Visa is a legal document or certificate showing that a person is authorized to enter or leave the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The certificate or the stamp by the immigration officer confirms that the individual has been verified and has been allowed to stay in the particular country for the particular period of time. Most of the countries require a visa to know the background of a person who is applying for entry into a country. In the past, applying for the visa required lots of paperwork and time. After certain improvement of rules and regulations in 2008 traveling to Australia has become easier for the people worldwide.
Visa is considered as an entry ticket to a country which is mandatory irrespective of the nature of the visit. In Australia, the visa has legal categories as follow
a. Instant Tourist Visa
The instant visas are generally provided to visitors who bear the sole purpose of business or come as tourists. The tenure of the visa depends on the nature of the visit.
b. Transit Visa
These visas are provided to travelers that use Australia as a means of transit or in case of layover. It is generally permitted for the duration of only 72 hours.
c. Working Holiday Visas
These visas are meant for people within the age of 18 to 30 years, who wish to travel as well as work in Australia for a year.
d. Business Visas
They are provided to people with established businesses in Australia or people who are sponsored with the purpose of conducting business operations in Australia.
e. Student Visas
The student visa is permitted to a traveling student after a thorough and detailed analysis of the concerned student’s course to study and financial backing. The visa is classified according to the nature of the study.
f. Skilled Migration
These visas are permanent migration permit which allows foreign nationals to migrate to Australia.
The visa is granted after a diligent evaluation of the Australian Visa Application of the individual. The online process of applying Visa is simple and doesn’t require much time. The individual should own a valid passport with the validity of a minimum of 6 months before applying for the visa. You can apply for the Australian ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) over the internet. It is the simplest visa and is issued for no longer than three months. The online visa application process will require you to fill the visa application form that is available on the Australian visa website. Select the type of visa depending on the nature of your visit and thereafter filling the application form with the correct details, you will need to attach few documents, which will include your photographs, covering letter mentioning details of applicants, passport details, travel details and who will bear expenses details, Identity cards, and other financial details. After submitting the form along with the required documents, you will have to make the payment using your credit card or PayPal account. The payment confirmation email will be sent to your email id and the visa will be provided.
There are various agencies which help individuals and legal entities with their administrative travel paperwork required for the visa.
Author, Freelance writer