Flying to a foreign land is a rewarding activity each one of us wants to experience. We’d love to see new sights, delve into a different culture, learn a different language, taste different cuisines, and for some, earn foreign currency of a greater value. But before you dream about these fun things, there are a lot of not-so-fun things you have to go through – including your daunting visa application.
One remarkable country to visit is Australia. The country welcomes immigrants with open arms, and this multicultural environment is apparent wherever you go. If you are planning to visit Australia for various reasons an Australian visa is the first thing that you should be working on.
If you just want to travel as a tourist and have no plans to study, work, or live in Australia for a long time, getting a tourist visa is perfect for you. There are several subcategories within the tourist visa, which would depend on your nationality and the duration of your stay.
Electronic Travel Authority visa (subclass 601)
ETA is requested by people who wish to enter and leave the country within a period of 12 months to see relatives, do business, study for no more than three months, or simply explore tourist destinations. With the ETA, you can visit as many times as you want, for up to a year, and stay in the country for up to three months for each visit. You just have to be a passport holder from a certain country.
As its name suggests, ETAs are electronic, which means there’s no stamp or label attached to a passport. The airline staff may confirm electronically if a passenger is eligible for boarding a flight to Australia. You can apply through many travel agents in a number of eligible countries worldwide, including European countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
Cost: There’s an AUD20 service charge for this visa.
eVisitor (subclass 651)
The requirements and features of eVisitor are similar to ETA. This visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to three months at a time within a 12-month period. Under certain circumstances. you may also study in Australia for up to three months. Likewise, this type of visa can only be requested by citizens of specific countries.
The main difference is where you apply and how much they cost. With eVisitor, you can apply online for free for at least two weeks before traveling.
Cost: There’s no application cost for this visa
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
A visitor visa allows you to stay in Australia for a tour, family visit, and business purposes. You may stay for up to three, six, or 12 months. Citizens of countries that do not hold an eVisitor-eligible passport will have to apply for a Visitor visa, which is not free and cannot be processed online.
Cost: The base application charge for this ranges from AUD140 to AUD1020.
Transit visa (subclass 771)
A transit visa allows you and your dependent children to transit through Australia for no longer than 72 hours. It is acquired if you need to pass through Australia in order to reach another country or join a ship as a member of the crew. You must only hold either a booking or relevant documentation to access another country or hold a subclass 988 visa and some relevant crew documents.
Cost: There’s no application cost for this visa
Be aware of migration fraud and scams, claiming that you can travel while earning using only your visitor visa. Remember that you can NOT work in Australia holding any of these visas. You have to apply for visas with work rights.
You may like to read Live, Work, And Study In Australia For A Year With These 3 Types Of Visa
Carmina Natividad is a resident writer for Four Points Immigration, a team of registered migration agents, assisting individuals and employers with their successful Australian visa application. Writing a wide variety of interesting and informative articles about immigration and travel is her cup of tea.
4.5