The Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) newsletter has provided for the changes in Visitor visa processing across China as well as the client service arrangements introduced in 2018.
China Visitor Operating Model
On 3 April 2018, the China Visitor Model was introduced based on the principle of three Chinese locations (Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai) working together as one office. The new model will bring several changes to the structure, location of work, support services and contact details in China.
Each office will have responsibility for leading on particular visa-related functions in China:
Shanghai
Visitor Visa processing online
Client information and enquiry management services
Guangzhou
Visa Caseload Assurance
Visitor visa processing – paper based applications
Family Migration and Citizenship
Approved Destination Scheme
Work and Holiday Program
Beijing
Visa policy and bilateral engagement
Temporary Specialist and Diplomatic visas
Mongolian and DPRK citizen caseloads
As part of this new structure the Department of Home Affairs has introduced a centralised case distribution system for all e-lodged Visitor Visa applications in China. Applications are allocated to visa processing officers across the three China posts, regardless of the applicant’s geographic location. The benefits will be standardised decision-making and processing times, as well as greater flexibility in managing volumes and resources during peak periods.
A new Regional Support Unit located in Shanghai will provide centralised corporate support services to assist with reporting, training, and correspondence. A Regional Integrity Unit located in Guangzhou will co-ordinate China-wide caseload assurance support to each China office.
New Website Information and Contact Points
Applicants and their representatives are strongly encouraged to use online services wherever possible. Online lodgement is available to PRC passport holders of most visa subclasses. Online services are also available to track the status of an application, change details, upload new documents and check visa conditions. The Australian Embassy website provides information about online lodgement and online services.
A new online Australian Immigration Enquiry form is now the single point of contact for all client correspondence to any Australian Visa Office in China. Applicants and their representatives are encouraged to consult the Australian Embassy or Department of Home Affairs website for answers to questions about visas before submitting the form.
When completing the online form, please include the following information:
- date of birth and passport number
- date of application lodgement
- intended travel date and application reference number, if available.
- A brief description of the enquiry
Business and Tourist Visa Services in China
China continues to be the largest source country for Visitor visas to Australia with year-on-year growth. Annual applications for Visitor Visas have already reached one million this program year. The Department of Home Affairs has implemented a number of initiatives to make Australia more attractive as both a first-time and repeat visitor destination and to help Australia remain competitive in China’s booming outbound tourism market.
Clients and agents are strongly encouraged to utilise these services for their travel purposes:
- Priority consideration under a fast-track service. The Department will aim to finalise priority applications within two business days of application lodgement within 48 hours for a fee of AUD1,000 in addition to the application fee of AUD140. See website here.
- Online lodgement for individual Visitor visas
- Assisted online lodgement and advice from Australian Visa Application Centres (AVACs)
- 3-year validity visa applications lodged on line through Key Distribution Partners and AVACs
- A 10-year validity application (Frequent Traveller Visa) lodged on line through AVACs
Where an option exists for online visa application lodgement, the Department of Home Affairs encourages visa applicants to lodge their application online as it helps streamline processing arrangements. Applicants should pay the priority processing fee if their travel is urgent.
Processing Times
The global processing times for visa applications can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website and clients are encouraged to consult the site regularly for updates at the Global visa and citizenship processing page.
Visitor visa processing times for e-lodged applications in China in the Business and Tourist streams are within the global average of 11-18 days for Business Visitors and 19-27 days for Tourists.
To avoid unnecessary delays, applicants should submit a complete online application through ImmiAccount with all supporting documents attached.
All applicants are strongly encouraged to check current processing times and lodge their applications well in advance of their intended travel date.
Whilst we attempt to process all applications in a timely manner, not all requests can be given priority, and applicants may need to consider changing travel dates, if timeframes allowed are too short.
OTHER NEWS
Changes to specified passports to meet PIC 4021
Legislative Instrument – F2018L01043 – IMMI 18/001 – Class of Passports Instrument 2018.
Schedule 4, PIC 4021 specifies that visa applicants must hold:
- a valid passport that was issued to the applicant by an official source, in the form issued by that official source and that does not belong to a class of passports specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing.
This Instrument specifies that:
- Somali travel documents and passports cannot be used to meet PIC 4021
- Removes the reference to ‘Turkish passports identifying the holder as an official of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ from the list of specified passports that cannot be used to meet PIC 4021. Turkish passports with endorsements identifying the holder as an official of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will now be accepted as a travel document for the purposes of Public Interest Criterion 4021.
This Instrument repeals IMMI 14/073 but the remainder of this Instrument is substantially unchanged apart from these two amendments.
This Instrument also repeals IMMI 14/094 – Direction, as it is redundant due to repeal of the associated subsection Section 71B of the Migration Act 1958.
TOEFL – PBT test – clarification of removal date for Student Visas
Legislative Instrument – F2018L01042 – LIN 18/123 – English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visa 2018, amends the previous Instrument that removed the TOEFL – PBT (paper based test) as a specified test for demonstrating English language proficiency for Subclass 500 Student visas.
This further amendment clarifies that despite its repeal, IMMI 16/019 still applies to all applications for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa made, but not finally determined, before 6 June 2018, the date of commencement of IMMI 18/015.
Regulation amendments for Machinery of Government purposes
Legislative Instrument – F2018L01031 – Migration Amendment (Machinery of Government) Regulations 2018
These Regulations amend the Migration Regulations for the purposes of Machinery of Government to reflect Departmental responsibility changes:
- update references to authorities in line with the Acts Interpretation Substituted Reference Order 2017, as amended by the Acts Interpretation Amendment (Home Affairs) Substituted Reference Order 2017; and
- amend provisions governing the issue and revocation of assistance notices for the purposes of the Bridging F (Class WF) (Subclass 060) visa criteria to reflect the transfer of responsibilities from the Attorney-General’s Department to the Department of Home Affairs (the Department).