How to get an Australian Visa for your Kids!

World Youth Day visa applicants under 18 years of age

If you are under 18 years of age, print out a copy of the parental consent form, which is available on the World Youth Day registration site, and ask your parents or guardians to complete it. 
See also: Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (81KB PDF file) 

You will also need to submit evidence of your relationship with your parent/guardian.
Example: A copy of your full birth certificate showing the names of both parents.

You will also need to include a copy of identification for your parent/guardian showing their signature.
Example: A passport.

Australian Visa: It all Starts Here, How to go to Australian Embassy in the Philippines

The Australian Visa Office in the Philippines has a Service Delivery Partner (SDP) arrangement. For all visa enquiries:
See: Visa Information and Lodgement
Street Address

Level 23 - Tower 2
RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, 1200
Metro Manila
Philippines 
Postal Address

PO Box 1071 
Makati City, 1200
Metro Manila 
Philippines

For information on mailing or couriering applications
See: Visa Information and Lodgement
Telephone
General enquiries (SDP - VIA Centre) 

63 2 845 9200

Calls to this number are toll-free from within metro Manila. All other calls will attract standard NDD or IDD rates.

Lodgement of Applications (SDP - VIA Centre) 

1909 3622779 (PLDT/Digitel)
1900 3622779 (Globelines)
1903 3622779 (BayanTel)

These numbers are only available to telephones within the Philippines with NDD access, or by calling 109 on a PLDT phone for operator assisted connection. Calls will be billed at PhP 32 per minute plus VAT.
Recorded information 

63 2 757 8340 (DIAC)
Recorded information is available 24 hours a day. Clients with ongoing applications will have an extension number for their case officer and can contact their case officer between 1400 - 1600 hours, Tuesday to Thursday.
Fax

63 2 757 8269 (DIAC Visa Office) 
Email Contact

aus_inquiry@via.ph (SDP - VIA Centre)
immigration.manila@dfat.gov.au (DIAC Visa Office) 
Website

www.philippines.embassy.gov.au 
Client Counter Hours

0830-1500 Mon-Fri (SDP - VIA Centre) for lodging applications
0830–1700 Mon-Fri (SDP - VIA Centre) for general information
0830-12 noon Sat (SDP – VIA Centre) for lodging applications and general information
0900–1200 Tue-Thu (Visa Office) for scheduled appointments only

Access to the Australian Embassy Visa Office is by appointment only - clients need to call the SDP Call Centre to schedule an appointment. 
Client Telephone Hours

0600–2000 Mon-Fri (SDP – Call Centre)
0800–1800 Saturday (SDP – Call Centre)
1400-1600 Mon-Thu (DIAC Visa Office)

Clients with ongoing applications will have an extension number for their case officer and can contact their case officer directly during these hours.

Extra Qantas Flights To Australia For World Youth Day

Qantas has announced the provision of additional flights to Australia to bring more international visitors to the country for World Youth Day, which takes place next July, 2008.

The carrier is planning four extra services, one from Los Angeles and three from Rome, where demand is expected to be very high. Qantas have not operated from Rome since 2003 so this is quite an occasion for the airline, providing as they are direct return flights to Sydney from the Italian capital.

There has already been a large number of advance bookings for the event which is why Qantas feel the need to announce these additional flights, catering for the areas of greatest demand. The airline will also keep a close eye on how the tickets are selling and are quite prepared to offer more flights should they be needed.

This is in contrast to the mass exodus expected from local Aussies to give way to the pilgrims.

Aside: Funny that Qantas is called the "Spirit of Australia".

Tourist visa for World Youth Day for Pinoys and others

Tourist visa for World Youth Day For Philippine citizens and others!

If you hold a passport from certain countries or regions you will be eligible to apply for a streamlined Electronic Travel Authority (ETA): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States Of America, Vatican City.

Unless you hold an ETA-eligible passport you will need to apply for a Tourist visa in order to attend World Youth Day (WYD). Registered pilgrims will be entitled to apply for a visa free of Australian Government visa application charges by following the process detailed below.

You should also check your local Australian Immigration Office website for any additional requirements.

