Indians first to cross pre-Covid levels in Australia; business visa validity extended to 5 years now

Australia has recently implemented changes to its business visa policy, extending the validity of multiple entry visas from three years to five years. This revision follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia earlier this summer and the strengthened trade relations between the two countries. The decision is a result of the “mobility and migration agreement,” while the visitor visa for tourists remains at three years.

To accommodate the growing number of Indian visitors to Australia, the country has also streamlined its visa application process. India is currently the fastest-growing inbound market for Australia and the first to surpass pre-Covid visitation levels in 2019. In the period of June 2022 to May 2023, Australia received 370,000 visitors from India, a 2% increase compared to the same period in 2018-19.

The number of Indian visitors is expected to continue growing due to increased direct air connectivity. In 2019, there were seven weekly nonstop flights between Australia and India by Air India. Currently, there are 22 flights per week, including operations by Qantas, and this number will increase to 25 by October 2023. Qantas is also increasing the frequency of its nonstop flights from Delhi to Melbourne and Bengaluru to Sydney.

Furthermore, Australia now offers a more convenient and efficient visa processing system. The entire application process can be completed online, eliminating the need for applicants to provide biometric data in person. Additionally, there is no requirement to purchase a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation before applying for an Australian visa.

Indian visitors to Australia are also spending more than ever before. According to Tourism Australia, Indians spent nearly AUD 2 billion (approximately INR 11,000 crore) in the year ending in March 2023, a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2018-19. India is now the fifth largest source market in terms of overseas visitor spending, with an average expenditure of INR 3.2-3.5 lakhs per trip. Prior to the pandemic, India ranked sixth in terms of visitor spending in Australia.

The majority of Indian visitors to Australia are visiting friends and relatives (61.7%), followed by those on holiday (13%) and business travelers (8.6%). The remaining 16.7% consists of individuals visiting Australia for employment, education, and other purposes. Australia is home to over 1 million people of Indian origin and nearly 100,000 Indian students.

To strengthen trade ties and promote tourism, Tourism Australia organized its largest trade fair, Australia Marketplace India, in Bengaluru earlier this week. The event attracted over 210 delegates, including more than 100 from Australia.

Regarding visa processing, the Australian Department of Home Affairs stated that they have reduced the backlog of temporary and migration visa applications to pre-Covid levels. The department has seen a nearly 40% reduction in on-hand applications since June 2022. The number of temporary visa applications has decreased by 73%, from over 600,000 in June 2022 to just over 161,000 in June 2023. The government has allocated over $36 million to hire an additional 500 visa processing staff. Additionally, in the 2023-24 budget, the government has allocated an additional $48.1 million for visa processing officers to further improve program delivery. All additional positions have been filled, and the department is working diligently to process visa applications swiftly. In the 2022-23 period, the department processed almost 8.3 million visas, representing a 190.3% increase compared to the previous year.