ETA: The easiest way to travel to Australia
Added by National Visas on April 24, 2014Saved under Traveling to Australia Articles
Australia is arguably one of the easiest countries to travel as a tourist. The country willingly allows visitors to enjoy its natural wonders and experience its great cultural diversity using the innovative Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa. This visa permits people from eligible countries to have short-term visits to Australia within the attached validity period. If you want to be one of the over five million tourists who visit Australia annually, read further to know the benefits of the ETA visa compared with many other Australian visitor visas.
What is an ETA visa?
Introduced in 1996, the Electronic Travel Authority visa (subclass 601) is a fast-processing online visitor (including business visitor) visa option that the Australian government made available for a select number of countries. This visa lets tourists from eligible countries to go to Australia for leisure or holiday, to visit family and relatives, and to conduct minimal business activities. The ETA visa is electronically connected to a holder’s passport, so there is no need for a visa label (sticker) in the holder’s passport.
What benefits does an ETA visa give to the holder?
The main advantage of applying for an ETA visa for an Australian travel is the speed of application and approval. This visa can be processed quite quickly normally within one working day. But National Visas advises you to apply well in advance of your travel in case there are any issues in your case which need further checking.
Here are some other advantages of holding a subclass 601 visa:
- no paperwork
- can be applied online
- generally approved within 24 hours
- valid for multiple visits of up to 3 months for a 12-month period
- no stamp or label put on the passport
What are the important application reminders for an ETA visa?
There are only a few things to remember when applying for an ETA visa. First, the applicant must be outside Australia both during visa application and approval. Second, plan early! Whilst the visas can be fast, do not leave things to the last minute. Third, make sure you use the same passport to travel as you used in your ETA application because the visa is linked directly to the passport. If you renew your passport you will need to renew your visa.
Applicants can lodge their application using a registered migration agent. National Visas facilitates this process and provides other travel information visitors need, especially on their obligations as a traveller to Australia.
National Visas offers Personalised Services to help you apply for a visa.
National Visas has developed into a world leader in online immigration services.
Our Migration Agents are registered to provide Australian immigration advice, as required by Australian law.
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