I am from Canada, and I have been in Australia for 2 years on a working visa. I have received a fine ($110) for disturbing the peace (public nuisance). If I leave the country, can I get back in on a later date, on a tourist visa, if I haven't paid this fine?
If this is true, and I cannot get a tourist visa with an existing fine, can I pay it from outside Australia, and then apply for my tourist visa, hassle free?
Australia like most other countries have rules for revocation and refusal of visa which is currently governed by Ministerial Direction 55. In addition there are rules for Controversial Visa Applications.
And while Public Nuisance may not qualify as a criminal offense, although there was a call to review that in Queensland, you may not pass the character test which states among other things:
- having regard to the person's past and present general conduct, the person is found to be not of good character
This means that it is within the discretion of the Immigration authority to deny you visa if they find this sufficient cause to do so.
So I would direct the question to an Australian Consulate on whether your particular case need to be reported as criminal record.
As far as payment of a fine is concerned you can look at the results on Google which lists payment facilities for various states in Australia.
They probably won't block your entry, as long as you pay the fine. The interest added to the fine shouldn't be too much for you to manage. Good luck.
If you don't want to enter the blacklist of immigration, you should pay the fine before leaving Australia. Even when you paid the fee, I have a doubt that you can get a tourist visa for the travels later.
