Important
This article is general information only.
Workinitiatives does not provide migration advice, legal advice, education advice, visa eligibility assessments, or visa application support.
Always check the official Department of Home Affairs website or speak with a registered migration agent before making decisions about a visa application.
What is the Temporary Work subclass 400 visa?
The Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa, subclass 400, is a temporary visa for short-term, highly specialised work in Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs describes this visa as allowing a person to do short-term, highly specialised work in Australia. It may be suitable if the person has specialised skills, knowledge, or experience that can assist an Australian business and is not generally available in the Australian labour market.
This visa is usually intended for short-term, non-ongoing work.
Who may this visa suit?
The subclass 400 visa may be suitable for people who:
have highly specialised skills, knowledge, or experience
are needed for short-term work in Australia
are completing work that is not ongoing
have skills that can assist an Australian business
are not filling a standard ongoing role
need to come to Australia for a specific specialist task, project, or assignment
This visa is not designed for general employment or long-term work in Australia.
How long can you stay?
The stay period depends on the circumstances of the application.
The Department of Home Affairs states that the visa may be granted for up to 6 months, but applicants seeking a stay of more than 3 months generally need to provide a strong business case with the application.
Key eligibility points
Eligibility depends on your circumstances and the current Department of Home Affairs requirements.
General points may include:
Requirement | What it means |
Highly specialised work | The work should require specialised skills, knowledge, or experience |
Short-term work | The work should be temporary and non-ongoing |
Business need | The work should assist an Australian business or organisation |
Skills not readily available in Australia | The specialised skillset should not be easily sourced in the Australian labour market |
Genuine temporary stay | You may need to show that you only intend to stay temporarily |
Health and character | Health and character requirements may apply |
Always check the official visa page before applying.
Applying from outside Australia
For the Highly Specialised Work stream, applicants may need to be outside Australia when applying and when the visa is decided, depending on current visa stream requirements.
Check the official Department of Home Affairs subclass 400 visa page before making travel plans or lodging an application.
What this visa is not for
The subclass 400 visa is generally not intended for:
ongoing employment
general labour hire
long-term work
roles that could reasonably be filled by the Australian labour market
work that should be covered by another visa type
standard employer-sponsored skilled migration pathways
If the role is ongoing or the employer wants to sponsor a worker longer-term, another visa pathway may be more suitable.