Visa requirements
Anyone who wishes to visit Australia requires a valid legal
document from the government, called visa. There are
different types of visas which are granted to meet
individual requirements. The grant of a specific visa
depends upon the qualifying criteria which individuals have
to satisfy. There are exceptions to this rule. In case of
Citizens of Papua New Guinea who live in the Torres Strait
the requirement of visa is waived. Individuals who are
citizens of New Zealand enjoy a special status and can
travel, live and work in Australia on special category visa
which is automatically issued. They therefore need not apply
for a visa. However there are some exceptions. New Zealand
citizens are therefore advised to clarify and enquire about
visa restrictions which are applicable to them before
leaving for Australia.
Citizens of all other nation are required to hold a valid
visa while visiting, staying, studying or working in
Australia. Each category of applicant is issued with visa
pertaining to his or her specific circumstances. One must
therefore ensure that they apply for the right visa before
travelling to Australia. For example, a person visiting
Australia for a holiday must be in possession of a visitor
visa. On the other hand a business visitor would require a
Business visitor visa. Those wishing to mix business with
pleasure may have to judiciously apply for a visa since they
would be visiting Australia as a tourist as well as a
businessman. Sometimes the exact criteria for applying for a
visa may be difficult to ascertain. It is always advisable
to approach a professional team of experts who specialise in
visa application and processing. There are some visas which
must be applied for while residing within the country.
Visas can be classified under four different categories. In
cases where citizens of other countries wish to settle down
permanently in Australia, they must apply for a Permanent
visa. Those visiting Australia on a temporary basis as
businessmen or tourists can apply for a temporary visa which
is valid for a short duration. The third type of visa is
called ‘Protection Visa’ since this is issued to people who
enjoy refugee status. These three categories of visas are
termed as substantive visas. The last category is called a
‘Bridging visa’. This visa is usually granted for those
visitors who are already residing inside the country.
Generally these visas are issued to people who are awaiting
a substantive visa. For example, a person on a temporary
visa may get married to an Australian citizen thus entitling
him to a substantive visa. During the time of pendency, the
individual may be issued a ‘Bridging visa’ in order to
entitle him to a legal stay in the country.
All visitors to Australia must be in possession of a valid
visa. To avoid unnecessary paper work and ensure speedy and
efficient processing of visas, Australian Department of
Immigration and citizenship has advanced information
technology tools in place. Visitors are issued with an
electronic visa and they only need to remember their visa
grant number. This also ensures that the Department captures
the latest information regarding the location and movement
of visitors.
The place from which a visitor applies for a visa is
important. In order to avoid disappointment due to
invalidation , applicants should ensure that they apply for
the visa from the designated place, either from inside or
outside Australia.
Can a person on visitor visa extend his stay in
Australia?
This is a tricky question. While some categories of people
can get their visa extended due to extenuating
circumstances, there is a possibility that a visa is not
granted extension. One must carefully examine their visa to
ensure that they have not been issued a “no further stay”
condition. Individuals are under the erroneous impression
that all visas are regularly extended and they could get the
same done when inside Australia. This impression is created
because they may have heard of someone who has been granted
an extension. This may not be the case when no further stay
condition applies to some individuals.
In some exceptional cases even ‘no further stay’ condition
may be waived. In such cases one must be able to
conclusively prove that they have sufficient mitigating
circumstances or situations which have developed
dramatically since the issuance of their original visa .
Compassionate grounds may be cited though they are
considered only in the rarest cases.