Australian Work Permit for Thai Wife

[happyaussie]

Looking for some advice and guidance please.

I would like my Thai wife to visit me in Australia for 6 months. And to avoid boredom, I was thinking she could do some work at my family business. It's also a way to earn some spending $$. The work would be cleaning in our hotel (accommodation)

She's 49 and we've been legitimately married for 11 years. 

Is this possible, and how difficult would the process be?

Alternatively, I'd bring her on a 3-month tourist visa? Is this difficult?

Our company could be the sponsor.

Appreciate anyone's advice.

Thanks

 

 

 

 

[Max Ong]

Hi. She cannot work if under a tourist visa. Even if your business sponsor her for a work visa, she will not be eligible due to age, qualifications and experience. The only work visa that she can look at is a "Specialist Temporary Visa (subclass 400) if she is eligible and/or qualified.

As for tourist visa, there are a few requirements that she needs to provide. Your business sponsoring her for a tourist visa is one of the requirements. Since you are both legally married, have you considered sponsoring her for a partner visa?

[bbbbooboo]

Being legally married for 11 yrs will be a major bonus in getting a visitors visa to Australia. She cannot work on this visa. However if she wants to stay long term in the future, then apply for permanent residence(based on marriage) or partner visa once she has landed in Australia. Both applications will entitle her to an interim bridging visa( on which she can work) but are quite expensive:ie around $8000 AUD. Short term not worth it but long term maybe

[CartagenaWarlock]

Maybe cook Thai food in the restaurant. That is a specialist visa.

[bluejets]

14 hours ago, Max Ong said:

Since you are both legally married, have you considered sponsoring her for a partner visa?

These cost upwards of $8,000, take over 2 years to process and she must be out of Aus when she applies.(prospective marriage visa in Aus does not apply ...they are already married)

Would take the six months to pay for the thing.(if approved)

 

If approved, has to be ready to move, I think 6 weeks from time of notice to having to arrive in Aus, otherwise all the process is cancelled.

Advantage long term (again if approved) she can work, travel in and out of Aus as much as she likes, (be careful with that...too much and they suspect criminal activity) can acess medicare and hospital system.

It's a two part system, first lasts 2 years, then reapply for permanent , wait again. 

If ok, can apply for citizenship.

 

A lot of work and if you are unfamiliar with government forms and bulldust, then forget it.

Agent..??? forget that too...too many that;ll take you 2-3000 bucks and do a runner.

 

As already mentioned, she cannot get any other kind of working visa as I think that cuts out at 29 years old.

Edited August 1, 2023 by bluejets

[Will27]

14 hours ago, Max Ong said:

Hi. She cannot work if under a tourist visa. Even if your business sponsor her for a work visa, she will not be eligible due to age, qualifications and experience. The only work visa that she can look at is a "Specialist Temporary Visa (subclass 400) if she is eligible and/or qualified.

As for tourist visa, there are a few requirements that she needs to provide. Your business sponsoring her for a tourist visa is one of the requirements. Since you are both legally married, have you considered sponsoring her for a partner visa?

Thats is not a requirement for a tourist visa.

 

OP getting her over for 6 months with work conditions wouldn't be easy.

However, being married for 11 years should make it pretty easy to get a tourist visa.

[Aliflair]

Should be easy enough to get her a tourist visa, although she won't be able to work on that (legally). Do it yourself online, don't bother with an agent. Just beware that from when you apply she'll either have to get to Bangkok or CM within 2 weeks for her "biometrics" to be taken by the immigration departments agent (they have outsourced this to a private firm). You can personally sponsor (show proof of funds that you can support her) during her stay, it may look less suspicious than your company doing it. At least that was how it all worked for me a year ago, apologies if anything has changed since then. Have her do some gardening at home, or cooking prep at home for your business, anything to be careful in case someone dobs her for "working" at your business address. Having said that I have Thai friends who went to Oz on tourist visa's and worked in their relatives massage shop on the Sunny Coast, got away with it. I think they were limited to a 3 month stay. I only went with the missus for a couple of weeks, that's more than enough for me these days.

[mfd101]

Just so you understand: The reason why any kind of Oz visa is so difficult to get for a Thai national is precisely because they have a well-deserved reputation for (1) overstaying and (2) working when they are specifically forbidden to do so on this or that visa type.

