1.1.3 Visitors and working holiday makers
This output assists the entry of genuine tourists, business visitors, family visitors and working holiday makers while minimising non-return rates and contravention of visa conditions.
Description
Under this component, the department facilitates the entry of genuine visitors, including attendees at major international events in Australia, by improving client services and processing times. Another major role is to minimise the potential for non-genuine visitors to enter, or remain in, Australia or to contravene their visa conditions.
People who wish to visit Australia can apply for a range of visas, including, but not limited to:
- Electronic Travel Authorities (ETAs) (subclasses 976, 977 and 956), which enable passport holders from 33 countries and regions to make short-term tourism and business visits
- eVisitor (subclass 651) visas which are available via a free online service for eligible European tourists and business visitors for stays of up to three months
- Tourist (subclass 676) visas for people seeking to visit Australia for tourism
- Sponsored Family Visitor (subclass 679) visas which are specifically designed for people seeking to visit family in Australia
- Business (Short Stay) (subclass 456) visas and Sponsored Business Visitor (Short Stay) (subclass 459) visas for people wishing to make short business visits to Australia
- Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas, which provide opportunities for people aged between 18 and 30 to holiday in Australia and to supplement their travel funds through short-term employment
- Medical Treatment (Short Stay) (subclass 675) visas and Medical Treatment (Long Stay) (subclass 685) visas that enable people to travel to Australia for medical treatment or consultations.
Performance
During 2008–09, the department continued to support the tourism industry by facilitating the entry of genuine visitors to Australia, through:
- introducing the eVisitor facility for eligible European passport holders
- facilitating the entry of more than 100 000 international pilgrims for World Youth Day in July 2008
- improving services to the superyacht industry and assisting tourism by introducing the Superyacht Crew (subclass 488) visa
- improving access to streamlined visa processing by expanding access to autogrant facilities for online applications
- reviewing integrity checks to minimise the risk of non-bona fide visitors being granted visitor visas
- promoting tourism to Australia through targeted schemes such as the Approved Destination Status scheme and the Preferred Aussie Specialist program
- working cooperatively with other Commonwealth and state government agencies and peak industry bodies
- providing assistance to the International Event Coordinator Network for key events such as Pacific School Games and the 10th Arafura Games.
| Key performance indicators | 2008–09 |
|---|---|
| Quantity: Percentage of temporary entrants who abided by their visa conditions remains high or increases | |
| Planned | 99% |
| Result | 99% |
| Quality: Number of visas granted | |
| Planned | 3 380 000 |
| Result | 3 328 112 |
| Categories | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | Percentage variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) Visitors (subclasses 956, 976, 977) | 2 776 386 | 2 325 836 | -16.22% |
| eVisitor | n/a | 223 324 | n/a |
| Superyacht Crew (subclass 488) | n/a | 113 | n/a |
| Tourist (non–ETA) (subclasses 676, 686) | 604 188 | 582 665 | -3.56% |
| Business Visitors (ex-autogranted) (subclasses 456, 459) | 207 054 | 170 787 | -17.51% |
| Sponsored Family Visitors (subclass 679) | 23 216 | 22 899 | -1.36% |
| Medical Treatment (subclasses 675, 685) | 2 614 | 2 488 | -4.82% |
| Total visitor visas | 3 609 928 | 3 328 112 | -7.81% |
| Working Holiday and Work and Holiday (subclasses 417, 462) | 157 574 | 194 103 | 23.18% |
During 2008–09:
- Tourist visas have decreased by 3.56 per cent to more than 583 000 grants
- Sponsored Family Visitor visas have decreased by 1.36 per cent to nearly 22 900 grants
- a new tourism and business visa for EU citizens, eVisitor (subclass 651), introduced on 27 October 2008, resulted in over 223 000 grants, more than 19 000 of which were for business purposes
- ETAs have decreased by 16.22 per cent, with over 2.3 million grants
- Business visas, excluding autogranted options decreased by 17.51 per cent and are now approximately 170 000 in total
- Medical Treatment visas have decreased by 4.82 per cent to almost 2500 grants for the year
- Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visas have both increased by 23.18 per cent.
