Australian Immigration Daily News

Overview

The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is an electronically stored authority for travel to Australia for short term tourism or business visits for eligible passport holders. The ETA is a temporary visa (subclass 601) that enables the visa holder to travel to, and enter Australia on multiple occasions within twelve months from the date of grant of the visa or until the expiry date of the visa holder’s passport, whichever is earlier. The ETA visa holder can stay in Australia for up to three months after each entry for the purposes of visiting Australia temporarily as a tourist or to engage in a limited business visitor activity, such as participating in a conference or a trade fair.

Passport holders from over 30 countries and jurisdictions are eligible to apply for an ETA visa. In addition, European Union and United Kingdom passport holders who are eligible for the ETA also have access to the eVisitor visa (subclass 651). Applications for the eVisitor visa are made online, and, similarly to the ETA visa, there is no visa application charge VAC and streamlined processing arrangements apply.

An application for an ETA visa is usually made while the applicant is outside Australia but can be made while an applicant is in immigration clearance in Australia. Traditionally, most applicants have applied for an ETA visa through a travel agent, however other methods, such as applying in person, may be available depending on the person’s circumstances.

Source: Migration-Amendment-2022-measures-No-2-Regulations-2022.pdf  and Migration-Amendment-2022-measures-No-2-Regulations-2022-Explanatory-Statement.pdf