bma Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Hi, can I ask you all for a short clarification on ETA/eVisitor, please? http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/evisitor/ says the following about eVisitor (and ETA): An eVisitor is not designed to allow repeated extended stays in Australia. If you want to spend long periods in Australia for tourism or business purposes, you may want to consider applying for a Tourist visa (subclass 676) or an alternate visa that suits your purposes. What does this mean in reality? That people who are on ETA/eVisitor can actually be refused a second or a third entry to Australia, although they are not working and are only tourists? ETA/eVisitor allows a holder to stay in Australia for three months on each visit, all in total this visa is valid for a year. When a holder leaves Australia after 2 - 3 months on each visit, goes to New Zealand or Bali every time for at least a week (and sometimes two), could this holder be really stopped at the border and refused an entry?! I've been reading posts on this forum for months, there are so many people on ETA/eVisitor who need to leave every three months and then re-enter Australia... but nobody mentions this about ETA/eVisitor. Was anyone ever in trouble for "repeating extended stays" and denied an entry? I appreciate your replies and I thank you in advance, this thing has really been bothering me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GeorgeD Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 There's a chance you could be refused entry...if you use the eVisitor for repeated 3 month visits in the same 12 months, then it could be argued that the e676 tourist visa is a more appropriate one for you...it has different requirements such as the potential requirement of a medical/xray, and a FEE! It could be seen that the repeated use of the eVisitor is to get round the medical and fee requirements of the correct visa, the e676. There is also a raised suspicion that you have been working in Oz for example as you have spent so much time in the country and can't have been working elsewhere during that time. Australia is not a cheap place to live, so Immigration at the Border may be more interested in your from that perspective...but by itself it's not necessarily a reason to refuse entry. In reality, I can't recall anyone being refused entry on an eVisitor who was entering for tourist purposes (even for a repeat visit)...what I think I do remember is one or two people being told after their second or thrid entry to apply for a different visa which is more appropriate for their purposes if they wish to enter again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Hi, I have mentioned this on a previous reply to a similar post. A good friend of mine, female, late 60's, had a daughter in Sydney and another in Auckland. Was on a 676? 1 year visa, spent up to 3 months in OZ,then time in NZ. On the final entry back to Oz, she was taken from the immi counter, put in a small room, had her passport taken from her, and accused of trying to live in Oz under false pretences!!! She had done nothing wrong at all!! She was asked to prove where she had visited as a tourist as they didn't believe her intentions. She had her return ticket to UK booked which she could prove, she was really given the 3rd degree before they finally allowed her to stay. It really does happen, it shook her up really badly, and she is a strong person who had travelled and lived overseas for most of her life, could have a different result if her health was dodgy. I know I'm biased, but I think it was inexcusable treating her so badly, she was really frightened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GeorgeD Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I'm not condoning the way your friend was treated, but certain travel activity on visas will make you more or less of interest to Immigration. You may not actually breach any conditions but other people in the past with similar activity may have breached theirs, so they spend a bit more time making sure you have the right visa for the purpose of your trip. Still no excuse to grill an old lady though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I agree with what you say, but the main point was that she had a valid 1 year visa, had not abused it in any way, had never stayed in Oz over the 3 months permitted, in fact much less on one occasion, still had the last valid 3 month re-entry to Oz left, when she flew back from several weeks in NZ. So perhaps a few questions might have been in order, but not the roughshod way she was treated shut in a room and especially with taking her passport away As she said at her age it was unlikely that she was working illegally while here, so what exactly did they think she had done wrong. I was posting the story just to let people know what might happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bma Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Hi GeorgeD and Ramot, thank you so much for your replies. Well, the thing is that my partner and I are/will certainly not breach any conditions of ETA/eVisitor, one of us has settled in Australia and all is well and the other one will finally take a year long vacation after all the hard work in the last 20 years. We have some savings, we have a monthly income, we have all the year planned, including a 3-week trip in Australia and surfing trips to Bali which besides are far more expensive from Brisbane then simply going to NZ in order to leave and re-enter Australia. Ramot, now that you mention the case of your friend, I do remember reading about it. Our case is actually similar to the case of your friend; one of us who's the visa holder will not abuse it any way, will never stay in Australia for over 3 months and even much less on one occasion (as your friend) and will still have the last valid 3 month re-entry to Australia left (after 2 weeks of holidays). That's what we are afraid of, being grilled at the border although nothing illegal had been done and there's no intention to work or overstay the visa. We don't even have a speeding ticket, we're serious people at 40+, there's no way we'd mess this up... I don't understand this; why having an ETA/eVisitor visa that allows you to stay in Australia up to a year, but each visit mustn't be longer than 3 months, if you're going to get grilled about using it?!?! Or is this a sort of intimidation technique which is actually meant to come out and scare the people? I really don't get it... And a consequence is that honest people are actually totally scared but have done nothing illegal... As far as 676 and ETA/eVisitor, the only advantage of ETA/eVisitor as I see it is that it comes without No Further Stay. That's all... And the medical - if one wasn't staying in the country for more than a year, then there's no need for it, and that visa fee - it costs less than a double room for a night in an ordinary hotel in Sydney... GeorgeD and Ramot, once again thank you very much for sharing your opinion and the story, if anything else pops into your mind, please share, it'd be most welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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