Australian Chamber of Commerce – South China

                     Visa   Service

                                                                                                     Preamble
The AustCham Business Visa Service is based on an understanding between the Australian Chamber of Commerce–South China and The Australian Consulate –General Guangzhou. The Service Exists to facilitate the more efficient processing of Australian Visas required by AustCham South China corporate members in the normal course of their business activities in China.

The Service works as follows:

AustCham corporate members are able to apply to be included in the Service by applying via AustCham South China. Membership of the Service is not automatic, and not all corporate members of AustCham will necessarily be eligible for the Service (for details of eligibility criteria, see below).

Once an AustCham Corporate Member application to join the Service has been received, the AustCham Committee of the Chamber will review the application and advise the Applicant of its decision.

Once a corporate member has been approved for inclusion in the Service, they will be referred to as an 'Eligible Corporate Member', normally it should be a corporate member of AustCham for one year, however AustCham reserves the vetting for the eligibility

Eligible Corporate Members can only use the Service to apply for 456 visas for their employees. Each individual applicant is required to nominate on the application form the AustCham executive officer as the authorized contact.

Completed visa applications, together with any required documentation by DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Australian Government), must be hand delivered by an identified representative of an Eligible Corporate Member to the AustCham office (between 9:00 am and 12:00 am on weekdays).

The AustCham Officer will charge a handling fee of 300 RMB for each passport received.

The Australian Consulate –General Guangzhou will provide response on applications under this Service within 5 working days of of receiving the visa receiving the visa application. The corporate member concerned can then collect passports and other documentation from the Chamber between the hours of 3:00pm and 5:00pm, on the sixth working day from the time of lodgment, depending on the timing of lodgment.

Only the following visas are available through the Service:

Sub class 456 Business (Short Stay) Visitor visa for Australia. This visa is for people intending to go to Australia to attend business meetings, sign contracts, inspect plant or property, attend brief training sessions, or conduct other business. It can be single or multiple entry and permits stay of up to three months at a time. 
 

All visas will have a '8503' condition placed on them, which means that the visa cannot be extended whilst in Australia.

AustCham recognizes the statutory basis for the Australian Department of Immigration's processes in assessing visa applications. AustCham will not be involved in any discussion as to why particular applications are refused or granted.

Eligible AustCham Corporate Members

The Service will be open to AustCham South China Corporate Members who are deemed by the Board to meet the following criteria:

• The corporate member has a demonstrable significant involvement in Australia-China business activities.

• The corporate member is judged by AustCham not to have joined AustCham purely for the purpose of accessing the 'Business Visa Service'.

• The corporate member is not in the business of facilitating visa applications of any kind on a commercial basis.

• At the time of application, the corporate member has accurately provided all requested information and, in particular, has declared any prior cases of which it is aware where it has supported visa applications for individuals who later breached their visa conditions whilst in Australia.

• The corporate member is judged by the Board to be unlikely to bring the Chamber into disrepute or jeopardize the smooth operation of the service.

SANCTIONS

There may be legal consequences under the Migration Act for an individual who breaches visa conditions in Australia, including 3 year exclusion periods.

In addition, the Chamber has absolute discretion to remove the member from Eligible Corporate Member List in the event that visa holders sponsored under the Service breach their visa conditions and that there shall be no recourse against any decision to impose sanctions.

The Chamber will maintain a list of Eligible Corporate Members and update the Consulate regarding any changes to this list within five (5) working days.

HOW TO APPLY

• All AustCham corporate member companies are invited to apply to join the Service. Please contact the AustCham Officer for an application form to become an Eligible Corporate Member and return it to the AustCham Officer.

• The AustCham Officer will contact you once the AustCham Committee has made a decision regarding your application. Please note that the Committee retains the right to refuse applications without providing an explanation, and that applicants have no automatic right of appeal.

• Upon approval, AustCham will provide Eligible Corporate Member all official visa documents.

• AustCham will submit all satisfactorily completed application to the Australian Consulate for processing.