3 Month Tourist Visa To Australia

[PAK]

Hello all,

I found this site last night and think this may be the answer to all my questions.

I have been back in Australia for one month after spending one month in Thailand for Holidays. During my Holidays I met a lovely Thai lady of who I spent the majority of my time with. Since I have been back in Australia I been in regular contact with her via both email and phone card. We have discussed and decided that she would like to come to Australia on a tourist visa. I intend to support her of the duration of this visit

I am not quite sure what is required from her and from me to make this application successfull. I believe I need to send a leter of invitation (not sure what content and format to write). Are bank statements required and if so how much money do I need in my account.

The other things I believe I need to send are Group Certificates, Pay Slips, Rates Bill. Is this correct??

I have become quite attached to this lady during the short time I have known her and want to give her the best chance to come to Australia.

I am new at this game and I would like anyone who has been through this process to offer there experiance.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

[Khutan]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OPTION 1.

Six months minumum, and get a phone that has a printed bill. You need the bill to show the number that you are calling.

You also needs lots of photo's.

This is what I would do, if I were you:

1. Have the receipt of her apartment made in both names.

2. Open a joint bank account

3. Send her small amounts of money by western union every two weeks

4. Regularly visit Thailand for the next 6 months and take alot of photographs.

5. Make sure you have about $5,000 AUD in the bank before you apply.

She will (after the 6 months) need a letter from her employer saying she can take the time off work, AND she has a job to return to.

She will also be able to talk about how you met, where and how the relationship developed. She should also be able to talk about all the work she has done since leaving school.

If you met her in an establishment that mainly sells alcohol, then you have a big problem.

Option 2.

If you have plenty of money and she has a good job, Go to a travel agent here, and tell them to organize a holiday, including a visa. On the basis she wants to study in Australia or just have a holiday.

Option 3.

If she has a good relationship with her old school / University, they often organize "Study Tours" to Australia. Generally they are done with some part of the government. She can tag along on one of those for the duration. Normally they are done in School holidays - one at the end of the month.

Option 4. If she works for a big company of better the Government, ask her employer to submit a formal request fo a visa, invent some reason, Australia will export anything, so maybe there are some ideas in the Free Trade Agreement you can work with.

Option 5 Don't bother.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A fair summation Matt

[Khutan]

A fair summation Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks.

Although I am critical of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and the Visa processing methods, I think a huge improvement would be if they could come up with the same as a Non-O Visa that Thailand issues.

As an example, If I could get that for my wife, we would have gone to Australia at least 5 times in the last year. So then she could have a 12 month come and go type affair that I can have for Thailand.

There is nothing that bridges the gap between a Tourist Visa and a Migration Visa. So I take the last Option:

Option 5 Don't bother.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and I spend my money in other countries.

[PAK]

To all who have replied,

thanks for the info. Is it really that hard to bring someone from Thailand on a tourist Visa to Australia. I spoken with Immigration previously and at no time did they indicate that I would have to had known her for six months.

I do not want to apply for a Marriage Visa, just a simple 3 month tourist visa.

All my intentions are for the moment is to spend more time with her.

I was under the understanding that for a prospective spouse visa you would have to had known them for extended period of time.

Have you misread my intent??

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OPTION 1.

Six months minumum, and get a phone that has a printed bill. You need the bill to show the number that you are calling.

You also needs lots of photo's.

This is what I would do, if I were you:

1. Have the receipt of her apartment made in both names.

2. Open a joint bank account

3. Send her small amounts of money by western union every two weeks

4. Regularly visit Thailand for the next 6 months and take alot of photographs.

5. Make sure you have about $5,000 AUD in the bank before you apply.

She will (after the 6 months) need a letter from her employer saying she can take the time off work, AND she has a job to return to.

She will also be able to talk about how you met, where and how the relationship developed. She should also be able to talk about all the work she has done since leaving school.

If you met her in an establishment that mainly sells alcohol, then you have a big problem.

Option 2.

