ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/05/2004 1 March 2004
Opening of Australian visa service centre in Delhi makes application easier
The Australian High Commissioner to India, Ms Penny Wensley AO, today inaugurated a new Australian visa application and collection centre in Jhandewalan Extension, New Delhi.
Opening the new facility, Ms Wensley said, "The new arrangements will assist the growing number of Indians seeking to travel to Australia. I am sure that all Indians wishing to visit Australia will welcome these new arrangements."
"The significant growth in the numbers of Indians wanting to travel to Australia reflects the growth in our bilateral relations and an evident increase of interest in Australia ? interest which will further bring our communities and peoples closer together, to the benefit of both countries," added the High Commissioner.
The opening of the New Delhi visa application and collection centre marks the commencement of the first phase of an arrangement where Australian visitor visa applications can be lodged and collected at TT Services offices across India. The New Delhi TT Services office, where visa applications can be lodged, is located at 2E/23, Jhandewalan Extension, New Delhi 55.
From today (1 March) Indians wishing to apply for an Australian business, tourist or transit visa will also be able to lodge their applications at five further TT Services visa application and collection centres in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore - with other centres to follow. TT Services, a division of TT Enterprises (TTK, the parent group, is a 75 year old trusted business house), was the first company in India to offer visa support services to diplomatic missions.
Commenting on the visa collection centres, the Immigration Counsellor at the Australian High Commission, Mr Greg Kelly said, "Applicants for visa will now have greater choice in where they lodge their applications. Indians who wish to travel to Australia for business or tourism will no longer be required to apply directly to the Australian High Commission in New Delhi or Consulate General in Mumbai, which sometimes involved significant travel and some inconvenience."
Each visa application and collection centre will provide a comfortable client waiting area and have sufficient capacity to ensure clients are not required to wait for extended periods. Each will provide services to clients between the hours 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). TT Services will charge a service fee of Rs 350 for each application.
The locations for the visa application and collection centres can be found at: www.ausgovindia.com . For further information please contact: Greg Kelly 2688 8223 ext 438 or Kelly Raj 2688 8223 ext 139 or TT Services 011 - 51540880 - 81.
Website: www.ausgovindia.com