Reference · Visa conditions
Australian visa conditions explained: the numbers on your grant notice
A grant notice lists conditions by number and nothing else. Some are limits on what you may do, some are things you must do, some decide what you can apply for next, and a breach of most is a ground for cancellation. This page sets out the conditions people actually meet, grouped by what they govern, with what each one requires, which visas carry it, and what a breach leads to. Your own conditions are on your grant notice and in VEVO; this page tells you what they mean.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Source
- Grant notice and VEVO
- Imposed
- By law for the visa, or at discretion
- Breach
- Cancellation ground, s116
- Waivable
- 8503 and 8534 only, narrowly
- Notification
- 8578: 14 days, most temporary visas
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →MARN 1576536
Conditions are set out in Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations. Some are mandatory for a visa subclass and appear on every grant; others are discretionary and appear only where the Department chose to impose them on yours. The grant notice is authoritative for your visa, and VEVO shows the current position, including any condition later waived.
Work
| Condition | What it requires | Typically on |
|---|---|---|
| 8101 | No work in Australia. | Visitor visas, many bridging visas, some others. |
| 8104 | Dependant: no work until the primary student’s course starts, then 48 hours a fortnight; unlimited for dependants of masters and doctoral students. | Student visa dependants. |
| 8105 | No work before the course starts; then 48 hours a fortnight while in session, unlimited in scheduled breaks; registered course placements excluded. | Student visa (500). |
| 8107 | Work only for the sponsor in the nominated occupation; since July 2024, up to 180 days at a time and 365 in total not working for the sponsor. | Legacy 457 holders. |
| 8607 | As 8107, for the 482: work only in the nominated occupation, for the sponsor, with the same 180 and 365-day allowances; a change of occupation needs a new nomination and visa. | 482 Skills in Demand. |
| 8608 | The 494 equivalent of 8607. | 494 regional employer sponsored. |
| 8547 | No more than six months with any one employer, with exceptions for some regional and sector work. | Working Holiday 417 and Work and Holiday 462. |
| 8548 | No more than four months of study. | Working Holiday 417 and Work and Holiday 462. |
Study
| Condition | What it requires | Typically on |
|---|---|---|
| 8201 | No more than three months of study. | Visitor visas and some temporary visas. |
| 8202 | Remain enrolled in a registered course, maintain satisfactory attendance and course progress, not change to a lower-level course without approval. | Student visa (500). |
Health and conduct
| Condition | What it requires | Typically on |
|---|---|---|
| 8501 | Maintain adequate health insurance for the whole stay: Overseas Student Health Cover for students, Overseas Visitor Health Cover for others. | Student, 482, 485, 407, many temporary visas. |
| 8303 | Not become involved in activities disruptive to, or violence threatening harm to, the Australian community. | Many temporary visas. |
| 8564 | Not engage in criminal conduct. | Many temporary visas. |
Staying and leaving
| Condition | What it requires | Typically on |
|---|---|---|
| 8503 | No Further Stay: no substantive visa other than a protection visa can be granted while the holder remains in Australia; waivable only for compelling and compassionate circumstances beyond the holder’s control that arose after grant. | Sponsored family visitors, 870, some visitor and 403/408 grants. |
| 8534 | No Further Stay for students, with exceptions allowing a 485, a 590 or a further student visa in some cases; waivable on the same test as 8503. | Some student visas. |
| 8535 | No Further Stay for sponsored students, with narrow exceptions. | Government-sponsored students. |
| 8558 | Not stay in Australia for more than 12 months in any 18-month period. | Multiple-entry visitor visas. |
| 8502 | Not enter Australia before the person named in the visa. | Dependants joining a primary holder. |
| 8515 | Not marry or enter a de facto relationship before entering Australia. | Prospective Marriage visa (300). |
| 8516 | Continue to satisfy the criteria on which the visa was granted. | Many temporary visas. |
Reporting and notification
| Condition | What it requires | Typically on |
|---|---|---|
| 8401 | Report to the Department at the times and place specified. | Bridging Visa E and some others. |
| 8506 | Notify the Department of a change of address at least two working days before moving. | Bridging Visa E. |
| 8533 | Tell the education provider your address within seven days of arrival and any change within seven days; tell them of a change of provider. | Student visa (500). |
| 8578 | Notify the Department within 14 days of a change to residential address, email, phone number, passport details, or employer where the visa was granted on employment. | Most temporary visas granted since 2017. |
| 8579 | Live, work and study only in a designated regional area. | 491 and 494. |
| 8580 | Notify the Department within 28 days of a change to address, employer or contact details, if asked. | 491 and 494. |
| 8581 | Attend an interview if requested. | 491 and 494. |
What a breach leads to
Non-compliance with a condition is a ground on which the Department may cancel the visa under section 116. For most conditions the process is a notice of intention to consider cancellation, a period to respond, and a decision that weighs the breach against the person's circumstances; the response is where it is decided, and breached visa conditions: what now covers it. A cancellation brings the three-year exclusion under PIC 4013 for temporary visas and the section 48 bar on onshore applications. Separately, the next visa application usually asks whether you complied with the conditions of previous visas, and a breach that was never actioned is still weighed there. The conditions that work differently are the no-further-stay family, 8503, 8534 and 8535, which are not breached so much as applied: they make an onshore application invalid unless waived, and the 8503 guide sets out the waiver.
Book a consultation — $330 inc. GST, credited
General information only, current at October 2026; not advice on your own case. Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations 1994 as in force at the date above; the wording of each condition in the Regulations governs, and conditions on a particular grant are those on its notice. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Ask Keshab a question — it costs nothing
Tell Keshab your situation and your question. Keshab reads it personally and replies within a business day. Asking costs nothing. Advice on your own case is the paid consultation.
Ready now? Skip the form. Pick a time and talk to Keshab directly — your documents on the table, a straight answer, and a written summary afterwards. $330 inc. GST, credited toward your fee if you engage.
Pick a time — no enquiry needed →Questions we get asked first
Where do I find my visa conditions?
On the grant notice the Department emailed when the visa was granted, under the heading conditions, and in VEVO, the Department's online verification system, which shows the conditions currently attached. If the two differ, VEVO is current. Conditions can be imposed by law for every visa of a type, or at the Department's discretion on your particular grant, so two people with the same visa can hold different conditions.
What happens if I breach a condition?
A breach is a ground for cancellation under section 116 of the Migration Act, and some conditions are also criteria for the next visa. Cancellation is discretionary: the Department gives notice, invites a response and weighs the breach. Some conditions, such as 8503, operate differently; a breach is not the issue so much as the condition blocking what you can lodge.
Can a condition be removed or waived?
Some can. 8503 and 8534 can be waived on request in narrow circumstances. The no-work condition on a bridging visa can be lifted on a hardship request. Most conditions cannot be removed from a visa once granted; the route is a different visa without the condition.
Which condition tells me to update my address?
For most temporary visas granted since 2017, condition 8578: notify the Department within 14 days of a change to your residential address, email, phone, passport or, where relevant, employer. Students also hold 8533, seven days to notify a change of address to the provider. Bridging Visa E holders commonly hold 8506, two working days.
What does the consultation cost?
A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes by video with Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536), credited in full if you engage WIDEN. For a condition that has been breached or that blocks the next step, the session is about the response or the route around it.
Keep reading