If you have plenty of money and she has a good job, Go to a travel agent here, and tell them to organize a holiday, including a visa. On the basis she wants to study in Australia or just have a holiday.

Option 3.

If she has a good relationship with her old school / University, they often organize "Study Tours" to Australia. Generally they are done with some part of the government. She can tag along on one of those for the duration. Normally they are done in School holidays - one at the end of the month.

Option 4. If she works for a big company of better the Government, ask her employer to submit a formal request fo a visa, invent some reason, Australia will export anything, so maybe there are some ideas in the Free Trade Agreement you can work with.

Option 5 Don't bother.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Khutan]

<snip>I spoken with Immigration previously and at no time did they indicate that I would have to had known her for six months.  <snip>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you speak to Immigration in Bangkok or in Australia ?

What they say in Australia on the Immi help line, although true, is not how they process the application here. It all seems nice and easy until you lodge the application in Bangkok.

//after edit - a second thought:

Tell us a bit about the relationship and yourselves, and answer this in general terms if you like:

1. How old are you both ?

2. How did you meet, describe in detail, and who was there when you met - friends, sisters etc.

3. What work does she do, and how long has she been employed there ?

4. What salary does she earn?

5. How much money does she have in the bank and over what period of time ?

6. How much do you earn ?

7. What proof do you have to offer you are in a true relationship ?

When you go for a visa, they will have the assumption that you are taking your girlfriend to Australia to work as a prostitute and overstay her visa. The burdon of proof is on you to prove otherwise. It doesn't matter what the true story is, they won't believe anything until you prove it.

I am not saying at all that your Girlfriend is of that nature, its what the visa processing people say.

I have been through it a number of times, and I just don't bother with them.

[minbari73]

Pak, having gone through both the visitor visa (before the new visa office opened) and prospective marriage visa before, I can only say if you do what Mattnich says, pretty much to the letter, you won't have a problem with obtaining a visitor visa. If you don't, it's more than likely to be rejected, wasting everyone's time! I would also add some sort of statutory declaration from yourself (even if not asked for) stating that you will take out travel insurance for her while she's in Australia, give her a place to stay, will be with you the whole time, etc..and if the visa application is successful, take hundreds of photos in front of Oz landmarks, statues etc, in case the relationship develops further and the burden of proof is on you to show that you travelled on her "holiday".

[Khutan]

Oh yes, and you can download the forms and booklets from here and it includes a Stat Dec form. All you need to do is get a JP to witness it all.

BTW to get my wife to Australia or a 3 month holiday, I sent 2 documentation packages of nearly 400 pieces of paper, all signed and stamped by a JP. You also are not allowed to reward a JP for doing their duty.

Strange though how a bottle of '81 Grange arrived at my JP's door by courier with no sender's details..... The year my wife was born

[Pink Mist]

It's a lottery guys, get a good CW things go great, get a bitch and forget ever applying again

You must do your homework though and there are enough links posted at the top of the topic to research the stufff you want

[gburns57au]

I have just been through this 5 weeks ago with success.....My girl is looking over my shoulder right now

you will need;

to have known her for a minimum of 6 months and have proof of it. ie; dated photos or photos of a special event such as Songkaran or Loy Kratong.

letters, cards, emails and other contact proof such as phone bills, Internet bills can be printed out.

some photos but you wont need heaps

your payslips, you can list her as unemployed if you fill out the sponser details on form 48R, that avoids the need for an employers letter. This is what I did.

I did not need to have money in the bank or my bank details and neither did she.

a statutory declaration declaring; the length of time you have known her, your intention to bring her for a holiday only, your guarantee that you are aware of and that she will abide by the visa conditions, that you will provide all costs including, transport,accomadation, medical and general living costs, that you are aware of the penalties for giving information that you know to be false or misleading and the information given is true to the best of your knowledge. have it signed by a JP here.

I also had Western Union receipts for money sent to her and my Dept of Justice ID card.

