Australian tourist visa for gf

[absolute11]

Hello, everyone. About 4 months ago i created a topic on the work & holiday visa program; unfortunately those plans fell through due to time constraints, so I'm now going through the process of getting a holiday visa for my girlfriend instead.

I'll try to be succinct so i'm not overloading the topic with information, but any assistance or advice will be appreciated. From my previous topic, the advice was sound and welcomed, so here's hoping for the same courtesy . I basically just want to make sure i'm covering all my bases and have a few questions too.

The info:

-Known my girlfriend for almost a year now, travelled to thailand to see her 5 times in this period, including one trip to the family home

-She works as a chemical engineer in a medium sized firm. They have been very supportive, and she has an approved leave of (unpaid) absence, including a letter from the HR department detailing when she will finish up for this year, and when she will return to work early next year.

- period of travel will be ~10 weeks in Australia, from mid-november to february

- she will be staying with me during this period, and plan on seeing all the major sights in Victoria, as well as a short trip to Sydney (i will be providing financial assistance for living expenses too)

- she has ~ $4500 AUD in her savings account, and a regular account that her salary is deposited into

Supporting documentation to be supplied in the application (please tell me if anything's supurfluous or i missed something important)

-Letter of invitation

-Pictures of us together over a 10 month period

-6 month skype transcript (may be too much, not sure on this one)

-9 month phone records of almost entirely sms messages

-Detailed itinerary of the trip

And finally some questions for you guys:

- For the letter of invitation, who should i be addressing in the writing? My girlfriend, or is it a 'to whom it may concern' deal? Important things to include other than intention to support, plans for the trip etc?

- Seeing that the visa rules changed recently, and that an itinerary is now on the documents checklist, just how detailed should i make it? I've got main attractions and when we'll be seeing them, plus several weekend trips to places like Phillip Island, but i'm not entirely sure if 'less is more' or if we should go into more detail, considering it's a fairly long holiday.

- We're not buying a ticket until we get confirmation for the visa. I've read mixed reports on doing this. Can anyone give me a concrete answer? Seems pretty silly to purchase a ticket without 100% certainty

- Should i include a bank statement for proof of my finances? If so, should i attach it to the letter of invitation?

- I'm currently paying board at my residence, and don't have a rental agreement or a utility in my name. Do i need to include proof of my residential address, and what should i include, considering the above?

Finally,

Would this be a strong application? I'm feeling fairly confident about it, but there's always niggling doubts.

Thanks for any assistance.

[David48]

Can I suggest to start by readin the australian-tourist-visa-application pinned at the top of this Forum.

It was written 12, maybe 18 months ago, but still a lot of relevant information.

Importantly, there has been a change to the Visa Form and it's now called the 600 Visa

For the letter of invitation, who should i be addressing in the writing? My girlfriend, or is it a 'to whom it may concern' deal? Important things to include other than intention to support, plans for the trip etc?

For the Letter of Invitation I suggest an open address, as in addressing a 3^rd party.

PM me with your email address and I'll send you the one I used and others have used as a template.

- Seeing that the visa rules changed recently, and that an itinerary is now on the documents checklist, just how detailed should i make it? I've got main attractions and when we'll be seeing them, plus several weekend trips to places like Phillip Island, but i'm not entirely sure if 'less is more' or if we should go into more detail, considering it's a fairly long holiday.

For the itinerary, a solid structured plan is what I suggest. Hit the highlights ... don't try and do a day by day one for the period that she is visiting. Honestly, I don't think it's that important.

- We're not buying a ticket until we get confirmation for the visa. I've read mixed reports on doing this. Can anyone give me a concrete answer? Seems pretty silly to purchase a ticket without 100% certainty

Absolutely don't buy the ticket ... unless there is an unpassable bargain to be had. I got AirAsia to Bangkok for $280 this past year ... couldn't pass that up! I've never included a ticket with any of the gf's applications ... nor has it been asked for.

