Tourist Visa To Australia - Refused

[peter991]

Working on the principle that you should never post when you are either angry or drunk, I have slept on this matter and I am posting it the next morning.

During Songkran (April this year), my then 22yo Thai boy-friend applied for a Tourist Visa to visit Australia for 3 months. Considering he was an ex-bar boy who had been unemployed for 3 years, supported by me the whole time, I didn't think he had much hope of getting a Visa - but he had no problems and was granted a visa. He stayed in Australia for 6 weeks, got homesick and we went to Thailand. We broke up.

Fast forward 3 months. I have known W for a number of years. We are friends in the true sense of the word. We have been chatting on MSN for 2 years and I have met him on 4 occasions. Unlike Thai BF number 1, he is very different. He is a 30yo, university-educated and has a responsible government job.

He has lived at the same Bangkok address for 3 years and has worked in the same government job for the past 4 years. He wants to visit Australia as a tourist.

Last Tuesday, he went to Thai CC Tower with all his paperwork - passport (unused), photocopies of both sides of his ID Card, spare passport photos, his bankbook, showing he had sufficient funds for his holiday, a letter from me inviting him to apply for a tourist visa and stating the length of time we had known each other, in which I gave a guarantee I would support him and pay for his accommdation, meals, plus any legal, medical or dental expenses. He also had a day by day Itinerary of what we would be doing while he was in Australia. He had 6 months of my bank statements showing I was able to support him financially. He had a letter from the chief of his section at work, stating how long he had worked for the department and granting him 2 weeks' leave to travel to Australia in October this year and stating he had a job to return to. He had his Form 48R (Application for a Tourist Visa) filled out. He also had a photo-copy of the inside (picture) page of my passport and a letter detailing my visits to Thailand from Australia.

All in all - I thought just the sort of person any country wants as a short-term tourist. When W arrived at Thai CC Tower, his paperwork was checked and he was told it was not necessary for him to have an interview - and he could collect his passport yesterday (Monday 06 August) at 3pm.

At 3.30pm Thailand time 6.30pm local time, I phoned to get the result. He was shattered. So was I. He scanned and emailled the 3 page letter of refusal. Please read it. I have blanked out his name and my name for privacy reasons.

According to the Australian Department of Immigation's website, under ELIGIBILITY, W meets ALL the criteria. He is in excelent health, is of excellent character, meets the financial requirements and has no debts.

He received a phone call yesterday (Monday morning from the Australian Embassy. He answered all the questions truthfully about the length of time we had known each other and stated I was just a good friend. He emphasised that he was applying for a Tourist Visa, not an interdependency visa (same-sex couples).

Because he has no relatives in Australia - he can not appeal the decision to refuse him a visa. I want him to reapply immediately - but I want your opinion, please.

Peter

[Krub]

Peter,

It seems they doubt that your friendship is real or does really exists.

Apply again quickly adressing all the points one by one :

- give reason for the increase of balance (you provided the funds for his ticket)

- give details of your time together in Thailand, on chat rooms, e-mails, fotos

- write a letter explaining that the itinerary you prepared is based on his inetrrest that you have both discussed

- maybe mention that you have already experienced welcoming another Thai guy who is back in Thauland giving names/dates (after all you are in the travel/tourism trade)

If you let it go and only try to re-apply in a few months timeit will look even more suspicious (to them)

I would also black out the name of the officer in the letter in your post and take out the actual dates of application and refusal from your post

Good luck

Edited August 6, 2007 by Krub

[Mighty Mouse]

Peter, it seems that you supplied a letter of invitation to him as well as some of your bank statements but you didn't submit a sponsorship form. Is this correct?

The sudden influx of funds into his bank account would raise some eyebrows about the intention to pad his bank balance with the view of showing he had adequate finances to get into Oz.

It has always been advocated in this forum that this is not a good idea. A steady record of genuine savings from a visa applicant is much stronger financial claim.

Page one of the Embassy's official reason for rejection has highlighted this as being questionable.

It would also seem that you didn't submit any papers to the Embassy regarding the genuineness of the relationship.

In view of your recent successful attempt to bring your former partner into Oz, any claim of a genuine new relationship would have to be regarded as doubtful...particularly if there was no written input from you.

You also need to keep in mind that there are time and frequency limitations on being a sponsor.

