Uk Visa For Australian Citizens
Do you plan to travel to Australia for business or pleasure? Are you a permanent resident of Australia who travel abroad often? A general visit visa is the right visa for your particular situation. The easiest and most cost-effective way to get a visitor visa is by applying at the Australian visa office responsible for issuing visas in your country or region.
If you are an Australian citizen who is planning to visit the UK, or stay in the country for a few days or even weeks, then you need to be well informed as what UK visa you should apply for. Getting the right visa is a very important task as it will determine how long you can stay in the country and what rights you will have while staying there.
With the UK Government Changes to Tier 2 visas for non-EU Workers, I will discuss how the UK visa system works and what changes have been made recently. This will help you gain a better understanding of the UK visa system and also help you decide if going on a UK visa is right for you.
Uk Visa For Australian Citizens
If you’re an Australian citizen, you can apply for a UK visa through the standard application process. You can also apply for a visitor visa if you’re coming to the UK on a short holiday.
To get a visitor visa, you’ll need to fill out an application form and submit it along with your passport and supporting documents. If you want to extend or change your stay in the UK, you’ll have to apply for a different type of visa.
The UK has several types of visas that are designed for people who wish to work or study in the country. The UK offers work visas for people who want to live and work there permanently; these visas usually have restrictions on how many days they can spend outside of the UK each year. In addition, students may be able to apply for student visas if they are enrolled at an educational institution in the country.
Are you an Australian citizen looking to visit the United Kingdom? If so, you’re in luck! The UK has a visa waiver program that allows Australian citizens to enter the country without first having to apply for a visa. To qualify, however, you must meet the following requirements:
You must be traveling as a tourist or on business. You cannot enter on a family reunion visa or as an employee of an organization in the UK.
You must have an e-passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining on it at the time of your trip. Your passport must also be machine-readable and have been issued within the past 10 years.
You must have proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay in Britain (approximately £500). You can do this by showing a credit card statement from one month prior to your departure date or bank statements from two months prior (if those are more recent than your credit card statement).
You must have purchased travel insurance that covers emergency medical expenses and repatriation if necessary (typically about $10-$20 per day).
If you are an Australian citizen and want to travel to the U.S., there are a few different types of visas that can be used for your trip.
The K-1 Visa is designed for people who want to bring their fiancée or fiancé into the U.S. for the purpose of getting married. This visa is only valid for 90 days, and it doesn’t give the foreign national any legal status in the United States beyond what’s granted by the marriage itself.
The O-1 visa is provided to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in science, art, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim. The applicant must also show that they’ve been recognized by experts in their field as being among the top few percent of all professionals in their industry or field.
The H-1B1 visa is available to citizens of Chile and Singapore who wish to work in the United States temporarily at a specific job site with a qualified employer (a company that has been approved by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services).
Do Australians Need a Visa for the UK?
If you are Australian and you have a British parent, you may be a British citizen, and may be able to apply for a British passport rather than a visa.
If you were born after 01 January 1983, and you have a parent who is British “otherwise than by descent”, you may be a British citizen.
Establishing whether your parent is British by ‘descent’ or not can be complex. It will depend on where and when they were born.
If your parent was born in the UK, they are probably British “otherwise than by descent”, so you may be British yourself.
If you are British, and want to come to the UK with your family, you may be able to sponsor them to join you under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules (see below).
UK Visas for Australians
UK Visas for Australians with a British Grandparent
If you are an Australian citizen and you have a British grandparent, you may be able to apply for a UK Ancestry visa. In summary, you will need to show that you:
- You are a Commonwealth citizen (which you are, as an Australian citizen);
- You are aged 17 or over on your date of intended arrival to the UK;
- You are able to provide proof that one of your grandparents was born in the United Kingdom or Islands;
- Any such grandparent is your blood grandparent or grandparent by reason of an adoption recognised by the laws of the United Kingdom relating to adoption;
- You are able to adequately maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants;
- You are able to work and intend to seek and take employment in the UK;
- If you are under the age of 18, your parent(s) or guardian(s) have consented to the application;
- You have provided a TB Certificate, if required.
If you are successful in applying for a UK Ancestry visa, you will be able to live in the UK for up to five years.
If you have lived in the UK for five years with a UK Ancestry visa, and meet some additional requirements, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which would allow you to live in the UK permanently.
Once you have ILR, you can apply to naturalise as British, if you wish.
If you have a partner and/or children, they can come with you to the UK if you have a UK Ancestry visa.
UK Visas for Australians with a British Partner
If you are Australian and your partner is British, your partner may be able to sponsor you to travel with him/her to the UK or join him/her in the UK. For the purposes of the Immigration Rules a “partner” is a spouse or civil partner, a fiancee or proposed civil partner, or an unmarried partner (defined as “a person who has been living together with the applicant in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years prior to the date of the application”).
An application as a partner is made under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules. The requirements are, in summary:
- The Sponsor is British or holds Indefinite Leave to Remain;
- You are both over the age of 18;
- You have met in person;
- Your relationship is genuine and you intend to live together permanently;
- Any previous relationships have broken down permanently;
- There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependants;
- You speak and understand English to the required level (there is a specific test which you need to take to demonstrate this, or you may be able to rely on a degree taught in English).
In addition, there is a specific financial requirement which must be met in most cases. It is usually necessary to show that the Applicant or Sponsor has an income of at least £18,600 per year. The amount required is higher if you have children who are not British. You have to have an additional £3,800 per year for the first child and an additional £2,400 each for any further children. You can find out more about meeting the financial requirement with children here.
If the income you rely upon is salary from employment or income from self employed work it is necessary to show that the Sponsor alone has a sufficient income. There are a variety of different sources of income on which you can rely, so it is not always essential to be able to meet the financial requirement by relying on salary alone. For example, you may be able to rely on non-employment income or savings (see here for further information about this).
