Tourist visas Australia

[Bluetongue]

Ok I’m trying to get tourist visas for 4 Thais. My stepson, his legally married wife, their child of 20months, and the wife’s older sister. The older sister was quoted 15k for an agent. The stepson has been once before. 

Going through the Australian immi gov online process it seems to be pretty clunky and generally difficult to do on a phone but I digress. 

Does anyone who has gone through this know, am I an exempt person as far as providing assistance to them? It says close relative which I guess covers the stepson and family but not sure. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve done it
 

 

[Will27]

16 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

Ok I’m trying to get tourist visas for 4 Thais. My stepson, his legally married wife, their child of 20months, and the wife’s older sister. The older sister was quoted 15k for an agent. The stepson has been once before. 

Going through the Australian immi gov online process it seems to be pretty clunky and generally difficult to do on a phone but I digress. 

Does anyone who has gone through this know, am I an exempt person as far as providing assistance to them? It says close relative which I guess covers the stepson and family but not sure. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve done it
 

 

If that's your only question, it's OK for you to provide information.

 

I would pretty much do it all for them.

The S/C 600 isn't that hard if you're OK with paper-work.

[Bluetongue]

8 hours ago, Will27 said:

If that's your only question, it's OK for you to provide information.

 

I would pretty much do it all for them.

The S/C 600 isn't that hard if you're OK with paper-work.

Well apparently I have to submit a form to advise Immi of my “exempt” person status. I would rather be doing this on a desktop with a mouse to be honest, lots of little pitfalls, very frustrating. Ald”so they’re all typical Thais they have various different schemes and businesses going on and no intention whatever of remaining in Australia but none of it is really provable. It was easier when I had the boy at school and just got an official letter from them.

[Will27]

8 minutes ago, Bluetongue said:

Well apparently I have to submit a form to advise Immi of my “exempt” person status. I would rather be doing this on a desktop with a mouse to be honest, lots of little pitfalls, very frustrating. Ald”so they’re all typical Thais they have various different schemes and businesses going on and no intention whatever of remaining in Australia but none of it is really provable. It was easier when I had the boy at school and just got an official letter from them.

TBH, I wouldn't worry about the form.

 

You could pretty much do the most of it for them online.

Are they applying for tourist stream or family sponsored stream?

[Bluetongue]

3 hours ago, Will27 said:

TBH, I wouldn't worry about the form.

 

You could pretty much do the most of it for them online.

Are they applying for tourist stream or family sponsored stream?

Yeh tourist stream, Will I’m partially through it online but I made it a group and I used my email, not condemned yet as I haven’t submitted anything, are you suggesting using one of their emails and devices?

[Bluetongue]

Just now, Bluetongue said:

Yeh tourist stream, Will I’m partially through it online but I made it a group and I used my email, not condemned yet as I haven’t submitted anything, are you suggesting using one of their emails and devices?

It’s to attend a wedding to which they’ve been invited and then have a few days holiday

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Get in contact with VFS Global - they are the official Visa Partner for Australia.   https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/aus

 

"We are the contracted Service Delivery Partner for the Australian Department of Home Affairs and provides assistance with online visa form lodgement, visa fee payment and biometric collection services in Thailand."

 

There will be issues, because of the high percentage of Thais that overstay in Australia. It is both those working illegally - and those claiming refugee status after they arrive, which gives them 2-4 years in the country while they are 'processed' (including appeals).

Detail everything in an email to them - they will tell you what to do (as far as I know they dont take calls - too busy).  When you apply you will need to provide proof of the wedding (Invites and Stat Decs etc) and lots of corroborating information and documents, so start getting that all together ASAP.  

[Will27]

59 minutes ago, Bluetongue said:

Yeh tourist stream, Will I’m partially through it online but I made it a group and I used my email, not condemned yet as I haven’t submitted anything, are you suggesting using one of their emails and devices?

I take it your wife is a resident or citizen of Australia?

If so, the family sponsored stream may be a better option.

