$\"Australian$ <\/a><\/div>\n
After almost seven years, I finally have an update to my now epic How to Apply for an Australian Tourist Visa<\/a> series. I have written two posts on the topic, both garnering over a thousand comments<\/a>, with one getting over 4,500<\/a>! I have stopped replying to comments, since I don’t think I’m not the best person to be talking about it, as my knowledge of the visa process is largely obsolete, so the visitors have taken upon themselves to answer each other’s questions, with successful applicants coming back to share their good news and help others. It has become a mini forum of sorts and I have to admit I’m happy it turned out that way. I found it to be a great help when I took another chance to apply for an Australian tourist visa once more.<\/p>\n

\nBefore I get to the visa application process, here’s some background about me and my circumstances: I am a Philippine passport holder, and have applied and received a visa from Australia before. I have a valid US Visa, with used tourist visas to Canada, Japan, and Myanmar. I also have more than 70 arrival and departure stamps from various countries, and that’s just in one passport. I am single and have my own company registered with the DTI. I have a bank account and a couple of credit cards, and I have two sisters who live in Australia, one of which is a temporary resident and the other a citizen. My intention to visit was for a short break from life in Manila, and to hopefully visit places I missed during my first two trips to the Australia. <\/p>\n
Step 1: Download and read the necessary pages, documents, and forms.<\/h2>\n
This is very important, I can’t stress that enough. It won’t do to just ask questions without reading these web pages and documents first, because you’ll look like an idiot. Majority of your questions would likely be answered by the information written in these files. All these are available for download at the Australian Immigration website, immi.gov.au<\/a>, and they are all free.<\/p>\n
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Visitor Visas (Subclass 600) information page<\/a><\/li>\n
Application for a Visitor visa – Tourist stream (Form 1419)<\/a><\/li>\n
Visitor visa (Subclass 600) Application document checklist<\/a> <\/li>\n
Charges and fees (Form 990i)<\/a> <\/li>\n
Pricing Estimator<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There is no need to print all of those pages or forms (unless you prefer to read them off the computer), but the one thing you should print is the visa application form<\/a>. It’s a fillable form, wherein you can type in your answers on the form itself and print it afterwards. If you use Adobe Reader to open it, it will not save the changes to the form, so fill it out only when you are ready to print and submit. However, if you’re using Foxit PDF Reader<\/a>, it can save the changes to the form, so you can fill it out and edit it later on before printing.<\/p>\n
Step 2: Gather the required documents<\/h2>\n
Page 15 of Form 1419, Part M is actually an application check list. The column on the left lists all the required documents, while the column on the right lists the additional documents you may submit.<\/p>\n
Here are the documents I submitted:<\/p>\n
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Certified true copy of the identity page and pages with visa stamps of my valid passport<\/li>\n
Recent passport photo taken within the last six months<\/li>\n
Visa application charge in manager’s or cashier’s check<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Australian embassy do not affix visa labels anymore<\/a>, so there’s no need to send your passport when you apply, unless you specify that you want a visa label. I would have done this, but the label costs AU$70.<\/p>\n
Step 3: Gather your supporting documents<\/h2>\n
Here are the supporting documents I submitted. Remember that this vary depending on your circumstance. You’re not required to submit all of these, but it is advised that you submit as much supporting documents as you can to prove that you can fund your trip to Australia, and that you have a strong reason to come back to the Philippines.<\/p>\n
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Birth certificate printed on security paper<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of my DTI Registration<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of my BIR Registration (Form 2303)<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of my Income Tax Return (From 1701)<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of the invitation letter from my sister<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of my sister\u2019s pay slip<\/li>\n
Certified true copy of my sister\u2019s passport bio page and employee ID<\/li>\n
NBI Clearance<\/li>\n
Bank statement<\/li>\n
Credit card statement<\/li>\n
Itinerary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Australian immigration require that all photocopied documents you submit are certified true copies. You can do this by going to the Notary Public. <\/p>\n
If you look at the form, it doesn’t list the birth certificate as part of the documents needed. I included it anyway, since I have an extra copy. Also, when I called to have my document picked up, they mentioned something about the NSO and I asked if I still need to get another since I already have a SECPA copy. They said I can include my copy instead of getting a new one.<\/p>\n
Supplementary reading: How to apply for birth, death, and marriage documents in the Philippines – National Statistics Office (NSO)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
The NBI clearance isn’t really required either, but I included it since I have it anyway. I got it because it was required in the previous form, 48R. A medical isn’t required, but you may be required to get one if you are applying for a 6-month visa, or if you’re over 75 years old. The medical is only done through accredited clinics. From what I understand, you have to submit your application and use the reference code the embassy will give you when you go for your medical. <\/p>\n
I also included a cover letter [Download sample of intent letter<\/a>]<\/strong> explaining the purpose of my trip and that I wish to get a multiple-entry visa, since I want to make a side trip to New Zealand. This isn’t really necessary, since the form now asks for your trip’s purpose. You are also asked to provide an itinerary of your trip, though you are not required nor advised to make any bookings until your visa is approved.<\/p>\n
Step 4: Buy a manager’s check for the visa fee<\/h2>\n
The visa fee is AU$115, which is Php 5,100, based on the conversion rate at the time. Please double check the fees and the conversion rate, as this can change anytime. I bought my manager’s check from BDO, since I have an account there. Based on the comments in the previous blog posts, there are banks that would not let you buy a manager’s check if you don’t have an account with them. Best to call and inquire with the banks in your area if they’ll let you buy a manager’s check from them even if you don’t have an account.<\/p>\n