I think that you may have painted yourself into a corner. Considering your recent claims of a genuine relationship with your former partner and your current relationship being in its infancy (irrespective on the length of time you have known each other), it might be very difficult to convince the authorities that this new relationship is genuine.

The only glimmer of hope that I can see for a successful tourist visa application would be to forget about trying to prove a genuine relationship between the two of you, submit a sponsorship form as a friend only, supplying enough proof of your finances and giving the usual assurances that all visa conditions will be strictly adhered to, and maybe (and only maybe) submitting a detailed covering letter explaining that you are testing this friendship for the possibility of a future commitment.

[gburns57au]

I can only agree with most of what MM has said.

You declared a friendship of x amount of years and only submitted one photo....instant suspicion for the Embassy.

You injected funds into his account that previously held nothing....x amount years in a government job and savings of under 100 baht then suddenly just prior to the application thousands of baht go in...instant suspicion.

We have always said here that you need to supply photographic evidence of the relationship taken over the time of the relationship as well as other supporting documents to the length of time of the relationship.

I have always said that injecting funds into the applicants bank accounts was not a good idea....you fill out the sponsorship details on the application and provide evidence of your ability to support the applicant backed by a Stat Dec (legal doc) to state that you will provide for him....letters of invite are worth about as much as the paper they are written on.

I would also suggest that the length of time since your last application for the other person was looked at and that also raised some suspicions as well.

They have also hinted to you that further applications will be very difficult unless you present a very strong application.

[peter991]

Thank you Mr Burns and MM for your replies.

What do you suggest to be the next step? Either W applies again (without mentioning me at all) and showing he has sufficient funds to travel to Australia or I tidy up my application letter and send it in the form of a Stat Dec?

Peter

[gburns57au]

Thank you Mr Burns and MM for your replies.

What do you suggest to be the next step? Either W applies again (without mentioning me at all) and showing he has sufficient funds to travel to Australia or I tidy up my application letter and send it in the form of a Stat Dec?

Peter

Your first option wont work....he has to declare the refusal...cross check and Bingo, refused again.

I would get the whole application in a very strong position....more photos and proof of friendship dating back over the years....Unfortunately time is the answer....you will have to have sufficient time to do this....going over there and getting more photos, keeping account of any phone calls, money sent, letters etc...Your next application will need to be super strong and this will take time.

[Mighty Mouse]

What do you suggest to be the next step? Either W applies again (without mentioning me at all) and showing he has sufficient funds to travel to Australia or I tidy up my application letter and send it in the form of a Stat Dec?

His funds are not sufficient for him to come to Oz independently. He therefore needs to be sponsored.

You need to convince the Embassy of the genuineness of the relationship. This being your second 'genuine' relationship in such a short period of time might be a difficult task to prove. You would certainly need to submit a lot more than a single photograph.

I suggest that you re-read the second page of the rejection letter. The officer was not convinced of the true intention of your partner re travelling to Australia. You obviously need to be more specific in the reasons for travel. A detailed travel itinerary perhaps.

With these doubts, the officer obviously believes that there is no genuine relationship between the two of you and therefore has a concern that your partner may do a runner as soon as he arrives in Oz....or seek employment during his stay.

Apart from the glimmer of hope that I mentioned in my previous post, I think with the passage of time to allow the building of the relationship, you both may be in a better position to re-submit a much stronger application.

I don't wish to raise your hopes by making any firm suggestions. You need to consider your options carefully and make your own decisions.

[Krub]

What do you suggest to be the next step? Either W applies again (without mentioning me at all) and showing he has sufficient funds to travel to Australia or I tidy up my application letter and send it in the form of a Stat Dec?

His funds are not sufficient for him to come to Oz independently. He therefore needs to be sponsored.

You need to convince the Embassy of the genuineness of the relationship. This being your second 'genuine' relationship in such a short period of time might be a difficult task to prove. You would certainly need to submit a lot more than a single photograph.

I suggest that you re-read the second page of the rejection letter. The officer was not convinced of the true intention of your partner re travelling to Australia. You obviously need to be more specific in the reasons for travel. A detailed travel itinerary perhaps.

With these doubts, the officer obviously believes that there is no genuine relationship between the two of you and therefore has a concern that your partner may do a runner as soon as he arrives in Oz....or seek employment during his stay.

