Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) - Agent Training Manual

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. No - short visits only.

Visa typeTemporary

LodgementOffshore

StayUp to 3 months per entry, within 12 months

Work rightsNo work permitted

Study rightsUp to 3 months

Government charge~$20 service charge (no visa application charge)

Processing time~minutes to a few days

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 601 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Check passport eligibility
Only eligible-country passports can use the ETA. If not eligible, the client needs an eVisitor (651) or Visitor visa (600).
Apply via the app
The Australian ETA app handles identity and payment (~$20 service charge). Grants are typically fast.
Brief on limits
3 months per entry, no work; overstaying poisons future applications.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 601 is viable.

Hold an eligible ETA-country passportVisiting for tourism or business visitor activitiesNo serious health or character concernsApply via the Australian ETA app

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentEligible passport (ETA countries) - the app handles the rest

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	~$20 service charge (no visa application charge)
Health examinations (only if requested)	~$300-500
Biometrics collection (some countries)	Small fee at the collection centre
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 601 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Priya from the UK

Background: Priya, a retired engineer from the UK. Passport holders from eligible countries who want a quick, electronically-linked short visit for tourism or business.
Why it qualified: (1) Hold an eligible ETA-country passport. (2) Visiting for tourism or business visitor activities. (3) No serious health or character concerns.
What made the file strong: The file opened with a short submission mapping each criterion to its evidence, so the case officer never had to hunt.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~minutes to a few days).

Grant: Rahul from Pakistan

Background: Rahul, a university student on a semester break from Pakistan. Passport holders from eligible countries who want a quick, electronically-linked short visit for tourism or business.
Why it qualified: (1) Hold an eligible ETA-country passport. (2) Visiting for tourism or business visitor activities. (3) No serious health or character concerns.
What made the file strong: The agent tested the weakest criterion first and fixed it before lodging, not after a natural-justice letter.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~minutes to a few days).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Isabella from China

Background: Isabella, a marketing professional from China, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 601.
What went wrong: Trying to work on an ETA
Outcome: The Department refused; the client lost the application charge, months of lead time, and in this subclass a refusal also complicates any onshore follow-up.
Lesson for the agent: Screen for this at the first consultation, before money changes hands. It is cheaper to delay a lodgement than to fight a refusal.

Refusal: Wei from Vietnam

Background: Wei, a farm-work backpacker from Vietnam, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 601.
What went wrong: Applying when your passport isn't ETA-eligible (use eVisitor or 600)
Outcome: The case officer decided on the papers without a further request - the file had to stand on its own, and it could not.
Lesson for the agent: Put this issue on the document checklist on day one and refuse to lodge until it is closed out.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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