There are additional requirements for applicants aged under 18 years
See: World Youth Day visa applicants under 18 years of age

To make a paper application follow these steps:
1. Register online to attend World Youth Day Visit: World Youth Day
2. Print a copy of the application form, complete all questions and sign it. 
3. Download Form 48R Application To Visit Australia For Tourism Or Other Recreational Activities (100KB PDF file) 

Note: This form is also available in several languages. Forms in other languages

The following supporting documentation will need to be provided with your application: 
1. Your passport – including instructions on how you would like it to be returned to you.
Example: Prepaid courier or self-addressed envelope.
2. Two passport sized photographs - no more than 6 months old.
3. Evidence that you will be able to support yourself while in Australia. This could include, any fundraising you have undertaken, bank statements for at least three months prior to the application, or evidence of financial support from a sponsoring organisation or family member/ relative.
4. Evidence of current and ongoing educational enrolment and/or employment in your current country of residence.
5. Evidence of residence status if you are not a national of the country you applying from.

Check your local Australian Immigration Office or Service Delivery Partner website for any additional requirements. Every country is slightly different, so your local Immigration Office website is the most accurate source of information. 

Note: It is important to do this otherwise there may be delays in processing your application.

See: Immigration Offices outside Australia

Print a copy of the World Youth Day coversheet, which you obtained when registering on the World Youth Day website, and complete it.

Lodge your application with supporting documents at the nearest Australian Immigration Office. 

Note: Not all Australian diplomatic missions have an Immigration office. 
See: Immigration Offices outside Australia

To assist in efficient processing of applications for World Youth Day please do not submit your application before 1 November 2007 or after 1 June 2008.

More information about Tourist visas is available. 
See: Tourist visa

Free visas for Youth Day pilgrims

SUPER GREAT NEWS! And a great move for Aussie!

The Federal Government and the Catholic Church have agreed to waive visa fees for foreign tourists travelling to Sydney for next year's Catholic World Youth Day.

Under the agreement, pilgrims will be given a free, three-month visa and there will an unlimited supply for each country.

It is designed to help organisers cope with the 140,000 overseas visitors expected for the Catholic festival next July.

Assistant Immigration Minister Teresa Gambaro says the event will bring huge economic benefits to the country.

"You'll have an enormous amount of visitors coming to Australia," she said.

"We will be able to showcase our country.

"It will bring enormous tourism and other benefits to the economy."

The Federal Government has already committed $35 million to the event, which will be held at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse.

But the site of the event recently caused concern among racing officials with fears World Youth Day organisers could inadvertently spread equine influenza.

The last World Youth Day was held in Germany in 2005 and attracted more than one million people.

From:ABC News
Psst. Don't tell this to Filipinos.

Kat's Photos of WYD Cross at Parramata

World Youth Day Cross Draws Crowds in Australia

Last week, my friend went to the Parramata chruch near Church St (guess why they called it that) and saw a lot of people in the Catholic Church -- ready to welcome the WYD Cross.

"It was the first time I've seen so many people in church!".

Now that's both good and bad news.

Bad because why only the first time?

Good because the WYD cross is bringing awareness of the big WYD event next year.

Picture below courtesy of this site.

It said that the cross has been to Manhattan's Ground zero, the Korean DMZ and a host of publicly controversial places.

Now - I wonder if it will visit Hillsong in Sydney?

It should!

Shortly Aussies told to "Leave Australia" to make room

Was talking to an Australian Resident who said :

"Australia is telling its residents to GO ABROAD to MAKE ROOM for the WYD delegates? Why isn't Australia big enough?"

Or perhaps -it's the Airlines who will be providing budget fares to make people exit the country during exciting July 2009 dates.

The point of the WYD is to make Australia's Youth (Hillsong?) meet the world's Catholics, if the few Catholics go out, who will be meet? Who will tour us? The Australia' WYD Board is already people strapped as is.

No Fair! American Kids get a "YouTube Style" contest to go to Sydney for Free!

No Fair! American Kids get a "YouTube Style" contest to go to Sydney for Free!

The World Youth Day Challenge isn't even supposed to start officially until October, and already it's drawing entries to compete for the challenge's grand prize – an all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day next year.

