A defined specialist assignment
The work has a clear scope, deliverable and end date, and is likely to be completed within six months.
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Subclass 400 · Short Stay Specialist
Bring specialist capability to Australia for a defined, short assignment.
Subclass 400 is designed for non-ongoing, highly specialised work—not an ordinary vacancy, a trial period or a substitute for longer-term employer sponsorship.
Apply and be decidedOutside Australia
StayUp to 6 months
WorkGranted activity only
SponsorshipNo formal sponsor approval
01 · When does subclass 400 fit?
The assignment—not merely the job title—must justify this visa.
Expertise not reasonably available locally
The applicant brings specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can assist an Australian business and cannot reasonably be sourced in the Australian labour market.
A credible Australian engagement
An Australian organisation or overseas employer can explain why the applicant is needed, what they will do, where they will work and on what employment conditions.
02 · Three months or six?
Up to six months is possible, but it is not the default promise.
Home Affairs can grant a stay of up to six months depending on the circumstances. A request beyond three months generally needs a strong business case explaining the project timetable, why the specialist must remain for that period and why the work is still genuinely non-ongoing.
03 · Applicant and assignment requirements
Five questions determine whether the evidence holds together.
Highly specialised capability
Use qualifications, licences, employment history, project records and a detailed CV to connect the applicant directly to the proposed assignment.
Short-term and non-ongoing work
The role cannot be a disguised ongoing vacancy. Non-ongoing means the work is likely to finish within six months and there is no arrangement or expectation to remain for that work afterwards.
No adverse impact on Australian workers
The visa cannot be granted where the engagement would adversely affect employment or training opportunities for Australian citizens or permanent residents. Recruitment evidence may be requested.
Genuine temporary stay
Home Affairs considers the applicant's circumstances, immigration history, previous compliance and whether the stated plan is genuinely temporary.
Support, health and character
The applicant and accompanying family need adequate support and must satisfy applicable health and character requirements.
04 · What this visa is not for
A short label cannot cure an ongoing role.
A recurring or long-term position may need an employer-sponsored pathway such as subclass 482, depending on the facts.
Performing, supporting performers, or producing content to be shown in Australia generally requires consideration of subclass 408 rather than subclass 400.
Meetings, negotiations or conferences without performing productive work may fit a business visitor pathway instead.
05 · Evidence checklist
The business case and the specialist profile must tell the same story.
- 01Contract or detailed letter of offer
- 02Australian business support letter
- 03Project scope, itinerary and delivery timetable
- 04CV, qualifications, licences and specialist project record
- 05Employment conditions, salary and applicable workplace standard
- 06Funds, family, health, character and translated identity documents
06 · Application process
Start with the assignment, not the online form.
Define the assignment
Confirm the exact duties, project location, dates, deliverables and why the work cannot reasonably be performed by the local labour market.
Build the business evidence
Prepare the contract or offer letter, Australian business support letter, employment conditions, remuneration, project documents and—where relevant—local recruitment evidence.
Prove the specialist match
Connect the applicant's CV, qualifications, licences and previous comparable projects to every material part of the assignment.
Apply offshore
Lodge online through ImmiAccount. Every applicant must be outside Australia both when applying and when the decision is made.
Plan travel around the grant
Do not treat intended project dates as a processing promise. After grant, check the first-entry deadline, stay period, permitted activity and whether entry is single or multiple.
07 · Government charges and timing
Use current charges, but do not book the project around a generic processing figure.
Charges are current at 2 August 2026. Limited nil-charge exemptions and lower charges for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders may apply. Processing times change and incomplete evidence can delay a decision; allow adequate lead time before the intended travel date.
08 · Bringing family
Family can be included—but their permitted activities are narrow.
Eligible family members can be included and must meet health and character requirements. They cannot work or study in Australia, except for a language training program, and the family must show adequate means of support.