Although I had known my girl for 18 months we only had one card and some Loy Kratong pics to support our claims of length of relationship, We only had half a dozen photos in all. What may have helped us was that I had brought a girl here before without any problems and she has been to Holland twice to visit her Mum and Step dad.....

Every application is different and will be judged on its merits but if you cant prove to have known her a minimum of 6 months then it will be almost certainly denied. In the meantime get together as much as can to prove your claims. Remember it is only a short stay visa that you want, there are no interviews or questions asked, your application covers it all....Many girls have declared their working in a bar without any probs, I saw one girl who got a visa declaring a bar as her last employment to visit a Pommie guy who is here on a business visa.

Hope this assists and Good Luck

Hello all,

I found this site last night and think this may be the answer to all my questions.

I have been back in Australia for one month after spending one month in Thailand for Holidays. During my Holidays I met a lovely Thai lady of who I spent the majority of my time with. Since I have been back in Australia I been in  regular contact with her via both email and phone card. We have discussed and decided that she would like to come to Australia on a tourist visa. I intend to support her of the duration of this visit

I am not quite sure what is required from her and from me to make this application successfull. I believe I need to send a leter of invitation (not sure what content and format to write). Are bank statements required and if so how much money do I need in my account.

The other things I believe I need to send are Group Certificates, Pay Slips, Rates Bill. Is this correct??

I have become quite attached to this lady during the short time I have known her and want to give her the best chance to come to Australia.

I am new at this game and I would like anyone who has been through this process to offer there experiance. 

Edited August 29, 2005 by gburns57au

[Cossi]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry Pat.. Not true. I met my gf 5 months ago and she has been in Australia with me for the last 2 months.

[Khutan]

Sorry Pat.. Not true. I met my gf 5 months ago and she has been in Australia with me for the last 2 months.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would say you had a little bit of luck and she probably presented well, I know the "Unofficial Rule" for bringing your TGF to Australia is 6 months.

There may have been other reasons for the interviewing officer to not worry about the month - like she was dressed politely, well educated etc etc

[Cossi]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why are you talking about interviewing officer. There is no interview for tourist visa. Just need a big file of evidence which is presented well. They dont need to have a job either just a good reason to return. I thought of a beauty considering she has never worked or been to higher education and has no money and so on and so on.

[Khutan]

Interviewing Officer, I use the term loosley, I mean the peoson whose role it is to substantiate the documentation and the story that goes with the application. Or did she submit the application by mail, or not talk to anyone, just hand over a pile of documents with the fee.

I thought this position or role was referred to as the "Interviewing Officer" after that it goes for a decision, based on the notes taken by the "Interviewing officer"

[ProThaiExpat]

As some posts have alluded to, the basic criteria or the burden of proof that your g/f must provide the visa section is her "compelling reason to return" to Thailand at the end of her authorized stay. All documents, reasons, letters, pictures are to support that burden of proof.

Put yourself in the shoes of the decision maker at the visa section and see if your persuaded by the documentation that you submit that your g/f has a reasonable exptation of returning to Thailand. We are talking tourist visa here. Other visa categories are concerned with length of your relationship or her prior bar girl status.

Thus a good job to return to, continuing college education, family business or any other significant factor that would persuade that she needs to return to Thailand, not stay and work in Australia or live with you there, are the key elements to prove through documentation.

[Ozspike]

with respect to Mattnich Post 2005-08-31 15:27:39

"I thought this position or role was referred to as the "Interviewing Officer" after that it goes for a decision, based on the notes taken by the "Interviewing officer""

No you just hand over the docs at the visa collection service, No notes are taken by them they only send your docs to Immigration.

I know we just went through the process 3 times in the last few months, the last one being successful only after adding

1 letter from my federal MP

2 stat dec

3 bank statements

4 phone bills

5 letter from her work

6 story book of how and when we met inc photos on each page of my 6 trips to see her in the last 6 months

7 Her travell insurance

8 her planed itinerary

9 and a letter from her and one from me explaining the trip was for holiday only.

