We're off to Perth 28th Jan but have not got our Visas yet !!

Hoping they will be through before we go but as we've sold house / business
thought we might as well be in Aus looking for houses / businesses
while waiting to hear - knowing that we do have to leave when we get okay and we then planned to go to New Zealand for short holiday

Our problem is that we planned purchasing single one way tickets but have just had Austravel on the phone saying that we cannot get a 3 months visitors visa on a single ticket we must get returns !!!

IS THIS TRUE !

Unless you have the valid visa or citizenship you cannot buy one-way tickets.

Even if they sold it to you, you wouldn't be allowed through passport control without the appropriate visa. A tourist visa is just that. For tourists and they expect you to leave again afterwards.

I'm not so sure about the having to have a return ticket thing... I've known many working holidaymakers who've turned up with only a single ticket (and surely that's essentially a long tourist visa, with some work rights!).

You can apply for an ETA (the 3 month electronic tourist visa) on-line through the DIMIA website... on that site (http://www.eta.immi.gov.au) it only says
"The conditions on a Visitor ETA are:
It is valid for visits to Australia for tourism or to visit friends or relatives
It is valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue
The maximum length of each visit is three months
You may not work while in Australia ".

Doesn't mention anywhere about having to have a return ticket.

Can't confirm that, but aren't singles tickets nearly the price of returns in most cases? You might as well buy a return, just in case, as most returns are open for a year anyway, and you might feel the urge to rush home for something.

Just a thought !

We discovered that a return was not that much more than a single and it was open for a year. Right or wrong it gives me a sense of security. I have never seriously thought of heading for the airport but it is sure reassuring to know that I can.

If you're coming as a visitor, I've always understood that you need:

Either a ticket out of the country (it's nonsense that it has to be a return - as long as it's a ticket to somewhere - what if you were on a RTW trip?)

OR proof of enough funds to buy one.

All you need to buy is a 'multi-stop', fine for customs and passport control etc.

London - OZ - NZ.

When in OZ get yourself a Virgin Blue cheapie one way from NZ to OZ.

Sorted.

Regardless of the ticket thing, what happens if you are in Oz before the visas come through? Won't you have to return so the visas can be granted?

Seems to me that you might need to think this through a little more...

You do not have to return to the UK to get Visa granted you just have to leave Australia
ie you can go to Aukland and do the necessary re Visa and then your okay
to return to Aus

I have in fact been up to London today to one of the the Austravel shops
and spent sometime going through this predicament with them

All 3 agents were of the opnion (and without any doubts) that you cannot enter Aus on a visitors Visa without a ticket out - it does not have to be a return ticket
Having thought this through we've decided to buy an open return ticket to Aukland which they assure me meets with Immigration approval UNLESS of course we try to return from New Zealand without the granted Visas

Thanks for the various posts all helped us with decision
I have So they agreed that

I am not sure if you still can since 9/11 but I went there in '99 on a WHV and I did not have a return ticket or any other ticket out of the country.
No it wasn't just luck and sneaked through because I was collared by customs and had to explain to them that yes that Guitar shaped thing hanging of the back of my rucksack is a wooden product!

Could someone tell me where you will have your visa grant letter sent...
And how and where would you get your visa validated. On one thread they said if you are in oz when your visa is granted they cancell it,,,,does any one know anything!!!! We want to go to oz in feb but have not got any conformation yet.(apply feb 2004)We are sure we will hear soon. we have also sold our house and business and will soon be homeless and jobless, we thought it would be a good idea to look for a house and job in oz for when we get our visas.Can we go or not.!!!!!!We have not got an agent so all our mail will go to my mothers. Is anyone else going before their visas are granted and (who have not got an agent)Let us know how they are going about doing it.....

Every time we have been to oz you always have to fill in an entry form to state why you are entering ,where you are staying and when you intend to leave.
As far as i know from past experience you always have to have a return ticket. Good Luck let us know how you get on
Rose and John

Don't believe every wild rumour you read online!

Basically you tell your case officer you're in Australia, case officers says so when ready to grant the visa, you go to NZ (if you have the right passport/visa to enter NZ as a tourist), get your visa stamped in Auckland and return to Australia.

Once back in Australia your visa is validated.

The process takes about 3-5 days but possibly longer if there is a breakdown in communications somewhere along the chain.

The system works at its convenience not yours so your tourist status will not be extended simply because you have a PR application in the system. And until you get your PR validated you cannot work, and any property purchase must meet FIRB regulations.

Jeremy

Jeremy

Came out in April 2004 on 3 month tourist visa with my family. We all had one way tickets. Flew in to Sydney. They never checked our tickets. Just looked at passports and that was it.

Hi Jeremy
Did you have an agent to do your paper work? Have you got your PR ? If so did you go to oz before it was granted and at what stage were you at when you went to oz.(did you have a pre grant visa )Is the case officer from the DIMA. WE are pre july March but up to now i dont think we have a case officer.We have 9 weeks till our 50 weeks are up.I hope we will hear something soon.I dont want to go to oz only to find out we cant get PR visa
Would we have hear by now if we not going to get our PR visa, Any answers would be great. Thanks Rose and John

















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