans of the original versions of all pages of the applicant’s current Household Registration Book.
- For subclass 300 applicants: Colour scans of the original Single Status Certificates that show that the applicant and sponsor are free to marry.
For all migrating children aged under 18 years
Where a non-migrating parent or other person has the legal right to determine where the child can live, please provide:
- Written consent for the child to migrate to Australia from the non-migrating parent using the template available on our website here. Please note that:
- The signature of the non-migrating parent on the consent form must be verified by the local authorities/public notary; and
- A colour scan of the original version of the non-migrating parent’s Identity Card; and
- For adopted children, please also provide a colour scan of the original version of the official ‘Decision on Recognition of Child Adoption’, including a ‘Record of Receipt and Handing-Over a Child Adoption’.
If it is not possible to obtain consent from the non-migrating parent, you will need to provide a colour scan of the original court order stating that the migrating parent has sole custody and is allowed to move the child to Australia.
For all migrating children aged 18 years or above please provide:
- A colour scan of the original Single Status Certificate (For Vietnamese applicant, the Single Status Certificate is required for female children aged 18 years and over; and male children aged 20 years and over).
Vietnam information
1. Biometrics Collection in Vietnam
Most applicants who are resident in Vietnam will need to provide their fingerprints and a facial photograph (unless visiting as an official government representative). For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page in English and Vietnamese. The collection of biometrics is conducted in person and by appointment only at the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (managed by VFS Global) in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Please bring your original passport with you. This process can be done directly after you lodge your application. You will receive a request to provide biometrics with your application acknowledgement letter. Please make an appointment with the Australian Biometrics Collection 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".
- Visa Application Charges are paid online via ImmiAccount at the time of lodgement. VFS Global charges a separate fee for collecting biometrics. For further information regarding biometrics collection fee, please see https://visa.vfsglobal.com/vnm/en/aus/
- 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.
4. Minor applicants under 18 years of age
If the visa applicant is under 18 years of age, and intends on travelling without one or both of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s):
- An original letter signed by any non-accompanying parent(s) or legal guardian(s) consenting to the grant of the visa; or the form “Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years” available on our website: https://hcmc.vietnam.embassy.gov.au/files/hchi/Travel_consent_form.pdf
and
- Identity documents (National Identity Card or Passport) of the non-accompanying parent(s) or legal guardian(s) who consents the minor applicant to travel to Australia.
The consent letter/ consent form must clearly state the child’s name, name of the consenting parent(s)/guardian(s), and consent for the child to travel to Australia. This letter/ consent form must be certified by the local People’s Committee or a notary office in Vietnam (or relevant country) that they have confirmed the identity of the person providing the consent and that the consent documents have been signed before them.
Please note that under the Vietnamese relevant laws, consent for the visa grant is still required from legal parents who are divorced or separated, uncontactable or declared to be missing by courts, unless a specific court order has been obtained permitting the removal of the child.
In case, the above-mentioned documents cannot be submitted, a court order from Australia or Vietnam permitting the removal of the child is required as evidence that the minor applicant can be granted a visa.
Last updated 04.10.2024