Australia Tourist Visas

Australia continues to prove a popular destination for visitors and a range of short-term visas are available for those who wish to enter the country as a tourist, to visit family and friends or to conduct a range of business activities. Australia employs one of the most advanced visa systems with the paperless Electronic Travel Authority or ETA visa, which does not require applications forms or physical visa stamps. Your Global Visas immigration consultant will be able to discuss whether your country of residence qualifies for the ETA visa.

You can set your Australian visa application in motion today by visiting the online assessment area. At Global Visas, we specialise in Australian visas and immigration services from short term visit visas through to applications for Australian citizenship. Just take a moment to fill in one of our assessment forms and a consultant will contact you.

Applying for an Australian ETA Visa

ETA visas provide a quick, streamlined visa solution for visiting Australia. ETA visas are granted for up to 12 months and as multiple entry permits they allow their holders to travel in and out of Australia as many times as they choose within the life of the visa for up to three months per visit. Candidates may study in Australia whilst in possession of an ETA visa, though the course cannot last beyond the three months. Where applicants will be studying in Australia for longer than three months they will require an Australian study visa to do so.

An ETA visa application can only be submitted from outside Australia and although no visa stamp is required, the applicant must still be able to provide their current valid passport from the country of residence. ETA visas are not intended as a route to permanent residency in Australia and although they allow a candidate to enter and depart from Australia any number of times within the three months duration, applicants must intend to return home once their visa has expired.

Australian ETA Business Visa

ETA business visas for Australia function on a similar principle to the tourist visa outlined above. They should not be confused with the long-term Australian business visas which are discussed elsewhere on the Global Visas site. Unlike the business owner visa, business senior executive visa and the business investor visa, ETA business visas are a short-term immigration service for relocation to Australia on a short-term basis only.

Like a tourist visa, business visit visa applications are valid for up to 12 months with a maximum period spent in Australia in a single visit of up to three months. ETA business visas are multiple entry permits and allow a holder to engage in a variety of business activities. These activities may include attending conferences, sourcing suppliers and conducting meetings, however the opportunity to undertake employment is strictly limited by the short-term nature of this visa.

The ETA long validity business visa is another option which, like a short term ETA, allows a maximum of three months in Australia per visit. However, the visa lasts for the duration of the applicant’s passport rather than for 12 months.

Australian Long-Stay Tourist Visa

This longer-term Australian visit visa allows an applicant to spend up to 12 months in Australia and applies to those who require a longer stay than that permitted by an ETA visa as well as those whose country of residence is not included in the ETA scheme. Long stay visas can be either single entry permits or multiple entry permits however, as with any visa application it is important to recognise that the 12-month period represents the maximum which may be granted and does not necessarily guarantee that this duration will be issued to the candidate.

Long stay visa applicants must not undertake employment in Australia except for unpaid voluntary work and although studying in Australia, applicants may not study for more than three months. Although the long stay visa offers the potential for a candidate to relocate to Australia for a year, it is still regarded as a temporary visit visa and will not lead to permanent residency or Australian citizenship. Applicants must provide their passport and must be able to show that they can support themselves whilst in Australia and that they have adequate heath insurance.

Visit the Global Visas online assessment area today to find out whether you qualify for an Australian short stay visa. With our straightforward assessment forms, you’re just a few minutes away from setting your application in motion.