AUSTRALIA
Making a Visa Application How to make an application for a visa
Visa subclass
First make sure that the visa subclass you are applying for is the correct one which suits your purpose. Click on the following links for further information: 1 Visiting Australia 2 Studying in Australia 3 Temporary Residence (Business Purposes) 4 Temporary Residence (Social/Cultural Purposes) 5 Migrating to Australia 6 Residents Returning to Australia 7 Australian Citizenship
Forms
• You can obtain an application form online. You can also write to us with your request or ask at a TT Services collection centre. • Application forms for permanent migration visas are contained in information booklets which can be purchased from DIAC or downloaded for free. • Application forms for temporary visa classes are also available from some agents. DIAC does not endorse the services of any particular agent who holds visa application forms. See: Forms and booklets
Lodgement
TT Services has been appointed to collect visa applications on behalf of the Australian Government Visa Office in New Delhi. All visa applications from all states in India and Nepal should be lodged at TT Services collection centres. Applicants who have been granted a visa by a processing centre in Australia and advised to submit their passports for insertion of a visa label should also lodge their passports at the TT Services collection centres.
TT Services collection centres are open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday. The opening hours for TT Services will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday with effect from 5 February 2007. A TT Services fee will be charged for each application or passport submitted. See: Addresses of TT Services collection centres Applicants who lodged their visa applications through TTServices may track the processing of their application on-line. Please log on to http://www.ttsaustraliavisas.com Some applications must be lodged online or by mail to processing centres in Australia. These include: 1 business skills migration applications ; 2 points tested skilled migration applications ; 3 family migration applications ; 4 special migration applications ; 5 distinguished talent visa applications ; 6 entertainment (temporary residence) visa applications ; 7 special program (temporary residence) visa applications ; 8 medical practitioner (temporary residence) visa applications ; 9 temporary business (long stay) visa applications ; and 10 sponsored business visitor (short stay) visa applications . DIAC‟s Visa Office processes the following applications from applicants in India, Nepal and Bhutan: 1 all humanitarian permanent entry applications and family migration applications (except for parent migration applications); 2 student visa applications; 3 visitor visa applications; 4 social/cultural temporary residence visa applications (except for medical practitioner, entertainment and special program visa applications); (How to apply for a Social/Cultural Temporary Residence Visa) and 5 applications for registration of citizenship by descent.
How to pay fees and charges
Please pay in the form of a single demand draft for Indian Rupees, made payable to the „Australian High Commission, New Delhi‟. See: Charges applicable to your visa application A TT Services fee will also be charged for each application lodged through a TT Services collection centre. This should be paid by a bank draft in Indian Rupees made payable to “TT Services”. See: TTS service Charges Please note that fees and charges are non-refundable, even if applications are withdrawn or refused.
Processing times
See: Information regarding processing times
Important information
1 You will need to provide a valid passport with 2 unused visa pages. Please note that we do not put visa labels on additional pages (inserts). If you have no more unused pages you should obtain a new passport or an additional booklet. 2 You will need to provide one or more recent passport-style photographs as indicated on your visa application form. 3 You should provide all relevant information and documents together with the application. Incomplete applications take longer to process and may be refused because of lack of evidence. It is the applicant‟s responsibility to provide all relevant documentary evidence. The Visa Offices cannot ring contacts or obtain documents for you. 4 All documents not in English must be translated.
Health requirements
All applicants for a visa to Australia must meet health requirements. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on the type of visa applied for and the intended duration of stay. In some cases we will request a declaration of good health by the applicant. Other applicants will be required to undergo medical screening including a chest x-ray. See: Further information on meeting health requirements
Inquiries
Comprehensive information for all types of visas is available from the main DIAC website, this website and the Visa Office in New Delhi. You should obtain and read this
carefully before applying. The Visa Office is not able to provide personal counselling to individuals about their prospects for obtaining a visa. See: Main DIAC website Please keep your contact with the case officer or section processing your application to a minimum, to allow processing of your own and other applications to proceed as quickly as possible. Email is the preferred method for essential inquiries to the Visa Office. For queries related to Visitor visa, email: India-visitor.visas@dfat.gov.au For queries related to Business visa, email: India-business.visas@dfat.gov.au For queries related to Temporary Residence visa, email: India.tempres@dfat.gov.au For queries related to Student visa, email: India.students@dfat.gov.au For queries related to Migration visa, email: India-migration.visas@dfat.gov.au For queries related to Refugee and Humanitarian visa, email: India.RefHumVisas@dfat.gov.au For general queries, email: immigration.india@dfat.gov.au
Australian privacy legislation generally prevents the Visa Office from disclosing information about visa applications to anyone other than the applicant. If you contact the Visa Office to inquire on behalf of an applicant about their visa application, it will not be able to provide you with any information unless the applicant has provided the Visa Office with written authorisation to release information to you. Application forms include a section where applicants may authorise a person to act and receive communication on their behalf.
