Documents For Aus Tourist Visa, Good Enough?

[muffin]

Hi there all of you,

I have been reading this forum for a while, looking for informations regarding Australian tourist visa. I plan to go and visit my boyfriend during Christmas break for two weeks in December/January and am now in a state of preparing my documents.

I found this website very helpful and would like to ask for some help. I have a list of documents I am going to hand in to the embassy, would you be so kind as to check out if the documents are strong enough:

1. Complete Application with photograph attached

2. Letter from my company (been working with them for ten months) stating my name, my position, salary and annual leave, signed by senior manager. Another letter written by my immediate boss stating that I will be on holiday for a 14 days period and will be back to work on a specific date in January.

3.Copy of my bank book, will have about 40,000 bath in it.

4. Copy of a return ticket and flight itinerary (already paid and issued)

5. My boyfriend's copy of passport and bank statement. He will also write a stat of dec explaining the nature of my trip.

6. My boyfriend's mom's copy of passport, bank statement and a letter saying that she will be sponsoring me throughout my entire stay in Australia, and that I will be returning to Thailand on a specific date. (Have to ask my boyfriend's mom to do so because my boyfriend is still a student and his bank statement is not very chubby )

7. About two dozens of pictures of us in various locations and occasions, the earliest one dated back in November last year.

8. Copy of phone bills, emails, e-cards (not sure if I should put in chat history as well)

9. I have letters and postcards we have been sending to each other as well, but I am not sure if I should supply the real copy, or how should I present them?

10. I am thinking about writing a stat of dec myself, explaining how I met my boyfriend, how long we have together; generally the story of our relationship and my intention to visit Australia and return to Thailand. Do you think this will help with the case?

That's all the documents I planned to hand in so far. Do you guys have any suggestion? Does it look strong enough for a tourist visa?

Another question is that there is a prospect that I might be applying for a spouse visa later on, so I am considering whether I should go for a six-month visa because then I will have a longer period counted as a continuing relationship.

Sorry for a rather long post. Thank you all of you, 'farang jai dee'

Edited November 10, 2005 by muffin

[gburns57au]

Hi there all of you,

I have been reading this forum for a while, looking for informations regarding Australian tourist visa. I plan to go and visit my boyfriend during Christmas break for two weeks in December/January and am now in a state of preparing my documents.

I found this website very helpful and would like to ask for some help. I have a list of documents I am going to hand in to the embassy, would you be so kind as to check out if the documents are strong enough:

1. Complete Application with photograph attached

2. Letter from my company (been working with them for ten months) stating my name, my position, salary and annual leave, signed by senior manager. Another letter written by my immediate boss  stating that I will be on holiday for a 14 days period and will be back to work on a specific date in January.

3.Copy of my bank book, will have about 40,000 bath in it.

4. Copy of a return ticket and flight itinerary (already paid and issued)

5. My boyfriend's copy of passport and bank statement. He will also write a stat of dec explaining the nature of my trip.

6. My boyfriend's mom's copy of passport, bank statement and a letter saying that she will be sponsoring me throughout my entire stay in Australia, and that I will be returning to Thailand on a specific date. (Have to ask my boyfriend's mom to do so because my boyfriend is still a student and his bank statement is not very chubby    )

7. About two dozens of pictures of us in various locations and occasions, the earliest one dated back in November last year.

8. Copy of phone bills, emails, e-cards (not sure if I should put in chat history as well)

9. I have letters and postcards we have been sending to each other as well, but I am not sure if I should supply the real copy, or how should I present them?

10. I am thinking about writing a stat of dec myself, explaining how I met my boyfriend, how long we have together; generally the story of our relationship and my intention to visit Australia and return to Thailand. Do you think this will help with the case?

That's all the documents I planned to hand in so far. Do you guys have any suggestion? Does it look strong enough for a tourist visa?

