Joint bank account to help with gaining visas

[HuckAuffority]

Hello gentlemen, new member here seeking advice.

I would like to open a joint bank account with my Thai girlfriend to help solidify our claim to genuine relationship status. I am a full time working Australian, and she is a Thai university student. She has no income except for what her mother sends her to live off, which is not enough to save.

We will be applying for her first tourist visa in about May and hope to get a 6 month visit to Australia. She will obtain a letter that states she will need to return by February 2016 to receive her diploma from the Royal Family.

My question is, how, and where, should we open a joint account?

Can it all be done while we are not physically together? I was not planning to visit Thailand again until after she has used the tourist visa. We will then apply for prospective marriage visa.

[Larz2013]

Hello gentlemen, new member here seeking advice.

I would like to open a joint bank account with my Thai girlfriend to help solidify our claim to genuine relationship status. I am a full time working Australian, and she is a Thai university student. She has no income except for what her mother sends her to live off, which is not enough to save.

We will be applying for her first tourist visa in about May and hope to get a 6 month visit to Australia. She will obtain a letter that states she will need to return by February 2016 to receive her diploma from the Royal Family.

My question is, how, and where, should we open a joint account?

Can it all be done while we are not physically together? I was not planning to visit Thailand again until after she has used the tourist visa. We will then apply for prospective marriage visa.

To open a joint bank account, you need to both sign the application papers etc in the shop, also show your passport.

Im a female aussie, thai boyfriend. Together 3 yrs. We opened a bank with K Bank, but noone else would give us one, as i dont have a work permit.

send money to her thai bank account regularly. Then print off the history of her account.

[HuckAuffority]

I could do that but i would prefer a joint one, to help with the partner visas in the future.

Another idea i have is for us to open a joint account with an Australian bank. She can sign onto it when she gets here, funds can not be withdrawn until she signs onto it in person. Has anyone done this before?

She can open her own Aus account here, however i am afraid that if i keep putting money into it they may think she is working or earning the money somehow.

If i send money to her Thai account, we will lose out twice on exchange rates, when it is converted to THB and then again when withdrawn as AUD.

[wooloomooloo]

If i send money to her Thai account, we will lose out twice on exchange rates, when it is converted to THB and then again when withdrawn as AUD.

You've lost me.

There's little benefit to a joint bank account anyway. It doesn't prove anything and if set up shortly before an application then it could appear contrived.

[wooloomooloo]

Duplicate post.

Edited January 27, 2015 by wooloomooloo

[HuckAuffority]

But it is contrived.

Why is that bad?

Im trying to prove our relationship is genuine.

[HuckAuffority]

If i send money to her Thai account, we will lose out twice on exchange rates, when it is converted to THB and then again when withdrawn as AUD.

You've lost me.

There's little benefit to a joint bank account anyway. It doesn't prove anything and if set up shortly before an application then it could appear contrived.

Re: the quote, what i mean by that is, my bank does not offer a full exchange rate, they shave a bit off for their own gain, and will then do the same again when the THB is returned to me for us to use in Australia.

The whole point of the exercise is to show she has cash available to use on the holiday because she has zero income. I will be her sponsor but im concerned that will not be enough for immigration.

If we show she has steady cash supply into a joint account, would that not increase our chance of approval?

[Will27]

If i send money to her Thai account, we will lose out twice on exchange rates, when it is converted to THB and then again when withdrawn as AUD.

You've lost me.

There's little benefit to a joint bank account anyway. It doesn't prove anything and if set up shortly before an application then it could appear contrived.

Re: the quote, what i mean by that is, my bank does not offer a full exchange rate, they shave a bit off for their own gain, and will then do the same again when the THB is returned to me for us to use in Australia.

The whole point of the exercise is to show she has cash available to use on the holiday because she has zero income. I will be her sponsor but im concerned that will not be enough for immigration.

If we show she has steady cash supply into a joint account, would that not increase our chance of approval?

Suggest you have a read here first.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/534835-australian-tourist-visa-application/

As wooloomooloo has pointed out, a joint bank account (especially for a tourist visa) doesn't really help anyway.

