How Can I Get a Tourist Visa for Australia?

An Australian visa is an authorization given by the Australian government to foreigners to legally stay in the country. The validity and duration of the permitted stay vary based on the type of visa.

Do I Need a Visa to Enter Australia?

All foreigners except passport holders of New Zealand should apply for a visa or eTA before traveling to Australia. The Australian government does not issue visas on arrival to citizens of any foreign country and all travelers need a valid visa to enter its borders.

What Types of Tourist Visas Does Australia Have?

The Australian government issues different types of visas and foreign nationals can choose a visa type based on the nature of their visit, length of stay, and the country of their nationality. Applicants for different visas need to comply with different sets of rules and requirements. For short-term visits that last a maximum of one year, the applicants can go for tourist visas or visitor visas. Read on to know more about Australian visa types.

Different Types of Visitor/Tourist Visas

• ETA subclass 601
• eVisitor (subclass 651)
• Visa for transit passengers (subclass 771)
• The visitor (subclass 600)
• Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462)
• Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

Note that the last two visa types are designed particularly for international travelers in the age group of 18 to 30 years who want to have an extended holiday in the country. They can work in the country for that period to fund their trip. 

Australian ETA

The Australia ETA visa is the easiest and fastest to obtain. The applicants can apply for it online and get the visa in minutes. At present, international travelers who are eligible for the ETA can apply for it only through the Australian ETA app. Others can opt for visas based on their requirements and apply online using ImmiAccount.

They must be genuine visitors who are coming to the country for tourism, business, or transit. They can also use this visa to visit family members and for a cruise trip. Travelers should leave the country at the end of their permitted duration of stay which will be written on the visa. 

The visa validity period varies and is between three to 12 months. If the applicants are frequent visitors to the county and stay for a longer duration, the immigration officers may ask them a few questions to verify the purpose of their trip before approving their visa application.

Medical checkup: All applicants and their family members should undergo health examinations to meet the health requirements for the visa. 

This is to ensure that they are not posing any threat to the citizens of Australia who enjoy one of the highest health standards in the world. They will be checked for communicable diseases.

The applicants should not have any criminal inadmissibility. They should not have any criminal convictions with sentences exceeding 12 months.

eVisitor

This visa allows foreigners to visit the country for three months at a stretch as a tourist. The validity period is 12 months. However, a single visit should not exceed 90 days. 

Passport holders of eligible countries can apply for this visa from outside Australia. This visa allows the holders to visit their family and friends in Australia, have a vacation, and attend business activities. They can also take up courses that do not exceed three months. There is no processing fee for an eVisitor visa.

Transit Visa

A transit visa is free and allows international travelers to transit through airports and seaports. Applicants have to apply for this visa from outside the country and submit confirmed flight tickets and other travel documents required to enter the destination country.

The crew of non-military ships can also transit through Australia with a Maritime Crew visa. 

Visitor Visa (subclass 600)

This visa is for travelers who wish to explore Australia as a tourist or join their families for up to 12 months. They can do business activities or undergo medical treatment in Australia. 

Applicants for this visa should show proof of funds to support them while in the country. This visa lets single and multiple entries. The applicants should inform the embassy of the type that they are opting for while applying. 

How Can I Apply for an Australian Tourist Visa?

To apply for an Australian tourist visa, foreigners must declare that they are visiting the country for tourism purposes only and submit proof of funds to sustain themselves during their stay. 

They cannot work and engage in any activity that earns remuneration. Before starting the online application process, applicants should check the passport validity (at least 6 months), and gather all the documents that support the application, including their English translations. After this, log in to the official website of Australian Immigration and create an ImmiAccount. 

Fill out the online application form and attach all the documents. Members of a family have to apply individually. Applicants should also have to pay an application fee for the embassy to process the application.

Once the embassy receives the application, they will send a confirmation mail which will include the details of additional documents, if there are any. Once the visa is approved, the embassy will inform the applicants through email. This mail will have the visa number, visa conditions, and the date from which the visa is valid.

In case the visa is rejected, the embassy will give the reasons for the refusal. In some cases, the embassy allows the applicants to request a review of the rejection. This is at the discretion of the embassy staff. 

What Documents are Required?

• Passport with sufficient validity
• Photographs
• Health checkup documents
• Police verification documents
• Biometric details
• Completed application form

Note that the visitors will be liable to pay for healthcare emergencies during their stay in the country. So, Australian immigration strongly encourages them to have healthcare insurance before traveling to Australia. 

How Long Will It Take?

The processing time for the Australian tourist visa varies based on the embassy. As per the Australian government’s official website, 25% of the applications are processed in one day, and 90% of them will be completed in 37 days.

How Long Can I Stay in Australia?

The validity period of this visa is 12 months, and travelers can opt for single and multiple entries. If an applicant chooses a single entry and leaves the country after a few months, he/she needs to apply for another visa to visit Australia again.

Can I Extend My Australia Visitor Visa?

No, applicants cannot extend their visa validity. They have to apply for another visa in Australia. If their current visa has a condition that does not allow them to do so while in Australia, they have to leave the country and apply outside.