Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
600 Business Visitor stream vs 400 Short Stay Specialist
The business visitor stream of the Visitor visa, and the ETA or eVisitor for eligible passports, cover a business visit: meetings, conferences, negotiations, site inspections, exploring opportunities, with no work and no selling to the public, for up to three months at a time. The 400 covers short-term work: installing, servicing, training, auditing, delivering a project, highly specialised and not reasonably available in Australia, for up to three months in the ordinary case and six in strong business circumstances, supported by the Australian business. If the visitor will do the job rather than talk about it, it is the 400; if they will meet, inspect and negotiate, it is the business visitor visa, and a business visitor found working has breached the condition.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Activities
- Meetings, conferences, negotiations, inspections, enquiries; no work, no services to the public · Highly specialised short-term work the Australian business needs
- Who supports it
- No sponsor; an invitation or itinerary helps · The Australian business, with a letter on the work and why no Australian can do it
- Length
- Up to 3 months per visit · Up to 3 months; up to 6 in strong business circumstances
- Charge
- $250; the ETA $20 and the eVisitor free for eligible passports · See the fees page
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 600 Business Visitor stream | 400 Short Stay Specialist | |
|---|---|---|
| Activities | Meetings, conferences, negotiations, inspections, enquiries; no work, no services to the public | Highly specialised short-term work the Australian business needs |
| Who supports it | No sponsor; an invitation or itinerary helps | The Australian business, with a letter on the work and why no Australian can do it |
| Length | Up to 3 months per visit | Up to 3 months; up to 6 in strong business circumstances |
| Charge | $250; the ETA $20 and the eVisitor free for eligible passports | See the fees page |
| Where you apply | Outside Australia in the ordinary case | Outside Australia |
| Paid by | The visitor’s employer abroad | The employer abroad in the ordinary case; the Australian business may pay |
| Watch out | Hands-on work on a business visitor visa is a breach | Repeat 400s for the same role, and the no further stay condition |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The business visitor stream of the Visitor visa, and the ETA or eVisitor for eligible passports, cover a business visit: meetings, conferences, negotiations, site inspections, exploring opportunities, with no work and no selling to the public, for up to three months at a time. The 400 covers short-term work: installing, servicing, training, auditing, delivering a project, highly specialised and not reasonably available in Australia, for up to three months in the ordinary case and six in strong business circumstances, supported by the Australian business. If the visitor will do the job rather than talk about it, it is the 400; if they will meet, inspect and negotiate, it is the business visitor visa, and a business visitor found working has breached the condition.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
600 Business Visitor stream or 400 Short Stay Specialist — which is better?
The business visitor stream of the Visitor visa, and the ETA or eVisitor for eligible passports, cover a business visit: meetings, conferences, negotiations, site inspections, exploring opportunities, with no work and no selling to the public, for up to three months at a time. The 400 covers short-term work: installing, servicing, training, auditing, delivering a project, highly specialised and not reasonably available in Australia, for up to three months in the ordinary case and six in strong business circumstances, supported by the Australian business. If the visitor will do the job rather than talk about it, it is the 400; if they will meet, inspect and negotiate, it is the business visitor visa, and a business visitor found working has breached the condition.
What is the main difference between the 600 Business Visitor stream and the 400 Short Stay Specialist?
Activities: 600 Business Visitor stream — Meetings, conferences, negotiations, inspections, enquiries; no work, no services to the public; 400 Short Stay Specialist — Highly specialised short-term work the Australian business needs. Who supports it: 600 Business Visitor stream — No sponsor; an invitation or itinerary helps; 400 Short Stay Specialist — The Australian business, with a letter on the work and why no Australian can do it. Length: 600 Business Visitor stream — Up to 3 months per visit; 400 Short Stay Specialist — Up to 3 months; up to 6 in strong business circumstances.
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