AustralianETA 4+

The app is easy to use. Before the pandemic, I used to get 3rd party companies to process my visa at much lower fees and approval was instant. But a lot has changed since then. Therefore I felt more comfortable using this app especially since the third party companies all did not respond to my email or calls. Approval is not instant. In addition an immi account must be created to supply more information. E.g. Evidence of income to support one’s stay in Australia, any pull factor to leave Australia after the holiday (e.g. return to a job or study), travel itinerary, reason for travel etc. In addition, you will need to submit identity documents like Mykad. If visiting family and friends, their details will also need to be provided. As long as all required documents can be provided, visa will be approved in a few days. To play safe, apply at least 1 month in advance.

Submitted an application and receive an email response that there is a technical error due to National ID format. The email instructed me to contact home affairs with a link to the contact us page on home affairs website. Call the number on the page and waited for hours and hours. Finally got through 2 days later, the service officer has completely no clue what to do with the technical error, she just ask me to wait.
I decided to submit another application despite the ETA website warning me not to as it will give the same results. Contrary to their warning, it gave a slightly different result. This time there is still a technical error due to National ID format but with a link instructing me to file a request for further processing form. Submitted the form with all my details and waited for another week with no response. There is no reference number, no email address, no phone number to follow up with the application. This ETA is supposed to be processed in less than a day.

Then I saw the reviews of the app on playstore. Apparently 10/10 Malaysians have their applications dumped into a black hole with no respond forever. Sad and worried as my planned travel date is now only days away and I have no means to check the status at all.

I was initially skeptical of this app and the process looking at the reviews, but surprisingly it turned out to be quite smooth and easy to apply for the ETA! No hiccups from start to end, managed to get my application granted within 10 minutes and received a pdf in my email.

It is a little tricky to find and scan the passport chip, perhaps the developer can implement a better feedback loop to the user such as a haptic feedback instead of a lightly coloured progress bar within the app when the chip is found and being scanned.

Nonetheless, thanks for producing this! #SG