Another question is that there is a prospect that I might be applying for a spouse visa later on, so I am considering whether I should go for a six-month visa because then I will have a longer period counted as a continuing relationship.

Sorry for a rather long post. Thank you all of you, 'farang jai dee'

Seems like you have enough....Boyfriends Mum could do a stat dec to say that she will cover any costs of your trip coupled with the b/f's stat dec. All copies of documents should be certified copies.

Good luck

Dont mention that you plan to apply for a spouse visa later...

[Sporting Dog]

Looks good but maybe some Travel insurance would help - maybe the mother's dec covers it. Hospitals are EXPENSIVE in Aus if you have to pay - and travel insurance is pretty cheap in Thailand....if you get some, they can't say you could be a burden on the taxpayer.

Good luck

[muffin]

Looks good but maybe some Travel insurance would help - maybe the mother's dec covers it. Hospitals are EXPENSIVE in Aus if you have to pay - and travel insurance is pretty cheap in Thailand....if you get some, they can't say you could be a burden on the taxpayer.

Good luck

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a Bupa Blue Cross Insurance which covers worldwide (from my employer). Will that be good enough? Should I supply a copy of my insurance identification card as well?

Thank you very much.

[Mighty Mouse]

You have covered all the important points.

The only thing that may go against you is that you will be attending the visa section alone. Irrespective of the fact that your b/f has provided a letter and his mom is sponsoring you, they will not be available to answer any questions.

It could help if your b/f obtains a letter of support from his local member of parliament. The MP can send the letter to the visa section via internal channels.

I doubt that you will fully appreciate Australia with just a two week vacation. If you can go for longer, I suggest that you apply for a three month visa.

[muffin]

You have covered all the important points.

The only thing that may go against you is that you will be attending the visa section alone. Irrespective of the fact that your b/f has provided a letter and his mom is sponsoring you, they will not be available to answer any questions.

It could help if your b/f obtains a letter of support from his local member of parliament. The MP can send the letter to the visa section via internal channels.

I doubt that you will fully appreciate Australia with just a two week vacation. If you can go for longer, I suggest that you apply for a three month visa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, I forgot to mention that my boyfriend is in Thailand at the moment, so he will accommpany me to the VFS office.

As for the vacation lenght, that's the maximum I can get off from work. You know, Thai company, most are grateful with just one week!

[neilm]

Start packing your bags

your off to Australia

[Sporting Dog]

Put a copy of your insurance with your application and start packing your bags!!!

[gburns57au]

You have covered all the important points.

The only thing that may go against you is that you will be attending the visa section alone. Irrespective of the fact that your b/f has provided a letter and his mom is sponsoring you, they will not be available to answer any questions.

It could help if your b/f obtains a letter of support from his local member of parliament. The MP can send the letter to the visa section via internal channels.

I doubt that you will fully appreciate Australia with just a two week vacation. If you can go for longer, I suggest that you apply for a three month visa.

The VFS office is just a collection point.....they send the applications to the embassy by courier satchel....very few if any questions are asked by them.

Letter from the MP would be of some assistance but not a lot unless the application was refused.

It will take 5-6 days for the notification of the result...and you will have to ring them on the suggested date with the file number to find out when you can collect your passport....they will not tell you over the phone if it is approved or not as the return satchel is only opened in your presence. Make sure you ask them to return all documents to you or they will keep them all.

Travel insurance is again handy but not essential as you will be sponsored by the mother, if she puts in a stat dec saying that she will cover all your expenses, ie: travel, medical, and living costs, that will usually suffice.

Be prepared for a refusal....it does happen from time to time.

I agree 2 weeks is not long at all, but if it is all you have ....enjoy

[350torana]

I was in a similar sitaution...studying..no job . When I applied for my wife's tourist visa, have a daughter as well, so that probably makes a big, big dif . But , I had to rely on my father as a sponser(we got a 1 year mutiple tourist visa no probs).

