Do you get intimidated processing tourist visas so you resort to commissioning a travel agency to process it for you? Do you then regret getting an external assistance when you finally see the bill?
Well, in this day and age, anything can be done in just a click of a button. I want to share with you how my family and I was able to acquire a multiple entry with one (1) year validity tourist visa without having to go through an agency.
First, you must have a computer (no, not a tablet or a mobile phone). Of course, there must be a stable internet connection as you will need to do these things online.
Second, you have to have a soft copy (scanned copy) of all the documents you need to proceed with the application.
Lastly, you must have sufficient funds to pay the application fees. It is best if you also have a PayPal account if you do not have a credit card to facilitate a secured payment.
Are you ready to travel down under?
But before I list down the steps, I need to explain to you the Visa Type that you need and what are the basic eligibility requirements to ensure that your visa will be granted 100%. This is also to avoid losing your money in case of declination of your Visa Application.
If you just want to vacation in Australia, you would want to apply for a TOURIST STREAM VISA (Subclass 600). The basic eligibility includes:
1.) Be a Genuine Visitor, and
2.) Have enough funds to support your visit and leave
Cost per person: $145.00AUD (Php5,030.00*)
*Depending on the forex
Stay Conditions: Validity may be 3, 6, or 12 months (longer for parents of Australian Citizens)
Processing Time: 75% of applications are approved within 18 business days, while 90% of the applications are approved within 27 business days.
Conditions:
1.) This visa will not allow you to work while in Australia
2.) If you intend to study, you have a maximum of 3 months
3.) You have to have a travel insurance to cover for any expense related to your travel
4.) You cannot extend your stay while in Australia
5.) You must leave Australia before the expiry of your visa
6.) You must be a non-resident (apply from outside Australia)
Now that you know the details, you need to ensure the following before processing the Visa Application:
1.) You have a valid Passport (valid means the passport will not expire in the next 6 months after lodging your application) If you are a frequent traveler, aside from scanning the front page of your passport, you should also scan the pages where there are stamps/visas as proof of your travels.
2.) You have a Travel Itinerary (both daily itinerary or schedule of your activities while in Australia and your Trip Itinerary from the airline in which you booked your flight) Note that sometimes, because seat sale is a thing in the Philippines, advanced purchases of plane tickets are being done. You have to ensure that if you will book a ticket, you have more than enough time (preferably half a year) to process and/or re-process your visa application).
3.) You have a scanned copy of these documents:
3.a.) Government IDs (aside from your passport)
3.b.) Marriage Certificate (if couples will be travelling)
3.c.) Birth Certificate (if travelling with children*)
3.d.) Pay Slips
3.e.) Certificate of Employment
3.f.) Income Tax Return (ITR)
3.g.) Bank Certificates (if you have a savings or current account, time deposits, etc.)
3.h.) Land Titles (to support your financial capability and to prove that you are returning to your homeland)
3.i) if you have a relative in Australia, you can ask them for an Invitation Letter
4.) Recent Photo ID of all applicants. You must follow the guidelines set by Australia for this. Use this link to check if you comply.
*All documents that you need to submit must also be done for each of your children. If you will travel alone (excluding your partner) and you will bring with you your child/ren, you have to secure a signed consent from your partner allowing you to bring your child to Australia. (form is available here and here.)
If you have secured all the above, you may start to process your online application as follows:
1.) CREATE AN IMMI ACCOUNT (click here)
Don't be intimidated when creating an account. Just follow the step by step process and you should be fine.
Just make sure to read the questions properly. The "INFORMATION BUTTON" symbolized by a question mark (?) can further help you define the information they need.
Another important aspect is to ensure that the data that you input in the application form is TRUE and CORRECT. As this may impact the result of your application.
After Successful Log In Creation, you need to:
a.) Select "NEW APPLICATION"
b.) From the drop down list, choose the correct visa type
c.) Read and Agree with the Terms and Conditions
2.) ATTACH THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED.
Remember the list I gave above? I told you it would come very handy if these are all pre-scanned and prepared.
When attaching documents, you are also required to put a "title" of the file you are attaching, this is required to ensure that the processor of your application can easily identify the documents you are submitting.
It is important to SEPARATE the uploading of the documents per applicant. You want to maintain the allowable file size and you also want to make sure that the document is associated with the right applicant.
