Would you like to visit Australia, the land down under? The Australians are well known for their laid back, friendly nature. It is no wonder that so many people want to visit there. But in order to visit Australia, you will need to get a tourist visa. A tourist visa for Australia is meant for anyone who will be visiting Australia for the purpose of sight seeing, visiting friends or relatives or any other short term non-working visits.
An Australian tourist visa is also known as an ETA. An ETA is an Electronic Travel Authority and is a very advanced visa system. An ETA allows people from 33 different countries to apply for their visa by simply booking their travel arrangements for their trip to Australia. Virtually all major travel agencies are connected to the ETA system and your visa will be approved at the time you book. Some of the countries included on the Australian ETA eligible list are the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan and Germany. A complete list is available at the Australian Immigration website.
If you qualify for an ETA, you are permitted to stay three months from the most recent arrival in Australia. Once that time is up, you must either apply for a visa extension or leave the country. If you overstay your visa without applying for an extension, you are running the risk of being deported and even to be denied a visa to return to Australia for up to three years.
So, really, applying for an Australian tourist visa is very easy if you live in an ETA eligible country. If you do not, just visit the Australian Immigration website to download an application form.