Visa options for Conferences, Congresses, Trade Fairs, Seminars or Expos
All visitors to Australia must have a valid visa to travel to and enter Australia (other than New Zealand passport holders who will normally be granted a Special Category visa on arrival, provided they meet health and character requirements; and permanent residents of Norfolk Island who may be granted a Permanent Resident of Norfolk Island visa on arrival).
If you are planning to visit Australia for a business event such as a conference, trade fair, seminar or expo, there may be different visa options available to you. The appropriate visa will depend, amongst other things, on your purpose for visiting Australia.
To explore visa options and get information on visa’s appropriate for you, visit the Department of Home Affairs website and answer a few short questions.
Visa Options
The most common Visa’s that may be recommended to you for short travel to Australia to attend a conference or congress are:
1. ETA (601)
■ Online Application Process
■ Quick
Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds. The ETA is a quick, online, charge free process, but incurs a AUD$20 service provider charge, and/or a further charge if applied for through a travel agency, airline agency or specialist service provider. Further information on the ETA can be found on the website.
2. eVisitor (651)
■ Online Application Process
■ Quick
■ One working day processing time
■ No Application charge or service fee
Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds. The eVisitor visa is an online visa process, with a one working day processing time for low risk applications. There is no visa application charge or service fee. Further information on the eVisitor visa, including how to apply online, can be found on the website.
3. Visitor Visa (subclass 600) in the Business Visitor stream
■ Online or Paper application Process
Passport holders who are not eligible to apply for an eVisitor or an ETA should apply for a Visitor Visa (subclass 600) in the Business Visitor Stream.
■ Online application process
■ Application fee of $140 AUD
Further information on the Subclass 600 Visa can be found on the website.
Image courtesy of Tristan Schmurr
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