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Weird Forms & Fees for Tourist Visa for Parents
Somebody might have recent personal experience of what follows, or Phil or Alan Collett might be able to give guidance, I hope.
Trying to help Lisa with her parents' planned visit to Oz, she and I worked out that the cheapest option for a six month visit would be an on-line e-676 ($20). However, we are not sure how the e-system would cope with the medical certificate which Lisa's 71 year old Mum would have to get her GP to complete. Presumably this form would have to be completed, scanned into the computer and then uploaded to DIMA? Is that easy to do? I have no experience with the e-878 because my Mum was not eligible for it last year, though DIMA now say that the over 70s can use an e-676, which is a very recent development, I think. Last year, the site said that Mum was specifically excluded from the e-676 because she is over 70.
Also, Lisa's Mum has a known medical condition which her GP would have to disclose, even though he can confirm that it will not require treatment in Oz. Is that likely to make the e-system choke, do we think?
I suggested to Lisa that it might be a lot easier just to use Form 48, pay $70 apiece and rely on the post, rather than risk a possibly confusing muddle with the s-system. She & I had more or less settled on that, but then Lisa's Mum rang Australia House.
This is where it gets weird. Oz House have sent Lisa's Mum a form which calls itself Form A2. It only has six questions it and is just two sides of A4. They do not have to send their passports in with it, but they do need to enclose the medical form, photocopy bank statement and the fee. They do not need a photo of the applicant for this form.
Wherein lies the rub. Form S2 is obviously designed for use in the UK, because the fee is stated in GBP, not in Australian dollars. And it states that the fee is £65 for six months or $85 for 12 months. Which is steep compared to less than half that for Form 48 and even less for the e-676.
Form A2 clearly states that it is an application for a visa to visit Australia under subclass 676, and there is no sliding scale with the fee in the event of the person wanting to visit Oz for 9 months, say.
Form A2 does not appear to be on either website, is expensive for what it offers, but it does have the advantage of being super-simple to complete, it would seem. Since they don't want the passports, presumably this thing leads to an e-version of the visa?
But why is it so expensive? Nowhere does it promise a 24 hour turnaround, but it does say that it can be sent by ordinary post, and presumably notification would be sent by ordinary post too.
Is this some sort of specially-expensive service to UK-based applicants, do we think? What do we think the benefits might be in return for the extra dosh? Has anybody come across this document, perhaps? I am baffled by this. We all are!
Since DIMA posted Form A2, how viable would it be to ignore it and to rely on Form 48 and the destructions on the website instead, in order to save Lisa's parents some £30 each?
Any suggestions would be very welcome.
Thanks
Gill
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