Congratulations! You’re flying to Australia! You’ll have the time of your life exploring the outback and relaxing in the beaches afterwards. But hold on a minute-have you secured your Australia travel visa?
All visitors-except for New Zealand residents-need a visa to enter Australia. Yes, there is more than one type; but in this article, we will cover only one: your Australia travel visa options as a tourist. Whether you’re visiting the Land Down Under for recreation or to see friends and family, these are the four visa options that are open to you.
ETA (subclass 976)
ETA is short for Electronic Travel Authority. It’s an option open to the passport holders of-at the moment-32 countries, including Canada, the U.K, the U.S, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and most Scandinavian and European countries. If you’re a national of said countries, you can apply for your ETA from the immigration office to the cool non-refundable tune of $20, as service charge.
Or, you can get your ETA through a travel agent, for $25 on average. The ETA replaces the usual visa that is stamped onto your passport.
Tourist (subclass 676)
If you already have an ETA, you don’t need to secure a short-term tourist visa. But, what if you’re from a country that isn’t eligible for an ETA? What if your stay exceeds three months? In both cases, you will need to get a tourist visa. The standard costs $70 and allow a single entry for a stay of up to a year. You can use it within 12 months of issuance.
Sponsored Family Visitor (subclass 679)
Planning to stay with your family for a year? The Sponsored Family Visitor visa lets you do that. To be eligible for one, you’ll have to be formally sponsored by a permanent resident or an Australian resident.
Working Holiday Maker
You can apply for this visa only from any Australian diplomatic mission overseas. This is for
- visitors from certain countries only.
- visitors from 18 to 30 years old only.
- visitors who intend to stay up to a year.
- visitors who intend to work part-time.
Getting your Australian travel visa can be a breeze-if you know what to do. Make traveling easy by getting this part right before you hop to the world’s smallest continent.
