I have applied for a visa for a short holiday to Australia and renewed my UK passport accordingly. The passport office have added unexpired time to the expiry date, meaning that it was issued in January 2017 but doesn't expire until September 2027. The Australian Passport Office will not issue a visa as there is more than ten years to expiry. I travel in 5 weeks. Is there a way around this?
-
2Which visa exactly are you applying for? eVisitor?– lambshaanxyFeb 17, 2017 at 11:17
-
1They may be questioning the validity of your passport. Go to the Australian embassy with a printout of the GOV.UK page which will explain to them that it is NORMAL for UK to add up to nine months to the validity of renewed passports and that this does not invalidate the passport. The Australian Gov't website says All travelers need to present the following documents to officers in immigration clearance: a valid passport, and yours is valid per UK gov't– Augustine of HippoFeb 17, 2017 at 12:05
-
@SheikPaul When it comes to allowing entry to Australia, it is of course not up to the UK authorities to decide which passport or travel documents the Australian government have to concider valid. After leaving the EU, British citizens will also not be allowed to enter the Schengen area if they have a passport older than 10 years, even if the passport is considered valid by UK standards.– Tor-Einar JarnbjoFeb 17, 2017 at 13:18
-
@Tor-EinarJarnbjo I am aware of that Australians make rules about entry into Australia. Consular and immigration officers make mistakes all the time. It is not unheard of. I am suggesting this because the officer might have been refusing without checking the exact immigration law supporting the refusal. Ultimately you cannot compel any consular officer to issue a visa.– Augustine of HippoFeb 17, 2017 at 13:22
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
There is no rule in Australia that a passport must not be valid for more than 10 years. Almost certainly the consulate didn't know that UK passports can be extended, and as such believed it to be counterfeit.
You should apply online, as it is normally entirely automatically processed (like the ESTA) which is why this would not be a concern at all
Go to this site https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login
Create an account
Click on "New application"
Under "Application group", select "Visitor" and then "eVisitor (651)"
Fill out the registration form and then click "submit applications"
You'll get a confirmation email within 15-20 minutes that the registration has been successful. Then simply take your passport and go to Australia.
PRO TIP: you can now use the Smartgates as a British passport holder. It's an extremely easy automated border crossing system which is simply you scanning the passport at a kiosk, answering some questions, getting a ticket, inserting the ticket into the gate, and getting your face checked by the camera..
answered Feb 22, 2017 at 20:24
-
@pnuts Of course it is, but it doesn't have to be within a maximum amount of years– CrazydreFeb 22, 2017 at 20:57
-
@pnuts No country's passport is valid for more than 10 years unless extended, and there is no Australian policy that says a passport, even if still "ordinarily" valid, is not acceptable due to the mere fact that it's been extended.– CrazydreFeb 22, 2017 at 21:13
-
@pnuts Schengen requires that passports of non-EU/EFTA nationals be issued no earlier than 10 years before the date of travel, while South Africa doesn't accept expired passports that have been extended. If you think about it, it's completely unreasonable that extending a still valid passport in and of itself would invalidate it. So like I said, the Passport Office was just ignorant– CrazydreFeb 22, 2017 at 21:14
-
@pnuts How are those acquired? AFAIK Indian passports are valid for 10 years. Regardless, however, Australia does not have a policy on this– CrazydreFeb 22, 2017 at 21:45
-
@pnuts Fair enough, but like I said, Australia has no policy on this, or it would be available somewhere online, such as on the Immi website where you get the eVisitor– CrazydreFeb 22, 2017 at 21:59