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Visas and migration 

Announcements

Permanent Entry Applications

 All partner and family migration applications from clients who live in Pakistan (with the exception of Afghani nationals) are processed by the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

See: Visa Information and Lodgement - Thailand

All partner and family migration applications from Afghani nationals resident in Afghanistan or Pakistan are processed by the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai.

See: Visa Information and Lodgement – United Arab Emirates

Note: Clients are encouraged to lodge their application directly with the office in Bangkok or Dubai, however, applications will continue to be accepted at the client’s nearest immigration office.

Student Visa Applications

CHANGE TO PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS

From 1 August 2009 all student visa applications for citizens of Pakistan (living in Pakistan or New Zealand) and citizens of Afghanistan (living in Pakistan or Afghanistan or New Zealand) will be processed by the Adelaide Offshore Student Processing Centre (AOSPC) in Australia.

Student visa applications lodged from 1 August 2009 must be lodged directly with the AOSPC.

Student visa applications sent to the Australian High Commission in Islamabad on or after 1 August 2009 will not be accepted and will be returned for lodgement with the AOSPC.

Applications sent by post to the AOSPC should be directed to the following address:

Adelaide Offshore Student Processing Centre
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
GPO Box 1393
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia

Applications sent by courier to the AOSPC should be directed to the following address:

Adelaide Offshore Student Processing Centre
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Level 4, 55 Currie Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Australia

For information on how to pay visa application charges in Australia, please visit the DIAC website at www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/how-to-pay.htm.

Original documents, including passports, should not be sent with the student visa application to the AOSPC unless asked to do so. Certified copies of original documents should be provided – certified copies are copies that have been authorised or stamped as being true copies of originals by a notary public.

All student visa applications lodged with the AOSPC must include the supplementary student information form.

See: Supplement for Students

The AOSPC strongly advises all applicants and agents to complete and include the following checklist with all applications. 

See: Student Checklist

For further information on the information and documents to provide with a student visa application please visit the DIAC website at http://www.immi.gov.au/students

Information and tips for migrations agents is published periodically by the AOSPC to assist agents. 

See: Pakistan Newsletter

Students who have their visa application approved by the AOSPC can have a visa label placed in their passport by any DIAC office overseas. For contact details of DIAC offices overseas details please visit the DIAC website at http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas/

Students supported by AusAID or the Australian Defence Minister will continue to be lodged and processed by the Australian High Commission in Islamabad.

If a student visa application has been lodged with the Australian High Commission in Islamabad before 1 August 2009, the Australian High Commission in Islamabad will finalise this application. It will not be transferred to the AOSPC for decision.

Before an application is lodged

If you are considering lodging a student visa application we encourage you to visit our website at http://www.immi.gov.au/students

The AOSPC can be contacted using the email or telephone options provided below:

By email:                  offshore.student.processing.adelaide@immi.gov.au
By phone:                + 61 1300 652 486 (outside Australia)
                                1300 652 486 (inside Australia)

After an application is lodged

Please ensure the student visa application is lodged at least 4 months before the course of study starts in Australia.

The AOSPC can be contacted using the email or telephone options provided below:

By email:                  offshore.student.processing.adelaide@immi.gov.au
By phone:                + 61 1300 652 486 (outside Australia) 
                                1300 652 486 (inside Australia)

OTHER INFORMATION

The Australian Government may undertake verification checks on documents lodged in support of a student visa application, including financial statements and educational qualifications.

If a document is unable to be verified this may lead to longer processing times, or refusal of the application, if a decision maker is unable to be satisfied that a document is genuine.

Applicants are advised that there are currently difficulties in verification of documents from the following areas:

Name of area SWAT
Name of area FATA

Applicants should be aware that if documents are provided from these areas, processing times for their applications may be longer than published timeframes due to the difficulty in verifying documents. In some cases, if documents are unable to be verified and a case officer is unable to be satisfied the document is genuine, the application may be refused.

The Visa Office of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) in Islamabad provides the following services for residents of Pakistan and Afghanistan:

• Information about visa requirements for Australia
• Information about Australian citizenship requirements
• Processing of applications for most classes of visa
• Processing of some citizenship applications.

 In this section you will find information on the following:

• Finding the appropriate visa

• Forms

• Fees

• Lodging applications

• Processing enquiries

• Citizenship

Finding the appropriate visa

Make sure that the visa subclass you are applying for is the correct one which suits your purpose. Click on the following links for further information:

• Visiting Australia
• Studying in Australia
• Temporary Residence (Business Purposes)
• Temporary Residence (Social/Cultural Purposes)
• Migrating to Australia
• Residents Returning to Australia
• Australian Citizenship.
 

