Sooty and Sweep

Hello,

Just a question, is there any way of checking that you have activated your visa after passing through the airport terminal at arrivals in say Sydney or Perth?

I ask because if they do not stamp your visa, and say just glance at your passport, so not run your details through the system, maybe is it possible that you could pass through the arrivals immigration terminal without actually activating your passport?

I was talking to a friend, and because he had to tick that he had a criminal record on the form you must fill out prior to arrival, he was pulled to one side, checked out, but they did not stamp his passport even though he went through eventually? I wonder is it possible to pass through without validation of visa detection?

Is there a way to check that your visa is detected so validated after arriving in Australia?

Thanks very much for any replies.

Pollyana

You passport has to be electronically scanned by Immigration to ensure that you have a valid visa. That is the validation, not the physical stamp. The system notes automatically that the passport has been scanned.

Sooty and Sweep

Thanks Pollyana!!!

travelbug

Yep, they definitely scan your passport. The guy who did ours went "oh no, the computer says that i have to let you all in! " he was joking thankfully! But to be safe i've kept the flight details and some boarding passes in our photo album just incase i ever need to prove that we did validate!!! I remember when we were in the visa application stage we had to try and find details of trips that my OH had previously made to Oz...and trying to do the dates from memory was tricky!

Sooty and Sweep

Thanks for the reply, talking to my friend though, his was not scanned, they took it off him, made a photocopy, checked his details on a database to see if he had been "honest" about his criminal record.

So anyone entering Australia on a permanent residency visa beware, if you have declared you have a criminal record on your visa application form, make sure you tick you have a criminal record on your Australia entry form you fill out on the flight, as they may tally them up.

As when you tick you have a criminal record on your entry form, they do not scan your passport, they take you to one side, photocopy your passport details, then check your visa application on the database to see what you have declared on your visa application, but no passport scan.

Still a visa validation though i think, but more thorough!!!!