Apart from the glimmer of hope that I mentioned in my previous post, I think with the passage of time to allow the building of the relationship, you both may be in a better position to re-submit a much stronger application.

I don't wish to raise your hopes by making any firm suggestions. You need to consider your options carefully and make your own decisions.

The fact that Peter provided a detailed itinerary was one thing that got the officer suspect.

he should get back to them as soon as possible with the same application but many more details of his relationship,his sending the money as he is sponsoring the trip for the applicant to buy his air ticket (all natural to me).

provide rental contract copies of his room, etc. Give themloads of papers/documents/fotos to 'prove them wrong' on their assumption that you and the applicant are not genuine in spending 2 weeks holiday together in OZ and him returning to his job.

Not reacting now would play into their game as a similar application in 6 months time willsurely be rejected.

It should be countered now to have any chance of deblocking.

Good luck

Edited August 7, 2007 by Krub

[gburns57au]

Not reacting now would play into their game as a similar application in 6 months time willsurely be rejected.

It should be countered now to have any chance of deblocking.

Good luck

Sorry Krub but you are wrong....one of the reasons was the proof of a relationship over the last few years and only one photo...Peter has met this guy W only about 4 times I believe, he only submitted one photo because it was all he had, other proof wasnt kept as Peter didnt know that this was going to happen...He therefore has to gather proof and this will take time.

He could appeal the decision but I really dont think he would win an appeal as the application really wasnt strong enough. however that is up to Peter.

[Krub]

Not reacting now would play into their game as a similar application in 6 months time willsurely be rejected.

It should be countered now to have any chance of deblocking.

Good luck

Sorry Krub but you are wrong....one of the reasons was the proof of a relationship over the last few years and only one photo...Peter has met this guy W only about 4 times I believe, he only submitted one photo because it was all he had, other proof wasnt kept as Peter didnt know that this was going to happen...He therefore has to gather proof and this will take time.

He could appeal the decision but I really dont think he would win an appeal as the application really wasnt strong enough. however that is up to Peter.

It seems there is no right of appeal as per the copy of the response from the Embassy posted by Peter.

Peter should try to show he knows this guy for 2 years, be crative,chat copies,e-mail copies, more fotos (if available).

The main point Ithink is that he did not acknowledge that the money in the account was his for the guy to buy his ticket and it alsolooks like Peter did not supply a strong guarantee that he will be paying all expenses.

Sure up to Peter to decide the way to go about it

Wishing him a lot of luck as it looks like there is no way this guy is going to stay in OZ for work or other.

[peter991]

Thanks to everybody for their input in this matter. Just to prove the Australian Embassy in Bangkok can respond quickly sometimes, here is what hapened today.

At 11.00am local time (8am Thailand time) I sent a politely worded 3 page fax to Robert Chambers, Second Secretary (Immigration), Australian Embassy Bangkok. I pointed out that in my opinion, his staff member had erred in refusing to grant W a Tourist Visa.

My interpretation of the Migration Act states that a person intending to visit Australia must have sufficient funds to cover their holiday in Australia. Nowhere in the Act does it state how/where/when those funds reached the applicant's account. I also stated her other reason for rejecting W's aplication was the likelihood of him not returning to Thailand on time and that we did not have a satisfactory relationship.

I stated I had known W for 3 years - but I had only met with him on 4 occasions and the 1 photo was all the proof of our friendship. I stressed W was applying for a Tourist Visa, NOT an Inter-dependency same-sex visa.

Two hours later, I received an email from Mr Chambers. This is the unedited version (with the exception I have removed our full names):

Dear Mr Xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your fax which was received today regarding the visitor visa application for Mr xxxx Wxxx. Unfortunately I am not able to discuss the specific details of a case with anyone but the applicant, unless they have authorised another person to receive information about their case. However, I have included the general information below regarding visitor visa applications and the requirements a person must meet in order to be granted a subclass 676 visitor visa.

In order to meet the requirements for a visitor visa, an applicant must demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves during their visit and have an incentive to return to their country of origin (eg: through ongoing employment or business interests). In assessing this, we look at evidence of a person's employment status and evidence of their earning capacity, for example through employment references and bank statements. We would expect an applicant to have evidence of income and employment over a period of time and not just a sudden injection of funds which may not be a true indication of their financial position. A person must be able to demonstrate their ongoing income through business interests or employment or we cannot be satisfied that their employment situation would be an incentive to return.

