Tourist Visa For In-Laws To Australia

[MeMock]

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of filling in 3 x 48R forms for my SIL, her husband and their daughter for a 3 month visa to Australia. I have done this a few years ago for another sister in law and her husband with no problems but have either forgotten some information or realise that things may have changed since then.

Can I use my Credit Card details on the form where the space is provided for it? (Ie does the Bangkok embassy accept CC payments)

Is it any better that I personally drop the forms and their passports in myself or do I just post it all by registered mail? (They live in Ubon where I am currently visiting)

Do I take it to the embassy or I think it is called the Thai CC building further down sathorn road closer to the river?

I would really like to have them over for 4 months. If I apply for a 6 months visa but they are not convinced can they offer a 3 months visa instead or do they just say no to 6 and then I have to reapply for a 3 month one?

Is a 6 month one more expensive then 3? Any idea what the costs actually are?

I think that is it for now! Thanks for any help that may be forth coming.

[gburns57au]

http://vfs-au.net/courierapplication.html

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/990i.pdf

Have a look at the two links from the VFS office, The CC towers place. It is a collection point for visa applications and they courier from some regional areas. The other is the Immigration charges page. The family can drop the application in themselves, remember it is their application not yours, also the VFS staff check the applications and may require more information from them. You cant lodge by registered mail. Be wary for touts outside the VFS office, ensure you go to the correct Office.

You cant pay by CC outside of Oz. Bank draft if you use the courier service, I think you can pay cash at the VFS Office.

Chances are they will only get three months, you can tick the 6 month box on the form but at the end of the day you have to go with the Embassy decision.

The costs are the same for the 676 visa irrespective of the length of the visit applied for or granted. There is also a VFS handling fee.

That should cover your questions

[bridge]

http://vfs-au.net/courierapplication.html

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/990i.pdf

Have a look at the two links from the VFS office, The CC towers place. It is a collection point for visa applications and they courier from some regional areas. The other is the Immigration charges page. The family can drop the application in themselves, remember it is their application not yours, also the VFS staff check the applications and may require more information from them. You cant lodge by registered mail. Be wary for touts outside the VFS office, ensure you go to the correct Office.

You cant pay by CC outside of Oz. Bank draft if you use the courier service, I think you can pay cash at the VFS Office.

Chances are they will only get three months, you can tick the 6 month box on the form but at the end of the day you have to go with the Embassy decision.

The costs are the same for the 676 visa irrespective of the length of the visit applied for or granted. There is also a VFS handling fee.

That should cover your questions

You can't pay by credit card in Thailand.

Remember too for a stay of over three months a radiological examination will be required. Examinations (for tourist visas) should only be done when requests by the Embassy.

[MeMock]

Thanks for the replies.

So - the CC tower it still is.

No credit card. I am assuming then thai baht in cash is fine? Any idea how much in baht or is the rate pretty good and therefore my guess would be quite close given that I know the Australian dollar charge thanks to the info from gburns57au?

Courier service is no go because we are in Ubon and are not covered but thanks for the suggestion.

I realise that the family should drop it off themselves but they have only been to Bangkok once in their life and the very thought of doing that would petrify them. last time we just got a friend in Bangkok to do it and there were no problems. As I am filling all the forms out for them and guaranteeing their stay and I was going to be in bangkok anyway I figured I might as well do it myself.

One thing i forgot to ask in my first post was about a child application. I am also applying for their 6 year old daughter. She has her own passport therefore I am assuming she needs her own application form as in part B where it says 'children included' it says I can add their details if they are 'included in your passport'. I did not know that countries allowed children to be included on their childrens passports. Am I correct in doing a separate form?

[bridge]

Thanks for the replies.

So - the CC tower it still is.

No credit card. I am assuming then thai baht in cash is fine? Any idea how much in baht or is the rate pretty good and therefore my guess would be quite close given that I know the Australian dollar charge thanks to the info from gburns57au?

Courier service is no go because we are in Ubon and are not covered but thanks for the suggestion.

