Moderator: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Travelling Mystic - YVR/HAM. Today @ HAM
Programs: *A-G | 1W-S | QR-SL | SPG-PL | HY-DM
Posts: 14,163
Free Australian ETA Visa application*
We (Guy Betsy & chewy3 ) would like to offer our services of processing Australian ETAs for free * to fellow FT members and friends.
You may be aware that the visas are generally charged (about US$20) by most airlines and other visa processing services including the Australian ETA site-www.eta.immi.gov.au, but we will not charge you.
May we suggest you "Pass it Forward" instead?
You may perhaps by making a donation to the local Humane Society, or some other charitable donation of your choice. Do something different. Its not about the money, but rather setting your intentions to do good, to make a difference ! ..
For example, do a good deed by doing something nice different for someone (a stranger perhaps).. or like buying a meal for the homeless guy on the street, offering to wash someone's car, or mow someone's lawn, or even hey, help your mum cleanout the fridge for her while she goes to a movie! Those deeds are going to go a long way!
And then please feel free to post your what you did or will be doing on this thread here so that others may feel motivated to do something similar.
The visas are valid one year from date of issue, are multiple entries with a validity of 3 months per entry. Visas normally processed are for vacation only and can only be processed for a select number of nationalities . Certain business visas may also be processed. See below *
================================================ Visitor ETAs can only be processed for the following applicable passport holders:
USA, CANADA , BRUNEI, CHINA, HONGKONG, JAPAN, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, & THAILAND.
EUROPEAN UNION Passport Holders must apply for an 'eVisitor' pass themselves, which has no fee for this service. Please go this site: http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/evisitor.htm
================================================
*If you're going to Australia for any sort of business related travel - ie conduct business meetings, give talks, lectures etc. (But you must NOT be PAID for your service*) .. you have to get a business ETA or eVisitor pass. Details are as follows:
*If you're going to be paid for your services, ie lectures, talks.. you must apply for a temporary work visa which must therefore be applied at your nearest Australian Embassy / High Commission.
All other passport holders must apply directly at the nearest Australian Embassy / High Commission / Consulate.
Please PM only ONE of us (at a time) and not to everyone just to cover your chances. Otherwise you'll delay the process! If you PM one of us and then couldn't wait and PMs someone else, please have the courtesy to PM the other that you don't need their services anymore. As this may seem like a free service, it does cost us in one way or another, ie. time, to do this. We would appreciate your time and patience and please do not rush us !
And please do NOT PM your passport info. Just PM us and we will get back to you with whatever info we need from you. Some people think that they're helping us by sending their passport info beforehand. But we'd like to say that PMs are not secure, and sometimes PMs disappear. Personally I'd like the passport info to be sent in a particular order so that I can read the information better.
Priroity will be given to current FT members with more than 10 posts!
The reason this condition has been put up is because people obviously have heard about this 'free' offer through online searches etc and they just join FT to take advantage of this. Then they don't come back !
FT is about community sharing.. and we would encourage people to post their travel intentions before taking advantage of this 'free' ETA application offer.
Thank you!
* Please note that only under extraordinary circumstances will we process ETAs within 3 days of travel. We ask that you give us as much time as possible. This is a free service and we're not checking on our PMs 24/7. Thx
Is there any other countrys passports other than new zealand passport that you dont need to get a visa as they just give it to you at customs for free when you arrive in aussie.
Let's keep discussion to GuyBetsy's kind offer to process Australian visas for FTers. I've just deleted some posts that might be interesting on another thread, but are not relevant to the purpose of this one.
SanDiego1K
Senior Moderator
Do we need the australian visa is we're connecting via SYD to Auckland? I wasn't sure. I'm 1K on UA, so they'll do it for me for free - thank you Guy Betsy for your offer, though
Moderator: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Travelling Mystic - YVR/HAM. Today @ HAM
Programs: *A-G | 1W-S | QR-SL | SPG-PL | HY-DM
Posts: 14,163
The whole point of doing the ETAs for free is that I wish that the fee where one would otherwise have paid in getting the visas done be directed towards a good cause.
That good cause would preferbly be in some charitable donation up to (and over if you like) the cost of what each ETA would be. (ie US$12) But it could also be something as simple of doing something wonderful for someone you don't know. It does not have to be for someone here on FT. For example, giving a systemwide voucher for the sake of giving it away - and not because it is expiring in 10 days!
Doing something because you got it for free anyway doesn't count... One of the first offers of generosity of "Passing it Forward" came from jberry, who offered to donate $20 to Native Animail Rescue. She also does volunteer work in helping "untangling fishing line, rope and things from pelicans and pigeons with Native Animal Rescue... "
And then please feel free to post your what you did or will be doing on this thread here so that others may feel motivated to do something similar. 
. Certain business visas may also be processed. See below *
