Visa Label Australia

[Thaihog]

I have been approved for a 457 visa for Oz and will taking wife who is also approved on my 457.

In order to avoid problems at check-in in Bangkok, I want to know if Thai passport holders need to have a visa label in their passport or will she just need to show the visa approval letter?

Govt. website is a complete waste of time. Phone calls to the OZ embassy go unanswered or they are engaged.

Cheers

[Wallaby]

My GF doesn't have a visa label. She has just had the letter as the visa. If your missus has a newish passport it may actually be on a 'chip'.

Mine has been out to oz twice and no drama with visa.

Have a great time.

[Old Croc]

This from the website:

http://www.immi.gov....visa-labels.htm

Airline check in staff should have access to the visa computer data base.

Wouldn't hurt to have the letter in hand.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Old Croc

[Thaihog]

My GF doesn't have a visa label. She has just had the letter as the visa. If your missus has a newish passport it may actually be on a 'chip'.

Mine has been out to oz twice and no drama with visa.

Have a great time.

Thanks for your reply. My wife does in fact have a new passport, but it does not have a biometric chip which surprised me.

I was worried that we would be refused boarding at the check-in by some ignorant jobs worth, without the visa label. You have put my mind at ease.

[Thaihog]

This from the website:

http://www.immi.gov....visa-labels.htm

Airline check in staff should have access to the visa computer data base.

Wouldn't hurt to have the letter in hand.

Croc, taken from the visa letter:-

'Certain Subclass 457 visa holders may travel label-free to Australia if they hold a passport from an eligible country. The complete list of eligible label-free countries for the Subclass 457 is available at: http://www.immi.gov....visa-labels.htm'

When you go to the website it doesn't list the eligible countries. Bloody typical govt. website, useless...

Edited January 11, 2012 by Thaihog

[Old Croc]

I think the letter used has not caught up with the changes. When you look for the eligible countries you find this:

Visa Labels

Australia's modern electronic visa system does not require you to have a visa label placed in your passport to confirm your immigration status and entitlements in Australia.

Your visa information is held electronically and you can access it at any time using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system. Employers, banks and government services can also check details about your visa entitlements on VEVO once they have your consent to do so.

The governments of some countries, however, may require you to have a visa label in your passport in order to depart or transit through their country. Please check with the local authorities to determine if you require a label for this purpose.

If your letter didn't say you need to send the passport to the embassy for a label you can safely assume you don't need one, unless you think another country might require it.