Australian Visa - Now Implemented into Passport Chip?

[Archphoto]

My partner just applied for a visa for AU, and it looks like here in TH, they've entered the 21st C finally.

After 3 previous visits with visas applied to the pages, this time around, all we got was a piece of paper stating the visa would be verified upon checkin "electronically".

Have to admit, I'm hoping that chip reads correctly - last thing I need is denied entry for them.:shock:

I've never had a visa in my passport chip - still being given those wonderful paper ones that take up the entire page (hence I'm paying $$$ every couple of years for a new one!!)

Anybody here had this experience yet?

 

[Dudditz]

As someone who works in this area, I can inform you it has absolutely nothing to do with the chip. All the chip stores is your information and a digital image of you. The visa is registered to the passport number and both are matched on the immigration computer system. Most visas can now be issued electronically to Australia depending on the country and visa from which the person applies. It seems immigration is moving down the path of electronically issuing most visas now and it would not surprise me to see visa label version disappear entirely in the future.

 

[Archphoto]

That *is* really interesting. I noted last year that a lot of foreigners were being taken aside and questioned by immigration here in BKK as the were having their passports and tickets checked before boarding.

So I take it, when the passport is scanned, the number matches the visa/s issued to it, is that correct? What happens if there's a glitch in the system; what steps would need to be taken to verify the issued visa?

 

[Maca44]

Well Dudditz, it certainly is good to have someone in the field of immigration that can answer some of the questions in this forum. I hope we have (or will have) all aspects of travel covered.

 

[Dudditz]

Correct, the system is designed to match the details and if there is an issue, it will prompt for an immigration officer to investigate. There are problems every day in every international airport within the country and most can be sorted fairly quickly by officers at the time.

 

[Air Chef]

Re: Australian Re-entry Visa for UK passport holders.

One for Dudditz, I am a resident of Aussie travelling on Brit Passport with Re-Entry visa for Australia. Have just renewed my passport and wonder if the re-entry visa which is current for another two years can be used in conjunction with new passport. I did this many years ago when I was QF Cabin Crew, but now retired. Does it still stand. Thanks.:shock:

 

[Smackbum]

My old UK passport expired with 2 years left on my RRV, so for a while I was carrying both the old (with label) and new (without). Initially I was told I could get the label transferred across (for a fee) but later an immigration official told me that the RRV had been transferred electronically and I didn't need to carry the old one anymore.

I still kept it in the wallet and it WAS asked for a couple of times.

When I got the new RRV this year it was done online and all I got was a confirmation message. I printed that out and now carry it where I used to store the old passport. Never hurts to be sure.

 

[serfty]

...

So I take it, when the passport is scanned, the number matches the visa/s issued to it, is that correct? What happens if there's a glitch in the system; what steps would need to be taken to verify the issued visa?

What happens is that no-one can check in until a manual process is invoked.

I had this situation in January at LAX for an NZ flight when the link between AirNZ's computers and those of the US DHS were down.

 

[Air Chef]

My old UK passport expired with 2 years left on my RRV, so for a while I was carrying both the old (with label) and new (without). Initially I was told I could get the label transferred across (for a fee) but later an immigration official told me that the RRV had been transferred electronically and I didn't need to carry the old one anymore.

I still kept it in the wallet and it WAS asked for a couple of times.

When I got the new RRV this year it was done online and all I got was a confirmation message. I printed that out and now carry it where I used to store the old passport. Never hurts to be sure.

Thank you very much for the info "Smackbum".

Regards, Ken.