Visitor visas
In 2008–09, there were 3 328 112 visitor visas granted offshore, a decrease of 7.80 per cent from the 2007–08 figure of 3 609 928.
The highest number of offshore visitor visas was granted to people from the United Kingdom.
Both Tourist visa and Sponsored Family Visitor visa grants have decreased on the previous period. The number of grants of ETAs has decreased by 16.22 per cent. Visitor visa approval rates have fallen slightly from the previous period.
Table 10: Countries where highest number of offshore visitor visas were granted| Country | 2007–08 | 2008–09 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 631 900 | 587 072 |
| United States of America | 400 906 | 370 866 |
| Japan | 464 878 | 351 307 |
| People's Republic of China | 261 016 | 231 953 |
| Malaysia | 134 819 | 160 019 |
| Republic of Korea | 197 450 | 150 619 |
| Germany | 144 852 | 136 616 |
| Singapore | 129 364 | 131 309 |
| France | 112 143 | 116 328 |
| Canada | 114 457 | 105 505 |
| India | 88 994 | 90 569 |
| Taiwan | 67 933 | 74 337 |
| Visa category | Approval rate 2007–08 | Approval rate 2008–09 |
|---|---|---|
| All offshore visitor visas | 98.07% | 97.97% |
| ETA applications | 99.91% | 99.91% |
| eVisitor applications | n/a | 99.18% |
| All other offshore applications | 92.40% | 91.56% |
The e676 visa—the Tourist (subclass 676) visa applied for online—offers benefits including electronic lodgement and payment, quicker decision making and label free travel. This removes the requirement for applicants to either visit or post their passports to an Australian diplomatic mission, often located in another country, to have their visa evidenced.
Some countries also have access to e676 autogrant. This allows the majority of applications from eligible passport holders, where the e676 application does not indicate that further assessment is required, to be granted their visas within a matter of minutes.
In 2008–09, 53.46 per cent of offshore granted e676 Tourist visas were autogranted compared with 48.29 per cent in 2007–08.
Maintaining program integrity
During 2008–09, the department improved access to visitor visas without compromising program integrity. The department used tools such as the 'no further stay' condition, bonds, safeguard profiles and sponsor sanctions to maintain integrity.
The percentage of visitor visa holders failing to leave Australia before their visas expired was 0.65 per cent in 2008–09. The rate of visitor visa holders who applied for a Protection visa after arriving in Australia was 0.08 per cent (2927 persons).
Approved Destination Status scheme
The Approved Destination Status (ADS) scheme enables tourists from the People's Republic of China to travel to Australia more easily as part of organised tour groups. Since its inception in August 1999, the number of Chinese tourists has increased significantly, providing a substantial boost to Australia's tourism industry.
Australia was the first Western country to be granted ADS status which enabled Tourism Australia to promote Australia as a leisure travel destination in China.
In 2008–09, 85 482 tourists arrived under the ADS scheme, compared with 94 503 in 2007–08 and 81 495 in 2006–07. Since August 1999, a total of 485 899 tourists have arrived on ADS visas.
The ADS non-return rate decreased from 0.29 per cent in 2007–08 to 0.16 per cent in 2008–09 due to increased integrity measures in the ADS scheme. This compares to the total visitor non-return rate of 0.65 per cent.
The scheme has been extremely successful, allowing a large number of tourists to visit, while ensuring high levels of integrity and compliance with visa conditions.
There were 87 Chinese travel agencies and 54 Australian travel agencies participating in the ADS scheme in 2008–09. Figure 6 shows the trend in ADS scheme grants since 2001–02.