Ditto the Insurance. Just mention that you will purchase insurance of her behalf after the Visa is granted.

Just a thought on Insurance. The first two times, I didn't bother with insurance for the gf as the trips were for 10 days then 2 weeks and she said that she had international Hospital Cover as part of a premium she had purchased.

HAH ... yes, indeed she did have ... the allowance was for 1,000 baht a day ... the cost of a private room in a Thai government Hospital. On average, just the bed alone, no drugs, no operation etc in a government Hospital in Australia is about $270 a day and a private Hospital bed was about $600 a day..

- Should i include a bank statement for proof of my finances? If so, should i attach it to the letter of invitation?

Well, you have an interesting scenario as your lady has enough money (maybe) to apply in her own right. But better you show capacity as well. Don't need to go into great detail. Just show the cash in the Bank. Internet Statement is fine if it's official looking. I simply black out the BSB number and my Account number.

- I'm currently paying board at my residence, and don't have a rental agreement or a utility in my name. Do i need to include proof of my residential address, and what should i include, considering the above?

I wouldn't bother. They just want to see fiscal capacity of your behalf ... other arrangements are superfluous.

Would this be a strong application?

Absolutely, she is one of the lucky ones.

I haven't heard argument to the contrary ... one of the most important points to consider is the applicants strong reason to return to Thailand once the Visa has expired. I included this in my Support letter.

I've never done an application with just Skype or SMS.

I might be old school, but the occasional email doesn't go astray and great as evidence.

The Immigration Dept wants to grant the Visa ... just give the info to tick their boxes.

I worked in government for 5 years (not Immigration) ... there are procedures, check list and boxes to tick.

One tip with photos ... 'less is more' ... 3 photos at a Phuket Beach might be scenic but consider this ...

Take one decent photo and make it symbolic in a Thai way.

Yesterday was mothers Day so I had a snap of the thai gf and me (faces clearly showing ... if a little staged) presenting to Mother a gift ... a plant with a 1,000 Baht note attached.

I date and mention the setting in every photo ... the person reviewing the photo would instantly recognise that as Mothers Day ... August 12.

Same for Songrkan, Loy Kathrong, Christmas, Kings Birthday (Dec 5) ... everyone dressed in the Gold Shirt.

Some guys submit 100's of photos ... I think ... ... who wants to wade through other's tourists snaps? but, to each their own. I'm no expert. With photos, for me, 4 to a page, 8 - 16 is a good range ... if everyone is significant.

Passport scan and Visa entry pages scan are usual.

Once the application is completed, keep a copy for yourself.

The next Visa application will be a breeze and presuming she exits before the Visa finishes, the next tourist Visa is a breeze!

Currently processing time, if all the boxes are ticked seems to be about 10 - 14 days ... but the Embassy talks about a month.

Heck ... that's enough from me ... I'm sure the other guys have something to contribute as well.

OH ... it's a two way learning process and a changing situation. when your girl gets her Visa ... and I'm confident she will ... come back and tell us your story, because we can always learn a trick or two.

Good luck.

.

[absolute11]

Thanks for the in-depth reply, it's given me a nice confidence boost .

We have some emails, but most of them are dated back a while, before we started using skype as the primary communication tool. Might be able to scrounge up 1-2 for every 3 month period. I'll tell her to chuck them in.

I've also been scanning my phone bills and there should be calls registered from her, but they don't show up as they're incoming and don't recieve a charge. Might give optus a call and ask for a more detailed statement.

Throwing you a pm.

[David48]

If you have recorded some of the Skype communications and present them a slightly formal way ... might be good.

As for the phone records ... to be honest, doesn't really prove much ... but happy to be proved wrong.

For anyone else reading this ... a couple of emails a month goes a long way to ticking that communication box the Immigration guys have to tick.

