Acquiring Tourist Visa in Australia

Parramatta Melbourne

Opera House Sydney

Ballarat

Ballarat Begonia Festival

Harbour Town Shopping Centre Melbourne

I was able to acquire a Tourist Visa in Australia last February of 2010 and stayed there for almost a month. I visited this website http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/48r.pdf and found out that I am  short of Evidence of Funds. Due to being persistent to witness my childhood friend’s wedding. I researched and called the Australian Embassy’s customer service http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas/p/philippines/ for inquiries. I compiled all documents in a legal sized brown envelope. I called the embassy’s affiliated AIR21 courier hotline to pick up the documents and they returned back the result after 7 working days.

Here are the list of documents I submitted:

Passport

Manager’s check for processing fee

Completed 48R form

Wedding invitation and Letter of Invitation

Photocopies of letters and greeting cards I collected from my friend since 2001

Scanned pictures as proofs of our friendship since pre-school

PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT:

Cerfiticate of Employment

Income Tax Return

Pay Slips

Approved Leave from my Senior Manager

EVIDENCE OF FUNDS:

Letter of Assurance from my aunt who will give me financial support in case of need during my stay.

My aunt’s Identification Cards

Bank Certificate of my aunt’s dollar and peso account

Photocopies of my credit card and cirrus ATM card

My eldest son’s school documents as a proof that he’s a fourth-year high-school student. This served as confirmation that I will return back to the Philippines for my son’s graduation day.