The Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia has improved its technology so that visa customers can access online service at any time and from anywhere.
One of the biggest online changes in the last 12 months has been the introduction of ImmiAccount which reduces the need to attend an office or ring the department for inquiries.
Since its launch a year ago it has more than 1.5 million users sign up and according to officials it saves people time and allows them to interact with the department at their convenience.
The DIBP website also hosts a range of useful forms and general information on visa products. ‘These online services take away the need for you to wait in a long line at an office or in a queue on the phone,’ said a DIBP spokesman.
Other user friendly and more efficient online facilities include factsheets to provide information for visa applicants and holders. There are also interactive user guided to help with applications and checking the progress of online applications.
Customers can also check the work and study entitlements for various visa streams, update personal details online and use the calculator on the website to work out the fee for a particular visa application.
‘ImmiAccount allows for your applications to be submitted instantly. Attachments can be loaded at any time, meaning there is a reduced processing time for some visas. For an increasing number of visa subclasses, ImmiAccount can provide you with a complete online processing experience, from beginning to end,’ said the spokesman.
‘Our online environment has been designed to be convenient for customers and we are working hard to make sure they have reliable support available,’ he explained, adding that the aim is for interactions to be personal and local, tailored to the applicant and their circumstances.
‘We have focussed on understanding a client’s journey to effectively accommodate and enhance their immigration experience,’ he concluded.