Emergency Tourist Visas

Are you a visitor to Australia but can’t get out?Australian permanent residency Australian Citizenship

If you are a tourist in Australia and are reaching the end of your visa expiry, you will need an emergency bridging visa so you can remain in Australia and eventually leave Australia lawfully.

When Australia’s borders closed on 20th March 2020, many tourists visiting family and friends were affected. Holders of a subclass 651 eVisitor visa, a subclass 601 ‘Electronic Travel Authority’ visa and a subclass 600 Visitor Visa now face the prospect of overstaying their tourist visa because they can’t get out of the country.

Australia requires all non-citizens to have a valid visa to enter the country but also to exit the country as well. Failure to do so can result in a red flag against the traveller’s name which could make entry to Australia in the future difficult.

Fortunately, In some cases, it is possible to apply for an extension to a visitor visa which usually involves a new visa being issued to you.

Some visitor visas come with a ‘no further stay’ condition. In these circumstances, it can be possible to obtain a waiver owing to these exceptional COVID-19 circumstances.

Australian visas are issued electronically. If you receive a visa extension, a letter will be emailed to you and your passport details will be automatically updated.

Extending your stay involves making an application for a new visa. While that new visa application is being processed, the visa-holder is placed on a bridging visa (Australia’s migration system has 8 different bridging visas each with distinct conditions). The bridging visa means you can remain in Australia or leave Australia lawfully.

Call 1300 794 680 for advice and help with your visa query,

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