Australia

Australia to cease issuance of visa labels

25 Aug 15

AUSTRALIA

IMPACT – LOW

What is the change? Australia will stop issuing visa labels 1 September.

What does the change mean? Visa holders can check their visa status through Australia’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service or its myVEVO mobile app. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and airline staff already use electronic systems rather than visa labels to check whether travellers have valid visas to enter Australia.

  • Implementation time frame: 1 September.
  • Visas/permits affected: All visas.
  • Who is affected: Foreign nationals embarking on visa-required travel to Australia.
  • Impact on processing times: The change will eliminate the need to process requests for visa labels.
  • Next steps: Because Australian officials already rely on electronic systems in order to check visa status, travellers will be able to enter Australia by showing their passport or ImmiCard.

Background: Visa labels are documents that are placed in a passport to provide information about a foreign national’s visa validity. Even before the most recent change, demand for visa labels had decreased by 95 per cent from 2011, according to Government data. “The practice of obtaining visa labels often resulted in unnecessary expenses, delays and inconvenience for clients and stakeholders,” the DIBP said in a statement. “Offering these services digitally is an efficient, economical and sustainable solution.”

BAL Analysis: Beginning 1 September, visa holders will no longer be able to request visa labels from the Australian Government. Travellers can use the VEVO service to track their visa status and, assuming they have valid visas, will be able to travel to Australia by showing their passport or ImmiCard.

This alert has been provided by BAL Australia. For additional information, please contact australia@bal.com.

MARN: 9683856

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