Australian Backpacking Visas....

There are many types of visa available to someone Backpacking around Australia, but all require the visitor to have a valid passport with no less than 6 months remaining until it expires. The three main types of visas available to backpackers and allow the holder entry across the Australian border are:

- Tourist Visa
- ETA ( Electronically Stored Authority)
- Working Holiday Visa

Tourist Visa
This type of visa can be used for short term non working visits to Australia lasting 3 or 6 months. It entitles the user access into Australia for a holiday, visit friends or family or alternatively for study purposes for a duration of up to three months. This type of visa is excellent for backpackers backpacking Australia who don’t want to work or use their working holiday visa unnecessarily.

ETA
An ETA is an Electronically Stored Authority visa which gives the holder all the benefits of the standard tourist visa. The main differences are that the ETA is valid for 12 months but only allows the holder to reside in Australia for 3 month periods before having to leave the country and re-enter. The other main difference is that these visas are significantly cheaper due to the fact that all information is entered online and stored electronically. An ETA is perfect for backpackers who do not want to work in Australia and who may want to see other parts of Australasia while backpacking Australia.

Working Holiday Visa
Also know as a WHV, the working holiday visa is offered to residents of certain countries that have a reciprocal agreement with Australia. A WHV allows travellers backpacking Australia to enter the country for a maximum of 12 months; however the WHV is only available to travellers aged 18 - 30. The WHV allows the holder to work during their time in Australia meaning you can earn a little extra cash to really live the Australia backpacking experience. The main limitation of the WHV is that you may only work for any one single employer for a maximum of 6 months. However, while backpacking Australia sticking in one place to work so much kind of defeats the purpose of backpacking Australia. Remember that as a general rule you are only eligible for one WHV is your lifetime, there are exceptions which would allow you to extend your WHV or apply for a second WHV and these can be found on the Immigration Australia website.