Indians can apply online for visitor visa applications to Australia

Indians going to Australia can log online for Visitor visa applications from July 1, the Australian High Commission said in a statement.

Acting Australian High Commissioner to India, Chris Elstoft, said 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 convenient for Indian visitors to Australia," Elstoft said.

Online logging offers benefits such as 24/7 accessibility, electronic payment of the visa application charge and the ability to check the status of applications of logged online, the statement 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 our contracted visa application centre, VFS, it said.

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

"This is good news for every Indian visitor to Australia, whether they are travelling for business or pleasure."

"With the rising popularity of Australia as a holiday destination, there has been a significant rise in demand for Australian visas in India," 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.

--IANS

rn