Visa - who do you get it from and where do you get it?

[Keith1010]

Helen,

 

I hope that you all sail Australia. Australia and New Zealand are absolutely wonderful places to sail.

 

They are very much like the USA of the 1950's. Very safe.

 

Keith

[USN59-79]

Another way to get a visa is to use a local travel agent that does a lot of business with the country you will be visiting. We have used a Chinese travel agent in Seattle when we needed a China visa. Since they send a number of passports in every week to the consulate in San Francisco their costs and charge is less than using a visa service. Last time we used her she got us a 2-year visa rather than a one year one for the same price. I have heard that they now will issue a 10-year one and will look into that when ours expires.

[Keith1010]

We are only talking about an ETA.

 

You get it in minutes.

 

Don't need anyone to do this for yourself but just you.

 

If you can figure out how to post on CC, you can get an ETA.

 

As to a traditional visa I would use a Visa Service rather than a TA. Just my two cents.

 

Keith

[BrisbaneGran]

and of course this is all reciprocal, as Australians also have to get a "visa" to enter the USA.

[serendipity1499]

serendipity1499

As presented in previous posts, IF you are a US citizen with no special conditions, and are going to Australia as a tourist (like on a cruise ship or a few weeks of travel on your own or a tour, you do NOT have to deal with a consulate but rather one of the services authorized by the Australian government to issue the needed ETA (Note - this is NOT a Visa!).

 

I just obtained one the lazy way, my TA got it for me and it only cost $5 more than if I had done it myself. I have the receipt (with its number), there no other document issued - it is all in the Australian computer system that airlines and cruise lines can access. This is also how it has been for my last few trips to Australia.

 

Thanks for the info.. But if it's possible I actually would like to have a visa in my passport if the consulate will give me one.. If I ever go to Australia again, will check it out..

[Tights]

I was reading another thread about visas and thought I would ask the "experts" here who I know some of you have gotten visas before. How and where do you get visas? I noticed that Australia requires US citizens to get visas, does anyone know why? I understand Russia wanting US Citizens to get a visa, but Australia?

😘😒😒😒😒😒😒

 

Why not US requires Australians to do the same as well as being fingerprinted

Three times this visit.

Enjoy Oz

[ellieanne]

For the Russian Visa for my Baltic cruise, I went through the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC. I called them up and asked to how to apply for the visa and they were extremely helpful. I got the forms, with easy to follow instructions online and had no issues. My traveling companion's name was misspelled on the Visa (even though all they had to do was copy from the form), and because she lived in Baltimore at the time, she made arrangements to visit in person and have it corrected. That was done quickly and easily -- she had the copies of the forms to show that the error was theirs and not hers.

 

For my Australian ETA, my travel agent handled that as a part of my trip. But having applied for a Visa to immigrate to Australia, I know the Embassy staff is very helpful and will answer any and all questions you have.

 

I will offer this advice though, no matter what country you are traveling to: Even if your ETA is connected to your passport, PRINT THE APPROVAL DOCUMENT AND BRING IT WITH YOU. I have had issues with my passport being read electronically and it's so much easier to get through passport control if you have the paperwork with you.

[dockman]

I also have used this site twice and will use it again for my October 2016 trip.

 

 

Just got one today. Cost 9.95 and took about five mins to fill out the form. For nervous people they email you a confirmation but nothing goes into your passport...only into the airline and oz govt computers.

 

About as simple as it could possibly be. I do see some companies charge way more for the EXACT same thing.

[wander]

serendipity1499

I do understand you preference. It might mean that you have to apply for another type of entry rather than Tourist, or you can paste you ETA receipt in your passport yourself, (if that is legal). Just an alternative if all else fails.

[Hlitner]

My goodness, an American asks a simple question about an Australian Visa and we see posts about Russia, Argentina, etc. :) Only on CC. And what some others have posted is correct in that obtaining an Australia Visa is simply done online. A few clicks of the mouse (and a credit card) and you are all set.

 

Hank

[Tarpeian Rock]

Canada has to get visas for Australia as well and we are in the same commonwealth. Most countries with an embassy or consulate in your country also have a website. This should link you to those countries or you can google them directly. They have links to visa applications.

 

 

Interesting. Even more surprised that Commonwealth citizens require a visa. Before this thread I would have thought that citizens of current Commonwealth countries wouldn't have needed one, with U.S. citizens thrown in for old times' sake.

[chefestelle]

Interesting. Even more surprised that Commonwealth citizens require a visa. Before this thread I would have thought that citizens of current Commonwealth countries wouldn't have needed one, with U.S. citizens thrown in for old times' sake.

 

 

I even forgot to get one once (we go there a lot) and air canada check in fired it up for me. There was a fee but it was too small to remember

[Globaliser]

Even more surprised that Commonwealth citizens require a visa. Before this thread I would have thought that citizens of current Commonwealth countries wouldn't have needed one, with U.S. citizens thrown in for old times' sake.

Australia's policy is that everyone needs a visa (or, now, a visa-replacing document) except for citizens of Australia and New Zealand. It's been like this for decades.

[Globaliser]

But if it's possible I actually would like to have a visa in my passport if the consulate will give me one.. If I ever go to Australia again, will check it out..

You really do not need to have anything in your passport, and I don't know why you'd want to. The consulate will probably do everything in its power to try to dissuade you from applying for a visa if you qualify for an ETA. (I have personal experience of this at the office in London.) Tens of thousands of people arrive in Australia every day with no visa in their passport because they hold an ETA or eVisitor, with no problems and there's no reason to think that you would be any different.

[serendipity1499]

My goodness, an American asks a simple question about an Australian Visa and we see posts about Russia, Argentina, etc. :) Only on CC. And what some others have posted is correct in that obtaining an Australia Visa is simply done online. A few clicks of the mouse (and a credit card) and you are all set.

 

Hank

 

 

Suggest you read the TITLE of this thread & also Post No. 1 in it's entirety!

 

The OP mentioned both Russia & Australia in her post..Posters here were simply answering her question:

 

Quote Visa - who do you get it from and where do you get it? Unquote[/ I took the title of the thread to mean where do you get a visa for Australia plus where else do you get your visas when traveling to other countries including Russia

Edited September 11, 2015 by serendipity1499

[USN59-79]

[quote name='serendipity1499'][SIZE="3"]

Suggest you read the TITLE of this thread & also Post No. 1 in it's entirety!

The OP mentioned both Russia & Australia in her post..Posters here were simply answering her question:

[B][COLOR="Red"]Quote Visa - who do you get it from and where do you get it? Unquote[/[/COLOR][/B] I took the title of the thread to mean where do you get a visa for Australia plus where else do you get your visas when traveling to other countries including Russia[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that, Betty. I was thinking that I was doing something wrong by mentioning a different place to get a visa.