Visa: Standard procedures

I refer to a Friday (July 14, 1995) letter from Mr. Hugh Paul Bishop titled Australia and tourism.

Mr. Bishop states that "Australia always claims it wants to be part of Asia, but its words and actions do not seem to match."

A friend of mine recently applied for a visa to Japan. He was required to pay a fee, fill in two forms, organize receipts, provide a letter of support and an exact schedule regarding his stay in Japan. These are the requirements for an Asian (Indonesian) wanting to travel to another Asian country. And Japan does not claim to be part of Asia, it is part of Asia.

When I recently applied for a visa to America, I was required to line up, provide a letter of support, provide proof of funds, pay a processing fee, and undergo an interview. And even after this grueling experience I was told to come back in a few days for the decision.

Now let's compare this to the Australian Embassy. For my visa I first waited for an hour. After providing evidence of my funds for traveling I was granted a multiple visa to Australia valid for one year, free of charge!

I would suggest that these factors, to which Mr. Bishop refers, are standard procedures when organizing a visa and are not factors which discourage travel to Australia.

BAGUS BUDIANTO

Jakarta