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ESTA Application for Citizens of Australia

Australia is one of those few fortunate countries in the world whose citizens don’t require a US visa in order to the enter the country. It is because Australia belongs to elite group of countries that are inducted into the Visa Waiver Program of the United State of America. Visa application for Australians is fairly simple and straightforward. All they have to do is to go online and apply for a US visa via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This new travel authorization program has without an iota of doubt has streamlined the process of visa application for Australian citizens and compared to other standard visa programs, it costs way less. Just because Australia along with other countries like New Zealand, falls under the Visa Waiver Program, it does not mean that all Australians are allowed to enter the United States with a simple and easily obtainable Travel Authorization. However, it is to be noted that Travel Authorization is not granted to all because there are some background checks involved and if the Australian authority finds something suspicious, they can deny the person from obtaining Travel Authorization. Even if someone manages to obtain Travel Authorization by forging the documents or by duping the Australian authority, U.S. Immigration officials still have the upper hand in this regard; U.S. Immigration officials at the entry port can deny the entry of an Australian citizen with Travel Authorization in the US if they deem it right. In case, an Australian citizen is planning to travel to the USA for any other purpose other than travelling is required to obtain a visa in advance otherwise the immigration authority of the US might stop the person from entering the US. Here we are going to explain different US visa types and the requirements in details. You will also get to know different stages of applying For Us Visa From Australia - Electronic Travel Authorization for Australians Electronic System for Travel Authorization or USA Visa Australia ESTA program is basically a project initiated by the United States that examines whether a traveler is eligible to enter the US within the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Member Countries of ESTA

However, this program can’t be utilized by people who are planning to visit the United States for medical treatment or for some employment opportunities. In those circumstances, the citizens of those member countries will have to apply for a regular US Visa. Moreover, if a person fails to obtain a travel authorization even after trying multiple times, he / she can be stopped from entering the US. In those rare cases, that person will have to apply for a regular US visa. Different Types of US Visa Programs US visa programs can mainly be categized into two types – Immigrant Visa and Non-Immigrant Visa. Australian nationals depending on the type of Visa they choose at the end can enter the US legally and stay in the USA for a specific period of time. Let’s talk about immigration visa first. This visa type is extremely sought-after and therefore, quite expectedly, very few applications actually get approved at the end. With this Visa, an Australian citizen will be allowed to enter the US and he/she will also be allowed to live and work in the United States for as long as he/she wishes. The 2nd most popular Visa type is – Non-Immigration Visa. With this Visa, a person with Australian citizenship will be allowed to enter the United States for study, seasonal work, tourism etc. The United States have launched a special visa program excessively for Australians.

When should you apply for the ESTA?

The consular officer will try to judge whether the candidate has any ulterior motive behind entering the US or whether the candidate is planning to remain in the US as a permanent basis. In the first stage of applying for a us visa from Australia, a candidate needs to decide what type of US Visa he/she is going to apply for. Once the candidate has made up his/her mind, Form DS-160 needs to be submitted online. After that the candidate needs to print out the confirmation page of the Form DS-160 application form. This printed confirmation page must be produced before the Consular office during the interview. The application form contains some questions pertaining to the candidate’s personal life like marital status, passport details, email id, phone no, full name, educational qualifications, work experience etc. Once all the questions are answered truthfully, the candidate needs to pay for Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee and the interview will get scheduled accordingly. US Visa Interview Process Candidate needs to appear in person at the US consulate or embassy in Australia to get a US Visa Australia. The age of the candidate should be between 14 to 79 years. USA has embassies and Consulates in these following cities –

  • Sydney
  • Perth
  • Melbourne
  • Canberra

Candidate under the age of 14 or above the age of 79 are not required to appear before the interview in person. They can send their application to the Consulate via courier. Candidates need to show up on time. Unable to appear before the interview board will automatically lead to cancellation of application. Candidate needs to carry all the necessary documents at the interview room and the documents should be presented in a presentable format. The documents will be examined prior to the interview and the candidate must willingly provide biometric details to the designated authority. Processing time If all criteria are met, the approval process of Australia to USA visa does not take more than 3 to 5 days. However, there are some instances where the approval process takes weeks or even months. The passport of the candidate will remain in the embassy till the Visa application is approved by the authority. Candidates are not allowed to collect passport by themselves. It will be sent to their home address by the authority.

FAQ

Question - How To Apply For US Visa? Answer - The process of USA visa application is pretty straightforward. A candidate needs to fill out the Form DS-160 online and then get a print out of the confirmation page. Once the visa application pay is paid, the candidate will have to schedule an appointment with the US embassy. Attend a personal interview in any of USA’s embassy or consular office in Australia. If everything goes well, the candidate will get a US visa within the next 6 days. Question - How To Apply For US Visa From Australia? Answer - The process of visa application from Australia less cumbersome because Australia is a member country Visa Waiver Program that allows Australians to enter the US for a period of 90 days without even applying for a US visa. However, if an Australian is planning to visit the United States for business or other purposes, they will have to apply for a tourist or B-2 visa. Question - How To Apply For US Tourist Visa? Answer - Fill out the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form first and then make payment for processing the visa application. After that the applicants needs to fill out a specific form online to schedule an appointment once the payment is done. On that scheduled day, visit a USA embassy with a printed copy of the DS-160 confirmation page. Question - How Long To Get A US Visa From Australia? Answer - Technically, a visa application should be processed within 2 to 3 business days but sometimes, it can take up to 12 weeks. Question - How To Apply Us Tourist Visa From Australia? Answer - Since Australia is a member of Visa Waiver Program, Australians don’t need to apply for a Visa if the plan is to stay in the USA for 90 days or less. All they will have to do is to apply for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Question - how long is a us visa valid for? Answer - Almost all non-immigrant US visa has a validity period of 1 month to 10 years. A B1/B2 visa holder can stay in the USA for 6 months. Question - How To Apply Tourist Visa For Answer - Candidate applying for USA Tourist Visa need to assure a US consular officer that the purpose of the application is to visit the United States for either pleasure or business purpose and there is no intention to stay in the US as an immigrant. In the next stage, the candidate needs to submit these following details and documents –

  • A recent 5cmx5cm photograph. A receipt acknowledging the fact that the candidate has already paid nonimmigrant visa application processing fee in local currency. This fee is nonrefundable in nature.
  • A passport with a validity over 6 months.
  • Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) Form duly signed and filled up.

Once the candidate has filled out the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form, the candidate will have to pay a certain amount for processing the visa. Next, the candidate will have to schedule an appointment with the authority. In the interview, the candidate is required to bring the following details / documents –

  • Ten Digit Bar Code number (Candidate can find the code in the confirmation page of the DS-160 confirmation page)
  • Passport Number
  • CGI reference number

In the last stage of the US Tourist Visa application process, the candidate will have to attend a face to face interview with the designated authority in a US Embassy located in Australia. Question - what is the Visa Waiver Programme? Answer - Visa Waiver Programme is an initiative of the United States Government and this program allows citizens of certain member countries to travel to the US and stay up to 90 days without applying for a Visa. It is to be noted that the countries that are members of this program are mostly high-income countries and most of them rank relatively high on the Human Development Index.