Visitor Visa Options For Australia During COVID-19

Australia currently has one of the strictest border policies in the World due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This has kept Australians safe but it has also kept many families apart. Click here to read more about the travel exemption requirements. So what are the visitor visa options for those who are eligible for an exemption to enter Australia?

Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

An ETA is normally available to passport holders from 33 different countries, however due to the COVID-19 Pandemic it’s currently not possible to apply for an ETA online.

The Department of Home Affairs are currently trialing the AustralianETA app (available through the Apple App Store and Google Play), which allows passport hodlers from the following countries to apply for an ETA:

  • Brunei – Darussalam

  • Canada

  • Hong Kong (SAR PRC)

  • Japan

  • Malaysia

  • Singapore

  • Korea, Rep of (South)

  • United States

ETA processing times are very quick, so this is the best option for anyone holding a passport from any of the above countries.

At this stage we have no idication as to when the ETA will become available to apply for online again, we also don’t know if more countries will be added to the AustralianETA app.

Subclass 651 eVisitor Visa

An eVisitor Visa is available to passport holders from any of the following countries:

  • Austria

  • Belgium

  • Bulgaria

  • Croatia

  • Cyprus

  • Czech Republic

  • Denmark

  • Estonia

  • Finland

  • France

  • Germany

  • Greece

  • Hungary

  • Iceland

  • Ireland

  • Italy

  • Latvia

  • Liechtenstein

  • Lithuania

  • Luxembourg

  • Malta

  • Monaco

  • The Netherlands

  • Norway

  • Poland

  • Portugal

  • Romania

  • Republic of San Marino

  • Slovak Republic

  • Slovenia

  • Spain

  • Sweden

  • Switzerland

  • United Kingdom – British Citizen

  • Vatican City

Applications can be made online and the current processing time is between 4 days and 4 months.

Subclass 600 Visitor Visa

The subclass 600 Visitor Visa is available to passport holders from any country and can be applied for online. The biggest challenge with this visa is meeting the genuine temporary entry requirement where the applicant needs to convince a case officer that they intend returning to their country of origin. Evidence of long term employment, assets and family in country of origin are helpful in meeting the genuine temporary entry requirement.

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About the author

Nick Hansen

Nick has been a Registered Migration Agent since 2016 when he founded Hansen Migration. Since then he has helped many migrants obtain permanent residency in Australia and Australian citizenship.

Download Your Free Family Visa Handbook

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If you’ve still got questions after reading it, don’t stress – we can help. Book a free consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agents today.

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