A common question we receive from clients who are travelling to Australia is: “Do I need a visa label in my passport to prove to the authorities that I have a valid visa?” In most circumstances the answer to that question is no. The Australian Government has stated that for people who hold a valid visa, it’s not a requirement to have a visa label to travel to, enter or remain in Australia.
The only time you are required to have a visa label is when other countries require it for exit or transit purposes. At the time a visa is granted, the visa holder is still offered the option of having a label placed in their passport. As of 24 November 2012 there is a fee of $70 for this service.
15 years ago the Australian Government started to implement the use of electronic systems which make visa labels redundant. The Electronic Travel Authority was one of the first steps to making travelling in and out of Australia easier. Now millions of people are able to enjoy hassle-free travel to and from Australia without the need for a visa label.
Taking things a step further, the introduction of the Visa Entitlement Verification Online service, also known as VEVO enables visa holders to verify their current visa status online. A particularly useful feature of this service is that, with authorisation from the visa holder, visa information can be easily shared with employers and educational institutions.
Do I need a visa label for services such as Medicare?
The Department of Home Affairs has also stated that to enrol for services such as Medicare, in most cases there is no need to have physical proof of a visa. The Department of Immigration and the Department of Human Services (DHS), have systems in place which facilitate the sharing of client information with Medicare.
Despite the Department’s efforts to improve information sharing between institutions, in very limited situations there may still be the need to provide physical proof of a valid visa, in which case a visa grant letter should suffice.