 

If she were found to be working illegally, that would be the end of ANY future visits to Oz.

[HighPriority]

As mentioned the holiday visa will need to be sponsored, and by you personally is better than by your business.

Again as mentioned the visa will state no work and no further visa application in Australia (must return to Thailand)

Aussie gov also want to see evidence that she will return to Thailand if on holiday visa, long term employment, care for children/mother etc, owning property etc.

 

If you’ve been married 11 years I’d expect a permanent visa to expedite.

I assume you must be able to show multiple and regular visits to Thailand with truckloads of pics of you two together with her family, at temples and doing tourist things etc ?

Why hasn’t she been to Australia before though ?

[GreasyFingers]

The normal tourist visa has a stay of 3 months. The application form does allow for a request for a longer visa period but 3 months is still the maximum for each visit. Before Covid I was able to get a 3 year multiple entry visa for my wife and am in the process of applying for another one.

Back in 2019 while in Australia I had a long phone conversation with Home Affairs who basically said what you are asking is not possible. As said above a woman over 29 yo will not get a work visa.

[Lucky Bones]

Sadly, Thai women can be in the target zone for Aus Immigration.

I copped the heavy 3rd degree when I landed Darwin 5 years back with wifey on 3 month tourist visa.

 

2 mates, married long time to Thai girls, took them to Aus.

Within a year they vanished, perhaps/likely together. They could not get out of party mode.

 

I don't ask questions so I get told no lies.????????

[HighPriority]

6 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Sadly, Thai women can be in the target zone for Aus Immigration.

I copped the heavy 3rd degree when I landed Darwin 5 years back with wifey on 3 month tourist visa.

 

2 mates, married long time to Thai girls, took them to Aus.

Within a year they vanished, perhaps/likely together. They could not get out of party mode.

 

I don't ask questions so I get told no lies.????????

Someone alluded above about frequent comings and goings being frowned upon.

My wife got her prospective marriage visa in 2019 and within a week of landing in Darwin she found out her father had terminal cancer.

She returned to Thailand with a backpack and some underwear, nursed him for 4 weeks, burned him and returned after 6 weeks out of Oz.

Coming back into Darwin (again with the backpack and underwear) they held and questioned her for 2 hours !

I was sitting in the arrivals lounge and no one notified me or spoke to me to clarify why she had travelled as she did, really poor form by immigration.

[Lacessit]

40 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

The normal tourist visa has a stay of 3 months. The application form does allow for a request for a longer visa period but 3 months is still the maximum for each visit. Before Covid I was able to get a 3 year multiple entry visa for my wife and am in the process of applying for another one.

Back in 2019 while in Australia I had a long phone conversation with Home Affairs who basically said what you are asking is not possible. As said above a woman over 29 yo will not get a work visa.

Australian Immigration believes every Thai woman coming to Australia is a prostitute. There is a little evidence to support the hypothesis; however, the majority of innocents get tarred with the same brush.

I took my GF to Australia on holiday some years ago, never again. The angst in dealing with the system simply is not worth it for me.

[Lucky Bones]

20 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

Someone alluded above about frequent comings and goings being frowned upon.

My wife got her prospective marriage visa in 2019 and within a week of landing in Darwin she found out her father had terminal cancer.

She returned to Thailand with a backpack and some underwear, nursed him for 4 weeks, burned him and returned after 6 weeks out of Oz.

Coming back into Darwin (again with the backpack and underwear) they held and questioned her for 2 hours !

I was sitting in the arrivals lounge and no one notified me or spoke to me to clarify why she had travelled as she did, really poor form by immigration.

Does not surprise me. Treated as criminals.

I was lucky(?) They didn't harass the wife. But they could not understand how I was returning to a house that I owned, having been overseas for 6 years.

Only 5 years age difference with wifey, not like I married my daughters friend.

 

No doubt these Immigration cowboys have not ventured far from Oz.

Maybe Kuta Beach or Singapore Orchard Street?.????????

 

 

[Lucky Bones]

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Maybe cook Thai food in the restaurant. That is a specialist visa.

Damn. Now I am super hungry.????????

[Lucky Bones]

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

Just so you understand: The reason why any kind of Oz visa is so difficult to get for a Thai national is precisely because they have a well-deserved reputation for (1) overstaying and (2) working when they are specifically forbidden to do so on this or that visa type.

