subject: ETA visa application [print this page] Those thinking of going for a vacation would definitely want to do away with all the hassle of lining up in the embassy to get an Australian visa. After all, you want to enjoy your vacation as much as possible, and you don't want to wait for long to travel. Luckily, the Australian ETA visa will be an easy ticket for that dream vacation. For those not yet aware, the ETA in the visa's name stands for Electronic Travel Authority. What the ETA visa is basically a visa type that can be applied for over the internet. This program was established in 1996 in order to free applicants of the difficulties encountered when applying for travel visas. The ETA visa is divided into a business visa and a visitor visa type. The business visa is intended for those people who are going on a purely business or a mixed business and vacation travel, while those planning to go for vacation purposes only can avail of the visitor visa. Also, for those people coming from European countries, the eVisitor visa is a special subclass of ETA visa for them. As have been mentioned, it is relatively easy to apply for an ETA visa. All you have to have is a valid passport. You then need to fill out an online application form which you can get from several websites offering electronic visa services. Also, many travel agencies and airlines are also accredited by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship to issue the visa, so you can easily get this while booking for your travel. You will only be required to pay a service charge of $20 in most cases. The visa is granted immediately upon application, unless some concerns arise, of which you might have to present yourself to the embassy in some cases. Once approved, an email will be sent to you, notifying that your visa has been granted. When you do travel, you only need to bring your passport to the immigration counter in the airport and the personnel will check the database to confirm that you indeed have an ETA visa. One important thing to note is that only certain countries are eligibble for ETA visa travel. Most of them are located in the western hemisphere. For a complete list of eligible countries, you can find them here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EVisitor#eVisitor). Also note that holders of British National (Overseas) passports, as well as New Zealand residents are not eligible to apply, but those coming from NZ are allowed to enter the country freely.