I realise that the family should drop it off themselves but they have only been to Bangkok once in their life and the very thought of doing that would petrify them. last time we just got a friend in Bangkok to do it and there were no problems. As I am filling all the forms out for them and guaranteeing their stay and I was going to be in bangkok anyway I figured I might as well do it myself.

One thing i forgot to ask in my first post was about a child application. I am also applying for their 6 year old daughter. She has her own passport therefore I am assuming she needs her own application form as in part B where it says 'children included' it says I can add their details if they are 'included in your passport'. I did not know that countries allowed children to be included on their childrens passports. Am I correct in doing a separate form?

1. Current visa application charge (s/c 676 visa) is THB3250 plus VFS lodgement fee of THB600 per application.

2. You can lodge the applications with VFS if you want. Can I suggest perhaps then submitting a Form 956 too, allowing you to be the applicant(s) authorised recipient. Useful if you want to then discuss their applications.

3. Correct - 6 year old will need own application.

Bridge

edit: yes you can pay in cash at VFS.

Edited March 11, 2011 by bridge

[MeMock]

Thanks for the tip on form 956. I knew there was something like that out there but was hesitant to look for it and sign it. The reason being that I still wanted to encourage them to call the in laws to 'interview' then if they needed to. By signing this form does it stop them from doing that? I mean do they have to then do everything through me or is signing that just allow them to interview me if they wish and for me to pick up the passports when they are ready?

How long does this process generally take as I am heading back to Australia in about 5 weeks so I don't want to be back there when they are approved and be the only person authorised to pick them up.

[bridge]

Thanks for the tip on form 956. I knew there was something like that out there but was hesitant to look for it and sign it. The reason being that I still wanted to encourage them to call the in laws to 'interview' then if they needed to. By signing this form does it stop them from doing that? I mean do they have to then do everything through me or is signing that just allow them to interview me if they wish and for me to pick up the passports when they are ready?

How long does this process generally take as I am heading back to Australia in about 5 weeks so I don't want to be back there when they are approved and be the only person authorised to pick them up.

A 956 allows you to discuss the application with DIAC. A good example, if after the standard visa processing time has passed and the applicants have not heard anything with regards to their visa application, you would be able to contact the Embassy on their behalf to make inquiries. A 956 is not an authority for DIAC to question you about the merit of the application. DIAC will still call the applicants if they so choose to, telephone interview for example.

Standard processing time for a tourist visa for Thai passport holders is 5 working days - 10 working days for non-Thai passport holders.

Lastly a 956 is not an authority to collect the applicants passport after processing. A signed authority is needed from the applicants, together with the collection receipt issued by VFS at time of lodgment.

Bridge

[MeMock]

Bridge - a big thank you for your help.

If it is only 5 - 10 days and I lodge it in the next week or two then I will fill in one of those forms as well. Thanks for the tip on the collection process.

*edit* I just went and downloaded the 956 form and saw this info.....

Who should use this form?

This form can only be used by:

• a registered migration agent;

• a non-registered migration agent outside Australia; or

• an exempt person.

Exempt persons

The following people do not have to be registered as

migration agents in order to provide immigration assistance:

• a close family member (spouse, child, adopted child,

parent, brother or sister of a visa applicant);

• a sponsor or nominator for a visa applicant;

It doesn't really sound like it applies to me after all?

[bridge]

Bridge - a big thank you for your help.

If it is only 5 - 10 days and I lodge it in the next week or two then I will fill in one of those forms as well. Thanks for the tip on the collection process.

*edit* I just went and downloaded the 956 form and saw this info.....

Who should use this form?

This form can only be used by:

• a registered migration agent;

• a non-registered migration agent outside Australia; or

• an exempt person.

Exempt persons

The following people do not have to be registered as

migration agents in order to provide immigration assistance:

• a close family member (spouse, child, adopted child,

parent, brother or sister of a visa applicant);

• a sponsor or nominator for a visa applicant;

It doesn't really sound like it applies to me after all?

Download the 956A 'Appointment of an Authorised Recipient'. Complete parts A and C.

[MeMock]

I am assuming I will need to do three of these forms as well then?

