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Visa requirements


rhsjr
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U.S. citizens are required to obtain a "visa" called an Electronic Travel Authority (or ETA) in order to enter Australia for tourism purposes. You can apply online for the ETA and it is usually granted within a matter of minutes. It is electronically attached to your passport and you will not have any actual stamp in your passport showing you have the ETA. The ETA itself is free, but there is a processing charge of AUD 20.00. (about US$ 16). Apply for your ETA through the official Australian government site, not a 3rd party site--even if they claim to be able to get the ETA for less money. The official Australian government site will protect your private information--the other sites are under no compunction to do so.

 

See: https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAS3/etas

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As mentioned it is an ETA. It's been in place as long as we have been sailing Australia.

 

Just have your passport in front of you when you visit the site and your credit card.

 

Although the site says it might take a day or two to get the ETA it normally is instantaneously shortly after you push the purchase the ETA button.

 

Keith

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  • 1 month later...

And in case you are turned down for your ETA, you must then jump through hoops to get a visa to enter AU. Don't wait till the last minute. Start early. I almost waited too long and then when my ETA was denied, I began my frantic hoop jumping. I eventually received my Visa.

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And in case you are turned down for your ETA, you must then jump through hoops to get a visa to enter AU. Don't wait till the last minute. Start early. I almost waited too long and then when my ETA was denied, I began my frantic hoop jumping. I eventually received my Visa.

 

Were you given a reason why it was denied?

 

What did you have to do? Use a visa service? Contact a consulate?

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Australia does not play games, if you fly in and don't have the required paperwork or they make the decision that you should not be allowed in you will not be. No show up in court or later hearing. You are held in jail until you are shipped home. It is nothing like the United States when it comes to the rules and following them.

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Australia does not play games, if you fly in and don't have the required paperwork or they make the decision that you should not be allowed in you will not be.
But of course, if you don't have the required visa (ETA, eVisitor or more conventional visa), you won't even fly in as the airline will have to deny you boarding. This is checked during the airline check-in process, electronically for electronic visas.
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But of course, if you don't have the required visa (ETA, eVisitor or more conventional visa), you won't even fly in as the airline will have to deny you boarding. This is checked during the airline check-in process, electronically for electronic visas.

 

Yes they are required to check but it does not always happen. And even if you have the Visa it does not mean the officer will let you into the country. Any visa is subject to review once you land and present yourself.

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Were you given a reason why it was denied?

 

What did you have to do? Use a visa service? Contact a consulate?

 

I originally applied for my ETA and answered the questions. If you answer positive to any of the questions, you will be denied. I had read the list of things that would deny me entrance into AU. Since I didn't have any of those disqualifications, I didn't see it as a problem. Some of their reasons for being denied were being sentenced to jail for 12 months or longer, certain crimes etc.

 

One of the questions on the list is do you have a criminal record. I answered honestly yes. I was arrested for vandalism...a misdemeanor 20 years ago...So that yes caused me a denial. They do not care whether the crime was a felony or a misdemeanor, yesterday or 20 years ago I was told.

So then I had to run around trying to find out exactly what/who to speak to. Their messages were not very clear. I finally had to contact the AU consulate here in the U.S. to find out what to do. My $20 ETA visa then cost me an additional $140 to get my Visa subclass 600 I believe it was. Moral of the story, don't break the law lol. :halo: :evilsmile: :eek:

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I originally applied for my ETA and answered the questions. If you answer positive to any of the questions, you will be denied. I had read the list of things that would deny me entrance into AU. Since I didn't have any of those disqualifications, I didn't see it as a problem. Some of their reasons for being denied were being sentenced to jail for 12 months or longer, certain crimes etc.

 

One of the questions on the list is do you have a criminal record. I answered honestly yes. I was arrested for vandalism...a misdemeanor 20 years ago...So that yes caused me a denial. They do not care whether the crime was a felony or a misdemeanor, yesterday or 20 years ago I was told.

So then I had to run around trying to find out exactly what/who to speak to. Their messages were not very clear. I finally had to contact the AU consulate here in the U.S. to find out what to do. My $20 ETA visa then cost me an additional $140 to get my Visa subclass 600 I believe it was. Moral of the story, don't break the law lol. :halo: :evilsmile: :eek:

 

Yikes!

 

Thanks for the whole story.

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Yes, you can apply for it now and it will be valid until March of 2019—well beyond your planned travel date of September 2018. And, on the off-chance you incur any difficulties with the application, you have plenty of time to straighten it out before September.

 

And please use the official Australian government site which I provided in Post #5 and not some 3rd party site like the one mentioned in Post #19 . The official Australian government site is required to protect your personal information. Third party sites are not.

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I used the EasyETA.com website and got approval within 12 hours. It was only US $10. The site seemed very solid and I liked the way it worked.

 

And you were happy to provide all your personal data to a non government entity that is not bound by the Privacy Act ? Very silly.

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And please use the official Australian government site which I provided in Post #5 and not some 3rd party site like the one mentioned in Post #19 . The official Australian government site is required to protect your personal information. Third party sites are not.

 

Will do. Thanks!

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  • 3 months later...

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