Home Affairs - Immigration (visas) Citizenship and Border Protection

 

 

Visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs does not have an office at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea.

The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea will not respond to Home Affairs enquiries and will not escalate these to Home Affairs.

Please check all the Home Affairs information and advice provided below as appropriate to your circumstances and contact Home Affairs directly for further assistance as required:

• Latest Home Affairs news and recommendations
• Home Affairs enquiries, Contacting the Home Affairs Global Service Centre, Using an interpreter, Registered Migration Agents
• Australian Citizenship
• Visas to Australia including Visa-Finder
• Biometric data collection and Health examinations
• English language testing
• Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)
• Back from Australia (proof of exit and travel records)
• Australian Customs and Biosecurity
• Compliments, complaints and suggestions to Home Affairs, including Allegations related to suspicious border activities

 

Latest Home Affairs news and recommendations

For the latest immigration and citizenship news, see News archive.

Home Affairs advises Australian citizens should depart from and return to Australia on an Australian passport and should not apply for visas to Australia on their foreign passports. Home Affairs further advises Australian citizens seeking to enter Australia on another country's passport may experience difficulties and delays while their identity and citizenship is confirmed by Home Affairs.

Home Affairs information for permanent residents of Australia - Permanent resident (homeaffairs.gov.au)

Foreign travellers - Home Affairs recommends foreign travellers hold a passport valid for at least six (6) months and to enter Australia on a visa appropriate to their circumstances.

Home Affairs advises you should not book flights or make travel commitments until you have an appropriate visa to travel to Australia. Home Affairs further advises it will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by clients whose visa application was finalised later than expected or where an application is unsuccessful.

Home Affairs advises it is important to remember that airlines, vessel operators and other countries may have specific requirements that travellers need to comply with.

Australia does not require you to undertake any pre-departure COVID-19 testing to enter, leave or transit Australia. However, some states and territories may require you to take a COVID-19 test soon after arrival.

Check the below links regularly as regulations and procedures can be subject to change at short notice. 

• Australia - International travel and COVID-19 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
• New South Wales - COVID-19 information for international arrivals | NSW Government
• Queensland - Going out, travel, recreation and gathering in Queensland | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)
• Victoria - COVID-19 information for travellers | Coronavirus Victoria

 

Home Affairs Enquiries, Contacting the Home Affairs Global Service Centre, Using an Interpreter, Registered Migration Agents

The Department of Home Affairs website has the most up to date and comprehensive information on applying for visas and citizenship. The website also has useful definitions and tools to help you understand the department’s requirements. Visit the website at Immigration and citizenship.

If you are having trouble locating information on the department’s website, the Home Affairs Digital Assistant may be able to help. The Digital Assistant can help you find information on Australian visas, citizenship and border entry. Visit the Immigration and citizenship website, and click the Ask a question button to get started.

Home Affairs Global Service Centre

If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196 (outside Australia) or on 131 881 ​​(in Australia), Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm your local time.

International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges.

Using an interpreter

When you call the Home Affairs GSC, select option 6 to engage a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) interpreter in your language. Option 6 can be selected straight after dialling the GSC number.

Alternatively, a TIS interpreter can also be engaged directly via:

• TIS website - Search | Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or
• Home Affairs website - Who can help you with your application (homeaffairs.gov.au)

Other Home Affairs links

• Family and friends helping you with your application (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• Using a registered migration agent (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• Australian Immigration Enquiry Form - Suva (homeaffairs.gov.au)

 

Australian citizenship

You can apply online for Australian citizenship through ImmiAccount. For further information, please check information and application processes for Australian citizenship by descent or for Australian citizenship for children adopted outside Australia.

If you require further proof of your Australian citizenship, you will need to apply online with Home Affairs for an Evidence of citizenship (homeaffairs.gov.au).

Once you have been granted Australian citizenship by Home Affairs, you will need to apply for an Australian passport.

Home Affairs advises Australian citizens should depart from and return to Australia on an Australian passport and should not apply for visas to Australia on their foreign passports. Home Affairs further advises Australian citizens seeking to enter Australia on another country's passport may experience difficulties and delays while their identity and citizenship is confirmed by Home Affairs (Travelling as a dual citizen (homeaffairs.gov.au) and Dual nationals leaving and returning to Australia. Which passport should you use? | Australian Passport Office).

 

Visas to Australia including Visa-Finder

Home Affairs advises Australian citizens should depart from and return to Australia on an Australian passport and should not apply for visas to Australia on their foreign passports.

• To find the visa appropriate for your travel purpose, Explore Visa Options online and check the Global visa processing times applicable to each visa.
   
• You can apply online for most Australian visas through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs also advises you can check you visa status using myVEVO. If you are not eligible to apply for an online visa and need to travel to or transit through Australia, please check the Visa Support online to apply on paper with Home Affairs.
   
• When applying for a visa, you should enter your data as it appears on your passport, including the passport number as it appears in the machine-readable zone at the bottom left of the passport biodata page.
   
• You can withdraw your visa application if you don’t wish or can’t travel on the dates originally provided as Home Affairs cannot extend a visa validity.
   
• If you have a valid visa but have a new passport, follow the instructions to update your passport details.
   
