Tourist Visa - when to apply

[bundy]

Hi, my sister and family are visiting us in Brisbane in December and she is wondering when they should start applying for the tourist visa? Is it too soon to apply now?

 

Thanks

 

[Dill]

Hi Bundy

 

As a ticket is no longer a requirement for a visa, they can apply as soon as they like. However, worth bearing one or two things in mind.

 

Firstly, if they want to visit Australia more than once in the next year or two, it might be worth getting the visa later so that its valid for longer (i.e. no need to apply for 2 visas in 2 years).

 

Secondly, once the online application is in the system, there is a fairly short window for them to make appointments for (and submit) biometrics. As such, its a good idea to apply when they know they will all be available to attend the visa application centre within the timeframe, especially if they need to travel to do so.

 

If they have all the documents, the process is straight forward and can take between a week and a month, depending on how quickly they submit the biometrics.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers

Dil