EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Migration Regulations 1994
- This Instrument is made under Regulation 1.17 and Paragraph 1218(3)(bb)(ii) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (‘the Regulations’).
2. Section 1.17 of the Regulations provides that the Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, specify matters required by individual provisions of the Regulations to be specified for the purposes of those provisions.
Paragraph 1218(3)(bb) of the Regulations provides that Internet applications may be made if and only if the applicant is outside Australia and is the holder of a passport of a kind specified in a Gazette Notice for the purposes of this paragraph.
3. The purpose of the Instrument is to specify the kinds of passports, the holders of which are eligible to apply for a Short Stay (Visitor) (Class TR) Subclass 676 (Tourist (Short Stay)) Visa (‘the 676 Visa’) via the Internet. The instrument will now include Bahrain, Oman and Qatar in addition to countries already specified in the Gazette Notice. These countries are the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
4. The Instrument operates to specify the kinds of passports, the holders of which may make an internet application if they are outside Australia. Passport holders not listed in this Instrument are requested to lodge a paper application at their nearest Australian overseas mission by mail or person.
5. This instrument does not substantially alter existing arrangements. As such consultation was unnecessary (paragraph 18(2)(a) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003).
6. It is intended that the Instrument will commence on 2 April 2005.