Australia visa status check now available online

We have launched an Australian visa status check service. For A$10 anyone can check the status of an Australian visa using the passport details at http://bit.ly/12sKzQ5

We expect Australian Employers checking on potential employees work visa status will be the primary users of the service, but also those with the right to work in Australia will be able to get confirmation of these work rights when applying for jobs. Employers often find it a problem to confirm visa conditions and exclude applicants if they think they may run into problems with the Department of Immigration. By including confirmation of the right to work in Australia, applicants will find they are far more likely to have their application considered.

We are able to confirm the status of Australian visas through the Department of Immigration’s electronic visa system. The confirmation that we send will include the class of visa, the visa validity dates, conditions attached to the visa and the stay period in Australia.

It is sometimes possible to confirm the status of an Australian visa for free on the Immigration website at: www.immi.gov.au You may be asked for a Transaction Reference Number (TRN) which is issued when you applied, but most visa holders will not have a TRN as they did not apply online or have lost it. If you are unable to have your visa confirmed on the Immigration website, then we can use our access into the system to confirm the visa without the TRN number. Our Australia visa status check service can be found at: http://bit.ly/12sKzQ5

We are determined to improve the service as we progress and if you have any feedback on our service please email us at status@australianonlinevisas.com

 

 

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Australian ETA visas for Singapore citizens

Recent changes to Australia’s online ETA visa system have been causing problems for travel agents processing the 3 month visas to Australia from Singapore. The changes were outlined in rather hurried website changes:

The important thing for Singaporean citizens is that an ETA visa is still required for travelling to Australia. The Australian ETA visa allows:

• a stay for up to 3 months in Australia
• is valid for travel anytime within 12 months of being issued
• is still not free but is available online for Sgd$12 per visa

The purpose of the changes is to ensure business travelers are complying with the requirements of the ETA visa. Conference attendees and business trips for negotiations and exploring opportunities are still eligible for the online Australian ETA visa. But business travelers undertaking short term assignments are now required to apply for the Temporary work (short stay activity) visa (subclass 400) visa. This new visa class costs A$145 per visa and it is very unclear how onerous the requirements for this visa will be.

The practical effect of the changes is that an applicants address, phone number and any other citizenship information is now being collected. Unfortunately the hurried manner in which these changes have been implemented has left a lack of training material and many travel agents are now unable to process the ETA for clients in Singapore.

If you need an Australian ETA visa, make sure you are not paying more than Sgd$12. You can apply online here. There are a number of providers of the service charging between A$20 and US$45 per visa and they are taking advantage of Singaporean travelers.