ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/04/2004 18 February 2004
New arrangements make Australian visa application easier
From 1 March 2004, the Australian Government will put in place new arrangements to make it easier to apply for an Australian business or tourist visa from India. Indians applying for a tourist or business visa will be able to lodge their applications at six visa application and collection centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore - with further centres to follow.
Announcing the new arrangements, Australian High commissioner for India, Ms Penny Wensley AO said, "There has been a large increase in the numbers of Indians seeking to travel to Australia - students, tourists, businesspeople, officials. We expect this trend to continue and accelerate as our bilateral relations grow in strength, scope and substance. This new user-friendly system will help us manage this welcome growth and provide a better service to the Indian community."
Also welcoming the changes, Mr Greg Kelly, Immigration Counsellor at the Australian High Commission added, "I am delighted at the prospect of the new visa application and collection centres spread throughout India. Applicants will have greater choice in where they lodge their applications. Indians who wish to travel to Australia for business or tourism will no longer be required to apply directly to the Australian High Commission in New Delhi or Consulate General in Mumbai, which sometimes involved significant travel and some inconvenience."
Each visa application and collection centre will provide a comfortable client waiting area and have sufficient capacity to ensure clients are not required to wait for extended periods. Each will provide services to clients between the hours 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
The Australian Government has concluded an agreement with TT Services to provide the new visa application and collection centres. In the first phase, TT Services will offer visa centres in the six locations where clients will be able to lodge applications for tourist, business and transit visas. In the second phase further offices will be opened in other regions within India.
TT Services is a division of TT Enterprises (TTK, the parent group, is a 75 year old trusted business house) and was the first company in India to offer visa support services to diplomatic missions.
The locations for the visa application and collection centres can be found at: www.ausgovindia.com
Important Notice
New arrangement for
Lodgement of Australian visa applications -
TT SERVICES
Effective from 1st March 2004
The following applications will be accepted by TT Services only:
- Tourist (Long Stay) (686)
- Tourist (Short Stay) (676)
- Medical Treatment (Short or Long Stay) (675, 685)
- Sponsored Family Visitor (Short Stay) (679)
- Transit (771)
- Business (Short Stay) (456)
- Five Year Resident Return (155)
- Three Month Resident Return (157)
These applications should no longer be lodged at the Australian Visa Offices in New Delhi or Mumbai. Under this new arrangement, applications will be collected by TT Services at one of the following locations:
New Delhi
No - 2E/23 Jhandewalan Extn.
New Delhi - 110055
Mumbai
21 C Mittal Towers ‘C’ Wing
Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021
Chennai
Raheja Towers (facing GP Road)
S003 Omega Wing113-124
Anna Salai, Chennai - 600002
Bangalore
219 Raheja Chambers
12 Museum Road
Bangalore - 560001
Kolkata
22 Camac Street
Kolkata - 700017
Hyderabad
H. No. 5-10-188/2, Summit Building
Hill Fort Road, Hyderabad - 500004
TT Services have been appointed to collect visa applications on behalf of the Australian Visa Offices. A TTS service fee of Rs 350 will be charged for each application.
Collection opening hours for each collection centre are from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Watch Out for Subsequent Updates on www.ttsaustraliavisas.com.
For further information please contact: Greg Kelly 2688 8223 ext 438 or Kelly Raj 2688 8223 ext 139.