Last year, I had an opportunity to visit Australia. Since then, I’ve had a couple of Filipino friends approach me to ask for help and advice on how to apply for the Tourist Visa, and I’m happy to say that both of them have successfully secured the visa they need. On that note, I’d like to share the little information I know, based on my experience, so I can help as many traveling Filipinos as possible to see the beauty of Australia.
A caveat though, I am not a visa expert nor affiliated with any tour agencies. The information I will share is purely based on my experience.
Note that there are 2 ways to apply for a visa in Australia: Paper application thru visa application centres such as VFSGlobal, or Online application thru the Australian Embassy in the Philippines. I submitted mine online, which I found very convenient and fast.
I will be sharing the steps to doing the online application here. So, let’s get on to it.
First Step:
Determine what type of visa applies to you. You can find the list of visas on Australian embassy’s website: Australian Embassy
To make this easier for you, the visa you will need to apply for, if you are going there for a short holiday visit or family visit, is the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600).
Second Step:
Prepare the required docs. You will find the list of required docs here: Requirements
The docs that you need to submit depends on your circumstances. You have to submit as many supporting docs as you can to establish your rootedness in the Philippines. In my case, I submitted the following:
– Certified true copy of the biographical page of passport
– Recent passport-sized photo (45mm x 35mm)
– Certified true copy of birth certificate
– Certified true copy of marriage certificate
– Evidence of sufficient funds (bank certificate, 6 months’ bank statements, 6 months payslips)
– Itinerary of your trip, hotel booking confirmation
– Employment details (employment certificate, ITR if applicable, approved letter of leave of absence/evidence of approved holiday)
– Other evidence of rootedness in the Phils (family pictures, pictures of travels, evidence of property ownership or assets such as House/Land title, Car registration and official receipt, certificate of loans/amortizations, bonds, etc)
– Evidence of travels (copies of passport pages with travel stamps, visas to other countries, and travel photos)
If you are currently enrolled as a student, add the following:
– Evidence of enrolment in school/university
If a friend or a family in Australia is sponsoring your trip, add the following:
– Sponsor’s bank certificate
– Sponsor’s identification papers such as passport, citizenship papers, or birth certificate
– Evidence of property ownership or tenancy contract if renting.
If you intend to stay longer than 6 months, you will need to submit a medical certificate from a partner healthcare provider.
Scan these docs as you will be uploading them on the online visa application website.
Third Step:
Create an Immi Account on the Australian Border Protection website. Click here to create an account: Immi Account
Fourth Step:
Fill in the online application form.
Fifth Step:
Pay the visa fee online using your credit card. The current visa fee is $140. Note that this may change so check the website at the time of your application.
Sixth Step:
Upload the required docs you scanned.
Seventh Step:
Review your application and submitted docs. If everything is ok, click Submit.
You will be given a reference number for your application. You can check the status of your application by logging on to your account.
The consul who will be reviewing your application may or may not call you for an interview or clarification regarding submitted details. In my case, the consul phoned me to ask if I would be willing to accept a single entry as he does not want to give me a multiple visa that time. I said it was fine, so after the call, I received an email with my electronic visa. Processing time may vary. It can take as short as 3 days or as long as a month. So, you have to be patient. I received my visa in just 3 days.
Note that the Australian visa is electronic. Don’t expect a paper copy on your passport. You may print the visa, however, and present it to the immigration officer upon arrival in Australia, if asked for it.
So, there you are folks! Good luck and enjoy your trip to the land down under.
If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment below. If you find this useful, I will appreciate a like, a comment, and a share.
I’ve also written about how to apply for a Japan tourist visa. Please visit this link to read about it: Japan Visa Renewal
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram: @p1nkshatterday to see my travel pics!
Safe and happy travels, traveleras! Xoxo