Indians can now apply for visitor visa to Australia online

The Australian High Commission has announced that Indian nationals can now apply for a visitor visa online starting July 1, 2017.

The Acting Australian High Commissioner to India, Chris Elstoft, in a statement said that eligible Indian nationals can now apply online for a visitor visa through the department's Immi Account portal.

"The online application option will make applying for Visitor visas easier and more convenience for Indian visitors to Australia," Elstoft said.

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 contracted visa application centre.

"Processing times for these visas will now be faster as both applications and supporting documentation are immediately available to the processing office," Elstoft said.

He further added that "with the rising popularity of Australia as a holiday destination, there has been a significant rise in demand for Australian visas in India. 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".