Latest Processing Time For Australian Tourist Visa

[Madivad]

I'm wondering if anyone has applied for a tourist visa in the last couple of months.

I have applied for a few for my wife over the years (now on a residency visa) and the processing times were always two weeks (10 business days). She is now in Thailand and at the last moment we have decided to bring her sister back for a holiday.

on this page, http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/1.0.htm

this says a month, I thought I found a similar page on the australian embassy in thailand website, I can't find it at the moment. But it said a month as well.

Thing is it's slightly less than four weeks. We want her to fly out on the 7th, and today is the 11th. So we have 3 weeks (allowing for post), but not the four.

We have bought the tickets for the date (they can be changed), but was wondering if people are getting them in the usual/old 2 weeks (that it use to be) or is it closer to the 4?

I know when we did her migration application, waiting time was 12 months, yet it was processed and got it back within 3. I'm assuming they've put a month to stop people ringing them up from day 10/14.

[David48]

Processing times do seem to vary a little ... and it seems to depend, in part, on the applicant rather then Embassy.

Applicant's 'first' Visa Tourist Visa application tend to take longer then subsequent applications.

We, my gf and I, did the first application some years ago ... from memory ... did take some weeks to process.

Her 2^nd Visa took 5 days from mailing the application to passport and visa in her hand ... so presume 2-3 days processing.

Good luck with it and please come back and update us on the current processing times.

.

[nightwatch]

We did our last TV back in NOV via the courier service at Udon Thani.

It took about 10 day's,

I think your right about the web site stating up to a month waiting time, but if all your paper work is together and all's good it should come through a lot sooner.

I am sure some member's here will be able to update u on more recent applications

Best of luck

nightwatch

[Elwood62]

on the Australian Embassy Bangkok website:

For all Tourist visas (subclass 676) and Short Stay Business visas (subclass 456) lodged directly with the Australian Embassy Thailand by mail/courier, the departmental service standard is 1 month.

For all Tourist visas (subclass 676) and Short Stay Business visas (subclass 456) lodged through our Service Delivery Partner (VFS Global Australia- Thailand) the current service standard is 10 working days.

Australian Embassy Thailand - Visas and Migration

[Madivad]

Thanks Elwood, I knew it was on their website somewhere.

I'm more interested with people's experience sending the forms in directly to the embassy. I've done all ours (bar one) without the use of VFS. The one we did use VFS for we got stuffed around something chronic.

We toyed going the VFS partner route again because of the time frame difference (10 days --> 30 days is a big difference, how do they justify that?). However, when she rang them she said it was just the post office. Maybe she got confused, who knows. We've opted to send it direct via EMS with return EMS inside. We'll wait and see what happens.

I will update here once we get a result.

edit: BTW, she posted it off Monday the 11th Feb

Edited February 12, 2013 by Madivad

[nightwatch]

"However, when she rang them she said it was just the post office. Maybe she got confused, who knows"

Some of the service delivery partners(vfs) work from a office in the post office's, i know that this is the case in Udon Thani

[asiancup2007]

My girlfriend applied for a 3 month tourist visa and lodged the application at VFS Bangkok on Thursday 31 Jan 2013

she received an sms on the following Friday the 8th saying her processed visa application was a VFS.

Yes she was successful.

[ripstanley]

I submitted a visa application on the 4/12/12 at VFS Bangkok and was told it would take until the 18/12 for approval. The visa was approved on the 17/12

This was for single entry 3 months stay.

She was given 3 months from the approval date before the visa expired. That is she has to arrive before the 17/03/13.

[David48]

Guys above ... it's not my OP ... but warmy appreciate the update information ...

We seem to have less trouble with our partners obtaining Visas then some other Nations ... as some of this is down to the freedom of information shared here.

[Madivad]

Just thought I would update this, it took exactly one month (as per the web sites). To do it all yourself and send it off through the post and using EMS return, it was sent and received 28 calendar days later (it was sent in Feb).

Edited March 18, 2013 by Madivad

[Madivad]

I just thought I would add to this:

1. We only asked for (and only got) a 3 month single entry visa, and it has the 8503 (no overstay) provision. I have to admit I was surprised at the condition considering her circumstances, and previous history of her sisters (my wife) travels to Australia (ie never overstayed).

2. She did receive a phone call to provide a copy of my wife's passport and they wanted to confirm they are in fact sisters (a point I don't understand since the family book was provided which has them as sisters—odd).