Visas and Immigration

Visa applications

Visa applications lodged by people residing in Laos PDR are processed by the Department of Home Affairs.

You should lodge your application online through ImmiAccount. You can also use ImmiAccount to make a payment, update your details or circumstances, upload supporting documents and track progress of your application.

You may be required to undertake a health check as part of your visa application, depending on your personal circumstances, your location, the type of visa you are applying for and how long you plan to stay in Australia, and what you plan to do in Australia. If you are required to undertake a health examination you will be notified when you lodge your application. For more information on the health requirement please visit Health.

IMPORTANT:

You should apply for your visa well in advance of your intended travel date.

Ensure all supporting documents required with your application are attached at lodgement of your application.

Include English translations of supporting documents.

Please check the current Global visa processing times and ensure you leave sufficient time for processing of your application. We recommend that you do not finalise your travel arrangements until you have a valid visa to travel to Australia. We will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by travellers whose visa application was finalised later than expected, or where an application is not successful.

English translations should be endorsed by the translator with their full name, address, telephone number and details of their translation qualifications. Please also ensure you include a copy of the original document. Failure to provide an English translation of supporting documents may delay processing and result in the document not being considered as part of the visa application.

There are things you can do to make sure that when you submit your visa application it is ‘decision ready’. This will help us process your application faster. If you’re applying for a visa to come to Australia, the following tips will help you get it right the first time for a quicker, smoother visa journey: Check twice, submit once.

Enquiries

Visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs. Australian Embassy staff are unable to assist with general visa or citizenship enquiries.

The Department of Home Affairs website has the most up to date and comprehensive information on applying for visas and citizenship.  For information on Australian visas and citizenship, please visit the Home Affairs website.

If you are having trouble locating information on the department’s website, the Digital Assistant may be able to help you find information on Australian visas, citizenship and border entry. Visit the Home Affairs website and click the Ask a question button to get started.

Global Service Centre

If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm your local time.

International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges.

Using an interpreter

When you call the GSC, select option 6 to engage a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) interpreter in your language. Option 6 can be selected straight after dialling the GSC number.

Alternatively, a TIS interpreter can also be engaged directly via:

• TIS website: Search | Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or
• Home Affairs website See: Family and friends helping with your application

Compliments, complaints and suggestions

Your feedback is valuable to the Department of Home Affairs. The department use your feedback to improve services and investigate and respond to any issues of concern. You can find more information on the department’s website at Compliments, complaints and suggestions.

Allegations related to suspicious border activities

If it doesn’t feel right, flag it anonymously with Border Watch. Border Watch is the single collection point for the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF) for allegations related to suspicious border activities and is not limited to immigration and citizenship. One small observation could help stop a much larger border crime.  You can report suspicious immigration, customs and border related activity via the Border Watch Online Report.

Contacting the processing office

If you need to make an enquiry about a visa application and cannot find the information on the Home Affairs website you can contact the visa office responsible for Laos PDR here: Australian Immigration Enquiry Form.