Australian Visa's

[waterbitch]

A friend (yes honestly) wishes to go to Oz with a new boyfriend (he's paying) but she has a criminal record of housing benefit fraud and also drink driving,from 5 years ago,her new chap is unaware of this,now will she have to declare this when applying for a visa/or if questioned at customs when there,

[Toorak]

If your friend has convictions these will have to be declared and she will need to apply for a visitors visa rather than an electronic travel authority ( eta). If she arrives in Australia with an eta and her convictions are then discovered by immigration she may be refused entry since she will not be in possession of the correct type of visa.

My understanding is that the australian authorities' decision regarding the granting of a visa will depend on how seriously the convictions are viewed and whether she is deemed to present a potential risk to australian citizens.

[donny48]

I would imagine she is more concerned with the new friend finding out.

[waterbitch]

many thanks will pass on,and yes she is more concerned with the new chappie finding her out

[Toorak]

I can understand that - not an easy position to be in. I hope it all works out ok for her.

[donny48]

Try looking at the following link some of her offences may be off her record.
http://hub.unlock.org.uk/knowledgebase/spentposter/

[CrapAtCryptics]

maybe it would make life easier if she told him the full story.

[Toorak]

I suspect that her convictions are spent (depending on what sentences she received) but I think that she still has to declare them in an australian visa application. It would be worth checking rather than assuming that if they are spent they don't need to be declared.

There is further information via this link

https://www.border.gov.au

[237SJ]

I very much doubt the drink driving offence will make any difference. It doesn`t to the US Esta scheme and they are very strict.