All in a A4 folder

But she is with me now in Perth so it was worth the hard work, we just have to work out what to do next, weather to wait for a few months and try for a second tourist visa or look at a student visa.

Edited September 2, 2005 by Ozspike

[DavieA]

A Other visa categories are concerned with length of your relationship or her prior bar girl status.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some good points made Pro expat, but the comment about the bar girl status was unnecessary. Sounds like you've spent to many years in the bars and think all Thai girls have a bar history.

[DavieA]

with respect to Mattnich Post 2005-08-31 15:27:39

"I thought this position or role was referred to as the "Interviewing Officer" after that it goes for a decision, based on the notes taken by the "Interviewing officer""

No you just hand over the docs at the visa collection service, No notes are taken by them they only send your docs to Immigration.

I know we just went through the process 3 times in the last few months, the last one being successful   only after adding

 

1 letter from my federal MP

2 stat dec

3 bank statements

4 phone bills

5 letter from her work

6 story book of how and when we met inc photos on each page of my 6 trips to see her in the last 6 months

7 Her travell insurance

8 her planed itinerary

9 and a letter from her and one from me explaining the trip was for holiday only.

All in a A4 folder

But she is with me now in Perth so it was worth the hard work, we just have to work out what to do next, weather to wait for a few months and try for a second tourist visa or look at a student visa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ozspike...well done for effort boy, She must be a gem!

You might find it very difficult to get her a student visa mate. A student visa is given on the grounds that her SOUL (one and only purpose) of coming to Australia is to study. The fact that you are now both known as BF and GF, they know that coming to study is NOT her only reason to go to OZ.

How do I know? My mate just did the same thing as you are planning to do. She got knocked back on the grounds that they already knew she has an Aussie BF from their proir holiday visit. Now she can't apply for ANY kind of visa for another 12 months.

Do some homework before you apply.

[ProThaiExpat]

"We are talking tourist visa here. Other visa categories are concerned with length of your relationship or her prior bar girl status"

The OP was talking about a tourist visa for his "lovely Thai lady" and my reference to other visa categories and other relationship status issues were irrelevant to OPs tourist visa. Thus it is clear that my intent was not to suggest OP's "lovely Thai lady" was a former or present bar girl.

If OP read my comment to infer that, my humblest apology for an unintentioned poor wording causing discomforture.

DaveyA: Clearly you are angy about my poor wording, and unjustifyably so in my view. By the way, I have no bar experience whatsoever, either with drinking or bar girls and, in fact, the only Thai women I know are not bar girls nor have they eveer been.

Edited September 3, 2005 by ProThaiExpat

[ProThaiExpat]

Ozzipike: The letter from your Fed MP is a critical document and all those Aussies contemplating doing this should try to get a lettter from some local "authority", as I know during my interview with the visa staff two years ago in turning around a initial rejection, a letter from a MP was mentioned as a "good thing" to have.

[david96]

As some posts have alluded to, the basic criteria or the burden of proof that your g/f must provide the visa section is her "compelling reason to return" to Thailand at the end of her authorized stay.  All documents, reasons, letters, pictures are to support that burden of proof.

Put yourself in the shoes of the decision maker at the visa section and see if your persuaded by the documentation that you submit that your g/f has a reasonable exptation of returning to Thailand. We are  talking tourist visa here.  Other visa categories are concerned with length of your relationship or her prior bar girl status.

Thus a good job to return to, continuing college education, family business or any other significant factor that would persuade that she needs to return to Thailand, not stay and work in Australia or live with you there, are the key elements to prove through documentation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does being married help in the application for a 676 Tourist visa for three months?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry Pat.. Not true. I met my gf 5 months ago and she has been in Australia with me for the last 2 months.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Buy a lottery ticket. The force is with you.

[ProThaiExpat]

david96: In my view, being married is a major factor in the motivation for the wife to return to Thailand, assuming her husband is long stay in Thailand.

