Australia Temporary Visas

"Temporary" can be of various durations under the regulations for Australian visas. Most commonly, it is relevant to tourist and business visas, which authorize stays up to three months per visit. Tourists need to apply for Visitor ETA (Electronic Travel Authority), which can be immediately acquired online at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au. These are free and permit as many three-months visits as you wish within a one-year period.

Business travelers can also take advantage of this electronic visa by obtaining a Short Validity Business ETA, which lets you travel to Australia for one three-month visit in a year. A Long Validity Business visa entitles you to as many three-month trips as you need, as long as your passport is valid. This is one of the temporary, longer-than-short-term visas that cannot be obtained online through the ETA.

Temporary Residence Visa

There is a huge category of visitors to Australia who are not tourists or business travelers. They are not applying for permanent residence, and are not interested in entering the country as skilled workers. This category might be called "miscellaneous" or "other," because it includes all those athletes, dancers, actors, artists, professors, television announcers, reporters, and members of political and social groups who frequently fly into other countries for a host of reasons.

These visas must be applied for through an Australian embassy, consulate, or high commission in your country of residence, as they are not issued through the ETA. These non-ETA circumstances are more complex and require a closer examination by the Australian government. The fees are also a bit higher for these visas, so check with the government to make sure of the current charges.