My advice would be documents, documents and documents. Bank statements, emails, phone record ect. I think the main swayer was photos. Buy a cheap album and fill it up. We have a great photo of me and my teeruk standing outside the Burjal Arab(sp) ..that big 6 star hotel in Dubia. Another one outside Raffles in Singapore. It was all done in the CC Towers, no interview or insight into what happened in the Aussie embassy. But, I really reckon it helped our case alot. It showed she had traveled to other countries and was not an overstay risk. If u guys travelled together overseas or you went alone give them copies of your b/fs visa stamps in his passport. Oh yeah, also his mother. Send pics of her house, cars where u will be staying in Australia. Letters from family, freiends ect can not hurt.

I handed the staff at the CC Towers three folders(full of documents). One for me, one for my dad (sponsor) and one for Thai documents . Only took 5 working days.

Sorry , I am rambling a bit.

Good luck to you and your b/f and enjoy your trip to Aussie

[ProThaiExpat]

http://www.vfs-au.net/

This is the visa sections web page where you can monitor the progress of your visa application handling and find out, without a visit, of when it will be ready ot pick up.

[muffin]

Thank you all for the sharings.

My boyfriend and I had done lots of travelling together when we were studying in Europe. We dont have a very big selection of couply photos (coz my man thinks it's unnecessary, then) But we do have some, I might put photos of his family as well then.

One more thing is that, does it help that my passport has different visas on it? I have two U.S. student visas, three UK tourist ones, one Swedish residence permit and other countries' stamps. Do you think these records will help strenghtening my case?

Thanks again and good day to you all!

Edited November 12, 2005 by muffin

[gburns57au]

Thank you all for the sharings.

My boyfriend and I had done lots of travelling together when we were studying in Europe. We dont have a very big selection of couply photos (coz my man thinks it's unnecessary, then) But we do have some, I might put  photos of his family as well then.

One more thing is that, does it help that my passport  has different visas on it? I have two U.S.  student visas, three  UK tourist ones, one Swedish residence permit and other  countries' stamps. Do you think these records will help strenghtening my case?

Thanks again and good day to you all!

Cant see any problem with that.....it at least shows that you are an experienced traveller. Swedish residency ?? bit strange that one

[muffin]

Thank you all for the sharings.

My boyfriend and I had done lots of travelling together when we were studying in Europe. We dont have a very big selection of couply photos (coz my man thinks it's unnecessary, then) But we do have some, I might put  photos of his family as well then.

One more thing is that, does it help that my passport  has different visas on it? I have two U.S.  student visas, three  UK tourist ones, one Swedish residence permit and other  countries' stamps. Do you think these records will help strenghtening my case?

Thanks again and good day to you all!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cant see any problem with that.....it at least shows that you are an experienced traveller. Swedish residency ?? bit strange that one

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, that's just where I was studying...where I met my Aussie as well..

[ProThaiExpat]

"A compelling reason to return to Thailand" is the first determination the visa section must make in granting the tourist visa.

The second determination is whether you will work illegally while in Australia and whether your request for a tourist visa is based on a true interest in trouring Australia.

It seems to me that Gays have one advantage in this area in that they cannot marry under Australian law. Thus, in applying for the third visa to visit Australia, the Australian government's prerceived bias against g/f's getting a third visa without a strong indication of fiance or imminent marriage plans doesn't apply.

My ltr and I are in Australia now and he is on his third visa, this one being a one year multiple entry visa.

My experience with the Australian Embassy in BKK and its visa section staff has left me with the definite impression that the reason you give for your visit is most important and the facts must bear it out.

We stress family involvement and emphasize the integral nature of my Thais relationship to my daughter and here Australian husband and that the visits are for family reasons, the most recent being the imminent birth of a grandchild.

The older the applicant for the visa, the better chance they have in my view as it distances them from the suspicion of prostitution or employment. Of course a current job in Thailand with a history does the same as well.