Australian visas

[Keith Tindell]

One of my friends is just about to set off on a trip that takes in Australia, and informs me that he needs a visa(he is a Uk citizen), its about 6 years since i was in Oz, but i am sure i did not need a visa at that time. I have looked on line and it seems that you now need some form of visa that you can download on line. Must have been a recent requirement. just curious to find if any of our members have found this? KT

[Captain Kong]

It has been like that for a few years KT.

I have just done mine again. The Visa is Valid for twelve months from the date of application and you can have multiple vists of up to three months at a time.
It is easy to get on the Internet, just google for Australian Visa,
For the US of A it is a ESTA, valid for two years.also on line.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

At least twenty odd years that I know of personally. My Mother when she was alive had a 10 year visa as she had family out here. Even when I was a resident travelling on a British passport had to have a visa in same as would not be allowed back into country otherwise. Britain I believe is one of the few countries if not the only one where you are able to retain both British and Australian passports. This will probably change if becomes a republic and will more than likely have to forfeit the British one. Cheers John S

[cappy]

needed a visa in 88

[leratty]

We had a scary experience late this year when we went across to London. The UK immigration at Garde du Nord station were quite Bolshoi with my wife on her Aus passport. They hauled us aside after a public through those loudspeakers at the window interrogation saying she should have applied for a visa in her country of origin even if she was married to someone with a UK passport. I said how could she do that we were permanent residents of HK & now lived in France? She was unmoved calling a superior. Made me laugh as just ahead of us an old timer with his new Filipino 'to be' wife were going through. Anyway we had to wait for 1/2 an hour while this really nice immigration guy did something out of sight coming back to say they would allow her in for three months on a tourist visa.
I said we have just opened an office for biz in UK, we are to employ UK citizens, I am one too (both Aus & UK) he said now the law does not allow even if married to a UK citizen a wife not same to reside there without application for a residents visa, cost 500 stg! Me I was polite, just said thank you & a good thing we will only ever be there for no more than the allotted time. Yer gotta laugh.
Other humorous thing was to be a director of the Co I had to get my NHI No (so tax can be paid) so went to the social security office by appointment. Ha felt like a 'spare p k at a wedding'as I stood out just from standard of dress like a total idiot. Anyway they really nice again Chinese guy with a broad cockney accent said after entering my details into the computer they have it after 50 years still on file...Amazing, nothing is ever dumped imagine what is still there.
JohnS, doubt that will be the case re giving up UK passport as there would be such a hullabaloo due to majority of Aus citizens having more than one.

[robpage]

Unfortunately Richard the innocent have to suffer to stop the scam where Asian families as an example move the family over here by intermarrying within the family to get the cousins in , I am sorry it applies to you , but if you are inconvenienced for half an hour , It is better than having the floodgates wide open . The people who have suffered badly on this one are South African and Zimbabweans , married to non British Passport holders , some have got very upset at immigration too . The Border Agency in thois country , in my experience is one of the fairest I have ever seen , except the French ones who you never see

[Captain Kong]

You should have climbed into the back of a Lorry in Calais Richard. Much easier.
On arrival in UK they would put you up in a Hotel, free, while they found you a new house and pay you more than they pay me.
Simple. Millions have been doing just that.
Cheers
Brian.

[cappy]

my wife and I went to a golf hotel in la breteche in france .....the place was a fancy chateau.......they had there own gardens for veg and herbs etc after a week or so my car was quite dusty and being at that time my pride and joy .I saw the owner of this substantial hotel standing with a hose watering part of the garden.......I asked could I use the hose when he had finished to wash off the car as there was no car wash in the area at all.......he started to shout in French what I took to be a threatening manor....being very anti French any way the only words I knew in French were soixante neuf........and couchan wa which I believe is black pig .......the gardner started to laugh loudly which made the owner quite upset .....he then calmed down and asked me in English why would I want to wash my car on holiday.......I nw told a partial lie I am going to see the grave of my father who fell in france in ww2 also his brother inww2 and the brother of my grandfather in ww 1 ........the gardner went ahha....the owner then offered me the hose.......not wishing to give him an advantage I then told him in English to shove it up his French derrriere.......when I ordered my wine that night it came copliments of the management........I new they had retreated once more ......a very happy cappy

[Captain Kong]

I never ever go to froggy france, Unfortunately I have to go to French Polynesia, to see my Tahitian friends who also have a dislike of froggy french.
Cheers
Brian.

[robpage]

Now if you lived here Brian , you could use your toilet , the flow takes about 8 hours to reach the outfall off the Isle of Wight , and if you got the West-East tide right , your effluent could go up channel for six hours and on the turn land on France a few hours later , You need a stop watch and a Channel tide chart though