All international event participants, (other than New Zealander passport holders) should review the following information carefully. There are currently two possible visa options for adult event participants and the appropriate visa to apply for will depend on their country of passport.

IMPORTANT: It is the policy of the Conference office NOT to supply an invitation letter to unpaid or unregistered delegates as it is NOT required and does NOT assist in the visa application process. Upon payment of registration, the delegate will receive a confirmation letter of acceptance of registration and receipt of payment. For NON ETA visa applicants, a list of ALL paid registered delegates will be forwarded to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) to assist visa applications.

VISA TYPES

(1)The electronic short stay validity Business visa (ETA 977)

Event participants with passports from any of the following countries or locations can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA):- Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan*, USA, United Kingdom - British Citizen, United Kingdom - British National (Overseas)**

Some event participants are eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa. The ETA is an electronic (invisible) visa that can be applied for online and is usually issued the same day. There is no Australian Government fee for this electronic visa but the service provider does charge a fee of AUD$20. The ETA can also be applied for through many travel agencies and they may choose to impose a fee to travellers, for this service.

* Taiwan passport holders can be processed for an ETA only if resident in, and applying from, Taiwan.

** UK passport holders whose nationality is British National (Overseas) can be processed for an ETA only if resident in, and applying from, Hong Kong SAR.

***Please be aware that Taiwanese passport holders and BNO passport holders cannot apply for an ETA online. Such passport holders must contact their closest visa office for information about how to obtain their ETA.

You can apply for the short stay validity Business visa online via the website: www.eta.immi.gov.au

ETA visa holders are permitted to attend an event (several) and to partake in general tourism activities.

(2) The short stay validity Business visa (subclass 456):

If you do not hold a passport from one of the ETA eligible countries listed above, you will need to apply for a short stay Business visa (456) at the closest Australian visa office to their current place of residence. If visa grant occurs, a visa label is placed into the traveller's passport. There is a fee of AUD$70 for 456 visa processing, to be paid at the time of lodgement of the visa application. Contact details for the appropriate visa office closest to the applicant's place of residence can be found at: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas.htm

The application for the subclass 456 visa (11 pages) can be downloaded from the DIMIA website at: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/456.pdf

Subclass 456 visa holders are permitted to attend an event (or several) and to partake in general tourism activities. Subclass 456 visa holders are also advised to note any visa conditions, as may be stipulated on their visa label.

VISA ASSISTANCE

To assist all subclass 456 visa applicants, the Conference office will supply The International Event Coordinator Network (IECN) of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) the personal details and registration payment confirmation of all registered delegates. The IECN will notify the relevant overseas posts and request facilitation of the applicants' visa processing, if possible.

All subclass 456 visa applicants for events should note that event registration does not guarantee visa grant. In order to be granted a visa to visit Australia, a subclass 456 visa applicant must demonstrate that they meet all the legislative requirements for visa grant, including meeting the bona fide and character checks. Visa processing is stringent and subclass 456 visa applicants are advised, in the current global situation, to apply for a visa well in advance (4 - 6 weeks) of their intended date of travel, if possible.

IMPORTANT: It is the policy of the Conference office NOT to supply an invitation letter to unpaid or unregistered delegates as it is NOT required and does NOT assist in the visa application process. Upon payment of registration, the delegate will receive a confirmation letter of acceptance of registration and receipt of payment. For NON ETA visa applicants, a list of ALL paid registered delegates will be forwarded to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) to assist visa applications.

RELEVANT WEBSITES

DIMIA's INTERNET SITE: www.immi.gov.au

Available on DIMIA's Internet website is a wealth of helpful information about Australian missions overseas, how to apply for visas and further information on ETAs, Customs clearance, Quarantine regulations, health issues, arrival and departure and more.

World Index: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas.htm

The DIMIA World Index within the website provides a list of all Australian missions overseas by country and by city. The information is regularly updated and includes:

• Information identifying the post where residents of each country should lodge applications for entry and where these applications are processed and decided.

• Street and postal addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers of each mission, the website name and Internet e-mail address for each visa office where applicable, and client counter and telephone hours.

• An outline of any special procedures or features relating to visa processing at each mission.

• NB: If you plan to print the World Index, please be advised it prints out to more than 93 A4-size pages.

ETA: http://www.immi.gov.au/eta/

The Electronic Travel Authority site provides comprehensive information on:

• What an ETA is

• How the ETA works

• The types of ETAs available and

• The benefits of using an ETA.

NB: Information on the ETA is also provided at the World Index site described above.

An Australian Government Guide to Visiting Australia:

• This site contains comprehensive information about Customs clearance and Quarantine and health issues, as well as visas. The information is regularly updated.

• It also provides general information about issues impacting on all visitors to Australia.

• The text is available in French, German, Indonesian and Spanish, as well as English.

• This site also contains links to other useful internet sites owned by e.g. the Department of Health and Ageing (for more information on health insurance for visitors to Australia), and by the Customs (ACS) and Quarantine (AQIS) services.

• The information at this site has been jointly provided by DIMIA, DFAT, the Australian Customs Service and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.