Australia on Saturday formally opened application for the country’s 10-year multiple entry visas to Chinese nationals under a new migration legislation policy, the Embassy of China in Australia announced on its official website.

Chinese tourists and business people holding the 10-year entry permit will be entitled to enter the country for multiple times during the period with a stay of up to three months after each entry, according to the Migration Legislation Amendment (2016 Measures No.5) Regulation inked on November 10.

The new 10-year visa costs around 5,100 yuan (1,000 Australian dollars), and tourists are also required to undergo a medical assessment ahead of applying for the visas and stay no more than 12 months in any period of 24 months.

With the specific visa currently “only available to Chinese nationals,” China is the world’s first country to be included in Australia’s new visa policy. 

The trial program rolled out in June following Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to China in April. He had then announced to offer visa applications in Chinese and further facilitate online application process.

Also in June, Australia officially started to provide an annual provision of up to 5,000 visas for Chinese workers and holiday makers aged from 18 to 31 as part of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement signed earlier the month in a bid to draw more Chinese tourists to the country.

With the number of Chinese visitors to Australia exceeding 1 million and the total consumption adding up to some 38.3 billion yuan (7.7 billion Australian dollars) in 2015, China is now the second largest source of overseas tourists to Australia, only second to New Zealand.

“The interest we’ve already received shows the Government and the Department have really hit the mark with the new scheme and have identified a brilliant opportunity to the benefit of both the Australian economy and Chinese national alike,” Michaelia Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, told Xinhua News Agency in April, adding that Australia attaches great importance to the enormous potential in the booming Chinese market.

The new visa initiative, which has been deemed as one more significant step in simplifying the process of entering Australia for numerous frequent travelers, is expected to further boost the tourism in the country and promote bilateral people-to-people exchanges as well as business links.

‍(Story by Cai Mengxiao)