Return of documents/passports
Where applications are lodged through a TT Services collection centre, documents and passports will be returned to the applicant by courier. Courier charges are included in the TT Services fee which is paid when applications are lodged. Please note that the Visa Office requires a street address in order to return your passport. Passports cannot be returned by speed or registered post, or courier to a Post Office box.
Information for agents
Client service
The DIAC Client Service Charter sets out the standard of service you can expect from us and also advises on how you can help us to serve you better. See: DIAC Client Service Charter
Your personal information
The Visa Office is bound by strict privacy legislation which protects the confidentiality of the information you provide to us. Additional information about the information we may collect and how your privacy is protected is available from the main Immigration website. See: Safeguarding your personal information See: Your personal identifying information
Employment in Australia
See: Information regarding employment in Australia
Warning!
Australia has severe penalties for those who break immigration law. It is an offence under Australian immigration law to provide false documents or make misleading statements in a visa application. Your application will be refused and in addition you may be barred by law from being granted a visa for 1 to 3 years or permanently excluded from Australia. You are strongly advised not to listen to people who tell you that they can „arrange‟ a visa for a sum of money. Information and assistance are available from the Visa Office for those who intend to obtain their visa legally and abide by the conditions laid down in Australian law. Please ensure that you obtain an official receipt for any money you pay for a visa or visa-related services. Please also note that anyone providing false or misleading information with an intent to deceive an official into granting a visa fraudulently is breaking Indian law and is liable to be detained by Indian law enforcement agents. A number of offenders have already been detained under these provisions. If you have information regarding suspected immigration fraud please contact the Visa
Office in New Delhi or email to us at Compliance-NDLI@dfat.gov.au
Processing Times
Visitor and Temporary Residence applications
Processing times vary according to workload and season. Delays may occur where: 1 the application form is not properly completed; 2 all the requested documents are not submitted; 3 medical examinations are required or referred to Australia for clearance; 4 applicants are requested to provide further documentation or attend an interview; or 5 you have previously been refused a visa. Although a personal interview is not generally required, it may be required in some cases and you will be advised if and when to attend for interview.
Transit
Most transit visa applications can be processed in 3 days. However it is advisable to lodge your application 3 weeks before you intend to travel.
Visitor
Most stay visitor visa applications can be processed in 3 days. However it is advisable to lodge your application 3 weeks before you intend to travel.
Short-Stay Business
Usually complete applications can be processed in 3 days. However it is advisable to lodge your application 3 weeks before you intend to travel.
Long-Stay Business
The average processing time is 2 months. However it is advisable to lodge your application 3 months before you intend to travel.
Temporary Residence – Religious Worker
Most applications are finalised within 2 months. However, it is advisable to lodge your application 3 months before you intend to travel.
Other Social/Cultural Temporary Residence
Most applications are finalised within 2 weeks. However, it is advisable to lodge your application 3 weeks before you intend to travel.
Student applications
Student applicants should lodge applications 3 months before the course commencement date but no less than 8 weeks before the course commencement date. Some applications take longer to process. Students may be asked to undertake further medicals and some delays may be experienced due to the need to verify bank or educational documents. Nepalese and Bhutanese applicants need to take into account the time taken for documents and letters to be sent and received by the visa office.
Migration applications
Processing times for migration applications are affected by a number of factors including: 1 the completeness of the application – incomplete applications take longer to process as an assessment cannot be made until all relevant documents are received by the visa office; 2 the promptness of the applicant in responding to the visa officer‟s request for further documentation or information; 3 capping, queuing and priority processing of some types of visa; and 4 the workload of the visa office. Therefore the processing times listed below are notional only. They do not apply where applications are lodged incomplete, where an applicant chooses to wait until he/she can be interviewed in his/her own region, where there are medical problems to be resolved, or where caps have been reached: 1 Child (subclass 101) or Adoption (subclass 102): 4 to 6 months 2 Orphan Relative (subclass 117): 6 to 9 months 3 Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) or Spouse (subclass 309): 6 to 9 months 4 Preferential family including Remaining Relative, Carer and Aged Dependent Relative (subclasses 114-116): Given the existence of capping & queuing in this subclass, it is not possible to provide an estimate time frame 5 Skilled Migration under a Labour Agreement, an Employer Nomination or the Regional
Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclasses 119-121): 4 to 5 months 6 Special Migration as a Distinguished Talent (subclass 124): 4 to 5 months
Resident Return visa
The average processing time for a resident return visa is 1 to 2 weeks, if all documentation required is lodged with the application. In some instances, it may be necessary to seek additional information.
Registration of Australian Citizenship
The average processing time for applications for registration of Australian citizenship by descent is 1 week if all documentation required is lodged with the application. In some instances, it may be necessary to seek additional information.
Re-evidencing of visa
The average processing time for re-evidencing of a visa is 2 to 3 days if all documentation required is lodged with the request.