The challenge:

1. Create a video running less than five minutes that uses the World Youth Day theme song, "Receive the Power."

2. Get people to vote for that video than for any others in an online competition.

The contest is sponsored by God Squad Communications, part of Radio Peace, the radio ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami.

"The promotion is doing far better than we expected," said Christopher Wills, the marketing manager and programming director for Radio Peace. News of the contest was released in mid-July.

Registration will close Sept. 15 for those wishing to enter the contest. Participants register online as teams of two at www.wydchallenge.com. By Oct. 15, people will be able to visit the site to start casting votes for their favorite videos.

"By May of '08 we'll know the winner of the competition, which gives plenty of time left to be able to book the flight," Wills said in a phone interview with Catholic News Service July 27. World Youth Day is scheduled for July 15-20 next year in Sydney.

The challenge's Web site says that the two people with the most votes over the course of the competition will win a trip to Sydney.

"There are several video teams that are being organized," Wills said. "They'll have to complete one challenge per month. The video will be able to go up (on the Web site) for the whole month. The people will be able to go to the Web site and vote for the videos."

Wills said a travel agency in Miami is footing the cost of the round-trip flights to Sydney. Current airfare quotes from the East Coast of the United States place a Sydney flight at $2,500-$3,000.

Visitors to the Web site also will be able to give to a "pilgrim assistance fund" to enable other young Catholics to go to Sydney.

The competition is open to any young Catholic in the United States.

Without yet having seen any of the entries himself, Wills said, "It'll definitely be very interesting, in this YouTube age, with the creativity that's out there. It's why we felt this would be a good way to get our message out there.

"We thought it would be a competition solely for this (arch)diocese but when we developed the idea, developed the program, we felt there would be people all across the United States with this talent," he added.

And now how about us in the whole world? Ahem. Ahem.

Inane Comments from Australia's ABC News comparing Hillsong and Catholics.

Here's an interview (you may listen to it here) from ABC News, that "World Youth Day 'may entice youth back to church'

Notice the insensitive but correct comment from:

BOB PRITCHARD: And if you look at the Hillsong website on the other hand, it's contemporary, it's sophisticated, it's fun. It's all about training you for a life of significance and, you know, your life of significance keeps flashing up. It's all about you, it's not about God at all.

My comments on this:

First of all, Bob is correct that a website must be all about you. Specially if its trying to sell anything -- even faith.

However, to say "Its not about God at all" when describing Hillsong slaps Hillsong in the face to an extent.

There's also the small fact the there are practicing Catholics inside Hillsong Church.
There's also the small fact that Hillsong's membership is completely dwarfed by the Catholic Church world wide.

But yes, with regards to website design, of course most sites are better than the Vatican but not all sites Catholic is URL'd Vatican.VA. There's scores of All about You sites, like
http://www.Bosanchez.ph or even http://www.catholic.com. And of course who co uld forget the perhaps longest running Religious Video Podcast: Preacher In Blue Jeans. It's even probable that Bob hasn't even been to the Wordpressed glory of SQPN? These are all Catholics making a difference in the Internet. Let it not be said that the church who gave birth to almost all the renaissance art - doesn't know a thing about beautiful sites.

I think there needs to be proper perspective here.


The interview in whole:

(PM - Monday, 9 July , 2007 18:50:00 Reporter: Ashley Hall)

MARK COLVIN: In these days of short attention spans, with a seemingly endless supply of new diversions, the Catholic Church in Australia is facing a quandary.

Next year's World Youth Day celebrations are expected to entice a large number of young people to the Catholic faith.

But who will be there to greet them? And how can the church encourage back into the fold the estimated 4.2-million Australians who call themselves lapsed Catholics?

Ashley Hall reports.

ASHLEY HALL: The Catholic Church in Australia is facing a huge challenge.

How can it encourage its lapsed members back into the fold?

JOHN BATHERSBY: There are a number of people who are alienated from the Church, feel that it may be in some way old fashioned, too authoritarian, but I'm not sure that that's the major reason. It's seems to me that the people I've come in contact with give as an excuse that life is just too busy.

