Tourist stream (applied outside Australia)
Fee: AUD 195 (≈ GHS 2,000). Up to 3, 6 or 12 months stay.
Australia Subclass 600
Australia Visitor Visa from Ghana — 2026 Guide
Ghana is not on Australia's ETA or eVisitor list, so Ghanaians apply for the Visitor visa (Subclass 600) online through ImmiAccount. The application is decided in Pretoria, South Africa, with biometrics captured at the Australian Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global. Here's the full path, the real timeline, and what passes the Genuine Temporary Entrant test.
Last verified: November 2025 against home-affairs.gov.au, the Australian High Commission Pretoria and VFS Global. See editorial policy.
Which stream of Subclass 600?
Sponsored family stream
Fee: AUD 195. Sponsor (Australian relative) lodges Form 1149. Bond may be required.
Business visitor stream
Fee: AUD 195. For conferences, meetings, contract negotiation — not paid work.
Processing time from Ghana
The Pretoria post is one of the slower Australian visa offices. Realistic timeframes for Ghanaian applicants in 2025–26:
- 25% of applications: decided within 22 days
- 50% (median): 48 days
- 75%: 3 months
- 90%: 5 months — first-time Ghanaian applicants with no travel history often fall here
Apply at least 4 months before travel. Do not book paid flights until the visa is granted.
Step-by-step application
- Create an ImmiAccount at online.immi.gov.au.
- Start a new application: "Visitor visa (subclass 600)" → choose your stream.
- Upload documents (PDF, max 5 MB each): passport bio page, photo, bank statements, employment letter, itinerary, GTE statement, family register, marriage certificate if applicable.
- Pay AUD 195 by Visa/Mastercard. Get the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) — save it.
- Within 2 weeks Home Affairs will email a biometric request letter. Book an appointment at VFS Global Accra (Premier Towers) — fingerprints and photo, AUD 38 fee.
- Wait. If your case officer wants more (health check, more financials), they'll email through ImmiAccount. Reply within the deadline.
- Decision notification: a Grant Notice PDF arrives by email. There is no visa sticker — the visa is electronic, linked to your passport.
Financial capacity — what to show
Home Affairs doesn't publish a minimum, but a credible benchmark for Pretoria-processed applications is AUD 1,500 per week of stay in liquid funds, plus return flight. Provide:
- 6 months of stamped Ghanaian bank statements.
- Pay slips for the last 3 months.
- If sponsored: sponsor's last 3 months of bank statements, payslips, and a statement of support.
- Evidence of assets in Ghana — land title, vehicle registration, business registration — to demonstrate ties.
The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement
The single most important document is your GTE statement — a 1–2 page personal letter explaining why you'll go home at the end of the visit. Address every factor the officer is required to consider under Direction 99:
- Your circumstances in Ghana (job, family, property, dependants).
- The potential circumstances in Australia (who you're visiting, what you'll do).
- Your immigration history (previous visas, refusals, overstays — be honest).
- Compliance with previous visa conditions, if any.
- Any other relevant matter — children's school terms, parental care obligations, business commitments.
Common reasons for refusal
- PIC 4011 — Not a genuine visitor. The GTE catch-all. Weak statement, no return-to-work clause, close family already in Australia.
- PIC 4005 — Health. Tuberculosis screening required for stays over 3 months. Use a Bupa Medical Visa Services-approved clinic.
- PIC 4001 — Character. Any prior immigration breach (overstay in UK/US/Schengen) triggers extra scrutiny. Declare everything; non-disclosure is worse than disclosure.
- Insufficient funds. Salary that doesn't match lifestyle, large recent unexplained deposits.