Australia has very strict rules, especially for those who plan to visit the country. In addition to your passport, you are required to present the correct type of visa. Only New Zealand citizens are exempt, although they are also required to obtain a special type of visa once they get off the plane.
The travel documents you need
The first travel document you must have is an ETA or Electronic Travel Authority. This can be provided by a travel agency or airline that is registered or accredited by the International Air Transport Association. You can actually own an ETA at least 24 hours after placing your order.
The good thing about ETAs is that as long as your country is allowed to issue them, you may no longer need a separate tourist visa. With a tourist visa, you have to wait more than a week before you can get one. To get an ETA, you only need to register online and pay the required $ 20 fee. You can also let the travel agent handle the matter for you, although the price is expected to go up to $ 25. This is non-refundable. ETA is already available in more than 30 countries around the world, including the US, UK, Korea, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.
If your country is not covered by the ETA, you will need to get a short term visa. This is also true if you plan to stay in the country for more than three months. A regular tourist visa will cost you $ 70. If you’re lucky, you’ll be stamped with multiple entries, saving you time and effort to reapply later. Otherwise, a visa may be eligible to be granted within 12 months of being issued.
Another type of visa that you can get is a WHM visa. WHM stands for Work Vacation Maker. There are certain restrictions with this type of visa. First, you must be no more than 30 years old. Not all countries are allowed to have this. Usually European countries and several Asian countries such as Japan and Korea can take advantage of WHM visas to Australia. Third, you cannot use a visa to apply for immigration. If you wish to immigrate, the only way is to apply for a skilled worker visa, and the requirements are more complicated.
WHM visa is for freelance work only. For example, suppose you are on vacation in the countryside while earning money on the side. You are not allowed to stay with the employer for more than 6 months.
You cannot convert your tourist visa to a WHM visa once you are in the country. However, you can apply at least a year before your trip. To get a visa for you, you must provide sufficient funds to pay for the return fare or return ticket. The charges can be very expensive. Nearly $ 200. You can get a working holiday visa within 48 hours of approval.