ASHLEY HALL: The Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby, is at the front of a mission to welcome worshippers home to the church, in time for World Youth Day next year.

The Australian Bishops Conference estimates up to 4.2 million people identify as Catholic, but don't regularly attend church. And about half of them could be drawn back by parish outreach programs.

JOHN BATHERSBY: People like that would need opportunities where they can talk about perhaps what has caused pain in their life, and it may be as simple as just a disagreement at some time with a priest, and maybe a disagreement over, over particular matters of morality. It may be those things. And I think people like that would need to be able to talk things through and to feel that they are still very much welcome in the Church and that, that the parishes would like to see them back in their midst.

ASHLEY HALL: A national recruitment office has been set up, and each parish is being urged to develop a strategy to bolster its numbers.

But the Religious Affairs Commentator for the Sydney Morning Herald, Chris McGillion believes the Church may be underestimating the number of people who've fled because they're uncomfortable with aspects of its doctrine.

CHRIS MCGILLON: They're well known these days. One is the ban on artificial contraception, the other is a ban on even discussing the possibility of women priests. There's a good deal of disenchantment with the continuing insistence on a celibate priesthood. There's disenchantment over attempts to kind of marginalise homosexuals in the life of the Church and so forth. These kinds of Catholics are largely the kind of middle to liberal progressive Catholics, who in many cases very much still cherish their Catholic culture and even their Catholic rituals, but are disconnected from the institutional Church on the, on the basis of its teaching.

ASHLEY HALL: And those lapsed Catholics, he says, would be difficult to bring back into the church, especially via a parish-based campaign.

BOB PRITCHARD: The Catholic Church is all about guilt, it's judgemental, the website looks like something from the Da Vinci Code, half of it's in Latin.

ASHLEY HALL: The marketing guru Bob Pritchard says the Catholic Church could learn a thing or two about recruitment from the Hillsong Church, where membership lists continue to grow.

BOB PRITCHARD: And if you look at the Hillsong website on the other hand, it's contemporary, it's sophisticated, it's fun. It's all about training you for a life of significance and, you know, your life of significance keeps flashing up. It's all about you, it's not about God at all.

ASHLEY HALL: Archbishop John Bathersby is planning to do exactly that.

JOHN BATHERSBY: We should be able to learn from all those things. But I think, ultimately I think we're still in a growing process.

ASHLEY HALL: And growing quickly, it seems.

Newspaper advertisements placed as part of the recruitment campaign are already paying dividends.

The Catholic Enquiry Centre has received 700 calls in the past three weeks.

MARK COLVIN: But doing some lightning mental arithmetic, even if all those 700 calls were translated into conversions as it were, and projecting it over the next year, that'd still only be an extra 12,000 members of the Church. Ashley Hall reporting.

From: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1973960.htm

Guy Sebastian , Gay Marriage?? This is an issue?

Someone insinuated at the Catholic News Agency that Guy isn't deserving as a winning composer for the WYD- because of his views on Gay Marriage. I dropped in for a chat on the comment box. Too bad its moderated.

Simple Facts about WYD. Can non-catholics join?

World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in
Sydney 15-20 July 2008 World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's Day for youth and with youth World Youth Day gathers young people from around the world to build bridges
of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures

Inspired by great gatherings of the world’s youth for Palm Sunday events in Rome, Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day as an annual event and to reach out to the next generation of Catholics

World Youth Day has been held since 1986, when the first event was held in Rome. It is celebrated every year in Rome and at a Diocesan level and a major
international celebration is held every 2-3 years in a different host city.

Sydney will host the 23 World Youth Day and the 10th World Youth Day
outside Rome

World Youth Day is an invitation from the Holy Father to all the youth of the world without any kind of discrimination. While World Youth Day celebrates young people’s Catholic faith, its message is relevant for all people. The event welcomes people of all backgrounds wishing to join the experience

World Youth Day has previously been held in Rome, Paris, Cologne (Germany), Czestochowa (Poland), Denver (USA), Toronto (Canada), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Manila (The Philippines) and Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

Sydney’s role as host of WYD08 started with the Handover of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon of Our Lady on Sunday 9 April 2006 following the traditional Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square

Note: Yes, there is no discrimination, this is not a "catholic event only", its a "youth event". So just like the Vatican 2, if you're not Catholic, you're welcome!