• Diplomatic passport holders travelling to Australia to attend meetings as Government official travelling on official business may need to include in their visa application a Third Person Note (TPN) as well as scans of passports and itineraries. For transits through Australia, diplomatic passport holders may be eligible to transit without a visa, depending on the nationality and the length of transit time. For more information, see Transit Without A Visa eligibility. If you are not eligible to transit without a visa, you will need to apply online for a Transit visa.
   
• eVisitor visas for European (including French passports) and other eligible passport holders - eVisitor (subclass 651) visa and list of countries eligible to the eVisitor subclass 651 – this visa is free and allows you to travel to Australia for tourism or business visitor purposes for up to 3 months at a time within a 12-month period.
   
• eVisitor visas for other passport holders  or travel to Australia for tourism or business visits for up to 3, 6 or 12 months -  eVisitor (subclass 600) visa - fees apply.
   
• ETA visas - ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) (subclass 601) - there is no Visa Application Charge (VAC), however, there may be an application service charge of AUD20. Your airline or travel agent can assist you with ETA visas.
   
• Transiting Australia - Transit visa and Transit Without A Visa eligibility – check applicable conditions depending on your nationality and the length of your transit time.
   
• Travelling to Australia for medical reasons - Visa for medical treatment and appointments in Australia (subclass 602) - people travelling to Australia for medical treatment or to support someone needing medical treatment, must travel on a Medical Treatment Visa, which is only available as an online application.
   
• Student visas - Explore visa options for studying in Australia (homeaffairs.gov.au) and check also educational information available on Study in Australia.
   
• Working Holiday visas - Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program (homeaffairs.gov.au)
   
• Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV)  - the PEV program is a permanent resident visa for eligible countries to help address the underrepresentation of Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals in Australia’s permanent migration program. Priority has been given to countries with limited permanent migration opportunities to Australia, and countries without citizenship rights with New Zealand, France and the United States. New Caledonia and Wallis-and-Futuna are therefore not eligible to participate in the PEV program. Information is available at Pacific Engagement Visa | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au) and Pacific Engagement (homeaffairs.gov.au).
   
• Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme - for information on the PALM scheme, please check Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme (consulate.gov.au).
   
• Work and Investments in Australia - Useful information and links
   
• Settling in Australia - Settling in Australia (homeaffairs.gov.au)
   
• Working in Australia - Working in Australia (homeaffairs.gov.au)
   
• If you hold a valid permanent or provisional Family visa and you cannot travel to Australia before the first entry arrival date of your visa, you can complete the travel facilitation letter request form.
   
• If you have an enquiry about a Child, Adoption or Orphan Relative visa, you can complete the Child and orphan relative visa processing centre form.

 

Biometric data collection and Health examinations

 

Biometric data collection by Home Affairs is available on the Home Affairs website at Biometrics (homeaffairs.gov.au).

Medical and health examinations required by Home Affairs for visa applications - please check Meeting Home Affairs health requirements for more information and select your country of residence to find a Home Affairs registered Panel physician.

 

English language testing

 

Information on English language proficiency tests and examination centres is available on the Home Affairs website at Meeting our requirements - English language.

Please contact the language testing centres directly for further information and assistance:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• Certifications en langues - Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (unc.nc) - IELTS and Cambridge tests at the University of New Caledonia
• ATC - Poursuivre ses études à l'étranger - IELTS tests with Alternative Teaching Consulting at James Cook International School in Noumea

 

Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)

 

International travellers (including Australians) might be able to claim a GST (Goods and Services Tax) and/or WET (Wine Equalization Tax) refund for some goods bought in Australia that you can take on the plane or ship.

Further information and process available at Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS).

 

Back from Australia (proof of exit and travel records)

 

If you need a record of your specific dates of travel in and out of Australia, you may request an international movement records from the Australian Department of Home Affairs at International movement records (homeaffairs.gov.au).

If you require a certified copy of your passport as proof of exit from Australia, the consular section of the Australian Consulate-General may be able to provide you with this service.  For further information, please follow the link Notarial Services, including witnessing, certifying issuing legal documents.

 

Australian Customs and Biosecurity
 

For customs information and mandatory declarations (entering and leaving Australia by air or sea, including arrival policies, what you can bring, duty-free and tourist refund scheme), please check out the Australian Border Force (ABF) online information, including the Australian Border Force Duty free concessions (abf.gov.au) information (also available in foreign languages including in French) and Biosecurity Australia information on Travelling to Australia - DAFF (agriculture.gov.au), also available in foreign languages including in French.

Visit the Home Affairs webpages Entering Australia and Leaving Australia for the most up-to-date information.

Please also contact your airline including Aircalin or Qantas, travel agent, employer or Home Affairs directly as required for assistance. Check also with your airline including Aircalin or Qantas, or cruise line on their boarding conditions and on regulations applicable to travel by minors, including those unaccompanied.

 

Compliments, complaints and suggestions to Home Affairs including Allegations related to suspicious border activities  

 

Compliments, complaints and suggestions

Your feedback is valuable to the Department of Home Affairs. The department uses your feedback to improve services and investigate and respond to any issues of concern. You can find more information on the department’s website at Compliments, complaints and suggestions.

 

Allegations related to suspicious border activities

​​​​​​​​​​​If it doesn’t feel right, flag it anonymously with Border Watch. Border Watch is the single collection point for the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF) for allegations related to suspicious border activities and is not limited to immigration and citizenship. One small observation could help stop a much larger border crime.  You can report suspicious immigration, customs and border related activity via the Border Watch Online Report.