[mickjn]

My son paid 40000 baht to an agent who did it the first time for her,came on a fiancee visa .Only problem was not enough money in the bank so he topped it up but wasnt much.I went over and picked her up she was scared to come on her own.She went back, came again didnt need the agent did it them selfs that time.She went back again.2 weeks ago I hear Papa Papa hello and she is running up the hall back again.Do it right the first time you have no problems

[Amras]

I can't see you having an issue. We just submitted (ie 9 days ago) my girlfriends second visa to Aus. Going to pick it up on Monday (can't see an issue with it). I never included an itinerary (if you read it, it says, IF you have a detailed plan of your holiday you can include your itinerary), it's not a must, I always just said visiting family, taking her around Melbourne etc. It Is a little different as I'm in Thailand with her though and my parents had been here before we first went to Aus.

Remember that something like 94% of tourist visa's get approved by the Aus embassy in Bangkok (there is no huge 50% failure that so many throw around). The one's that are getting denied aren't the applications that put effort into them like yours. They're half arse applications or questionable relationships with often bar girls. Show your visits to Thailand and that your relationship is genuine and that she has a job to come back to is pretty strong reason to return to Thailand.

My previous gf (ex) years ago, came to Australia when I was still living there and again, no issues.

I'd say your application fits pretty strong. The only issue with being in Aus (you), is to convince/show them that she will return to Thailand.

[krisb]

Tick the boxes, put application together neatly and orderly for your case officers benefit, and above all be honest.

[absolute11]

I'm now happy to report that the visa has been granted . Came through a couple of weeks ago, forgot about updating the topic. She's been given a 3 month multiple entry.

Some info for others making their application:

- Turnaround time from submission to visa grant was exactly 10 working days

- This application was made with skype logs and text messages as the primary communication, plus a handful of emails, so it IS acceptable to use these (i made a point to mention that skype was used for video chat in my letter, dunno if it was entirely necessary). I included a page for every 2 months from my phone bills that showed the text messages.

- I only was told this AFTER we had submitted the application, that the letter from her employer didn't actually mention that leave was granted. Apparently the GM at her company went a litle wierd and instructed the HR manager to only include her current position and salary level, even though the GM was the one who granted her leave. TIT, i guess. Freaked me out a bit while waiting for the application to return, but turned out to be a non-issue.

- I ended up being put onto a well-known visa agency that handles a lot of student visas, and for a modest (3000 bht) fee, they helped with sorting out and filling in the paperwork for the GF and process the application. It wasn't really necessary as the application ended up being pretty comprehensive, so I've been calling it the 'peace-of-mind' tax. All it really achieved was ensuring it didn't get knocked back because of a spelling error or one question filled in wrong on the application.

- I did end up including a rough itinerary of all the major attractions

- I included a 3 month bank statement, blacking out BSB and account numbers. It was just as easy downloading a pdf as screenshotting my internet bank balance, so i figured i might as well include it.

- The GF only included her savings account bank book with about ~120k baht in it.

- I didn't include any proof of my current residency, like a utility bill or a tennancy agreement

Hope that's useful for anyone else, big smiles all around for both of us at the moment.

Edited September 21, 2013 by absolute11

[Tomtomtom69]

Can I suggest to start by readin the australian-tourist-visa-application pinned at the top of this Forum.

It was written 12, maybe 18 months ago, but still a lot of relevant information.

Importantly, there has been a change to the Visa Form and it's now called the 600 Visa

For the letter of invitation, who should i be addressing in the writing? My girlfriend, or is it a 'to whom it may concern' deal? Important things to include other than intention to support, plans for the trip etc?

For the Letter of Invitation I suggest an open address, as in addressing a 3^rd party.

PM me with your email address and I'll send you the one I used and others have used as a template.

- Seeing that the visa rules changed recently, and that an itinerary is now on the documents checklist, just how detailed should i make it? I've got main attractions and when we'll be seeing them, plus several weekend trips to places like Phillip Island, but i'm not entirely sure if 'less is more' or if we should go into more detail, considering it's a fairly long holiday.

