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February 18, 2011 – Traveling to Australia has been made easier for Taiwan passport holders. They are expected to face simpler procedures in applying for certain types of visas for Australia such as working holiday Australia visa or tourist visas to Australia. The changes in procedures also include traveling for Malaysia and will be effective by the end of the first half of this year according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
Mathew Lee, the director-general of the MOFA’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said that Australia will offer services on electronic travel authority (ETA) online by the end of June. Taiwan passport holders just have to provide the specific Australian requirements provided in ETA. Likewise, Malaysia will grant Taiwanese travelers visa-free treatment by the end of March.
In traveling to Australia, passport holders from Taiwan are currently eligible on applying for ETA which is the equivalent of visas Australian. ETAs are being issued electronically by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). But it is more advisable for them to apply manually rather than online in the future. Australia is expected to provide the less complex and more convenient online service to passport holders of Taiwan with registered permanent residence.
On the contrary, passport holders who do not have registered permanent residence will be hold off on granting the privilege to the group which gives it the most concern.
An official announcement could be made in the first quarter about the Malaysian Cabinet granting Taiwanese visitors’ visa-free treatment. It has been reported that Malaysia canceled visas on arrival for all countries on August 15 last year. This was due to many visitors had abused the privilege and overstayed the visa they received while Taiwan gave Malaysians a privilege to visit the said country without a visa since 2002.