Preferred Aussie Specialists
Preferred Aussie Specialists (PAS) are travel agents located in developing tourist centres, selected to promote tourism and facilitate the processing of Australian visitor visa applications. The agents in India, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Vietnam are trained by Tourism Australia to promote Australia as a destination and are trained by the department in general visitor visa policy and assessing bona fides. PAS agents do not issue visas.
The PAS scheme enables visas to be processed quickly and with greater integrity. In 2008–09, the program was expanded to include Indonesia.
Tourism and Visa Advisory Group
The Tourism and Visa Advisory Group provides a forum for the department to work with stakeholders from across the tourism industry.
In 2008–09 representatives included Tourism Australia, the Australian Tourism Export Council, the Tourism and Transport Forum, Qantas, the Board of Airline Representatives Australia, the Australian Hotels Association, the Business Events Council, state and territory tourism authorities, and other Australian Government agencies.
European Union short-term entry reciprocity—eVisitor
On 27 October 2008, the department introduced eVisitor as part of its commitment to the European Union (EU) on short-term entry reciprocity issues.
The eVisitor service offers the convenience of an online application with limited questions, but also uses technological advances to improve screening of travellers who present a security or immigration risk. This improved capability better upholds the integrity of Australia's border and the safety of both visitors and Australian citizens.
In 2008–09, 223 324 eVisitor visas were granted, with a grant rate of 99.18 per cent. Of these, 8.6 per cent (19 110 grants) were for business travel. A total of 86.01 per cent of eVisitor applications were autogranted. Table 12 shows the countries with the highest eVisitor take-up rates.
Business visitors
Short stay business visitor visas support Australian businesses, including export industries, and are an integral part of the department's operations.
They enable business people to visit Australia for business negotiations, signing of contracts, inter-company business activities and conferences.
In 2008–09, 357 712 short stay business visitor visas were granted, a decrease of 14.47 per cent over 2007–08 (418 250 visas), with more than half of these issued electronically (see Table 13). The major source countries for short stay business visitors for the year were the People's Republic of China and the United States of America (see Table 14).
| Country | Number of eVisitor applications lodged |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 101 688 |
| Germany | 25 923 |
| France | 19 117 |
| Netherlands | 11 109 |
| Irish Republic | 8 047 |
| Sweden | 7 217 |
| Italy | 5 875 |
| Poland | 4 893 |
| Denmark | 4 873 |
| Spain | 4 756 |
| Visa category | Visas granted in 2008–09 | Percentage of total Business Visitor (Short Stay) visas granted |
|---|---|---|
| ETA business visitor visas | 167 815 | 46.91% |
| Non-ETA business visitor visas | 189 897 | 53.09% |
| Country | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| People's Republic of China | 83 539 | 81 481 | 53 043 |
| United States of America | 59 073 | 58 145 | 49 214 |
| United Kingdom | 33 433 | 35 283 | 33 499 |
| India | 23 761 | 25 175 | 21 511 |
| Japan | 24 103 | 23 998 | 20 283 |
| Singapore | 15 180 | 15 423 | 14 675 |
| Malaysia | 10 993 | 12 627 | 12 207 |
| Germany | 11 404 | 12 421 | 11 702 |
| Indonesia | 11 708 | 12 806 | 11 051 |
| Thailand | 10 961 | 12 521 | 10 250 |
Superyachts
In line with the government's 2007 election commitment to create a new visa subclass for superyacht crew tailored to their specific requirements, the new Superyacht Crew (subclass 488) visa was introduced on 27 October 2008. Since then, 113 visas have been granted under this program.
The Superyacht visa allows for the crew of superyachts to work on-board these vessels in Australia for up to one year, with the option to extend their stay.
This new visa supports the tourism industry and Australia's regional economic development.
The Superyacht industry contributes $150 million to Australia's economy each year and is expected to grow to $500 million during the next five years.
Sponsored family visitors
The Sponsored Family Visitor program allows Australian citizens and permanent residents to formally sponsor their relatives to visit Australia.
