Verifying the status of your eTA or eVisitor application

As a general rule, once you have completed and submitted an online eTA or eVisitor application for a visit to Australia, the response from the Australian authorities is sent to you by email within a maximum of 72 hours. However the response is often received within just a few minutes or a few hours. If, after three days, you have not received a response then this may have several explanations and you will wish to check the status of your application. In this article we explain how to proceed with the verification of your status.

How are you informed of your eTA-eVisitorapplication status?

The eTA electronic travel authorisation or eVisitor application can only be completed in a digital manner online as indicated by its name. This means that once you have sent your application its status will also be communicated to you in a digital or electronic manner, this means by email. The response from the Australian authorities responsible for examining your file can take up to 3 days to arrive, 72 hours. If you have completed and submitted your application more than 3 days earlier and not received a response then you should verify certain points to learn the status of your application.

Firstly, check that you entered the correct email address when you completed your application form. The status of your eTA or eVisitor will be communicated by email. If you made an error when entering your email address on your form you can still check the status of your application online on the official website. If you are not able to log in then you will need to proceed with a new application.  Also check that the fees payment has been completed through your bank account as if this is not the case then your application will not be processed.

Finally remember to check your spam email folder into which the email response from the Australian authorities regarding your eTA or eVisitor application may have automatically been filed.

What do the different eTA or eVisitor application status notifications mean?

Following the submission of your eTA or eVisitor application online the status of your application can display three different positions, these are as follows:

• Approved: This means that your travel authorisation application has been accepted and you can therefore visit Australia without having to undergo any further administrative procedures as this authorisation will be automatically connected electronically to your passport.
• Pending: When the status of your eTA or eVisitor application is ‘pending’ this means that your application has simply not yet been processed or the authorities responsible for its examination are currently verifying it. You will receive an email shortly giving a definitive response.
• Refused: Finally, if you receive notification of a refusal of your eTA or eVisitor application then this means that the information and documents supplied do not authorise you to visit Australia under the applicable conditions. However, you can still apply for a traditional visa if you fulfil the necessary conditions for the latter. To apply for a visa you will need to contact the Australian Embassy in your home country.

What to do if you are having trouble checking the status of your eTA application?

If you have completed your eTA or eVisitor online application and not received a response from the Australian authorities after several days you may be a little worried. In this situation there are several possible explanations and also several different solutions.

Firstly, check your email inbox carefully, including your spam and junk folders. It may be that the email has been automatically filed in the wrong inbox, a situation that occurs fairly frequently. If this is not the case then maybe you made a mistake in your email address when completing your application form. As the procedure is entirely automatic and electronic it is normal that you will not receive a response within the 72 hours if this is the case.

You could also check your bank statement. For your eTA or eVisitor application to be transmitted and processed by the Australian authorities you need to pay the necessary costs and fees. If this payment has not been completed and noted on your account then this means that the problem occurred at the time of payment and your application has not been accepted and processed. In this case you will have to apply again and will not be able to access your initial application as the information will not have been registered. You will have to complete the entire procedure again and confirm this time that payment has been duly completed.

Does an eTA or eVisitor refusal mean that you cannot visit Australia?

When you receive your email from the Australian authorities, if you notice that it is a refusal notification then this does not necessarily mean you cannot visit Australia. Depending on the situation you may still be able to continue with your travel plans by obtaining another form of travel authorisation.

For example, if your eTA or eVisitor has been refused due to the non-respect of one of the criteria such as the length of your stay, the reason for your visit or your country of residence then you still have the possibility of applying for a standard visa. It is important to plan ahead for the time needed to complete these procedures in advance of your visit as they can take longer than that of an eTA.

If your eTA or eVisitor is refused due to an error made when you completed the application form then you do have the possibility of reapplying with a new application. However it will be necessary for you to wait for at least 10 days after receiving the refusal notification and you will have to complete the entire application procedure again from scratch including payment of the costs and fees.

If your refusal is not related to these two cases then the Australian authorities have therefore decided not to grant you authorisation to enter Australian territory and you cannot continue with your visit.