Alternatively, if an applicant is unable to show that they have sufficient funds and ongoing employment to demonstrate an incentive to return to Thailand, they may be granted a visa if they can show that they have a genuine and ongoing relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. In this situation, information about the nature and duration of the relationship is relevant to determine whether the the claimed relationship would indicate the applicant will abide by their visa conditions and whether the support from the Australian party will continue for the duration of the proposed visit. Please note that 'relationship' in this context includes claimed friendships with an Australian party and does not only refer to partner relationships.

Where a person does not meet the visitor visa requirements on their own merits and there is little or no evidence of a claimed relationship with an Australian citizen, this would generally not be sufficient for a visitor visa to be granted, even if the Australian party is able to provide evidence of their financial ability to support an applicant. Similarly, where an applicant and the supporting Australian party have spent very little time together, little weight can be given to the relationship when assessing the application and therefore the application is likely to be refused.

I emphasise that it is the applicant's situation which is being assessed and that even when an Australian party is offering support, it may not be sufficient to outweigh an applicant's circumstances where they indicate little incentive to abide by their visa conditions or depart Australia at the end of their authorised stay. This does not mean that the offer of support from the Australian party has been assessed as not genuine, but merely indicates that the applicant does not meet the requirements for the grant of a visa.

I hope this information helps to explain the visitor visa decision making process and further information is available on the Australian Embassy website: www.thailand.embassy.gov.au or the department's website: www.immi.gov.au.

Regards

Robert Chambers

Second Secretary (Immigration)

Australian Embassy Bangkok

Tel: 662-344 6400

Fax: 662-344 6341

I have spoken with W at length today and he has decided to let the matter rest. I will fly to Thailand in 10 weeks for a few weeks with him - visiting Chang Mai, Ko Chang and Bangkok. We will take lots of photos and keep all our mobile phone records and copies of our emails to each other and hopefully, reapply early next year - with a much stronger aplication.

Peter

[gburns57au]

Pretty much what MM and I have said then....he is so much more eloquent though.....lol

Still.....make the next one as strong as possible

[TAWP]

A short note: They cannot verify from the bankbook that W indeed has a job with reasonable pay. And they are correct, they cannot. As such you should have included documentation that states the current and past monthly salary. Having an account with 100baht and suddenly 40K baht isn't a good sign but will be seen as a barboy getting their account padded, as mentioned earlier.

[peter991]

you should have included documentation that states the current and past monthly salary

Are you referring to my salary or W's salary?

W submitted the last 6 months of my bank statements as proof of my earnings.

Peter

[Krub]

you should have included documentation that states the current and past monthly salary

Are you referring to my salary or W's salary?

W submitted the last 6 months of my bank statements as proof of my earnings.

Peter

Should have been W's earnings

[Krub]

I understand your decision to wait and try again later

I still think that if you had given more evidence of what they are looking for (employment salary recodrs, etc) W should have been granted the visa.

He has a steady government job for several years and has a letter giving him 2 weeks holidays + a friend willing to support the extra cost of the trip.

Surely it is one of the best (easiest) situation to be in.

I managed to get a tourist visa for an unemployed 30 years old single guy with 20k baht in his account without a history of income in his account.

Surely in W's situation he should be granted the visa

[gburns57au]

I understand your decision to wait and try again later

I still think that if you had given more evidence of what they are looking for (employment salary recodrs, etc) W should have been granted the visa.

He has a steady government job for several years and has a letter giving him 2 weeks holidays + a friend willing to support the extra cost of the trip.

Surely it is one of the best (easiest) situation to be in.

I managed to get a tourist visa for an unemployed 30 years old single guy with 20k baht in his account without a history of income in his account.

Surely in W's situation he should be granted the visa

Krub,

Your missing the point....the declared relationship, friends or otherwise wasnt proven and couldnt be proven by Peter...that is mainly where the application broke down.

[Pink Mist]

A second relationship application gets a good look from the embassy nazis, in fact any second application of any kind gets them looking

[Krub]

I understand your decision to wait and try again later

I still think that if you had given more evidence of what they are looking for (employment salary recodrs, etc) W should have been granted the visa.

He has a steady government job for several years and has a letter giving him 2 weeks holidays + a friend willing to support the extra cost of the trip.