For the itinerary, a solid structured plan is what I suggest. Hit the highlights ... don't try and do a day by day one for the period that she is visiting. Honestly, I don't think it's that important.

- We're not buying a ticket until we get confirmation for the visa. I've read mixed reports on doing this. Can anyone give me a concrete answer? Seems pretty silly to purchase a ticket without 100% certainty

Absolutely don't buy the ticket ... unless there is an unpassable bargain to be had. I got AirAsia to Bangkok for $280 this past year ... couldn't pass that up! I've never included a ticket with any of the gf's applications ... nor has it been asked for.

Ditto the Insurance. Just mention that you will purchase insurance of her behalf after the Visa is granted.

Just a thought on Insurance. The first two times, I didn't bother with insurance for the gf as the trips were for 10 days then 2 weeks and she said that she had international Hospital Cover as part of a premium she had purchased.

HAH ... yes, indeed she did have ... the allowance was for 1,000 baht a day ... the cost of a private room in a Thai government Hospital. On average, just the bed alone, no drugs, no operation etc in a government Hospital in Australia is about $270 a day and a private Hospital bed was about $600 a day..

- Should i include a bank statement for proof of my finances? If so, should i attach it to the letter of invitation?

Well, you have an interesting scenario as your lady has enough money (maybe) to apply in her own right. But better you show capacity as well. Don't need to go into great detail. Just show the cash in the Bank. Internet Statement is fine if it's official looking. I simply black out the BSB number and my Account number.

- I'm currently paying board at my residence, and don't have a rental agreement or a utility in my name. Do i need to include proof of my residential address, and what should i include, considering the above?

I wouldn't bother. They just want to see fiscal capacity of your behalf ... other arrangements are superfluous.

Would this be a strong application?

Absolutely, she is one of the lucky ones.

I haven't heard argument to the contrary ... one of the most important points to consider is the applicants strong reason to return to Thailand once the Visa has expired. I included this in my Support letter.

I've never done an application with just Skype or SMS.

I might be old school, but the occasional email doesn't go astray and great as evidence.

The Immigration Dept wants to grant the Visa ... just give the info to tick their boxes.

I worked in government for 5 years (not Immigration) ... there are procedures, check list and boxes to tick.

One tip with photos ... 'less is more' ... 3 photos at a Phuket Beach might be scenic but consider this ...

Take one decent photo and make it symbolic in a Thai way.

Yesterday was mothers Day so I had a snap of the thai gf and me (faces clearly showing ... if a little staged) presenting to Mother a gift ... a plant with a 1,000 Baht note attached.

I date and mention the setting in every photo ... the person reviewing the photo would instantly recognise that as Mothers Day ... August 12.

Same for Songrkan, Loy Kathrong, Christmas, Kings Birthday (Dec 5) ... everyone dressed in the Gold Shirt.

Some guys submit 100's of photos ... I think ... ... who wants to wade through other's tourists snaps? but, to each their own. I'm no expert. With photos, for me, 4 to a page, 8 - 16 is a good range ... if everyone is significant.

Passport scan and Visa entry pages scan are usual.

Once the application is completed, keep a copy for yourself.

The next Visa application will be a breeze and presuming she exits before the Visa finishes, the next tourist Visa is a breeze!

Currently processing time, if all the boxes are ticked seems to be about 10 - 14 days ... but the Embassy talks about a month.

Heck ... that's enough from me ... I'm sure the other guys have something to contribute as well.

OH ... it's a two way learning process and a changing situation. when your girl gets her Visa ... and I'm confident she will ... come back and tell us your story, because we can always learn a trick or two.

Good luck.

.

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary. I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved. All that is needed is sufficient means of support and a good reason to return back home prior to her visitor visa or other temporary visa type expiring. Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

[David48]

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary. I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved. All that is needed is sufficient means of support and a good reason to return back home prior to her visitor visa or other temporary visa type expiring. Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary.