 

If she were found to be working illegally, that would be the end of ANY future visits to Oz.

Fair call????????

[Lucky Bones]

1 hour ago, HighPriority said:

As mentioned the holiday visa will need to be sponsored, and by you personally is better than by your business.

Again as mentioned the visa will state no work and no further visa application in Australia (must return to Thailand)

Aussie gov also want to see evidence that she will return to Thailand if on holiday visa, long term employment, care for children/mother etc, owning property etc.

 

If you’ve been married 11 years I’d expect a permanent visa to expedite.

I assume you must be able to show multiple and regular visits to Thailand with truckloads of pics of you two together with her family, at temples and doing tourist things etc ?

Why hasn’t she been to Australia before though ?

"Why hasn't she been to Australia before though?"

 

Rule #1.    Ask no questions.

[isaanistical]

37 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

No doubt these Immigration cowboys have not ventured far from Oz.

In my experience in AU, they all seemed to be Vietnamese or Indian (origin, though of course now AU citizens) and maybe making it as difficult as possible per their own experience.

Used to be the same when UK still had an embassy in BKK - staffed by Indians who would be obstructive for the sake of it (revenge for the Raj?).

[Lucky Bones]

5 minutes ago, isaanistical said:

In my experience in AU, they all seemed to be Vietnamese or Indian (origin, though of course now AU citizens) and maybe making it as difficult as possible per their own experience.

Used to be the same when UK still had an embassy in BKK - staffed by Indians who would be obstructive for the sake of it (revenge for the Raj?).

Fair comment.

I recently spent some time in Adelaide. Not many people working in retail seemed to have English as their first language.

Lovely people though.

Aus.......Thailand could learn a lot if the people at the top weren't so terrified of "aliens".????????

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Fair comment.

I recently spent some time in Adelaide. Not many people working in retail seemed to have English as their first language.

Lovely people though.

Aus.......Thailand could learn a lot if the people at the top weren't so terrified of "aliens".????????

The people at the top want to keep the lid on a simmering pot.

Thais don't understand how different life is in other countries when they are insulated inside Thailand. The whole education system is geared towards that end.

Every time a Thai goes overseas, especially when accompanied by a foreigner, there is the potential for the person to come back to Thailand, questioning the status quo.

The xenophobia at the top arises from the fear of consequences, if enough Thais realize how they are being dudded.

[Goat]

22 hours ago, happyaussie said:

to avoid boredom, I was thinking she could do some work 

The work would be cleaning in our hotel

Sounds exciting.

I am sure she will love it.

[Lucky Bones]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The people at the top want to keep the lid on a simmering pot.

Thais don't understand how different life is in other countries when they are insulated inside Thailand. The whole education system is geared towards that end.

Every time a Thai goes overseas, especially when accompanied by a foreigner, there is the potential for the person to come back to Thailand, questioning the status quo.

The xenophobia at the top arises from the fear of consequences, if enough Thais realize how they are being dudded.

Yes, it is with a mixture of mirth and sadness that when I pick up the step-daughter from our village school that sometimes I hear "Falang Come".

From 4 & 5 year olds.

I'm the only Westerner in the village so I guess their folk and the teacher are teaching this.????????

[isaanistical]

52 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The people at the top want to keep the lid on a simmering pot.

Thais don't understand how different life is in other countries when they are insulated inside Thailand. The whole education system is geared towards that end.

Every time a Thai goes overseas, especially when accompanied by a foreigner, there is the potential for the person to come back to Thailand, questioning the status quo.

The xenophobia at the top arises from the fear of consequences, if enough Thais realize how they are being dudded.

not to hijack the thread, but travel, plus the internet, have opened a lot of eyes in TH, hence the current snafu.

My wife's first trip outside Thailand was to NZ back when she didn't need a visa (soon after, visas became necessary because too many Thais were taking the proverbial...) and to say her eyes were opened is a major understatement.

My comment about Vietnamese or Indian was meant regarding Immigration officials during my never-ending battle (I was in Sydney for five years) to get family members with me. As a genuinely multicultural place, sure there are lots whose first language is not English, but the politeness and friendliness of people in general has always bowled me over. I love Oz.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, isaanistical said:

not to hijack the thread, but travel, plus the internet, have opened a lot of eyes in TH, hence the current snafu.

