A TourHub Australia service
408visa runs the Australian side of subclass 408 Entertainment Activities visas for touring artists, crews, productions and promoters. Not sure what you need, or whether you need it at all? That is exactly where we start.
Not sure how it works?
Most people who call us have a signed contract, a date, and no idea which of the seven entertainment categories they are in. Ten minutes later they do.
You get a named coordinator who answers, and the people behind them. Nobody's week off stalls your tour.
Streams, categories, sponsor versus supporter, union consultation, itinerary changes. We know which apply to your job and say so in plain words.
Tell us the show, the dates and who is travelling. We come back with the route, the checklist and the timeline. Then we run it.
How it works
The same process every time, whether it is one comedian for a week or an orchestra for a month. Who does what is marked on each step.
Who is coming, what they will do, where and when. A ten-minute form or a call.
YouWhich 408 category fits each person, whether a supporter is enough or a sponsor is needed, and whether a subclass 400 suits any specialist crew.
408visaSponsor or supporter documents, an invitation letter with the full itinerary, union consultation where the category requires it, an Arts certificate for film and TV performers.
408visaA per-person checklist: passport pages, contract or proof of engagement, health insurance, evidence of funds, family documents. Checked before anything is lodged.
You and usEach applicant lodges in their own ImmiAccount with the pack attached. We track every application and chase anything outstanding.
You lodge, we trackGrant letters checked against the itinerary. If dates or venues change, permission is needed before the change. We lodge that request.
408visaTiming. Home Affairs does not publish a fixed processing time for this stream and incomplete applications take longer. We lodge as soon as contracts are signed and build the tour schedule around the grant, not the other way round.
Who it's for
An artist and party routing a run of Australian dates, with or without a local promoter.
Inbound cast and crew for a drama, documentary, commercial or broadcast shooting in Australia.
You are the Australian side. You want the sponsor obligations, union consultation and paperwork handled properly.
A soloist, a comedian, a guest musician, a coach or a stylist travelling with an act.
The Australian side
Every 408 entertainment application needs an Australian organisation behind it. Which kind depends on two things: where the applicant is when they apply, and how long they will stay.
An Australian organisation, government agency, or an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. They provide:
An Australian organisation or government agency approved as a Temporary Activities Sponsor. They provide:
No Australian promoter or production company? TourHub Australia Pty Ltd, which operates 408visa, can act as the local sponsoring or supporting entity for your party. Read the full guide.
408 vs 400
Two temporary visas come up for touring and production work. Most performers and production staff fit the 408 Entertainment Activities stream. A subclass 400 sometimes suits a specialist coming in briefly to do work nobody in Australia can.
| Question | Subclass 408, Entertainment Activities | Subclass 400, Short Stay Specialist |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Performers, production staff and support staff on film, television or live productions | Highly specialised, non-ongoing work that cannot reasonably be found in Australia |
| Maximum stay | Up to 2 years | Up to 6 months; over 3 months needs a strong business case |
| Australian sponsor or supporter | Required: supporter under 3 months from outside Australia, sponsor otherwise | Not required; employer contract or letter of offer instead |
| Apply from | In or outside Australia | Outside Australia only |
| Union consultation | Required for most categories | Not a requirement of the visa |
| Family | Members of the family unit can be included | Can be included, but cannot work or study |
| Home Affairs charge | From AUD 535 | From AUD 535 |
| Multiple entry | Yes, while the visa is valid | Stay period starts on first arrival and does not restart |
Figures from the Department of Home Affairs visa pages, checked 19 September 2026. Government charges change on 1 July each year. Full comparison.
The team
408visa is the entertainment-visa desk of TourHub Australia Pty Ltd. Three functions, one thread, one point of contact for you.
Runs the checklist, the lodgement tracker and the chasing. Answers your emails the same working day and tells you what is outstanding before you ask.
Twenty-five years of tour management across stadiums, arenas, festivals and broadcast. Ties the visa timeline to the real tour, so the grant lands before the flights, not after.
Sponsor obligations, union consultation records, invitation letters and itinerary-change requests to the Temporary Specialist Entry Centre. Kept on file for every engagement.
What we are not. We are not registered migration agents and do not give immigration advice. In Australia only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person can provide immigration assistance. When a case needs that, we say so and refer you to one.
Recent work
“Ali’s expertise in the Australian industry is second to none. Not only does she know her home country inside out, but she also brings extensive experience from around the world.”Matt Brinkler, Owner and Director, Red Entertainment, UK
The Music of Hans Zimmer & Others, Australian tour. Read the case study.
Guides
Every guide opens with a direct answer, cites the Home Affairs page it was checked against, and carries the date it was checked.
Questions
The Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408), Entertainment Activities stream, lets performers, production staff and support staff come to Australia to work on film, television or live productions. The maximum stay is 2 years, it is granted with multiple entry, members of the family unit can be included, and you can apply in or outside Australia. The Home Affairs charge is from AUD 535 for the main applicant.
You need a supporter if you apply from outside Australia and will stay less than 3 months. You need an approved Temporary Activities Sponsor if you apply in Australia, or if you will stay more than 3 months.
408visa sets up whichever applies, and TourHub Australia Pty Ltd can act as the Australian sponsor or supporter for productions that have no local entity.
Home Affairs does not publish a fixed processing time for this stream. Its visa processing time guide shows how long recently decided applications took, and applications that are incomplete or need verification take longer. Plan in weeks, not days, and lodge as soon as contracts are signed.
The Department of Home Affairs charge is from AUD 535 for the main applicant, plus a charge for each family member, plus any health checks, police certificates or biometrics. A concession can apply where the sponsor is a registered charity, a government agency or an organisation named in a legislative instrument.
408visa quotes its own coordination fee per project once it knows the party size and the route.
Sometimes. The subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa suits highly specialised, non-ongoing work that cannot reasonably be found in Australia, for up to 6 months, with a strong business case needed for stays over 3 months. It must be applied for outside Australia and has no sponsor.
Performers and production staff on film, television and live productions usually fit the 408 Entertainment Activities stream instead. We tell you which on the first call.
For most entertainment categories the sponsor or supporter must consult the relevant Australian union or unions before engaging the applicant, and evidence of that consultation goes in the application. It applies to performers in film and television, performers other than in film and television, production staff, and support staff for entertainers.
If the applicant is performing in a film or television production, subsidised or not, the sponsor or supporter must obtain an Arts certificate from the federal arts department and evidence of it goes in the application. It is not required for live performance, production staff or support staff categories.
Yes. Members of the family unit can be included in the application. They must meet the health and character requirements and there is an additional charge for each family member. Family can also apply later as subsequent entrants.
You must not change the times and places of the engagements in the application without permission. Requests go to the Temporary Specialist Entry Centre by email or through ImmiAccount before the change is made. 408visa prepares and lodges that request.
No. 408visa coordinates the Australian sponsor and supporter side and the document pack. Only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person can give immigration assistance in Australia. Where advice on the law itself is needed, we refer you to a registered migration agent.
Yes. Where a touring party or production has no Australian promoter or entity, TourHub Australia Pty Ltd, which operates 408visa, can act as the local sponsoring or supporting entity.
Home Affairs considers immigration history when deciding an application, so a previous refusal or cancellation is a question for a registered migration agent first. We can still coordinate the Australian sponsor or supporter side and the document pack alongside that advice.
Start an assessment
Pick what kind of enquiry this is and the form asks only the questions that matter. You get a reply within one Australian working day with the route, the checklist and what we need next.