Surely it is one of the best (easiest) situation to be in.

I managed to get a tourist visa for an unemployed 30 years old single guy with 20k baht in his account without a history of income in his account.

Surely in W's situation he should be granted the visa

Krub,

Your missing the point....the declared relationship, friends or otherwise wasnt proven and couldnt be proven by Peter...that is mainly where the application broke down.

I see that Peter did not 'prove' his relationship, surely if he really has been as he says related to this guy for the last 2-3 years, he could be creative and provide 'proof'

[gburns57au]

I see that Peter did not 'prove' his relationship, surely if he really has been as he says related to this guy for the last 2-3 years, he could be creative and provide 'proof'

First go ......yes, maybe

But not now as the first application failed.....they will expect a reasonable time to pass before accepting relationship evidence....they will work on the premise that if he had it, he would have used it first time. If he re-applys in the New Year and doesnt make the same mistakes as he did this time regards the funds injection then he stands a good chance of getting it.

[Mighty Mouse]

I see that Peter did not 'prove' his relationship, surely if he really has been as he says related to this guy for the last 2-3 years, he could be creative and provide 'proof'

Your word "related" does not translate to "genuine relationship".....in the romantic sense.

From my understanding of Peters' recent posts regarding his relationships, he sponsored his former Thai partner into Australia a few months ago. This, according to Peter, was a romantic relationship. For one reason or another this relationship failed.

He has now commenced another relationship (romantic???) with a person whom he has known for a couple of years.

I don't wish to comment on how fast a 'genuine romantic relationship' can develop between certain individuals, but in the eyes of the Embassy a "genuine" romantic relationship takes time....and many proofs are required before they will accept the claim.

On the other side of the argument, a genuine friendship relationship takes very little time. The romantic aspect may grow from a close friendship.

With regard to this statement, allow me to highlight what Rob Chambers wrote: if an applicant is unable to show that they have sufficient funds and ongoing employment to demonstrate an incentive to return to Thailand, they may be granted a visa if they can show that they have a genuine and ongoing relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. In this situation, information about the nature and duration of the relationship is relevant to determine whether the the claimed relationship would indicate the applicant will abide by their visa conditions and whether the support from the Australian party will continue for the duration of the proposed visit. Please note that 'relationship' in this context includes claimed friendships with an Australian party and does not only refer to partner relationships.

I have emphasized what I see as the window of opportunity for Peter.

Peter and his partner do not need to prove a 'romantic relationship' for a tourist visa. They only need to prove a genuine relationship, friendly, platonic, whatever.

In the short period of time between the last successful visa application and this new one, it would be virtually impossible to prove a romantic relationship, but it would be fairly easy to prove a friendly relationship.

In this respect neither Peter or his current partner submitted any substantial evidence (other than a photograph) to inform the Embassy of the true nature of their friendship.

Without this knowledge, (and some of the other issues mentioned in the letter of rejection) the Embassy had no alternative but to refuse the application.

I still believe that there is hope of success for a second tourist visa application, provided all the points raised in the letter of rejection are addressed.

That would mean a full explanation of why the money was injected into the applicants bank account. The explanation of it being transferred in order to buy an airline ticket is quite feasible.

A sponsorship form would need to be provided by Peter.

A detailed covering letter would also need to be provided by Peter explaining this new friendship, how it started, how it is progressing and how the future is envisaged.

(It might also help to explain how and why the previous relationship ended.)

A detailed letter from the applicant, providing a similar explanation about the friendly relationship, would also be required.

The aspect of the applicant not abiding by the conditions of the visa would need to be thoroughly addressed. This should be part of the 'genuine friendly' relationship claim.

If the Embassy believes that the relationship is genuine, they will not have fears that the applicant won't abide by visa conditions.

My view is that the Embassy's main concerns are that the applicant won't abide by visa conditions and return to Thailand at the completion of the visa. They don't give a hoot whether the applicant and the sponsor are in love or not, only that they are responsible enough to abide by all visa conditions and that the sponsor will do all in his power to ensure that this is so.

Supporting this point there would also be the need to give a compelling reason to return to LOS. The employers letter would greatly assist plus anything else that you can mention.

In closing just let me state that these are my personal views only and in no way should they be construed as being the same views that the Embassy may take.

