RECENT changes to Australia’s visa
applications have been creating
major hassles for agents and their
clients. Applications have become
so troublesome that agents say
they totally refuse to handle Oz visa
applications and those from other
countries that are outsourced to visa
application centres.
“Australian visa applications are
driving agents crazy at the moment,”
says Liz Potgieter, travel consultant
for Sure Epcot Travel. She says
it has been taking, on average, a
month to get a visa processed.
What’s more, says Tracy
Teichmann, manager of Sure
Adcocks Travel, travellers will pay
an R800 service fee to spend five
minutes at the application centre,
which is very expensive.
There is a serious need for a
biometrics processing centre in Port
Elizabeth, says Michelle Minnaar,
manager of Harvey World Travel
Plettenberg Bay. She says
she has many clients who
travel between Port Elizabeth
and Australia and that they
have to drive for seven hours
just to reach the visa centre.
As of June 8, 2016, South
Africans were required
to provide biometrics for
Australian visa applications
at one of four application
centres in Cape Town,
Durban, Johannesburg
and Pretoria. Agents were
previously able to apply
online on their clients’ behalf
(see TNW June 22, 2016).
The situation highlights
agents’ growing refusal to
handle visa applications
that have been outsourced
to third parties. Inge
Beadle, manager of
Corporate Travel Services,
says since countries
have been outsourcing
visa applications, the
process has become
slow and cumbersome.
The visa centres always
want something extra in
terms of information or
documentation, she says.
As a result, Inge says her
agency doesn’t handle visas
any more, pointing out that
the tendency for problems to
arise creates the potential
for bad relationships
between agents and their
clients.
“Handling visa applications
is like setting yourself up
for failure,” says Angela
McLoskey, md of Sure
Dynamic Travel.
Jose Cruz, national
executive client services
manager of HRG Rennies
Travel, says it’s becoming
increasingly difficult for
travellers to apply for
visas across the world – a
situation that’s likely to
worsen. He advises agents
to warn clients of the
difficulties surrounding visas
to avoid any backlash when
problems occur.
