Easier visa to Aust remains a battle

AUSTRALIA will not be extending its Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to Papua New Guinea, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

She told a media conference last Friday that Papua New Guineans would be able to apply online for visas, as announced earlier this year, and multiple entry visas.

At a state dinner he hosted for Gillard last Thursday night, PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill called on her to relax the tough visa restrictions on PNG.

“There will be ability to apply online for visas, and multiple entry visas into Australia, especially for business people to travel quickly and frequently back and forth between our two countries to facilitate trade and investments,” Gillard said.

“There will be less paperwork.”

She said last year, there was a 20% increase in the number of visitors from PNG to Australia.

Gillard said visa processing had already been the subject of mutual discussion between the two countries this year but she did not shed any light on the subject or when Australia could relax its tough stance.