3.) SUBMIT FAMILY APPLICATIONS TOGETHER
This portion is self-explanatory, you just need to make sure to click "add" or otherwise the plus "+" sign when attaching your partner and your child/ren's requirements.
4.) PAY
Unless you pay your application, assessment and processing of your visa application will not proceed. They accept the following payment channels, but with a corresponding surcharge:
4.1.) Credit Card
a.) Visa / Mastercard - 1.32%
b.) American Express/ AMEX - 1.40%
c.) Diners Club - 1.99%
d.) JCB - 1.40%
4.2.) PayPal (you can sign up for a PayPal Account here, all you have to do is to enroll your debit card) - 1%
4.3) Union Pay - 1.99%
4.4) BPAY - ONLY if you have an AUSTRALIAN bank account.
Then, the waiting game begins.
Since you have given the correct information where they can contact you (email or mobile number) wait for atleast 18-20 business days. It is best if you can, from time to time, log into your Immi Account to check if they have updated the status. If they did, they would normally email you at the same time.
The following statuses are made available to you:
Once GRANTED, all you need to do is to print out the VISA GRANT FORM (either through the website or emailed to your account) and keep it until your travel date. You need to present this at the immigration from the Airport of Origin to the Airport of Destination.
If you applied via an agency, your passport would normally have a VISA pasted on the pages of your passport, this online application will not have this. The VISA GRANT Letter would suffice. (So, DO NOT make a mistake of not printing this out and bringing it with you on the date of your departure.)
Well you guys, it is as simple as that! On the 14th day from the start of my application, I received a call from the Australian Embassy in the Philippines verifying my family application and was informed to expect the GRANT LETTER in a few days.
I can still remember the feeling anxious while waiting for the result and the extreme delight when I finally printed out the Grant!
Australia is truly one of those countries who makes it easy for the visitors/ tourist stream to come and visit at the most cost-efficient way possible!
Let me know if you had any issues, or if you are successful in your application, I'd love to hear from you!
Well, in this day and age, anything can be done in just a click of a button. I want to share with you how my family and I was able to acquire a multiple entry with one (1) year validity tourist visa without having to go through an agency.
First, you must have a computer (no, not a tablet or a mobile phone). Of course, there must be a stable internet connection as you will need to do these things online.
Second, you have to have a soft copy (scanned copy) of all the documents you need to proceed with the application.
Lastly, you must have sufficient funds to pay the application fees. It is best if you also have a PayPal account if you do not have a credit card to facilitate a secured payment.
Are you ready to travel down under?
But before I list down the steps, I need to explain to you the Visa Type that you need and what are the basic eligibility requirements to ensure that your visa will be granted 100%. This is also to avoid losing your money in case of declination of your Visa Application.
If you just want to vacation in Australia, you would want to apply for a TOURIST STREAM VISA (Subclass 600). The basic eligibility includes:
1.) Be a Genuine Visitor, and
2.) Have enough funds to support your visit and leave
Cost per person: $145.00AUD (Php5,030.00*)
*Depending on the forex
Stay Conditions: Validity may be 3, 6, or 12 months (longer for parents of Australian Citizens)
Processing Time: 75% of applications are approved within 18 business days, while 90% of the applications are approved within 27 business days.
Conditions:
1.) This visa will not allow you to work while in Australia
2.) If you intend to study, you have a maximum of 3 months
3.) You have to have a travel insurance to cover for any expense related to your travel
4.) You cannot extend your stay while in Australia
5.) You must leave Australia before the expiry of your visa
6.) You must be a non-resident (apply from outside Australia)
Now that you know the details, you need to ensure the following before processing the Visa Application:
1.) You have a valid Passport (valid means the passport will not expire in the next 6 months after lodging your application) If you are a frequent traveler, aside from scanning the front page of your passport, you should also scan the pages where there are stamps/visas as proof of your travels.
2.) You have a Travel Itinerary (both daily itinerary or schedule of your activities while in Australia and your Trip Itinerary from the airline in which you booked your flight) Note that sometimes, because seat sale is a thing in the Philippines, advanced purchases of plane tickets are being done. You have to ensure that if you will book a ticket, you have more than enough time (preferably half a year) to process and/or re-process your visa application).
