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I'm a PhD student studying in NZ. I'll visit a research institute in Australia only for a month. I'll be learning and do experiments in the lab. I'm a Malaysian citizen and eligible to apply for ETA. Is ETA visa appropriate? Similar questions have been asked but the visits are of 3 months or longer.

According to this guidance sheet:

  • 600 Visitor Visa is appropriate for Academic (Unpaid research as part of course lasting less than three months), and Academic (undertaking unpaid research in field of expertise while not performing any “work”)
  • Could unpaid research as a part of a course that is less than three months include PhD students? Yes.
  • What if someone wants to perform research for more than three months? What visa do they apply for? Graduates may be eligible for a subclass 402 Training and Research – Occupational Trainee Stream; this subclass may be suitable if the applicant has graduated within 12 months of their application’s lodgement.
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  • You may wish to consult the answer here: expatriates.stackexchange.com/questions/10672/… – k2moo4 Apr 29 '17 at 7:03
  • Thank you! I'm aware of that answer. The institute is not my sponsor and will not be because: (i) I'm not invited but approved, (ii) I'll be responsible for my accommodation, (iii) I'm fully funded by my uni for this visit and activities. – ahelix Apr 30 '17 at 8:02
  • I'm in the same boat. Please tell me what visa you decide on! I will visit Australia for 2 months as a research student and the Australian University will not pay for my visit. I called the North America Service Center of the Australian DIBP, and they told me that if my purpose of visit is "research" then I need a 408 visit despite the duration of my stay and who will pay for my trip. The 408 visa is more costly and takes much, much longer to process. – Sophia Lin May 3 '17 at 21:08
  • Hi. I'm the asker of the cited question. I'm quite sure that the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) is the right type of visa for you. I've undertaken the whole process by now and I'm in your same situation: fully funded, but not paid by the australian institution, and responsible for my accomodation. However, note that since you stay less than 3 months, you don't need a sponsor, but only an informal invitation. If you want to stay more than three months, then you have apply with a sponsor, but in any case you have to know it in advance. You cannot extend the visa while there. – gigabytes Jun 27 '17 at 13:46

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