I am not a visa officer, nor am I migration agent. I am in no way affiliated with the Australian Embassy Manila nor with the Australian government. This post comes from my experience with preparing and submitting visa applications for family members and for myself. Also note that this entry pertains to my experience in applying for an Australian tourist visa in October 2006. The Australian immigration update their forms every 3 months. I will try to answer your questions the best way that I can, but bear in mind that a lot has changed since 2006. If you ask a question I’ve already answered in the post, I will ignore you.
One of the questions people ask me when I tell them I’ve been to Australia is if it’s easy to get a tourist visa. Almost everybody in Manila have heard of stories of how hard it is to obtain a US tourist visa: compiling documents like birth certificate, bank statements, even land titles 
, paying a high application fee, waiting in line for hours for an interview. Is it as hard to get a tourist visa for Australia as it is for the US?
Actually, it’s not whether it’s harder on not, but it really boils down to how complete your documents are. I believe all embassies would be very meticulous about all the applications they receive, and it is really important to send them all the required documents.
Be it the Australian embassy, the US embassy or the Chinese embassy, they all want to know the same thing: that you are who you say you are, that you have the means to fund your trip in their country, and that you will be returning to your home country.
Proof of identity
This of course, is your passport and your birth certificate.
Proof of sufficient funds
Bank statements, credit card documents stating your credit limit, payslip
Proof that you’re not going to be an illegal immigrant
Certificate of employment if you’re already working or certificate of enrollment if you’re still studying
If you’re thinking of visiting Australia anytime soon, head on to the Australian Immigration website to learn more about the Australian tourist visa, as well as download the necessary forms. Here are some helpful links to get you started:
Tourist Visa (Subclass 676)
Tourist Visa Charges
Visa application checklist (PDF file)
Application form 48R (PDF file)
Coming up next: How I went about applying for my Australian tourist visa
.ah ok po thanks, kala ku pu kse kailangan yun, na mismo ang NSO ang magdedeliver sa embassy, although nag pass nman pu ako ng BC,. ksi hinhintay ku pa po yung result,. hopefully, sna po ma approve visa ko.
thanks.
Sisses!
proud to say that I’ve got my visa now.. got it on my bday!;)
Ask ko lang po sa mga nakapunta na sa Aussie thru tourist visa din, how did you deal with immigration officers here in Phil?
sobrang higpit daw kasi sa mga holder ng tourist visa.
Worried din ako kasi unemployed ako but my fiance will support me when I get in Oz. I don’t have COMPANY ID also to show the immigration officer, but I’ve got PRC & Postal I.D.
Pa-share naman po ng experience niyo! THANK YOU SISSES!
Cheers!!
kelan ka nag aply ng visa u?ilang days ung processing ng sau?direct ka ba naglodge
almost 2 wks din po.. sent my docs via air 21 . i paid 320 pesos for my docs, for back & forth na.
Hello po,
eto na naman ako…huhuhu dumating na po yung docs ko galing sa auntie ko…
I have the statutory declaration of both my aunt and uncle, as well as their bank statements, and copy of their passport. I also have the letter coming from my aunt’s hospital as she will be undergoing for an operation by March.
While the documents that I have are the NSO certified birth certificates of my Mum and my sister who will provide me the funds while I am there. I also have my sister and my mum’s bank account statement as well mine, passports, Certificate of employment, and the certified copies of my family’s assets.
I am applying for 3 months T.V, and what other things should I bring?…Do I have to notarized all other documents that I have?
And I am still a student, however in my Uncle and Aunt’s statutory declaration, the course description they have written is Hotel and Restaurant Management while I am only taking associate course for hospitality and restaurant services, would that bring me problems in applying like, will they consider it as a discrepancy?…
And also, I will personally go there, so I don’t know what to do or expect, do i need to call the embassy and set for an appointment?…
Sana masagot nyo po ito, cause I am the only one who’s working on the visa, and it is my first time going there…So I am really anxious of what will happen. The application seems complicated compared to Japan…
Please help me po,..senxa na kung makulet…wala po kasi ako ibang matanungan…lalo na po dyan sa statutory declaration and my school certification regarding sa course…
hi miss nina .. ask lang poh ako,hndi ba pwde yung magbayad ako sa embassy nang cash when i lodge my application? pls help me miss nina
di yata pwede, i’ve read through bank daw talaga or money order yata?..
pero kasi ako nagrequest na lang si mama ng manager’s check…tapos pinalagay ko yung amount na nakikita ko sa mga comments previously…isang 5,300 at isang 600?…ayun..nabasa ko rin yung ibang sagot sa mga questions ko like going to VIA center, located sa 9th floor, One Corporate Plaza, 845 Antonio Arnaiz Ave, Makati or by courier kaso you need to contact a certain number…
ako nga the only problem i am worrying right now is from the letter of my school and the statutory declaration made by my uncle and auntie..kasi hospitality and restaurant services ang course ko pero nakalagay sa stat. dec nila hotel and restaurant management…hininhintay ko pa sila miss nina na magcomment para maenlightened ako and what should i do…lapit na kasi operation ng tita ko..i really need to get there…
thanks sa reply mu don ..oo nga tama ka dyan.. when ba plan mu pumunta sa OZ?
Don is right, manager’s check talaga dapat ang payment para sa visa application fee
Don: If you are submitting original documents (authenticated NSO, original transcript from the school, etc.) no need to have it notarized. Just make copies.
I think the small discrepancy in your course would be okay.
The embassy does not entertain walk in applications. Please read the other comments here regarding that, or read this page in the Australian Embassy website: http://www.australia.com.ph/mnla/Visa_Appln.html
Thanks miss nina, nabasa ko na rin simula sa pinakauna yung mga comments..that helped me a lot..and thanks din sa pag answer..thanks talaga..mas naliwanagan ako and gumaan pakiramdam ko…so ayusin ko na lang remaining docs ko then maglodge na..
salamat po!…balitaan ko po kayo what happened after ko maipasa!..more power!…
march 03 sana kasi march 06 operation ng tita ko…sana nga walang maging problem sa pag apply ko..i mean di na kasi maasikaso ng tita ko kung magrerequest pa ulit ako ng statutory declaration..siguro naman they can take into consideration na related naman ang 2 course na yun…and xempre the situation din…haaai…di ko na kasi alam gagawin…i might submit this pag no choice na ko…idaan ko na lang sa mga papers na pruweda na law abiding tourist naman ako…
pray kana lang na sana maging ok ang lahat .. andyan naba lahat nang papers mu..? so when plan mu mag lodge..?
by wednesday next week ko na ilodge, nag email nga tita ko kasi after february iaadmit na sya sa hospital…kulang na lang ako ng NBI clearance and international driver’s license for I will be a driver for my aunt…hehehe
thanks pray lang talaga ang magagawa pag ganito…keeping my fingers crossed and sana pumayag ang school ko na maproject na lang ako before i leave dahil graduating na ko at di na ko makakasama sa graduation, mahirap naman kung incomplete ang grades ko…hahaha
yung NBI don madali lang yan makukuha ngayon,kase ako nung kumuha ako 3 hours lang ako nghintay tapos na..depende cguro kung d marami yung kumukuha nang NBI..hehehe graduating kana pala,ok lang yan cguro kung mag project kana lang..
Hi Nina,
Here is a question with a twist. My wife and I got married in Philippines last June, we have our marriage cert but we haven’t applied for the permanent visa yet because of cost (in pesos is incredibly expensive).
We are planning to come back in March. Can we get a temporary tourist visa for 3 months and apply for her partner visa there? Seeing as we are already married for a while I suspect we should be OK.