It is possible that a visa application for Australia remains pending longer than average. This is often because of a random check by the Australian immigration service. In this case, submitting a new application is not a solution and can even cause more delays. In this article, you can read what to do if your eVisitor visa is delayed.
Random checks by the immigration service
About one in 20 visa applications for Australia are subjected to a random check by the Australian immigration service. This can delay the processing of a visa application by several days or even weeks. If your application is currently being processed by the Australian immigration service and approval is taking longer than average, chances are that this is the case for your application. In this case, it is not possible to speed up the existing application.
An application subjected to a random check is not more likely to be rejected. However, the Australian immigration service can ask you to provide additional information or documents regarding your trip. It is also possible that in a group application, the applications of only a few travellers are submitted to a random check while the visas for the other travellers are granted within the mentioned delivery time.
Getting a visa faster by reapplying?
If your application is subjected to a manual random check, you usually have to wait a bit longer for your Australia visa. It is not possible to submit a new application for the eVisitor visa alongside your existing application in the hope of receiving a visa sooner. If you do so, the opposite will happen, because there is a chance that processing your previous visa application will be delayed even more.
Applying for an ETA if the eVisitor application is delayed
If the delay in processing your visa application is causing you to miss your flight or prevent your trip from happening, it is possible to apply for an ETA in addition to your existing application for the eVisitor visa. In comparison to the eVisitor visa, the ETA is an electronic travel authorisation for Australia and has the same requirements and validity period. However, ETA applications are assessed by a different department within the Australian immigration service. The cost of the ETA, however, is higher than that of the eVisitor visa. That is why, generally, only travellers who cannot apply for an eVisitor visa due to their nationality are advised to apply for an ETA.
About 95% of the ETA applications are granted within an hour. An ETA application can also be subjected to a random check, but submitting an ETA application does not affect the current random check or the processing of the eVisitor visa.
It is not possible to apply for an ETA through e-Visa.co.uk. To do so, you need to use the mobile app of the Australian immigration service.
Do I have to cancel my application for the eVisitor visa?
No, that is not necessary. Your existing application for the eVisitor visa for Australia will be approved or rejected within several days. The applications for the ETA and the eVisitor visa can easily coexist and be processed separately from each other. The chances that one of these applications is rejected because of this are very small. If one of the applications is approved, either the ETA or the eVisitor visa, you can travel to Australia with the approved travel authorisation without any problems.
No guarantee to the mentioned visa delivery time
The average delivery time for the eVisitor visa Australia is 5 days. If you leave for Australia on short notice, you can use an urgent application. Visa applications that are submitted urgently are approved in 95% of cases within 60 minutes. However, urgent applications can also be subjected to a random check, which can also cause delays regarding the average processing time. To make sure you have a valid Australia visa on time, it is recommended to submit your visa application on time, preferably several weeks before you leave for Australia.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Australia is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Australia.