How To Join the Pilgrims in Sydney

To go to Sydney for the World Youth Day, DO NOT JOIN weird "companies" who say they have "track records" in bringing people to WYDs in the past. These are scams or worse, they're legit but they already have a record with previous WYDS-that their pilgrims NEVER RETURN to the the country of origin. What does that mean to you? ALL your visas will NOT BE APPROVED --at the last minute. This has happened in Manila last time (to Germany).

The best way is to align yourself to YOUR PARISH or to a big group like Light of Jesus Community. Get in touch with them and join their contingent.

Guy Sebastian makes Official Song..Hmm?

Sydney, May 16, 2007 / 01:20 pm (CNA).- The official hymn for World Youth Day in 2008 has just been chosen. “Receive the Power” is the title of the official hymn for the celebration of the 23rd World Youth Day in Sydney. The song was written by young Australian composer Guy Sebastian. “We were looking for a hymn which would be involving and inspiring”, WYD 2008 co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher OP explained.

“Above all it had to be a song which would fill the young participants with enthusiasm and capture the essence of the World Youth Day theme chosen by the Pope: You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will descend upon you and you will be my witnesses. Guy's song meets with all these requisites: it inspires the youth of the world to accept Jesus' call to follow him to the ends of the earth as his witnesses. ”

Receive the Power was chosen after a selection process involving over 120 pieces. The Pontifical Council for the Laity, which is involved in preparations for WYD on the part of the Holy See, is in agreement with the choice of the hymn. “It combines the necessary musical and thematic elements as well as being easy to sing for people of different languages. We are convinced that Receive the Power WYD hymn will be played and sung by young Catholics everywhere on the occasion of World Youth Day and from then on”, the Bishop said.

Australian composer singer Guy Sebastian made a name for himself in 2003, when he started composing music for his parish at the age of thirteen. In 2005, Guy was nominated World Vision Ambassador and went to Uganda to film' a documentary on the difficulties people face there due to poverty and civil war. He has also written numerous songs for Australian singers.

Personal note: I thought Guy is a member of Hillsong Church? It turns out he's Catholic? Well there are Caths in Hillsong anyway.

WYD 2008 Version 1.1 Video!

Thank you to http://www.americanpapist.com/2006_02_01_archive.html for showing me the WYD videos on youtube!

Announcement of 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney

Exciting! The Pope Announces Australian World Youth Day in Germany 2006.

WYD SYD 2008 - 'Dare You To Move' Promo Video

A combination of my favorite Band Switchfoot's song "Dare you To Move" and the WYD promo for 2008 Sydney!

Welcome to my WYD Preparation Blog!

Hi. Im a pilgrim off to attend the WYD in 2008. My first WYD was in Manila. Now its going to be my first time Australia and my first time in WYD abroad. Im so excited in preparing for this! I hope I can come as a junior apologist and teach the kids how to use the Internet for the Catholic Faith!

From WikiPedia! What is World Youth Day!

World Youth Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World Youth Day 2000 in Rome

World Youth Day is a gathering of young people, initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Occurring every three years it is celebrated on a diocesan level annually, and at a week-long international level every two to three years at different locations, attracting hundreds of thousands of youths from almost every country on the planet. It is a major part of the upsurge in Catholic Youth Work over recent years.

The 2005 World Youth Day Day was the first such gathering to occur after the death of John Paul II. Held in Cologne, Germany, the World Youth Day Day also marked the first apostolic journey of Pope Benedict XVI, and it was also the first time the Pope had traveled outside of Italy since his election.

On 21 August 2005, perched on a hill at Marienfeld outside Cologne, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI blessed the young people of Australia by inviting the youth of the world to proclaim and celebrate the Holy Spirit in Sydney, Australia in 2008.

"And now, as the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst nourishes our faith and hope, I am pleased to announce that the next World Youth Day will take place in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. We entrust to the maternal guidance of Mary most holy, the future course of the young people of the whole world." (His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Marienfield, WYD 2005)

The theme of World Youth Day 2008 will be "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts1:8)