All travelers to Australia, other than Australian and New Zealand citizens, are legally required to hold a valid visa to travel to Australia.  Visas are either issued electronically (ETA) with nothing appearing in your passport or through application where a visa label sticker is required in the passport (non-ETA).  Delegates are advised to apply for the tourist visa as early as possible to allow for processing time.  Processing time for tourist visas can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the visa you are applying for and your personal situation.  There are several subclasses (categories or types) of tourist visa for people who wish to visit Australia.  Which visa subclasses you can choose from depends on the country of your passport.

For most other conferences held in Australia, the delegates are attending in order to gain some further knowledge or qualification which is directly related to their profession or field of study.  However, for APRRC delegates membership in Rotaract or Rotary is considered an "extracurricular" activity which is not directly related to your work or study.  It is the understanding of the APRRC committee that tourist subclass visas are acceptable for APRRC delegates.  Please note, however, there there is also a type of short stay Business visa which is also available.  

The country of your passport will determine which visa you should apply for and if you can apply for the visa online.  Please visit the links below for more information about requirements for each particular type of visa:

ETA Subclass 976: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/976/

eVisitor Subclass 651: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/evisitor/eligibility.htm

Tourist Subclass 676: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/676/

Business (Short Stay) Subclass 456: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business/456/

Delegates are strongly encouraged to contact the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) to confirm your eligibility for any particular visa subclass BEFORE you lodge (submit) the application.  Staff at travel agencies or airlines might not be aware of the most current rules and regulations about what type of visa is most appropriate.

Before you lodge (submit) your visa application you should contact the DIAC office which is closest to your current place of residence.  We strongly encourage you to do this so that you can be sure that you are following the correct procedures for the application and that you are applying for the correct type of visa for your case.  Here is a list of contact information for many of the DIAC offices: