How quickly can a UK national get a visa for Australia?

[tribpot]

Just wondering. My mum's best friend is rather seriously ill in Oz with cancer. My mum hasn't even been able to contemplate visiting because my step-father is also seriously ill with cancer However, he has been told his tumour has shrunk enough for surgery (but we don't know when the surgery will be, probably five or so weeks?) and this seems like the time when my mum should go to Oz. I need to find out how long d-step-dad will be waiting but my mum is saying that getting a visa is a long process, I'm sure that can't be true? How do you do it quickly?

Thanks in advance.

If it is a tourist visa for less than a month (I think, working from memory) it can be done over the phone now, or via the Internet. It's an electronic visa, which you don't ever see, it's just recorded by the airlines, so that they know about it.

Friends of our went recently and forgot to get visas. They arranged them at the airport.

Instantly - log on to the Trailfinders website and you should be able to get one there and then.

Sorry that you need it for this reason and not for a holiday.

You can get a 3 month holiday visa on line straightaway and it costs about £30.

Great - thanks for the help, really pleased that won't be an obstacle at least. Fortunately I have a friend who's a consultant in the region who ought to be able to find out what the waiting time is likely to be. Not a great reason for a visit, no, but I'm hearing two versions of the story, one from my mum that her friend may not be terminal and the other from another friend's daughter that she probably has six months

Yes, I'm sure you're right. Am currently so relieved to say that, other than hairloss, beloved s-dad is doing pretty well with the chemo.