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Holidays in Australia just clicks away
Our Bureau
Chennai
,
March 24
With tourism from India a growing market, Australia is all set to introduce the electronic tourist visa, e676, which will enable Indians to obtain their visas online.
A press release, quoting the Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Ms Amanda Vanstone, said the online process would provide access to an easier visa application system for one of the Australian tourism industry's growth markets — Indian holiday-makers.
"The system will deliver quicker visa decisions for Indian tourists and it will encourage more Indian tourists to visit Australia," Ms Vanstone said.
Indian citizens lodging a visa application online through an approved "Aussie Specialist" travel agent not need to submit paper forms or send their passports through the mail. Instead, they would be able to apply over the Internet through an approved agent.
"Work is underway to provide this improved access in the last quarter of 2006.Access will initially be granted via approved travel agents only, with a broader roll-out to more agents over time," the Minister said.
The number of tourist visas granted in the last five years has risen from 27,390 in 2000-01 to 33,700 in 2004-05. The e676 visa is available in 46 countries and regions, including the European Union, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
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