To strengthen the integrity of this program, a security bond may be required from the sponsor. The program has been successful in allowing those applicants about whom there may be some residual concerns to be granted a visa to visit family in Australia.
In 2008–09, 22 899 Sponsored Family Visitor visas were granted, a decrease of 1.36 per cent from the 23 216 visas granted in 2007–08.
International Events Coordinator Network
The International Events Coordinator Network (IECN) provides free advice and guidance on visa requirements to international event organisers and participants. In 2008–09, the IECN facilitated 1035 events working closely with Australian visa offices overseas and event organisers on the following high profile events: World Youth Day, the Pacific School Games, the Homeless World Cup, the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and the Arafura Games.
Working Holiday visas
Australia has 19 reciprocal working holiday arrangements and many other countries have expressed interest in joining the program.
The Working Holiday program is a cultural program that has both social and economic benefits. It increases the people-to-people links between Australia and participating countries. The tourism industry benefits from Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) as they are a highly mobile group of individuals, generally seeking to maximise their experiences in Australia. The incidental work undertaken by visa holders supports the Australian economy by providing supplementary labour for industries needing short-term casual workers.
Research conducted by the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University has reaffirmed the positive impact of WHMs on the Australian economy, even during times of economic slowdown. A copy of the research report is available on the department's website.
Key findings of the report include:
- comparing the results with those found in a 2002–03 study, fewer WHMs now work. Of those WHMs engaging in work, a smaller number of jobs are held during their stay and fewer hours are worked overall
- WHMs come from a variety of work backgrounds and generally do different types of work in Australia compared to their employment at home. A total of 69 per cent of WHMs engage in work, averaging 2.3 jobs each and 119.6 days worked
- WHMs spend more than they earn, thus making a small contribution to the creation of Australian jobs. Spending by WHMs occurs in the areas of accommodation ($592 million), tourism ($381 million), transportation ($324 million) and education ($97 million).
In 2008–09, 187 696 Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas were granted, a 21.74 per cent increase over the 154 418 visas granted in 2007–08. The main source countries for Working Holiday visas are shown in Table 15.
| Country | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 29 815 | 34 145 | 40 182 |
| Republic of Korea | 26 832 | 32 635 | 39 506 |
| Ireland | 12 802 | 17 120 | 22 786 |
| Germany | 15 290 | 17 438 | 20 319 |
| France | 7 955 | 11 005 | 16 250 |
| Japan | 10 820 | 10 599 | 9 324 |
| Canada | 6 876 | 8 090 | 8 737 |
Under changes introduced on 27 October 2008, applicants who have dependent children may be eligible for a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa as long as the child does not accompany them at any stage during their stay in Australia. Before this change, applicants with dependent children were not eligible to participate in the program.
This further aligns the Working Holiday visa with the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa.
Electronic Working Holiday visas
In 2008–09, 98 per cent of all Working Holiday visas were lodged electronically and 77 per cent of these were granted automatically. The continuing high eVisa take-up rate reflects the success of this facility which provides clients with easy access and faster decisions.
Work and Holiday visas
The Work and Holiday visa criteria are the same as for Working Holiday visa applicants but applicants undergo more rigorous checks and generally must be tertiary qualified to apply (except those from the United States of America).
This is because countries that have Work and Holiday arrangements with Australia are considered to present a higher immigration risk than those with Working Holiday arrangements.
Australia has Work and Holiday visa arrangements with six countries: Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the USA. The visa provides opportunities for tertiary qualified nationals to travel to, and work in, Australia for up to 12 months.
Participants must be aged 18–30, have functional English and, except in the case of applicants from the USA, have the support of their home government.
In 2008–09, 6407 Work and Holiday visas were granted, an 87.01 per cent increase over the 3428 visas granted in 2007–08. A total of 75.78 per cent were lodged electronically. Figure 9 shows the growth in Work and Holiday visa grants since 2004.
Figure 9: Work and Holiday visa grant growth
