Visa policy of Australia

[12] In 1987, the then-Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs initiated a scheme which saw the utilization of computers to process visitor visa applications in overseas Australian missions for the first time.

[12] In 1990, a second generation of the Immigration Records and Information System (IRIS II) was introduced as a replacement of the original 1987 scheme.

[14][15][16] By the end of 2017, all wet-ink passport stamping had ceased as a matter of course at the primary line for arrivals and departures at manned counters.

Evidence of travel stamps can still be requested at a secondary manned counter typically immediately after the primary line (including if you have used SmartGate for automated passport processing).

[17] Physical arrival cards were replaced with a Digital Passenger Declaration mobile phone app in February 2022.

In July 2022 physical paper cards were brought back and the app was scrapped due to poor user experience and difficulties it created for the travellers who were unable to use a suitable electronic device.

[19][20] Some travelers do not need a Transit visa (subclass 771) if they depart Australia by air within 8 hours of the scheduled time of their arrival, hold confirmed onward booking and documentation necessary to enter the country of their destination and remain in the transit lounge at an airport (i.e. they do not need to clear immigration in order to re-check their luggage).

Residents of thirteen coastal villages in Papua New Guinea are permitted to enter the 'Protected Zone' of the Torres Strait (part of Queensland) for traditional purposes.

They can make traditional visits (free movement without passports) as far as 10 degrees 30 minutes South latitude (near Number One Reef).

These travelers still technically require a visa but obtain them through a streamlined online process, when staying for 3 months or less.

Eligible visitors apply online for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or eVisitor visa depending on their nationality.

[29] In 2014, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania notified the European Commission that they considered that Australia required a visa for their nationals.

[30] The notification was dismissed in 2015 after Australia lifted a transit visa requirement for Bulgarians, Cypriots and Romanians and made some clarifications.

Applications for countries deemed high risk, i.e. not ETA, are routinely processed manually rather than via 'autogrant' and they are subject to additional documents prior to arrival, which is typical for a proper visa.

[33] According to HPI (Henley Passport Index) methodology pre-departure government approval, like eVisitor manual processing is not considered as visa free.

[34] In 2018, the European Union planned to introduce their own electronic travel authorisation, called ETIAS, needed for visa-exempt countries like Australia.

The SmartGate is available to eligible holders of electronic passports of age 16 years or older issued by the following jurisdictions:[67] Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing the "AUS" code on the reverse that it is valid for travel to Australia can enter visa-free for business trips for up to 90 days.

[72] On 1 June 2013, the Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) Act 2013 commenced and put the onus on businesses to ensure that their employees maintain the necessary work entitlements in Australia.

The new legislation enables the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to levy infringement notices against business (A$15,300) and individual (A$3,060) employers on a strict liability basis – meaning that there is no requirement to prove fault, negligence or intention.

[76][77] The United Kingdom and Ireland are exempt from this particular EU policy, but still do not impose any short-term visa requirements on Australians.

[80] Some countries regard the ETA as being equivalent to visa-free travel when deciding whether to grant the same to Australians wishing to enter their territory.

The United States, for example, offers its Visa Waiver Program to Australian passport holders,[81] and one of the conditions for joining this scheme is that "Governments provide reciprocal visa-free travel for U.S. citizens for 90 days for tourism or business purposes".

[82] However, the United States has required from January 2009 a similar ETA, called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, from nationals of Australia.

[91] In 2022, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his intention to include Indonesia as eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601).

With more than 1.4 million visitors across Australia, China was the biggest source country for international tourists in the Land Down Under in 2018–19.

2 Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and the partially recognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia each span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.