NEW DELHI: Indians will be able to lodge Visitor visa applications online for Australia from July 1, Acting Australian High Commissioner to India, Chris Elstoft said here today. The decision has been made by the Australian High Commission and Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
“Eligible Indian nationals can now apply online for a Visitor visa through the Department’s Immi Account portal,” Mr Elstoft said. “The online application option will make applying for Visitor visas easier and more convenient for Indian visitors to Australia,” the High Commissioner said. The online lodgement will offer benefits such as 24/7 accessibility, electronic payment of the visa application charge and the ability to check the status of applications lodged online.
”With the applicant’s permission, the online form can be completed by a third party such as a family member here or in Australia, a travel agent, or our contracted visa application centre, VFS,” he said. “Processing times for these visas will now be faster, as both applications and supporting documentation are immediately available to the processing office,” he said.
“This is a good news for every Indian visitor to Australia, whether they are travelling for business or pleasure,” he added. With a facility to check the status of an application online, as soon as it is finalised, will allow Indian applicants to finalise their travel arrangements as soon as possible, confident that they have first obtained the necessary visa for their visit.
“With the rising popularity of Australia as a holiday destination, there has been a significant rise in demand for Australian visas in India,” Mr Elstoft said. “There were more than 265,000 Indian visitor arrivals from July-Mar 2017, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to the same period last year,” he added. (AGENCIES)a
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