Forms

• You can obtain an application form online
• Application forms for permanent migration visas are contained in information booklets which can be downloaded for free.

See: Forms and booklets.
 

Fees

Application processing fees from 1 July 2010.

How to pay fees and charges

Payment must be in the form of a bank draft for Pakistani Rupees, made payable to the 'Australian High Commission, Islamabad'. Payment cannot be made by cash, personal cheque or credit cards.

For additional information see: Charges applicable to your visa application.

Please note that fees and charges are non-refundable, even if applications are withdrawn or refused.

Lodging applications

In Pakistan:

Due to security restraints personal lodgement of visa applications at the High Commission in Islamabad is not possible. All visa applications from all areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan should be lodged at the Australian High Commission via courier to the following address:

Visa Section
Australian High Commission
Constitution Avenue & Ispahani Road
Diplomatic Enclave No. 1
Sector G-5/4
ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN

In Australia:

Some applications must be lodged online or by mail to processing centres in Australia. These include:

• Business skills migration applications
• Points tested skilled migration applications
• Parent migration applications
• Special migration applications
• Special program (temporary residence) visa applications
• Medical practitioner (temporary residence) visa applications
• Sponsored business visitor (short stay) visa applications.
 

Evidencing Visas

Certain clients who have their visa applications granted in Australia may have their visa label placed in their passport (‘evidencing’ the visa) by the Australian High Commission in Islamabad.

You must not finalise any travel arrangements until after you have had your visa evidenced.

Visas are not evidenced on the same day that the passport is received by the visa office.

You should send your passport/s by courier together with a copy of your approval letter and return address advice (this is particularly important if your approval letter was sent to an address in Australia) to:

Visa Section
Australian High Commission
Constitution Avenue & Ispahani Road
Diplomatic Enclave No. 1
Sector G-5/4
ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN

Processing enquiries

DIAC’s Visa Office in Islamabad processes the following applications from applicants in Pakistan and Afghanistan:

• Visitor visa applications
• Social/cultural temporary residence visa applications (except for medical practitioner, entertainment and special program visa applications) and
• Applications for registration of citizenship by descent.

Further Information, Application forms, general information about immigration policies, visa categories and visa requirements can be found on the main DIAC website at www.immi.gov.au Click on the “What’s New” link on that website for the latest information on visiting or migrating to Australia and Australian citizenship.

 

Processing times

See: Information regarding processing times. If you intend to study in Australia you should apply at least four months before your intended course start date.


Important information

• You will need to provide a valid passport with 2 unused visa pages. Please note that we do not put visa labels on additional pages (inserts). If you have no more unused pages you should obtain a new passport or an additional booklet.

• You will need to provide one or more recent passport-style photographs as indicated on your visa application form.

• You should provide all relevant information and documents together with the application. Incomplete applications take longer to process and may be refused because of lack of evidence. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all relevant documentary evidence. The Visa Offices cannot ring contacts or obtain documents for you.

• All documents not in English must be translated.

Health requirements

All applicants for a visa to Australia must meet health requirements. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on the type of visa applied for and the intended duration of stay. Many applicants will be required to undergo medical screening including a chest x-ray and comprehensive medical examinations.

See: Further information on meeting health requirements.

Inquiries

Comprehensive information for all types of visas is available from the main DIAC website, this website and the Visa Office in Islamabad. You should obtain and read this carefully before applying. The Visa Office is not able to provide personal counselling to individuals about their prospects for obtaining a visa.

See: Main DIAC website.

Email is the preferred method for checking the progress of applications and essential inquiries to the Visa Office.

For all queries, email: immigration.islamabad@dfat.gov.au

Return of documents/passports

In most cases documents and passports will be returned to the applicant by courier. Courier charges are applicable on receipt of your documents.

Please note that the Visa Office requires a street address and telephone number in order to return your passport. Passports cannot be returned to a Post Office box.

Agents

See: Information for agents.
 

Client service

The DIAC Client Service Charter sets out the standard of service you can expect from us and also advises on how you can help us to serve you better.

See: DIAC Client Service Charter.


 

Your personal information

The Visa Office is bound by strict privacy legislation which protects the confidentiality of the information you provide to us. Additional information about the information we may collect and how your privacy is protected is available from the main DIAC website.

See: Safeguarding your personal information.

See: Your personal identifying information.
 

Employment in Australia

See: Information regarding employment in Australia.

 

Citizenship

For all information on citizenship, please refer to the link below.

• Becoming a citizen.