United States of America
Visa Information
Permanent Entry Visas
Permanent entry visa applications (except skilled, business skilled and Parent categories) from all of the United States are processed and decided in Washington.
General skilled migration applications are lodged and processed at the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre.
See: Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre
Business Skills applications are lodged and processed at the Perth Business Skills Processing Centre.
See: Perth Business Skills Processing Centre
Contributory parent and parent migration applications are lodged and processed at the Parent Visa Centre.
See: Parent Visa Centre
Temporary Entry Visas
Citizens of the United States are eligible for streamlined processing of visitor visas through Electronic Travel Authority.
See:
Electronic Travel Authority website
Visitors – Applying for a Visitor ETA or Visitor visa from outside Australia
Other temporary entry visa applications from the United States are processed and decided in Washington. Washington also processes temporary visa applications from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
416 Special Program applications are lodged and processed at the Hobart Special Program Processing Centre.
See: Hobart Special Program Processing Centre
420 Entertainment sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre.
See: Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre
From 2 April 2005, Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) applications must be lodged by the sponsor at a state or territory office within Australia.
See: Contact Us – Australian Offices
If you are sponsored by an Australian employer for a Subclass 457 Business (Long Stay) visa, you may lodge your visa application online or at an Australia office of the department. If you are sponsored by an overseas business, you can lodge your visa application with the Australia Immigration Office responsible for applications in your country.
See:
Centres of Excellence
Online Applications
If you are sponsored by an Australian employer, you must lodge your visa application at the same office in Australia where your employer lodged papers to support your application. Please ask your employer which office they lodged these papers at.
See: Contact Us – Australian Offices
Special Procedures
Washington is responsible for all DIAC functions in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands and supervises the Visa Office in Mexico City.
Washington processes permanent entry applications from Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Mexico and the Central American region (Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) Washington also processes permanent entry applications from Cuba.
A special arrangement for application lodgement is available for Cuban citizens. Cuban citizens are able to lodge permanent entry applications in Mexico City and they will be transferred to Washington to avoid any disadvantage because of the uncertainty of mail between Cuba and the USA.
As a general rule, visa applications from Guam and the Northern Marianas. are handled in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Permanent Entry visas are lodged in Pohnpei and forwarded by the post for processing and decision in Suva.
The visa office in the Australian Consulate, Los Angeles, United States of America, closed on 1 February 2003.