If You Are Australian and Have No Family Ties to the UK, or You Cannot Meet the Requirements of the Categories Mentioned Above:
As an Australian citizen you may still have UK visa options depending on why you want to come to the UK and how long you want to stay here.
For example, the UK offers a range of long-term and short-term work and business immigration routes (sponsored and non-sponsored) for Australians, including:
- Long Term Work Visas (including Skilled Worker, International Sportsperson and Minister of Religion)
- Short Term Work Visas (including High Potential Individual, Youth Mobility Scheme and Creative Worker)
- Business Visas (including Start-up and Innovator)
- Global Business Mobility Visas (including Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker)
- Talent Visas
The UK also offers a range of Short Stay Visit Routes to citizens of Australia for purposes such as:
- Visiting friends, family and/or for a short holiday;
- Short-term unpaid business activity;
- Unpaid creative activities;
- Short courses of study or research;
- Unpaid sporting activities;
- Receiving private medical treatment;
- Marriage or civil partnership in the UK;
As non-visa nationals, Australians can normally seek entry as a Visitor on arrival in the UK without needing to apply for a visa in advance. However, a non-visa national must still satisfy the requirements for entry as a Visitor. This means that, as an Australian citizen, on arrival, you should still be prepared to explain, for example, the purpose of your visit and how you will be maintained and accommodated in the UK, as well as your return travel arrangements.
There are also options for Australians who wish to study in the UK.
Are Australians eligible for the ETA UK visa waiver?
Yes, Australians are among the citizens eligible to apply for the ETA to visit the UK for the short term. Travellers from Australia will need to apply online for the UK ETA once the system goes live. They will receive authorisation via email.
The visa waiver is expected to allow travellers to spend a maximum of 6 months in the UK and visit any part of the country.
While the complete list of eligible citizens may change, currently, travellers holding an Australian passport will require this travel authorisation.
UK ETA allowed travel reasons for Australians
The UK ETA will not allow Australians to conduct any type of employment activity in the country. The approved travel reasons for the ETA are:
- Tourism and leisure reasons
- Business
- Visiting relatives or friends
- Short-term study
- Medical treatment
The above reasons are only applicable to stays of a maximum of 180 days.
Australian visitors who want to conduct long-term studies, or work in the United Kingdom, may need to apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate.
UK ETA requirements for nationals of Australia
As a visa waiver, the UK ETA only has a few basic requirements, allowing almost anyone to apply:
- Applicants must possess a valid Australian passport
- Have a valid email address to receive the ETA
- Have a credit or debit card to pay the ETA processing fee
How to get the UK ETA from Australia
Australian visitors can get the UK ETA in a few simple steps:
- Fill in the online British ETA application form in all its parts
- Answer a set of security questions
- Pay the ETA fee via credit or debit card
- Send the application for review
Travellers from Australia can complete the entire process in around 10 minutes. Once they have submitted their application, they will need to wait for a confirmation email informing them of the approval of their ETA.
Note: Australian dual nationals who have two passports must ensure they use the same one when applying online and when travelling to the UK. There can be no discrepancies between the details on the ETA and the travel document.
UK ETA application form for Australian travellers
When filling in the ETA application form, Australians should be prepared to provide the following information:
- Applicant’s personal details, such as full name, date of birth, country of citizenship
- Passport details, such as number, date of issue and expiration, issuing country
- Contact details, including home address, email address, and telephone number
- Travel plans, including the date of intended arrival in the UK
In addition to these details, applicants from Australia need to answer a few security-related questions.
How long does it take to obtain the UK ETA as an Australian citizen?
The UK ETA will have a short processing time, ranging between 24 and 48 hours. To ensure they receive their visa waiver on time, Australian nationals are encouraged to apply around 72 hours before their trip.
Delays, although rare, may happen if the information provided in the application form is incorrect or incomplete. Applicants holding an Australian passport should make sure they accurately fill in every part of the application form to avoid delays or even rejection of their UK ETA.
What are the benefits of the UK ETA for Australians?
The UK ETA will have significant benefits for Australian visitors and the UK government, including:
- Increased safety due to strengthened border controls
- An automated system allowing travellers to move faster through border controls
- An entirely digital application process
- A short processing time, making it easy to apply even for short-notice trips
Travelling from Australia to the UK
Until the launch of the visa waiver program, Australian visitors may still enter the UK visa-free for short-term stays.
The easiest way for Australians to travel to the UK is via air. Although there are usually no direct flights from Australia to the UK, due to the long-distance trip, travellers can find many flights with a short connection in Dubai, Doha, or Singapore. The ETA also allows travellers to enter the country via land or sea.
Visitors should also stay up-to-date with the latest news regarding COVID-19 travel requirements in the United Kingdom. All restrictions have been lifted but entry requirements are subject to change.
UK Embassy in Australia
The British High Commission in Canberra is the main UK diplomatic mission in Australia.
The address is 130 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla, ACT 2600, Australia.
The UK also has consulates in Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
Conclusion
The UK is an extremely popular choice for Australian immigrants. It is a great place to live and work, offering opportunities that many migrating Australians have not even dreamed of. From their stunning landscapes to bustling cities filled with culture and entertainment, there really is something for everyone in the UK. If you are considering moving to the UK, you might be in luck if you possess an Australian passport.
If you are an Australian citizen and need a visa to live and work in the United Kingdom, it can be complicated. There are various types of visas available that are suitable for different cases. It is important to be aware of all your options before applying for a visa. To help wrap your head around the process, we’ve put together this summary to walk you through the different ways to get a UK visa as an Australian citizen.