Which visa should you check?
Check the passport you will actually travel on. A US permanent resident using another country’s passport must check that passport’s list. An ETA is for a temporary visit, not employment; first Work and Holiday 462 has its own age, education and other criteria.
The ETA (subclass 601) may fit a short visitor trip. Eligibility depends on your exact circumstances. Home Affairs decides applications.
Explore official visa options · Read the relevant visa page · Compare short-visit visas →
What else should you know?
The Australian Embassy in the United States says ETA-eligible passport holders must use the Australian ETA app and warns about websites that charge extra or claim to lodge an ETA. Embassy staff do not decide visa applications or answer individual visa enquiries.
Does living in the US make you ETA eligible?
No. Home Affairs lists the United States of America as an ETA-eligible passport jurisdiction. A US green card, visa or address does not replace an eligible passport. If you are a US resident travelling on another country’s passport, check that passport on the ETA and eVisitor lists or use Home Affairs’ visa finder. If you have more than one passport, declare the others in the ETA application and use the passport you will travel with.
An Australian citizen with a US passport cannot apply for an ETA as a foreign visitor. Follow Australian citizen entry guidance and check the travel document you need.
Official ETA passport eligibility · Find a visa by your circumstances · Australian citizen entry guidance
Use the Australian ETA app, not an ETA website
- Read the current ETA eligibility and conditions. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when Home Affairs grants the ETA.
- Install the official Australian ETA app. It needs a phone with a camera, NFC and location services, plus your valid passport, an email address and a payment method for the app service charge.
- Scan the passport and take a live facial image. Answer the questions truthfully, including other passports, previous names and criminal history. Check every scanned name, birth date and passport number before submitting.
- Pay the app service charge and submit. Each traveller, including a child, needs a separate application. Watch your email, including junk mail, for the written result or a request for more information.
The Australian Embassy warns that third-party ETA websites may charge more or claim to speed up a decision. An ETA is lodged through the app. If the app is unavailable to you, Home Affairs directs you to consider another suitable visa through ImmiAccount.
What the ETA permits—and when to compare Visitor 600
An ETA can allow multiple entries for up to 12 months from grant, or until your passport expires if sooner. Each entry generally permits up to three months in Australia. It can cover tourism, visiting family or friends, a cruise and specified business visitor activities; it does not permit employment with an Australian business. It is not permission to live in Australia through repeated visits.
For a longer temporary visit, compare the overseas Visitor 600 Tourist stream. If you have a criminal conviction, the official ETA page tells you to apply for Visitor 600 and provide the relevant evidence. If your main purpose is longer study or work, check the appropriate visa for that purpose. Wait for the written grant before making non-refundable travel commitments.
Compare short-visit options → · Visitor 600 guide → · Student 500 official page
Follow any character or biometrics request for your case
The Australian Embassy says applicants living in the US may be asked for state police clearances and an FBI clearance. This is conditional: do not assume every ETA applicant must obtain them before applying. Read any Home Affairs request for the exact records, names and deadline. The Embassy also says biometrics may be requested from applicants in selected locations regardless of nationality. Follow your own letter and the current collection instructions if asked.
Embassy and consulate staff do not decide visas or provide individual case updates. For a delayed ETA, check the written messages and follow the further-information instructions from Home Affairs rather than paying a website for “expedited” processing.
FBI and state check preparation → · Embassy character and biometrics guidance · Embassy visa enquiries and ETA advice · Biometrics guide →
A working holiday is a different route from an ETA
Home Affairs lists the United States on the first Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) passport list. This can suit an extended holiday with short-term work. The age range is 18–30 inclusive when applying, with the birthday deadline measured in Australian Eastern time. An ETA cannot be used to take a job. US residence or a green card without a US passport does not establish first-462 passport eligibility.
The US-specific education row requires a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or equivalent. For Functional English, Home Affairs lists a person who is a US citizen and holds a valid US passport as satisfying its passport-based route. Home Affairs also lists the United States among countries whose applicants do not need a government-support letter. These are separate requirements; check the current first-462 page and the actual documents requested in ImmiAccount rather than assuming the passport alone grants the visa.
Apply online from outside Australia and remain outside when Home Affairs decides. Check prior 417 or 462 entries, funds for your stay and departure, health, character, dependent-child and other first-visa criteria. The current country-cap table does not list a US row, and the current first-462 ballot names China, India and Vietnam; do not use another country's cap or ballot steps for a US application. Check the live application channel for any change.
If granted, read the entry deadline and conditions on the written notice. The usual first-462 stay starts on first entry, including if you also hold an ETA. A second or third 462 has different specified-work rules, so do not treat a first grant as a promise of another year.
Official first-462 US passport and evidence rules · Current country-cap table · Compare working holiday rules →
Build a clear, consistent application
For eVisitor or ETA, follow the prompts for that visa. The points below are useful preparation questions, especially if you need to consider Visitor 600; they are not a fixed attachment list for a short-visit visa. For a Working Holiday visa, use its own eligibility and evidence page.
- Passport and identity documents that match your application.
- A simple account of your travel dates, purpose and accommodation.
- Evidence that you can fund the trip, or details of a supporter.
- Relevant work, study, family or residence evidence that explains your circumstances.
- Invitation details if you are visiting someone.
- Clear scans and translations where required.
Home Affairs can request additional evidence, biometrics or health checks. See its document preparation advice and our biometrics guide.
Find the issuing steps for United States
Use the countries and periods named in your visa instructions or individual request. This passport guide does not establish that you need a certificate from United States; your residence history can involve other countries too.
United States police-certificate starting checks → · Find another issuing country →
The linked help includes official sources. Check the current issuer instructions before applying, and keep completed identity records in the official process.
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