The Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, announced a new long-term Australian Business visa for Singaporean nationals during his recent official visit to Singapore earlier this month.

Singaporeans will have exclusive access to a new long-term, multiple-entry visa option by 1 January 2018. This will render it easier for Singaporean nationals to travel to Australia for business and tourism.

The long-term visa will be a separate stream within the Visitor (Subclass 600) visa and will allow eligible Singaporean nationals to travel to Australia for up to three months at a time over a six-year period, with a single application.

In addition to the new long-term business visa, Prime Minister Turnbull announced a new reciprocal arrangement with the Singaporean Government to extend the Work and Holiday visa program. This will enable a maximum of 500 young Australian and Singaporeans to undertake short term work or study within the reciprocal country. The Federal Government announced that the Australia-Singapore Work and Holiday visa arrangement will commence on 1 August 2017.

The new visa arrangements are intended to further boost business and tourism links between Australia and Singapore.