[MeMock]

Sorry, scratch that stupid question - found the answer.

[fire and ice]

Can I use my Credit Card details on the form where the space is provided for it? (ie: does the Bangkok embassy accept CC payments)

No, but you ***CAN*** pay in Aussie$ the visa fee at a DIAC office in Australia. You have to post the payment receipt to Thailand and it gets lodged with the application - I have done this twice. You also pay VFS their free in Baht (cash) at the VFS office.

I rang DIMIA (now DIAC) a few years back to whinge at them. I complained that believe it is illegal for an Australian Government office (ie: the embassy) not to accept A$. Just because its normal practice for visa offices about the world to only accept local currency does not make it legal. I was annoyed because of their BULLS&%T exchange rate (NB: Its only updated every 6-months & even when it is updated its worse than the most outrageous hotel exchange rate on the planet). Their rate at the time made it roughly 1.6 times the price to pay in Baht compared to the proper A$ price. Notably this was for an (expensive) spouse visa, plus a separate tourist visa (to cover the at-the-time 3-month processing period), so a bit of a difference!

Anyway, after expressing my outrage as a taxpayer (on the phone), the DIMIA officer said that they had a new rule that allowed you to pay in Australia & post the payment receipt over to Thailand. I was shocked that I was able to avoid this bureaucratic nonsense - so my whinge was satisfied.

If you plan to do this be prepared. You need certain info upfront before you waltz in and pay the fee. I forget what exactly so you have to check.

Also if you plan to post your fee to DIAC, as opposed to going to their offices, you may be waiting 2 weeks for the receipt in the mail (they will only post to an Aussie address).

Notably the second time I did this was for my mother in law's visa - we said in the application we are hoping for 12 months multi entry but will be happy with 3months - she got the 12 month multi entry (she's here for the 3rd time right now btw which is great because she looks after our 2 kids a lot).

[MeMock]

Bit of a recent update.

Just to recap:

I lodged last Friday 3 x 48R forms for my SIL, her husband and their daughter for a 6 month tourist visa to Australia.

I also did the form 956.

I have done this twice before (4 and 5 years ago) ago for another sister in law and her husband with no problems so I was surprised with what happened a few days ago.

My SIL got the call from the embassy and they said they will do 3 but not 6 months. They then asked her if she planned to visit my wife in hospital when she gave birth.

*EDIT start*

I should explain here that for the previous two visits by the other SIL and for this current application my wife has been pregnant and so we used that as our reasoning to apply for the visas (to provide moral and practical support for my wife both during and after child birth.)

*EDIT finish*

My SIL said of course she planned to visit my wife in hospital so that is when they said she needs to get a medical clearance done before they issue the three month visa.

I looked it up online and saw this:

"Health examination for visa applicantsTemporary visa applicants

Health examinations will depend on your circumstances, your intended activities in Australia, and your country of origin or residence. You will need to undertake a health examination if:

• you are likely to enter a hospital or other health care environment, including nursing homes as either a patient, visitor, trainee or employee

• you are likely to enter a classroom environment, including preschool, crèche and child care situations"

This was news to me as for the previous two times it was never mentioned. Is this a new rule?

Of course I called them to find out if my SIL understood correctly and it seems that she did. Now as they live in such a remote area of Thailand getting to Bangkok or Udon Thani is obviously a costly and time consuming exercise so I am trying to see if there is anyway around this.

I said we would be happy to provide a written guarantee that they would not visit the hospital which of course the case officer did not believe (and rightfully so I guess). The case officer said the only way around it is for them to grant the visa after we have left hospital after giving birth. Of course I said the main reason we want them there is to look after our other two kids while we have the third so that is not an option.

It seems a rather amazing thing to request just to visit someone in hospital or at a school. What happens if they get sick when visiting me - technically it means they cannot enter the hospital to get treatment.

On a side note - I asked the case officer why the 6 months was denied. She said simply that they did not match the criteria. I asked what parts they failed and she said that they do not have secure work and income. (They are farmers with only a small amount of land ownership). She said they only reason they had actually got any visa at all was because of my wife being pregnant. I said what about the fact that I was sponsoring them? I provided ample evidence that we were more then financially secure and could handle any emergency that may arise during their stay.

