Will Original Documents Be Returned?

[Andrew Mac]

Hi ThaiVisa Experts!

Sorry to bother you, but my wife and I just wanted to get a quick answer to a quick question ...

Some of the supporting documents we are thinking of sending with my wife's application for an Australian Spouse Visa are special and valuable things that we cannot get copied, so we will need to send originals. We would like to know if the embassy in Bangkok will return those things to us or not.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Andrew and Nueng

[sezzo]

I cant imagine what sort of documents cant be copied but my advice to you is to talk to the ladies at the VAC counter when submitting the application and mention your requirements. If they advise that they can be copied it can be done in the office there and the ladies will certify them in front of you.

[gburns57au]

Hi ThaiVisa Experts!

Sorry to bother you, but my wife and I just wanted to get a quick answer to a quick question ...

Some of the supporting documents we are thinking of sending with my wife's application for an Australian Spouse Visa are special and valuable things that we cannot get copied, so we will need to send originals. We would like to know if the embassy in Bangkok will return those things to us or not.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Andrew and Nueng

All documents submitted need to be certified copies......they will ask for originals if they require them. I cant imagine what document you have that cant be copied.

The copies are kept on the file and will be used to establish the credentials for the Permanant Visa. Remember that when you apply for a spouse visa you are applying for a Permanant visa as well.

Any original documents that they ask for will be returned.

If these documents are so special and valuable, why are you risking them with the embassy and courier services.....surely it makes sense to copy and keep the originals in your own safe place

[Andrew Mac]

Hi ThaiVisa Experts!

Sorry to bother you, but my wife and I just wanted to get a quick answer to a quick question ...

Some of the supporting documents we are thinking of sending with my wife's application for an Australian Spouse Visa are special and valuable things that we cannot get copied, so we will need to send originals. We would like to know if the embassy in Bangkok will return those things to us or not.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Andrew and Nueng

Oh dear ... silly me! I wrote that message too late last night, and obviously wasn't thinking too clearly. I wrote "documents" in one or two places, but that wasn't the best choice of words and is a little misleading. I probably should have used a word like "evidence" instead of "documents". The things we are asking about are not official documents as such, which we can easily get photocopied and certified, but rather a few personal things -- a printed wedding book, for example, as well as a couple of other little items that we can't easily copy or that won't copy well.

Basically, we will have all the copied and certified official documents that we need to supply, but we thought it might help to add a few other little things we have that prove the strength of our relationship. Maybe they're not essential, but we do think they might be worth sending in to support the application. They have a lot of personal value for us, but the visa is more important. If we think these other items will help with the application, we really want to send them even if we may not be able to get them back -- but obviously we will be much happier if we can have them returned.

Also, we doubt they'll be of any use in a few years when the issue of a permanent visa comes up, because they are only really relevant to the years prior to this particular application, not to the years between the issue of temporary and permanent visas. I imagine we probably have to supply further supporting evidence that specifically covers that period.

I hope this makes our question a bit less confusing for people ... but if it still sounds like a stupid question, please just ignore this thread and skip on to the next one ;-)

Sorry, Andrew

[sezzo]

With things like photos, especially wedding photos its not too hard to scan them onto a thumbdrive or cd and take copies from that. A friend of mine just gave them a cd and expected them to look at it by themselves. I poured through hundreds of photos on my computer and saved them to my thumbdrive and then when in BKK got them printed real cheap. I also made sure I wrote a summary on the back of what the photo was about. Sometimes something that you would assume to be obvious isnt so obvious to others.

Once again good luck

[think_too_mut]

Hi ThaiVisa Experts!

Sorry to bother you, but my wife and I just wanted to get a quick answer to a quick question ...

Some of the supporting documents we are thinking of sending with my wife's application for an Australian Spouse Visa are special and valuable things that we cannot get copied, so we will need to send originals. We would like to know if the embassy in Bangkok will return those things to us or not.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Andrew and Nueng

All documents - originals (old + current passports) or certified copies (marriage and baby's birth certificates) were returned to us. The officer took them to their back office and took photocopies. The Embassy kept nothing other than (passport type) pictures attached to the application forms.

Edited October 1, 2008 by think_too_mut

[Andrew Mac]

Thanks for all your help, suggestions, and all the useful advice. We'll obviously be copying and certifying everything we can, but for anything else we think will make useful supporting evidence I think we'll just put it in and see if we get it back. As I mentioned, the most important thing at the moment is getting the visa.

Cheers

Andrew and Nueng

[simro]

Hi Andrew,

Just an idea for the evidence you need to think about, I put photos of my wife and myself at different locations whilst she was on a visitor visa here in Sydney.

Some site that host photos.

And other photos that where taken at occasions whilst in Thailand.

I gave this information to the Australian embassy in Bangkok, my wife has now been on a Provisional Resident p620 Sub Class 309 Visa since 30 April 2007.

I did receive all the documents back that I gave the Embassy.

Regards

Robert

Sydney Australia

Hi ThaiVisa Experts!

Sorry to bother you, but my wife and I just wanted to get a quick answer to a quick question ...

Some of the supporting documents we are thinking of sending with my wife's application for an Australian Spouse Visa are special and valuable things that we cannot get copied, so we will need to send originals. We would like to know if the embassy in Bangkok will return those things to us or not.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Andrew and Nueng

Oh dear ... silly me! I wrote that message too late last night, and obviously wasn't thinking too clearly. I wrote "documents" in one or two places, but that wasn't the best choice of words and is a little misleading. I probably should have used a word like "evidence" instead of "documents". The things we are asking about are not official documents as such, which we can easily get photocopied and certified, but rather a few personal things -- a printed wedding book, for example, as well as a couple of other little items that we can't easily copy or that won't copy well.

Basically, we will have all the copied and certified official documents that we need to supply, but we thought it might help to add a few other little things we have that prove the strength of our relationship. Maybe they're not essential, but we do think they might be worth sending in to support the application. They have a lot of personal value for us, but the visa is more important. If we think these other items will help with the application, we really want to send them even if we may not be able to get them back -- but obviously we will be much happier if we can have them returned.

Also, we doubt they'll be of any use in a few years when the issue of a permanent visa comes up, because they are only really relevant to the years prior to this particular application, not to the years between the issue of temporary and permanent visas. I imagine we probably have to supply further supporting evidence that specifically covers that period.

I hope this makes our question a bit less confusing for people ... but if it still sounds like a stupid question, please just ignore this thread and skip on to the next one ;-)

Sorry, Andrew

[fishhooks]

Everything given back to us in Bangkok last February.

Especially a large photo album which would not fit through the window and had to be handed to us in another room!

[Andrew Mac]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like we'll be able to send exactly what we want, and get it all back too :-)

Just to make sure, though, I'll mention it when we give them the application, and probably make a polite written request as well.

Cheers

Andrew and Nueng

[jaiyen]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like we'll be able to send exactly what we want, and get it all back too :-)

Just to make sure, though, I'll mention it when we give them the application, and probably make a polite written request as well.

Cheers

Andrew and Nueng

[jaiyen]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like we'll be able to send exactly what we want, and get it all back too :-)

Just to make sure, though, I'll mention it when we give them the application, and probably make a polite written request as well.

Cheers

Andrew and Nueng

When I did my application for my wife to come to Perth I remember that on the form it did state certain documents had to be originals. I had to give an original of our wedding certificate, my birth certificate, tax returns and my divorce paper and to get certifed copies from the British Embassy of some papers. We had no problems and all were returned in an envelope by our case officer who asked me to check them first. A first class service from all the girls at the visa section at Surasak and also at the Aussie Embassy, so dont worry