[Krub]

I see that Peter did not 'prove' his relationship, surely if he really has been as he says related to this guy for the last 2-3 years, he could be creative and provide 'proof'

Your word "related" does not translate to "genuine relationship".....in the romantic sense.

From my understanding of Peters' recent posts regarding his relationships, he sponsored his former Thai partner into Australia a few months ago. This, according to Peter, was a romantic relationship. For one reason or another this relationship failed.

He has now commenced another relationship (romantic???) with a person whom he has known for a couple of years.

I don't wish to comment on how fast a 'genuine romantic relationship' can develop between certain individuals, but in the eyes of the Embassy a "genuine" romantic relationship takes time....and many proofs are required before they will accept the claim.

On the other side of the argument, a genuine friendship relationship takes very little time. The romantic aspect may grow from a close friendship.

With regard to this statement, allow me to highlight what Rob Chambers wrote: if an applicant is unable to show that they have sufficient funds and ongoing employment to demonstrate an incentive to return to Thailand, they may be granted a visa if they can show that they have a genuine and ongoing relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. In this situation, information about the nature and duration of the relationship is relevant to determine whether the the claimed relationship would indicate the applicant will abide by their visa conditions and whether the support from the Australian party will continue for the duration of the proposed visit. Please note that 'relationship' in this context includes claimed friendships with an Australian party and does not only refer to partner relationships.

I have emphasized what I see as the window of opportunity for Peter.

Peter and his partner do not need to prove a 'romantic relationship' for a tourist visa. They only need to prove a genuine relationship, friendly, platonic, whatever.

In the short period of time between the last successful visa application and this new one, it would be virtually impossible to prove a romantic relationship, but it would be fairly easy to prove a friendly relationship.

In this respect neither Peter or his current partner submitted any substantial evidence (other than a photograph) to inform the Embassy of the true nature of their friendship.

Without this knowledge, (and some of the other issues mentioned in the letter of rejection) the Embassy had no alternative but to refuse the application.

I still believe that there is hope of success for a second tourist visa application, provided all the points raised in the letter of rejection are addressed.

That would mean a full explanation of why the money was injected into the applicants bank account. The explanation of it being transferred in order to buy an airline ticket is quite feasible.

A sponsorship form would need to be provided by Peter.

A detailed covering letter would also need to be provided by Peter explaining this new friendship, how it started, how it is progressing and how the future is envisaged.

(It might also help to explain how and why the previous relationship ended.)

A detailed letter from the applicant, providing a similar explanation about the friendly relationship, would also be required.

The aspect of the applicant not abiding by the conditions of the visa would need to be thoroughly addressed. This should be part of the 'genuine friendly' relationship claim.

If the Embassy believes that the relationship is genuine, they will not have fears that the applicant won't abide by visa conditions.

My view is that the Embassy's main concerns are that the applicant won't abide by visa conditions and return to Thailand at the completion of the visa. They don't give a hoot whether the applicant and the sponsor are in love or not, only that they are responsible enough to abide by all visa conditions and that the sponsor will do all in his power to ensure that this is so.

Supporting this point there would also be the need to give a compelling reason to return to LOS. The employers letter would greatly assist plus anything else that you can mention.

In closing just let me state that these are my personal views only and in no way should they be construed as being the same views that the Embassy may take.

Exactly what I tried to get accross (very badly I admit after having read your post). Thanks

[Mighty Mouse]

A sponsorship form would need to be provided by Peter.

A sponsorship letter ( covering letter) covering all the important points of finances and assurances.

[gburns57au]

You still have to show proof to the length of the friendship...they consider that most people would have more than one photo after 3+ years of a friendship.

[rahni]

Working on the principle that you should never post when you are either angry or drunk, I have slept on this matter and I am posting it the next morning.

During Songkran (April this year), my then 22yo Thai boy-friend applied for a Tourist Visa to visit Australia for 3 months. Considering he was an ex-bar boy who had been unemployed for 3 years, supported by me the whole time, I didn't think he had much hope of getting a Visa - but he had no problems and was granted a visa. He stayed in Australia for 6 weeks, got homesick and we went to Thailand. We broke up.

Fast forward 3 months. I have known W for a number of years. We are friends in the true sense of the word. We have been chatting on MSN for 2 years and I have met him on 4 occasions. Unlike Thai BF number 1, he is very different. He is a 30yo, university-educated and has a responsible government job.

