High Visa Fees - DFAT doing anything to abolish visas for Australians?

[ethernet]

Anyone got info on how hard DFAT is working on abolishing visas?

If DFAT was doing their job properly, I would expect to see headway on tourist visa fees - being at least bilaterally abolished. Especially where 'Free Trade' agreements have been done. To keep it simple I will scope it to tourist visas only.
I also get cross at 'full passport page' visas - that clog up expensive passports.

Instead visa fees are increasing and more are being introduced - ie going the wrong way. As the passports are computer chipped - what the #$@@* is going on? For tinpot states, yes it is often used as a revenue raiser and tit for tat reasons.
The extra 32 pages in a frequent Australian Passport costs $114 / 32/ 4 = 8 = 14.25 per sheet, so DFAT is revenue gouging , or securrency has its hands in.

I start with the concept that a passport is THE document that should allow free passage , and a visa is for national protection - to keep undesirables out, or keeping its citizens from leaving (if country has the word peoples in it - because the granting country often tips off residents country).

I think it is a bit rough some visitors pay $105 for a TOURIST visa, relative to some countries that don't slug Australians (Mostly because they are smarter in getting tourism and tourist dollars and charge the over stayers when caught, dearly).

I don't know what they tried or done for Singapore or Vietnam, but there is room for improvement I think. Looking at Sweden, Finland and Norway, their .govs seem to be higher performing.

 

[oz_mark]

Citizens of EU countries (and some other European countries) can apply for eVisitor pass to Australia, which is as far as I know free.
eVisitor - Online Applications

Citizens with ETA-eligible passports:

• Brunei
• Canada
• Hong Kong SAR
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• South Korea
• United States of America

can get ETA's for around $20USD, although there are ways of getting them done for nix.


Tit for tat plays a big role in what Australians get charged by some countries though, but at the end of the day other coutries are free to implement whatever they like.

 

[ethernet]

Normally when a trade agreement is done, this is a mentionable item.
I don't recall them trumpeting any successes of late.

Example:-
Vietnam.This link Visa Exemption Agreements between Vietnam and other countries | Vietnam Visa Service and we are MIA. Good enough reason to trim foreign aid hard - they even favor Russians over Viet Kieu.

China/HK/SAR - Yes, well another difficult nut - .au is a tadpole . Looking at Keatings' ASEAN - well does not appear to be on par with their neighbors.

Indonesia. Yes. Tricky item, recalcitrant folk. Did we really give them $500 Million for schools? Australia will spend $500 million to upgrade Indonesian schools . Given the floods here and no change to boat arrivals - the deal should be altered.

Throw in the US FTA, and it does not look like our chappies are high performing at all. Oh well, at least the flight deals are an improvement, even if it did cost QF a chunk of profits.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I find this post ridiculous. If you are not happy with how the country sets it visa fees then don't travel there. Simple.

 

[acoolbreeze]

Good thing you're not a Canadian.

http://www.expatforum.com/canada/uae-introduces-high-visa-charges-for-canadians.html

Talk about tit for tat.

 

[anchew]

I find this post ridiculous. If you are not happy with how the country sets it visa fees then don't travel there. Simple.

+1

I wouldn't think that abolishing visas for Australian tourists visiting other countries is a high priority for DFAT or the Australian Government.

Ethernet - what prompted you to begin this thread? Are you planning to visit a country with a high visa fee?

 

[auriga]

This is one of my pet peeve. My partner has a Singapore passport. No need for a visa to China, Vietnam, Indonesia, whereas I do. We went to Argentina a few months ago, and I needed to pay some ridiculous "entry fee", whereas he gets in for free.:evil:

 

[ButFli]

I start with the concept that a passport is THE document that should allow free passage , and a visa is for national protection - to keep undesirables out, or keeping its citizens from leaving (if country has the word peoples in it - because the granting country often tips off residents country).

I am just going to put out there that if any country wants to stop its citizens leaving they can do so. There is a reason why passports are checked prior to departure. To suggest that tourist visas are somehow being used to assist China hold onto its citizens is plainly absurd.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

This is one of my pet peeve. My partner has a Singapore passport. No need for a visa to China, Vietnam, Indonesia, whereas I do. We went to Argentina a few months ago, and I needed to pay some ridiculous "entry fee", whereas he gets in for free.:evil:

Welcome to the world where not all is created equal. I have a Thai partner, do you think it's easy for us to travel ANYWHERE that is not in Asia or is a third world country? He get's in free to Indonesia but I have to pay? SHould I complain? Probably not because we have to jump hoops and pay over a hundred dollars for him to step foot in Australia. Be grateful your partner has a Singaporean passport, much easier to be travelling around the world on one of those.

 

[ethernet]

That a very large chunk of the Australian population is of Asian descent, and they get whacked for returning 'home' and seeing family.

I was also reflecting on the $75 visa I gave Vietnam, and an article in the Economist that said only 5% of people recommend or return to Vietnam - Vs 85% for Thailand. Vietnam had a huge drop in well heeled 'rich' tourists, so let visa free a gaggle of well heeled tourists, but Australia was not in that list. I though Jetstar might be the irritant.I noticed lots of things - but their 5% mark is at the bottom of the barrel.

I am thinking of taking a big trip, and it seems galactically stupid to say right, better get that European <insert country> 2nd passport or whatever. I'm not in the APEC league.

Although the Canadian UAE visa spat takes the cake. The Indonesian islands off Singapore are also not happy about the introduction of visas - less (day) tourism for far flung places. Oh well, their loss.

In common with .au and .vn is the huge surge of .cn visitors, that helped what looked like a flatline. I just reckon visas are counterproductive to tourism of <15 days. I just wonder if the ugly drunken aussie image stereotype is wrongly impressed in other mindsets.

You look at countries like Singapore and Sweden, and see how many Asian visa exceptions they have, their foreign office seems to have better outcomes. Given all the new flight routes and increased capacity .au has given away and bilateral trade, its reasonable to look visa chips, and see progress.

My feeling is things have been going backwards, not forwards on the tourist visa front. As for Australian tourism, the #1 complaint I hear is the flight is too long - never again (Americans) and #2 Mothers with child having milk formula confiscated - which kills first impressions, #3 Visa cost.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

My feeling is things have been going backwards, not forwards on the tourist visa front. As for Australian tourism, the #1 complaint I hear is the flight is too long - never again (Americans)

Ill order a boat to tow us a few thousand miles closer to the USA then