The Visa Rules changed ... "From 23 March 2013, a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa has been introduced to replace the previous Tourist (Subclass 676) visa." http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/600.htm

From the checklist for the a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa (Tourist Stream) ...

Documents to show you are a genuine visitor

□ If you are visiting under the Tourist stream: Your itinerary for your stay in Australia.

http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/visitor/_pdf/600-document-checklist.pdf

(Bottom of Page 2)

I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved.

Great that your Fiancée's visa application was approved, but the OP asked about a "getting a holiday visa for my girlfriend instead"

Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

Agreed ... and they don't have to

I hope things go well for you and your Fiancée.

Indeed, I don't think anyone has recently written about their experiences applying for a Fiancée Visa, so it might be great to update the readers here?

.

[krisb]

Fiancee visas just another visa in effect. No big deal really. Takes a while to get approved and has its requirements such as getting married. From that visa the partner visa is given pretty easily. Ours was handed out 2 weeks after the fiancee visa ended. My wife hasnt gone home except for holidays since arriving on a fiancee visa.

[Tomtomtom69]

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary. I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved. All that is needed is sufficient means of support and a good reason to return back home prior to her visitor visa or other temporary visa type expiring. Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary.

The Visa Rules changed ... "From 23 March 2013, a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa has been introduced to replace the previous Tourist (Subclass 676) visa." http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/600.htm

From the checklist for the a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa (Tourist Stream) ...

Documents to show you are a genuine visitor

□ If you are visiting under the Tourist stream: Your itinerary for your stay in Australia.

http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/visitor/_pdf/600-document-checklist.pdf

(Bottom of Page 2)

I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved.

Great that your Fiancée's visa application was approved, but the OP asked about a "getting a holiday visa for my girlfriend instead"

Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

Agreed ... and they don't have to

I hope things go well for you and your Fiancée.

Indeed, I don't think anyone has recently written about their experiences applying for a Fiancée Visa, so it might be great to update the readers here?

.

Well an itinerary per se is not required, just as a plane ticket isn't required. While China might want to see a plane ticket from some applicants for a tourist visa, Australia advises exactly the opposite - don't even buy one until your visa has been approved. You can write down a planned itinerary if you want, but just like the other documents you could supply, it depends on the applicant, their length of stay and purpose of stay. It's up to you to decide what to supply, and what not to bother supplying. While some countries are very specific about what you must submit to get approved (like China) others such as Australia leave it largely up to you in order to show sufficient proof that the applicant will leave the country prior to visa expiry.

[David48]

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary. I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved. All that is needed is sufficient means of support and a good reason to return back home prior to her visitor visa or other temporary visa type expiring. Besides, how would a visitor who has no intention of travelling but rather, is just visiting their spouse/family etc. in one city be able to supply an itinerary?

The visa rules didn't change recently to include a travel itinerary.

The Visa Rules changed ... "From 23 March 2013, a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa has been introduced to replace the previous Tourist (Subclass 676) visa." http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/600.htm

From the checklist for the a new Visitor (Subclass 600) visa (Tourist Stream) ...

Documents to show you are a genuine visitor

□ If you are visiting under the Tourist stream: Your itinerary for your stay in Australia.

http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/visitor/_pdf/600-document-checklist.pdf

(Bottom of Page 2)

I didn't supply one for my fiance's visa application and it was approved.

Great that your Fiancée's visa application was approved, but the OP asked about a "getting a holiday visa for my girlfriend instead"

.

Well an itinerary per se is not required, <snip>

Just for clarity Tomtomtom69, are you saying that it's not required to have an attached itinerary for a Fiancée Visa application ... or

... are you saying that it's not required to have an attached itinerary for a Visitor (Subclass 600) Tourist stream Visa application?

You did read the check-list provided above?

http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/visitor/_pdf/600-document-checklist.pdf

(Bottom of Page 2)