He has lived at the same Bangkok address for 3 years and has worked in the same government job for the past 4 years. He wants to visit Australia as a tourist.

Last Tuesday, he went to Thai CC Tower with all his paperwork - passport (unused), photocopies of both sides of his ID Card, spare passport photos, his bankbook, showing he had sufficient funds for his holiday, a letter from me inviting him to apply for a tourist visa and stating the length of time we had known each other, in which I gave a guarantee I would support him and pay for his accommdation, meals, plus any legal, medical or dental expenses. He also had a day by day Itinerary of what we would be doing while he was in Australia. He had 6 months of my bank statements showing I was able to support him financially. He had a letter from the chief of his section at work, stating how long he had worked for the department and granting him 2 weeks' leave to travel to Australia in October this year and stating he had a job to return to. He had his Form 48R (Application for a Tourist Visa) filled out. He also had a photo-copy of the inside (picture) page of my passport and a letter detailing my visits to Thailand from Australia.

All in all - I thought just the sort of person any country wants as a short-term tourist. When W arrived at Thai CC Tower, his paperwork was checked and he was told it was not necessary for him to have an interview - and he could collect his passport yesterday (Monday 06 August) at 3pm.

At 3.30pm Thailand time 6.30pm local time, I phoned to get the result. He was shattered. So was I. He scanned and emailled the 3 page letter of refusal. Please read it. I have blanked out his name and my name for privacy reasons.

According to the Australian Department of Immigation's website, under ELIGIBILITY, W meets ALL the criteria. He is in excelent health, is of excellent character, meets the financial requirements and has no debts.

He received a phone call yesterday (Monday morning from the Australian Embassy. He answered all the questions truthfully about the length of time we had known each other and stated I was just a good friend. He emphasised that he was applying for a Tourist Visa, not an interdependency visa (same-sex couples).

Because he has no relatives in Australia - he can not appeal the decision to refuse him a visa. I want him to reapply immediately - but I want your opinion, please.

Peter

I almost went insane with the burocratic rubbish to get my now wife here !

I ended up getting a 'migrant agent' (yes costly) and definately registered to do ours because I had had a complete gutfull of the crap ..... and i mean CRAP ! all contradictory, and you would know what it is like to get everything politically correct in Thailand even down to the spelling of things for 'legal documents' !

What a farse ..... GOOD LUCK !

Shane

[CORVETTELOVER]

visa office for embassy is a thai hate club.Any one wanting to leave thailand is on their shit list anmd if they can roll you over they will

you can always go and see your local federal member (election coming up) and get him to appeal to the minister of immigration regarding the matter. also mention you feel you are being discriminated against.

you appear to meet all the criteria even offering monetry support and a place to stay.Its a two week stay not 3months

regardless of what relationships you have had before there is not anything about how many you can have in the immigration act. A stat dec should have accompanied your application always do one its a legal document and has to be accepted on face value. cant be argued with.

I stuck it to them when they refused my girls application

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...33529&st=15

never say die

[gburns57au]

visa office for embassy is a thai hate club.Any one wanting to leave thailand is on their shit list anmd if they can roll you over they will

you can always go and see your local federal member (election coming up) and get him to appeal to the minister of immigration regarding the matter. also mention you feel you are being discriminated against.

you appear to meet all the criteria even offering monetry support and a place to stay.Its a two week stay not 3months

regardless of what relationships you have had before there is not anything about how many you can have in the immigration act. A stat dec should have accompanied your application always do one its a legal document and has to be accepted on face value. cant be argued with.

I stuck it to them when they refused my girls application

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...33529&st=15

never say die

Corvette, you seem to have a real bugbear with the VFS...The decision was made by the Embassy not the VFS....They are merely a collection and dispatch service.

He failed the criteria because he couldnt provide proof as to the declared length of the relationship...He knew the guy for 3 years and only met him 4 times by his own admission...hardly stands as an acquaintance or anything else, and only having one photo of someone he has known for 3 years, and only recently having sponsored another person....it is not surprising that the application failed....

Peter has accepted this....so thats really the end of the story

[rahni]

A second relationship application gets a good look from the embassy nazis, in fact any second application of any kind gets them looking

08/08/07 'BRONCO'

Could not agree more Bronco ... been there done that !