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.
hi queena andyan naba result mu..? yung nag lodge ka,ilang araw bago mo na rcve yung mssge na rcve na nang embassy yung dos mu..? nag pass ka rin ba nang bank statement?
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.
Hi John, the applicant must be outside OZ prior lodging a visa.. I just got back here in PH last night and so sad that i had to leave my fiance..
But i am hoping to lodge my fiancee visa nextweek and be with again. Good luck on your application
I have already completed all necessary documents, punta na lang ako tom to lodge my application…wish me luck guys…
I am kinda worried lang, yung interview daw through phone call?…ano po ba kadalasan na tinatanong?…
tsaka paano yun, di ko lam kung ano ilalagay ko sa application ko, wala kasi single?..meron dun never married or was in a de facto relationship po…so i am quite confused…?help naman po
tick the box : never married, it means that u are sngle
thanks fay, i actually overlooked on it…got confused with the de facto thingy..now i know what it is!…tumbling ako sa explanation na yun ng isa sa mga tao sa VIA Centre. hahaha
hello everyone! I lodged my papers personally last feb 1 ng hapon. i’m kinda worried until now wala parin akong narecieve confirmation sa embassy…possible kaya na na delay kasi maraming nag apply ngayon hoping na maka visit sa australia ngayong summer? Im kathrine from koronadal City Mindanao po. kailangan ko po ba tumawag sa embassy or sa VIA center? Need your opinion po… Thank you….
I am hoping to be in Adelaide po this 27th to celebrate our first year anniversary. Kinakabahan po ako. at paglodge ko duon wala naman po akong sinulat sa envelope kasi may pinrint naman sila na name ko, number at email..hindi rin nila tinanggap ang hard copy ng Birth certificate ko pero naka pag request nako NSO online ahead of time para ma deliver sa kanila… if ever wala parin confirmation today tatawag nalang siguro ako pero hindi ko po alam if sa embassy ako tatawag or sa VIA centre.. Any opinion po? Thank you.
hndi kinukuha yung birth girl..ganyan rin sakin eh.. 2 weeks or more bago mo malaman ang result.. pag na rcve na nang embassy yung docs mu,e tetxtka nila nyan girl.. ako rin feb 3 ako nag lodge.. anu anu ba binigay mu na docs..? tsaka may itiberary kana ba..? kase 27 yung plan mu pumunta dba..?
itinerary pala.. naka rcve nako nang confirmation kahapon..
ganun din nangyari sa akin…di tinanggap yung birth certs na dala ko, though di naman daw maxado nirerequire pero worried ako..kaya after ko ilodge yung application ko tumawag ako sa NSO to have the birth cert delivered to the embassy.
I lodged mine last february 8 and kinabukasan nakareceive ako ng text from the embassy na nakuha na nila yung docs ko and nasa evaluation process na…
So pray na lang magagawa ko ngayon…di ko rin kasi alam pano malalaman kung granted ba ang visa or not…
Just a question lang…is there any specific details they ask when you call for pick up? Just trying to see the cost difference from having it picked up and doing the lodging at the VIA center?
Just a question lang….are there any other question to be asked by the VIA Call Center when lodging your application that you might rack up a high phone bill? Just trying to see the cost effectiveness of lodging through pick up or VIA Centre
As much as i want to answer kaso i personally lodged mine kanina…tiga san ka ba?…kasi kung malapit ka lang din naman sa area you might want to visit VIA Centre na lang…
mabilis lang din naman kasi 7 windows ang nakalaan for the australian visa applicants…
and FYI lang po sa iba
I included my NSO birth cert together with my Mum and sister pero di na talaga tinanggap…So i need to contact NSO to request for another copy and from there, NSO will directly send the copies to the embassy…
Keeping my fingers crossed sana maging ok application ko…
ask lang po aq ng advice,ininvite kc kming mg-asawa n magtour s australia ng brother q s wedding ng anak nya dis coming march31.ok n mga docs q s visa application ang kaso s 22 p ang dating ng passports nmin.do u think pwede ng mglodge kht on process plng passports nmin? mkakahabol kya kmi kc plan ng brother q 1 week b4 wedding nka-arrive n kmi dun.any opinion?thank you?
ask ko lang sa mga naka kuha na ng Visa… mag kano ba yong naka deposit sa bank account na pera dapat? at may interview paba yon? at paano if hndi pa working tulad ko? ano need ko i submitpara maka kuha ng visa? thanks
Hi Tricia!
I didn’t submit any bank statements since I don’t have much naman in my account :P but if you have, then go and include it in your docus. The amount depends sa duration ng stay mo (100K-200K is good enough for a month or two stay)- if you will go there by yourself lang, but what I’ve heard and read from other threads that having a huge amount doesn’t not really assure u of getting a visa granted, though it helps- it still depends on ur other docus and ur reason of coming back here in Ph, like jobs, properties etc. If you are sponsored, or someone is inviting you to come like your bf etc… then its much easier. Mine kasi and most of us here were invited by our bfs, and luckily got our visas granted. Wish you luck!
in my case, i just submitted a photocopied pages of my passbook, yung sa mom and sister ko din since they will be supporting me financially while i am there, aside from that nandun din kasi uncle and auntie ko so sponsored trip ang sa akin…mas madali yata talaga pag may invitation…
di naman need maraming pera sa banko…though it may secure you of a visa kung may laman talaga yung bank account mo…
overall, nasa completeness of docs na sinumbit mo ibebase kung bibigyan ka ng visa…
kaya ako i submitted a health certificate, brgy., police and nbi clearance, and yung mga family assets namin and a letter from my school just to make sure na di sila magduda sa intention ko…after all genuine naman ang reason ko sa pagpunta…
hi don musta na..? ilang days naba nung nag lodge ka sa application mu?
Hi Ms. Nina and to everyone,
I was hired to work as sales representative for Australia. Townsville, Queensland ang homebase ko. Do you have any idea of the place? I’ll be receiving 35,807.2 per annum plus 3,222.65 superannuation.. Sa may mga kilala sa Ausie, is it a good offer? considering I’ll be paying my house rent. I’ll be given a car, though. Will greatly appreciate your reply! Thanks a lot!
hey…pa help naman po panu po mag aply ng tourist visa to australia esp. kung wala kang work?kasi wala akong mapapakitang mga payslip….want kasi ng jowa ko student visa nalang ako kaso naawa nman ako sa kanya kc malaki ang magagastos nya…please help…thanks!
wala rin ako work sheng,ok lang yan kahit walang work..ilang months ba e apply mu..? nag school kapa ba o hndi..?