My wife's first trip outside Thailand was to NZ back when she didn't need a visa (soon after, visas became necessary because too many Thais were taking the proverbial...) and to say her eyes were opened is a major understatement.

My comment about Vietnamese or Indian was meant regarding Immigration officials during my never-ending battle (I was in Sydney for five years) to get family members with me. As a genuinely multicultural place, sure there are lots whose first language is not English, but the politeness and friendliness of people in general has always bowled me over. I love Oz.

Each to his own, I find Oz too stifling. When it gets to the stage of having to travel at 40 km/hr past a parked police car, under penalty of a fine, it's over-regulation. I can ride a scooter and park anywhere I want in Thailand, I'd be committing suicide if I got on a scooter in Oz.

One thing my GF did notice in Oz was the complete absence of police checkpoints, compared with Thailand. She kept asking where all the people and houses were, when we drove from Cobar to Broken Hill.

I agree Australia has become multi-cultural, and it is evident society is richer for it.

[isaanistical]

at Lacessit:

 

Clearly Oz is far from perfect. It's expensive, for one thing (especially Sydney), and 'elf 'n' safety has gone mad (I will NOT wear a hat to ride a bike!).

But what always amazes me is that despite all the wokes and loonies, everyone you actually meet/interact with is really NORMAL (as a compliment) I just don't know or care where the nutters hang out!

My local there is working class, with tradies, workers at the fish market, a sprinkling of Abbos, etc as regulars. Good as gold and the craic is great. I take posh, cool clients there for a good lunch; never any problem.

Edited August 2, 2023 by isaanistical
show response

[isaanistical]

None of which helps the OP get his wife there. How about getting others (maybe in the company? Or friends) who live there fulltime to act as sponsor/guarantors? Certainly the first time I applied in TH for a visitor visa for my lot, it seemed to smooth the process considerably to have someone in Sydney promising to look after us!

[Lucky Bones]

1 hour ago, isaanistical said:

not to hijack the thread, but travel, plus the internet, have opened a lot of eyes in TH, hence the current snafu.

My wife's first trip outside Thailand was to NZ back when she didn't need a visa (soon after, visas became necessary because too many Thais were taking the proverbial...) and to say her eyes were opened is a major understatement.

My comment about Vietnamese or Indian was meant regarding Immigration officials during my never-ending battle (I was in Sydney for five years) to get family members with me. As a genuinely multicultural place, sure there are lots whose first language is not English, but the politeness and friendliness of people in general has always bowled me over. I love Oz.

I don't think your original comment is racist or otherwise. In true Thai style, it could be misunderstood..

Agreed. I reckon Immigration Officers seem to have a ticket on themselves.

I recently spoke to a highly regarded AFL umpire.

He suggested that decicions called on field are 10 % fact and 90% interpretation.

Sounds similar.????????

[isaanistical]

6 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Agreed. I reckon Immigration Officers seem to have a ticket on themselves.

and yet, and yet.......

 

Years ago when I started going to Oz, I used to have endless trouble at Immigration; hassles, searches etc.

Turned out that by being stuffed-shirt English reserved and no chat, I made them suspicious. I relaxed. When the IO says "g'day, how are you", I now start a conversation that always ends with me saying "cheers, mate".

Name me anywhere, ANYWHERE else in the world where you say to an IO: "cheers, mate."

[Lucky Bones]

5 minutes ago, isaanistical said:

and yet, and yet.......

 

Years ago when I started going to Oz, I used to have endless trouble at Immigration; hassles, searches etc.

Turned out that by being stuffed-shirt English reserved and no chat, I made them suspicious. I relaxed. When the IO says "g'day, how are you", I now start a conversation that always ends with me saying "cheers, mate".

Name me anywhere, ANYWHERE else in the world where you say to an IO: "cheers, mate."

So, did "Cheers" get you over the line?????????

[isaanistical]

1 hour ago, Lucky Bones said:

So, did "Cheers" get you over the line?????????

yds, always. It's the precise opposite of most places I have been, where chatting to an IO gets you in jail. That's why it took me so long to cotton on. They are conversing and they expect some reply, not just 'yes' or 'no'.

Same goes for NZ, by the way, in my experience.