New Travel Rules Take Effect January 12, 2009

Beginning January 12, 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, including Australia, are required to obtain a travel authorization prior to initiating travel to the United States. This authorization may be obtained online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security.

There is no charge to complete the ESTA application. VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established websites, which charge visitors for information and for submitting ESTA applications. These websites are not endorsed by, associated with, nor affiliated in any way with the U.S. government.

In advance of the deadline, VWP visitors may voluntarily apply for the travel authorization.

For more information, start by reading our page on the Visa Waiver Program.

Doomadgee Dance Recounts Crash of WWII American Bomber

As elders chanted, school children from the Doomadgee territory recounted the crash of a U.S. Air Force bomber some 60 years ago in their isolated homeland in far northern Queensland during a special performance at the American Embassy recently.

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake, M.D. visits the Australian War Memorial in Canberra

Secretary Peake is sharing U.S. models, experience and progress in veteran care via a keynote address to the national colloquium on rehabilitation — a joint initiative of the Australian Government Departments of Veterans’ Affairs and Defense.

Ambassador Hosts Leaders of Minority Councils

On September 18, Ambassador McCallum and Mrs. McCallum hosted a morning tea in honor of the visiting members of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council and the U.S. National Minority Supplier Development Council. Members of the U.S. National Minority Supplier Development Council traveled to Australia to engage in a peer-to-peer exchange of best practices with members of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council. Two of the individuals who made the trip from the U.S. were National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency Ronald Langston and President of the National Minority Supplier Development Council Harriet Michel.

U.S. – Australia Student Work and Travel Pilot Program

The Student Work and Travel Pilot Program announced by President Bush and Prime Minister Howard in September went into effect October 31, 2007.

Please see our nonimmigrant visa page for general information on the U.S. visa application process, including how to apply for a U.S. visa in Australia.