I am feeling a little ripped off about this and am looking for any feedback you may have. Of course if you think you can help my situation and get a 6 month visa or somehow get around this xray requirement I would of course be happy to pay for your services.

With Songkran fast approaching and my departure from Thailand only 10 days away I am hoping to find out quickly of there is anything I can otherwise I need to promptly organise these health check ups and just suck it up and get on with it.

[bridge]

Bit of a recent update.

Just to recap:

I lodged last Friday 3 x 48R forms for my SIL, her husband and their daughter for a 6 month tourist visa to Australia.

I also did the form 956.

I have done this twice before (4 and 5 years ago) ago for another sister in law and her husband with no problems so I was surprised with what happened a few days ago.

My SIL got the call from the embassy and they said they will do 3 but not 6 months. They then asked her if she planned to visit my wife in hospital when she gave birth.

*EDIT start*

I should explain here that for the previous two visits by the other SIL and for this current application my wife has been pregnant and so we used that as our reasoning to apply for the visas (to provide moral and practical support for my wife both during and after child birth.)

*EDIT finish*

My SIL said of course she planned to visit my wife in hospital so that is when they said she needs to get a medical clearance done before they issue the three month visa.

I looked it up online and saw this:

"Health examination for visa applicantsTemporary visa applicants

Health examinations will depend on your circumstances, your intended activities in Australia, and your country of origin or residence. You will need to undertake a health examination if:

• you are likely to enter a hospital or other health care environment, including nursing homes as either a patient, visitor, trainee or employee

• you are likely to enter a classroom environment, including preschool, crèche and child care situations"

This was news to me as for the previous two times it was never mentioned. Is this a new rule?

Of course I called them to find out if my SIL understood correctly and it seems that she did. Now as they live in such a remote area of Thailand getting to Bangkok or Udon Thani is obviously a costly and time consuming exercise so I am trying to see if there is anyway around this.

I said we would be happy to provide a written guarantee that they would not visit the hospital which of course the case officer did not believe (and rightfully so I guess). The case officer said the only way around it is for them to grant the visa after we have left hospital after giving birth. Of course I said the main reason we want them there is to look after our other two kids while we have the third so that is not an option.

It seems a rather amazing thing to request just to visit someone in hospital or at a school. What happens if they get sick when visiting me - technically it means they cannot enter the hospital to get treatment.

On a side note - I asked the case officer why the 6 months was denied. She said simply that they did not match the criteria. I asked what parts they failed and she said that they do not have secure work and income. (They are farmers with only a small amount of land ownership). She said they only reason they had actually got any visa at all was because of my wife being pregnant. I said what about the fact that I was sponsoring them? I provided ample evidence that we were more then financially secure and could handle any emergency that may arise during their stay.

I am feeling a little ripped off about this and am looking for any feedback you may have. Of course if you think you can help my situation and get a 6 month visa or somehow get around this xray requirement I would of course be happy to pay for your services.

With Songkran fast approaching and my departure from Thailand only 10 days away I am hoping to find out quickly of there is anything I can otherwise I need to promptly organise these health check ups and just suck it up and get on with it.

As Thailand is a 'high risk' country for TB, any visitor from Thailand intending to visit Australia temporarily for a period of 3 months of more must undergo a chest x-ray. For stay's of less than 3 months a chest x-ray may still be required if any 'special significance' circumstances exist, such as entering a hospital as a visitor. As your sister-in-laws stated intention was to visit your wife in hospital, DIAC have therefore insisted on a chest x-ray.

With regards to the 3 months, although it is not what you want, given the reasoning of the DIAC case officer, I think you should be very pleased with the outcome. The decision to grant 3 instead of 6 is unfortunately not appealable.

Bridge

[MeMock]

Hi Bridge,

I appreciate your honesty in this situation and seeing it through your much more experienced eyes will make it easier and less upsetting for me to jump through the hoops that they require.

Thank you so much once again for your time.