 

I'd use their Immi/account to check everything, but that's just me.

 

Edit* Just saw the above post.

Tourist visas aren't that hard to obtain these days.

No need for Stat Decs etc.

 

If it was me, I wouldn't bother with VFS.

[wavodavo]

15 hours ago, Will27 said:

I take it your wife is a resident or citizen of Australia?

If so, the family sponsored stream may be a better option.

 

I'd use their Immi/account to check everything, but that's just me.

 

Edit* Just saw the above post.

Tourist visas aren't that hard to obtain these days.

No need for Stat Decs etc.

 

If it was me, I wouldn't bother with VFS.

Good advice I got when dealing with Australian  Immigration in regard to visas is if they ask for 3 references give them 5. In other words the more the better as it makes them happy.It will be a frustrating ,slow process but stick with it and good luck.

[mfd101]

The key thing is to supply maximum evidence that noone in the group has an interest in overstaying or working illegally. 

 

So: evidence of current employment, property and incomes in Thailand would be helpful; evidence of a previous crime-free visit; the wedding invitation details are good; Thai police criminal record clearance ... 

[GreasyFingers]

19 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Get in contact with VFS Global - they are the official Visa Partner for Australia.

Very bad advice. They are a bunch of money hungry A'hs and have found them very difficult to deal with. Trouble is you need to do the biometrics at one of their offices.

[Bluetongue]

Well as one respondent suggested I got in touch by email with VFS with a few queries. They responded within an hour or two, nothing to do with them they provide the biometric collection that’s it. 
 

so far I’ve been at it 3 half days, I’ve found a catch 22 and a few instances where the phone is an unsuitable device but eventually got one nearly finished. Looks like I’ll be uploading documents for a day at the end of it. Ie the same documents as the other applicants in some cases, typical red tape, I’m quite convinced it’s been made as difficult as possible to push you towards agents or lawyers. Probably corruption at this end.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

4 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Very bad advice. They are a bunch of money hungry A'hs and have found them very difficult to deal with. Trouble is you need to do the biometrics at one of their offices.

VFS were great - but it was many years ago we used them.

I did not know biometrics is needed for a Tourist Visa these days.

OP @Bluetongue - ignore my advice unless you have moved to Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai.

If biometrics is needed before they will issue Visa - where can that be done in Thailand (besides VFS Offices).

 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

4 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

Well as one respondent suggested I got in touch by email with VFS with a few queries. They responded within an hour or two, nothing to do with them they provide the biometric collection that’s it. 
 

so far I’ve been at it 3 half days, I’ve found a catch 22 and a few instances where the phone is an unsuitable device but eventually got one nearly finished. Looks like I’ll be uploading documents for a day at the end of it. Ie the same documents as the other applicants in some cases, typical red tape, I’m quite convinced it’s been made as difficult as possible to push you towards agents or lawyers. Probably corruption at this end.

So they dont lodge the Visa documents anymore - did not know that.  Good luck with all the documents needed - give them more than they ask for - as many have said. 

[GreasyFingers]

15 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

Well as one respondent suggested I got in touch by email with VFS with a few queries. They responded within an hour or two, nothing to do with them they provide the biometric collection that’s it. 
 

so far I’ve been at it 3 half days, I’ve found a catch 22 and a few instances where the phone is an unsuitable device but eventually got one nearly finished. Looks like I’ll be uploading documents for a day at the end of it. Ie the same documents as the other applicants in some cases, typical red tape, I’m quite convinced it’s been made as difficult as possible to push you towards agents or lawyers. Probably corruption at this end.

If you are doing it through your IMMI account they have a facility to copy a previous application although all the information is not copied.

[Bluetongue]

Further to all of that, I’ve nearly completed them all, mostly figuring it out myself hopefully. The supposed on line resources aren’t really any good, the virtual assistant can’t answer even a basic question. Also they refuse to provide any email address to answer questions. The last resort given is to phone them. I’ll give another report on success or failure.