Passport issue: What could the problem be?

[Berlin]

I am traveling on a German passport, holding permanent residency here in Australia. Just got a new passport last year and for the last three months or so, always had issues re-entering Australia as somehow those reading machines don't pick up the information on the frontline immigration desks. They always ask me whether I've "been to Australia before" and I always tell them I'm a permanent resident. Somehow that makes the case even more suspicious and they instantly press the red button on the side (I always think one of those trap doors with a moat full of hungry crocodiles will open up beneath me in this very moment :shock. Strangely, it's never an issue when leaving the country or immigrating into New Zealand, countries in Asia or the US. Any idea what the issue could be? I always have to go to a separate desk at SYD and there strangely all is fine but it's highly annoying, sometimes significantly delays the entire process and always means that I have to watch my words when I'm off the plane after far too many glasses of scotch

The passport is just a year old, hasn't been folded badly or been wet or anything like that and I can already imagine the nightmare it would be to try and explain the situation to the bureaucracy beasts in hopes they don't charge me for a new one. Plus the added issues of getting a new visa stamp from AU immigration etc. would probably not make it a valid option at all. Then again- same issue each and every single time over the next 9 years? Oh damn it :shock:

 

[Sprucegoose]

Do you have the time to go and see them to explain?

 

[Berlin]

Do you have the time to go and see them to explain?

I will probably have to do that but it will mean a lot of hassle taking half day off work in order to make it to the consulate in Edgecliff during their extremely restricted opening hours. They'll most likely just give me the blank looks and offer me to pay over 100 Euro again to get sent a new one. I was more hoping for some technical advice of what the actual issue could be...

 

[Sprucegoose]

No I meant Aus immigration

 

[Berlin]

No I meant Aus immigration

I tried to ask the friendly second line officer at the airport yesterday but he had no clue unfortunately. If I go the department, it will be pretty much the same scenario as with the consulate, just that it's down at Central Station instead of Woollahra. They will most likely far more friendly than at the German consulate (not hard to do! :shock but probably as clueless or simply tell me I'll need a new one to fix it (see above).

Does anyone here know how those passport readers operate? I know that there's a chip in them but that doesn't seem to be what they're reading with those old-fashioned machines... Is it just the imprint on the bottom of the plastic piece? And how could that become unreadable only for some specific reading machines but not for others?

 

[flyingfan]

Sounds like the issue isn't the e-passport chip; if it was found to be faulty they probably would have advised you then to seek a replacement.

More likely it's a case of your return resident visa being linked to your old passport. A visit to immigration should sort that out.

 

[Berlin]

More likely it's a case of your return resident visa being linked to your old passport. A visit to immigration should sort that out.

thanks for the advice but unfortunately, that's not it. Went to the immi office straight after I got the new passport so that I got a proper visa label in it. I know that's technically not necessary anymore but have had too many strange cases where clueless airline staff insisted on seeing the physical label in the passport. So no- the visa is definitely linked already.

 

[flyingfan]

Then I'm stumped. What a nuisance to be tripped up each time.

 

[Berlin]

Then I'm stumped. What a nuisance to be tripped up each time.

Yea- highly annoying Thanks anyway!

 

[Danger UXB]

Do you have a multi travel visa in your passport?
as a perm res you need one to get back into the country smoothly. The numbers at the bottom of the visa should much pretty closely those at the bottom of your photo page in your German passport. This is the page that is scanned at passport control on re entering oz .
Just one question, how long are you outside oz before re entering?

 

[The Rok]

You can get your PR visa label put in your passport for free at any DIAC office in Australia.

You don't need a appointment and it literally takes only a few minutes.

Have you had your passport changed or renewed since you were granted PR?

 

[Cynicor]

Not to hijack, but my AU passport has never worked with smart gate. I insert the passport, get my paper, put it into the machine and it starts to take my photo...
Then it fails. It has never worked, but I keep going as it gets me to the front of the queue. I feel I look similar to my photo but no idea what is wrong.

 

[Berlin]

You can get your PR visa label put in your passport for free at any DIAC office in Australia.
Have you had your passport changed or renewed since you were granted PR?

Yes, I had to get a new one but I went to DIAC straight away to get a visa label into the new passport so that's all sorted.

Do you have a multi travel visa in your passport?
as a perm res you need one to get back into the country smoothly. The numbers at the bottom of the visa should much pretty closely those at the bottom of your photo page in your German passport. This is the page that is scanned at passport control on re entering oz .
Just one question, how long are you outside oz before re entering?

Yep- Class BS, sub class 814. Nil conditions and multiple travel. And yes- I never noticed but you are correct, the bottom numbers are almost exactly the numbers of my German passport. I'm usually only leaving for short trips- the last two times I had issues it was only a few days, the ones before it was a one week work trip and the other time a 4 week holiday. Strangely, it only happens in Sydney (never entered through another AU port so not sure if it would be the same issue there)- all good in the US, in New Zealand and Singapore.