Oz travel to be hassle-& label-free from Oct 1

Travelling to Australia will soon be hassle-free. From October 1, the Australian government will introduce label-free visa travel arrangements for Indian travellers.

"Indian travellers will no longer need to have a visa label placed in their passport," said Peter Varghese, the Australian High Commissioner to India.

"People wishing to visit Australia will still need to apply for a visa but they will no longer need to include their passport with their application. Instead of a visa label, travellers will receive an electronic visa grant letter the day their visa is approved that will explain all the conditions of their visa".

"This new approach will not only provide travellers with better information about their visas but also reduce processing time and cost as travellers will no longer need to wait to have their passport returned to them by courier," the Australian envoy added.

Label-free travel is not only simpler for the travellers but is also more secure. Unlike a label, which can be misread or manipulated, electronic verification at check-in confirms the real-time status of a person's visa.

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