Tourist visas

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A tourist visa to Australia is available to all passport holders who intend to apply for a visa to visit Australia. It is valid up to 12 months stay and can be applied for when you are inside or outside Australia. It allows you to travel to Australia for tourism purposes or to visit family and friends. It cannot be used for long-term stays or permanent residence. If you are granted a tourist visa to Australia, it will allow you either a single or multiple entry to Australia. The period of stay and number of entries granted will depend on the purpose of your visit and your personal circumstances. So how can you get a tourist visa to Australia? Below are the basic requirements you have to comply with before you can be given a tourist visa. Certain requirements differ in some countries though.

Requirements for a tourist visa

First of all, you must have a genuine intention to visit Australia as a tourist, for recreation or to visit your family and friends. You may be asked to undergo a medical examination if you are likely to enter a hospital or other health care environment, you are likely to enter a classroom environment, you are aged 75 years or older, you are known or suspected of having a medical condition and there are indications that you may not meet the health requirement.

Then you should be able to present evidence of your financial standing. You may submit a bank statement, a bank certification, pay slips, taxation records and credit card limit to prove that you can support your stay in Australia. You may be asked to provide evidence that you have health insurance or sufficient funds in case you have to be hospitalized. As you will not be covered by Australia’s national health scheme and medical treatment can be very expensive, it is better if you get a health insurance before you travel.

You must also provide evidence that you are of good character – you may be asked to submit a police certificate for each country where you have lived in for 12 months or more over the last ten years since you have turned 16 years old.

Another requirement for getting a tourist visa to Australia is that you do not have any outstanding debt to the Commonwealth of Australia.

If you have a child below 18 years old and travelling with you, you must get a parental consent from the non-accompanying parent. You also have to present evidence of relationship between you and your child, like a birth certificate stating names of yourself and your spouse.

How to extend your tourist visa

After you get a tourist visa to Australia, you can now enjoy your holiday or do whatever it is your purpose in going there is. But remember, a tourist visa is only a temporary visa though you can have it extended if you wish. You have to go to the nearest Immigration Office in your area and apply for a new visa at least two weeks before your current visa expires. You have to wait for the decision of this application even if you current visa already expires. You will be able to remain lawfully in Australia until the application is finalized. But if your application for a new visa is refused, you have to leave Australia before the validity date of the visa expires.

Studying in Australia on a tourist visa

You may study in Australia for up to three months only with your tourist visa. If you want to study longer, you have to apply for a student visa.

Working in Australia on a tourist visa

You are not allowed to work in Australia whilst on your visitor visa. If your intention in going to Australia is for employment, you have to apply for the appropriate visa. But you may be able to work as a volunteer if the work is genuinely voluntary and you will not be receiving any remuneration in return. You can refer to the General Skilled Migration page for more information on working in Australia.

Your Obligations under the Tourist Visas

As the visa applicant, you must comply with your visa validity and conditions while you are in Australia. If you breach any of the conditions, your visa may be cancelled and you have to leave Australia. The visa validity refers to the length of stay you are allowed by the Department to remain in Australia. This could be up to 12 months or less depending on the purpose of your visit and your personal circumstances. You may also be given a single entry or multiple entries to Australia. Remember, you must leave Australia on or before the date that your visa expires.

Examples of the visa conditions are the following:

You must not work while you are in Australia;
You must not study for more than three months while in Australia;
No further stay – you cannot extend your visa.

How do you apply for a Tourist Visa

Complete an Application Form
1. Form 48 (Application for Electronic Travel Authority eligible passport holders to visit Australia for tourism or other recreational activities) – to be used if you apply outside Australia and hold a passport for an ETA-eligible country
2. Form 48R (Application for general tourists to visit Australia for tourism or other recreational activities) – to be used if you apply outside Australia and do not hold a passport for an ETA-eligible country
3. Form 601 (Application for further stay as a visitor) – to be used if you apply in Australia.
Pay the appropriate application fees and charges. You have to pay all fees and charges in Australian dollars (AUD). If you apply outside Australia, your payment must be in the currency accepted by the Australian High Commission, Embassy or Consulate where your application will be lodged.
If there are children below 18 years old, a parental consent is needed and you must submit evidence of your relationship, like a certified copy of birth certificates showing names of both parents;
If there are children who will stay in Australia with a person other than the children’s parents or guardian, a declaration must be signed by that person responsible for the children;
Your valid passport – it should be valid for at least 6 months;
Certified copies of your birth certificate and all persons travelling with you showing names of both parents;
A recent passport sized photo of yourself and any children included in your passport and travelling with you.
Additional documents which you think will help your application. As supporting documents differ from one country to another, you should enquire from the nearest Immigration Office in your area the exact documents you will need to present with your application;
You must meet character requirements – you may be asked to submit a police clearance;
You may be requested to undergo medical and x-ray examinations – this should be done by a Panel Doctor appointed by the Embassy or Consulate near you.

If you feel you could use a little bit of help with the application, please use a Migration Agent, as they are trained in submitting visa applications.

What to do after you lodge your application

After you have submitted your application for a Tourist Visa to Australia, you must not make any flight arrangements until you have been advised that your visa is granted. The processing times for this type of visa also differ from one country to another. It may take a day, a week, or a month depending on whether your country of origin is a low or high risk country. These times are used as a guide only.

The Immigration Department will contact you if an interview is required in your case. Your passport and other supporting papers may be needed during this interview. When a decision has been made and a visa is granted, your passport will be returned to you with the visa label. Once you have your passport, check all the details including the visa grant number, the validity of your visa and the visa conditions.

If your application for a tourist visa is refused, your passport will be returned to you with a notification letter advising you of the reasons for the refusal, your review rights and the time limit for lodging an appeal. You may request a review of the decision by the Migration Review Tribunal.

References:

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/26.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/budget/budget07/_paes-pdf/2007-08-paes-mrt-rrt.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/676/

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