If the marriage is short term and husband is an Aussie living in Australia, it would seem to me the visa review people might think of an attempt to "end run" arround qualifying her for immigrant status under the marriage program. With a husband living in Australia, motivation to overstay her tourist visa is as strong as in the case that the husband lives in Thailand and her motivation is to return to be with husband.

[Mighty Mouse]

I know of a couple of applicants who have listed their occupation as "bar worker" and who have been successful in obtaining their visa.

The embassy interviewing staff could not realistically expect all of the thousands of visa applicants that they process have only worked in factories or on farms.

How can a girl who has lived out in the back blocks, digging up rice all of her life, be expected to meet and fall in love with a farang who only comes to Thailand as a tourist?

The bar girl who tells the embassy that she works in the service industry because it gives her the opportunity of improving the quality of her life and places her where she can meet a potential farang husband, is regarded as an honest applicant.

The main objective of the embassy staff is to ensure that the tempory tourist applicant is going to return to Thailand on the date stipulated. The staff also need to be sure that the applicant is not going to engage in any form of employment whilst in Australia.

A honest applicant who is up front in disclosing her background, will be regarded as trustworthy.

One other point I'd like to make regarding the importance of having dated photographs as evidence of a genuine relationship, is having a photo of yourself taken with her family members in their home.

This is strong evidence of the genuineness of your committment.

[gburns57au]

A letter from an MP is not a critical requirement, it may be an assistance to an application and that is all. Each application is judged on its merits and I have not met anyone who has submitted such a letter and these people all got their visas ok.

By all means get anything to support your application, but to say something is critical when it is not, is misleading. An application with an MP's letter can be denied as easily as any other application especially if the other documentation is insufficient.

Ozzipike:  The letter from your Fed MP is a critical document and all those Aussies contemplating doing this should try to get a lettter from some local "authority", as I know during my interview with the visa staff two years ago in turning around a initial rejection, a letter from a MP was mentioned as a "good thing" to have.

Edited September 26, 2005 by gburns57au

[ProThaiExpat]

gburns57au: Your quite correct, the word "critical" was overstating this factor. Please change "critical" to a "good thing to have" etc.

Mighty Mouse: Your post is "spot on". It seems to me that me that we only get into disagreements on how to document a visa application when we try to apmplify from the basic themes "compelling reasons to return" , "be honest and truthful" and "dress respectably".

Many questions asked in "how to get a visa" threads, ask specific questions regarding the value of a document and since the judgement of a visa staff member is unknown to us, we are really wildly guessing.

Perhaps the people who edit T.V.s archives on this issue would make a list of documents that "might be helpful" so new visa applicants can go down a check list to trigger their thinking of what might be helpful.

My approach, when in doubt, provide it, regarding documentation, even covers points where there is a divergence of approach. Mighty Mouse's suggestion that a dated photo with your Thai's family establishes a strong personal relationship with her family is an excellent one, but equally important, in my view, is a dated photo of your Thai with your own family in OZ or they together in Thailand, if available or possible, as it is your family in OZ, which will be the sponsoring group, with you and a strong reason for her visit.

I haven't seen any comments from posters that too many documents can harm Thais' chances, so in my view, until corrected, is "when in doubt, submit the document". Thais do love paper documentation.

Edited September 26, 2005 by ProThaiExpat

[mudaliair]

try here.

http://insuranceinfo.loansuggest.com/insur...vel%20Insurance

[gburns57au]

please mods....delete the post previous to this one

[HUTCHY07]

You won't achieve a lot with Australian Immigration until you have known her a lot longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why are you talking about interviewing officer. There is no interview for tourist visa. Just need a big file of evidence which is presented well. They dont need to have a job either just a good reason to return. I thought of a beauty considering she has never worked or been to higher education and has no money and so on and so on.

\

My girl is here now on a 12 month multi entry tourist visa to australia, she had no reason to return to thai but our relationship has been ongoing for over 2 years with all evidence to prove it..so if they feel the relationship genuine, the reason to return issue seems to be relaxed somewhat...