Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

MIGRATION ACT 1958 - SECT 31

  (1)   There are to be prescribed classes of visas.

Note:   See also subsection   35A(4), which allows additional classes of permanent and temporary visas to be prescribed as protection visas by regulations made for the purposes of this subsection.

  (2)   As well as the prescribed classes, there are the classes provided for by the following provisions:

  (a)   section   32 (special category visas);

  (b)   section   33 (special purpose visas);

  (c)   section   34 (absorbed person visas);

  (d)   section   35 (ex - citizen visas);

  (e)   subsection   35A(2) (permanent protection visas);

  (f)   subsection   35A(3) (temporary protection visas);

  (fa)   subsection   35A(3A) (safe haven enterprise visas);

  (g)   section   37 (bridging visas);

  (h)   section   37A (temporary safe haven visas);

  (i)   section   38 (criminal justice visas);

  (j)   section   38A (enforcement visas);

  (k)   section   38B (maritime crew visas).

  (3)   The regulations may prescribe criteria for a visa or visas of a specified class (which, without limiting the generality of this subsection, may be a class provided for by section   32, 35A, 37, 37A or 38B but not by section   33, 34, 35, 38 or 38A).

  (3A)   To avoid doubt, subsection   (3) does not require criteria to be prescribed for a visa or visas including, without limitation, visas of the following classes:

  (a)   special category visas (see section   32);

  (b)   permanent protection visas (see subsection   35A(2));

  (c)   temporary protection visas (see subsection   35A(3));

  (ca)   safe haven enterprise visas (see subsection   35A(3A));

  (d)   bridging visas (see section   37);

  (e)   temporary safe haven visas (see section   37A);

  (f)   maritime crew visas (see section   38B).

Note 1:   An application for any of these visas is invalid if criteria relating to both the application and the grant of the visa have not been prescribed (see subsection   46AA(2)).

Note 2:   If criteria are prescribed by the regulations for any of these visas, the visa cannot be granted unless any criteria prescribed by this Act, as well as any prescribed by regulation, are satisfied (see subsection   46AA(4)).

  (4)   The regulations may prescribe whether visas of a class are visas to travel to and enter Australia, or to remain in Australia, or both.

  (5)   A visa is a visa of a particular class if this Act or the regulations specify that it is a visa of that class.