3.) You have a scanned copy of these documents:
3.a.) Government IDs (aside from your passport)
3.b.) Marriage Certificate (if couples will be travelling)
3.c.) Birth Certificate (if travelling with children*)
3.d.) Pay Slips
3.e.) Certificate of Employment
3.f.) Income Tax Return (ITR)
3.g.) Bank Certificates (if you have a savings or current account, time deposits, etc.)
3.h.) Land Titles (to support your financial capability and to prove that you are returning to your homeland)
3.i) if you have a relative in Australia, you can ask them for an Invitation Letter
4.) Recent Photo ID of all applicants. You must follow the guidelines set by Australia for this. Use this link to check if you comply.
*All documents that you need to submit must also be done for each of your children. If you will travel alone (excluding your partner) and you will bring with you your child/ren, you have to secure a signed consent from your partner allowing you to bring your child to Australia. (form is available here and here.)
If you have secured all the above, you may start to process your online application as follows:
1.) CREATE AN IMMI ACCOUNT (click here)
Don't be intimidated when creating an account. Just follow the step by step process and you should be fine.
Just make sure to read the questions properly. The "INFORMATION BUTTON" symbolized by a question mark (?) can further help you define the information they need.
Another important aspect is to ensure that the data that you input in the application form is TRUE and CORRECT. As this may impact the result of your application.
After Successful Log In Creation, you need to:
a.) Select "NEW APPLICATION"
b.) From the drop down list, choose the correct visa type
c.) Read and Agree with the Terms and Conditions
2.) ATTACH THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED.
Remember the list I gave above? I told you it would come very handy if these are all pre-scanned and prepared.
When attaching documents, you are also required to put a "title" of the file you are attaching, this is required to ensure that the processor of your application can easily identify the documents you are submitting.
It is important to SEPARATE the uploading of the documents per applicant. You want to maintain the allowable file size and you also want to make sure that the document is associated with the right applicant.
3.) SUBMIT FAMILY APPLICATIONS TOGETHER
This portion is self-explanatory, you just need to make sure to click "add" or otherwise the plus "+" sign when attaching your partner and your child/ren's requirements.
4.) PAY
Unless you pay your application, assessment and processing of your visa application will not proceed. They accept the following payment channels, but with a corresponding surcharge:
4.1.) Credit Card
a.) Visa / Mastercard - 1.32%
b.) American Express/ AMEX - 1.40%
c.) Diners Club - 1.99%
d.) JCB - 1.40%
4.2.) PayPal (you can sign up for a PayPal Account here, all you have to do is to enroll your debit card) - 1%
4.3) Union Pay - 1.99%
4.4) BPAY - ONLY if you have an AUSTRALIAN bank account.
Then, the waiting game begins.
Since you have given the correct information where they can contact you (email or mobile number) wait for atleast 18-20 business days. It is best if you can, from time to time, log into your Immi Account to check if they have updated the status. If they did, they would normally email you at the same time.
The following statuses are made available to you:
- Incomplete means you have started but not completed an application.
- Ready to submit means you have completed an application and can submit.
- Submitted means you have submitted an application.
- Received means we have received an application from you and can assess it within the current processing times.
- Initial assessment means we are assessing your application.
- Further assessment means we are assessing the information we requested from you.
- Finalised means we have made a decision. We will notify you by email or post.
Once GRANTED, all you need to do is to print out the VISA GRANT FORM (either through the website or emailed to your account) and keep it until your travel date. You need to present this at the immigration from the Airport of Origin to the Airport of Destination.
If you applied via an agency, your passport would normally have a VISA pasted on the pages of your passport, this online application will not have this. The VISA GRANT Letter would suffice. (So, DO NOT make a mistake of not printing this out and bringing it with you on the date of your departure.)
Well you guys, it is as simple as that! On the 14th day from the start of my application, I received a call from the Australian Embassy in the Philippines verifying my family application and was informed to expect the GRANT LETTER in a few days.
I can still remember the feeling anxious while waiting for the result and the extreme delight when I finally printed out the Grant!
Australia is truly one of those countries who makes it easy for the visitors/ tourist stream to come and visit at the most cost-efficient way possible!
Let me know if you had any issues, or if you are successful in your application, I'd love to hear from you!
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