Broader Muslim Community – Ramadan religious worker visa

Canberra (Home Affairs, Media Release, 6 Feb 2022); Please see information on religious worker visa. For more information please visit the links below on the Home Affairs website. Visa options for religious workers or persons attending religious events. The table below provides a quick reference guide to the type of visa you may be eligible to apply for.  Please refer to the information on the Department’s website at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder  to ensure you apply for the most appropriate visa.

Temporary Activity (Subclass 408) visa – This visa is used by a range of cohorts including, but not limited to, persons invited to participate in social, cultural and religious events, religious workers, entertainers, sports people and academics.

Long stay – Religious Worker activity type of the visa allows for sponsored stays of up to 2 years for person undertaking full-time religious work at an Australian religious institution.

• applicants must be sponsored by a religious institution that has been approved as a Temporary Activities sponsor (note: religious workers intending to stay in Australia for less than three months, and who apply from outside Australia, do not need to be sponsored)
• the religious work being undertaken must directly serve the religious objectives of the sponsoring religious organisation
• the religious worker must have the appropriate qualifications and experience to undertake the position / work
• the visa allows for a maximum 2 year stay period and policy allows an additional visa for a further 2 years (allowing a maximum stay period of 4 years).

Each Religious Worker application must include:

• a letter of offer that includes:
  • the person(s) being sponsored – including any dependents accompanying the Religious Worker
  • confirmation that the position is full-time (more than 38 hours/week)
  • details of the support that is being provided to the applicant, for example, accommodation, living, travel expenses
• a detailed summary of the position including daily/hourly breakdown of roles and responsibilities
• evidence the applicant has the educational qualifications and/or experience to undertake the position
• evidence that the applicant has adequate means of support including but not limited to evidence of accommodation arrangements, personal bank statements, they have ongoing position overseas and incentive to return home
• evidence the applicant meets health and character

Short stay – Invited Participant activity type of the visa allows for unsponsored short-stay entry (up to 3 months) of persons invited to participate in social and cultural activities associated with community based events. This includes persons engaging in the following activities as the guest of an Australian religious institution:

• ministers conducting religious services or engaging in other religious activities
• attending religious gatherings/retreats
• religious performers contributing to a religious event or

Each Invited Participant application must include:

• a letter of invitation that provides:
  • the person’s name (and any dependents accompanying the Religious Worker)
  • details of the activity they will be undertaking /duration/location/other support such as accommodation or airfares
• evidence that the applicant has adequate means of support including but not limited to evidence of accommodation arrangements, personal bank statements
• evidence they have ongoing position overseas/incentive to return home

• evidence the applicant meets health and character

Genuine Temporary Stay (Entry)

It is a requirement of the Temporary Activity visa that the visa applicant genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose for which a visa is granted. As part of the application, visa processing officers must consider the applicant’s ongoing residence status, travel history, their personal and financial circumstances and incentives to depart Australia at the end of their proposed activities in Australia. Visa processing officers will also take into account the applicants previous duration of stay in Australia as a religious worker (maximum of 4 years).

Applications must be made online through ImmiAccount and require payment of a visa application charge of $315.

The Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa sponsored long stay applications are processed in Hobart – short stay unsponsored (Invited Participant) applications are processed at overseas posts.

Visa options for religious workers or persons attending religious events

This table provides a quick reference guide to the type of visa you may be eligible to apply for. Please refer to the information on the Department’s website at:https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder to ensure you apply for the most appropriate visa.

The Department’s website will step you through the application process once you have selected the appropriate visa, including more details on visa requirements and how to create an ImmiAcount and lodge a visa and/or sponsorship application online.

[End]