But at least they are inexpensive and usually quick
by Thomas Phinney, ATypI President
I went to Australia in spring 2023 (to teach a type design workshop), but I arrived several days later than intended, because, as a spoilt American, despite considerable global travel experience, I did not think in advance about needing a visa!
There are some 150 countries that do not require visas for US citizens, and they include almost all “western industrialized countries” outside South America, so I foolishly and blindly did not even think about it until I was trying to get my boarding pass at the airport. And that is why I arrived the morning of my workshop a couple hours late, the morning of, instead of several days before. (I was co-teaching a Crafting Type intro type design workshop with Wayne Thompson.) I thought I would share my story as a cautionary tale, along with some details and links to help.
But you can do better, and it is easy! For many of us, we should get an Electronic Travel Authority (also called subclass 601) visa, which you can do entirely from their Australian ETA mobile app (available for iOS and Android), and costs all of $20 AUD. This visa covers western Europe, USA, Canada and a few countries in the oceania region (Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan). From most of the same countries (but not the oceania ones) you can instead do an eVisitor (subclass 651) visa, which has no cost at all! Both of these are usually (>90%) processed in less than one day, and always within five business days.
From China, Indonesia and a number of other countries, you likely need a subclass 600 Visitor Visa (business visitor stream). These cost 190 AUD, typically take four or five days, and are usually (>90%) processed in 14 or fewer daysThere are other visa types, but those two will cover most ATypI attendees.
Visit the Australian Government “Explore Visa Options” website to find the visa you need.