As you will be sponsoring her, as long as you provide your finacncial details, that will be sufficient.

It also will be a lot easier to get a 3 month visa than one for 6 months.

Will you be on holidays while she is in Australia? The reason I ask is that 6 months is along time for a first visit.

Anyway, length of time known etc will be viewed more importantly than a joint account anyway.

Good luck with it.

[HuckAuffority]

Yes i have read that thread start to finish and all relevant official forms.

We are applying for 6 because she will need to return in 7 anyway and would then be applying for another 3 anyway if it was only 3 for the first one.

Just trying to save on flights. We want to live here together.

She has no other reason to return other than her graduation and i dont want her to start working there.

[Will27]

Yes i have read that thread start to finish and all relevant official forms.

We are applying for 6 because she will need to return in 7 anyway and would then be applying for another 3 anyway if it was only 3 for the first one.

Just trying to save on flights. We want to live here together.

She has no other reason to return other than her graduation and i dont want her to start working there.

It's very unusual for Immigration to grant a 6 month toursit visa, especially for a first one.

If I were you, I would start working on a reason to return as that will be one of the main

things they will be looking for.

If a visa is granted, there will be a high probability it will have condition 8503 No Further Stay.

DIAC will also want to see a reasonable amount of time between visits unless a multiple Entry

visa is granted. So you might want to rethink your strategy of applying for another one straight

away if that's what your were considering.

[HuckAuffority]

The reason to return is the graduation ceremony in 2016 (7 months away from planned arrival) of which i will be attending aswell.

No further stay is fine. We will be applying for prospective marriage visa in early 2016.

[Larz2013]

The reason to return is the graduation ceremony in 2016 (7 months away from planned arrival) of which i will be attending aswell.

No further stay is fine. We will be applying for prospective marriage visa in early 2016.

Having a joint bank, where money only comes from your account, isnt going to do you any favours.

Like i said, send money to her account. Thats actually better for the visa, than a joint account.

We have been through the process, i only went to australia for a few months, twice, and sent money every fortnight while i was away. He saved it in his account for my return.

Yes, its annoying with exchange rates.... But welcome to all those annoying things u have to do to get an Australian visa

[HuckAuffority]

If it does not help with visas then i see no reason to even do it.

I had read that having joint accounts help with establishing the relationship as genuine.

I guess not.

[umbanda]

If she is an university student here, I think will be easier to get an Australian short term student visa to learn English or for other learning programs..and...get married in Australia is that is really in your plans...

[HuckAuffority]

Thats the plan.

A language course is of no advantage as they can be done on a 3 month visa and her english is almost as good as mine anyway.

Ive looked into an education visa and all the courses are useless and overpriced.

I can get her work here when the visa allows it without further study.

If worst comes to worst we can apply for the prospective marriage visa earlier, however it will mean she will have to move back to thailand for 4 months and sit on her backside doing nothing but waiting and bludging off her poor mother. She may aswell be here. I can afford it.

I dont want her to work there. It will be hard enough removing her recent "education" from her brain. I do not want her to pick up a Thai work ethic and have to train that out of her too.

[stickylies]

Having a joint bank, where money only comes from your account, isnt going to do you any favours.

except on the highly dubious "karma" front of course ;-)

"him good man, him take care me very big"

[HuckAuffority]

So moving on from bank accounts, how can i improve my chances of 6 months over 3 months?

I have the reason to return which will include a dated official letter from the university.

I will be taking one day a week off (so working 4 days per week) when she is here, so we will have ample time to explore the countryside.

The only other thing i can think of his having a letter from my mother, who is a grey nomad currently driving around the countryside in a caravan, stating she will join her for a few months driving down from Port Douglas to Adelaide. The coastal route.

Would this help?

[Will27]

So moving on from bank accounts, how can i improve my chances of 6 months over 3 months?

I have the reason to return which will include a dated official letter from the university.

I will be taking one day a week off (so working 4 days per week) when she is here, so we will have ample time to explore the countryside.

The only other thing i can think of his having a letter from my mother, who is a grey nomad currently driving around the countryside in a caravan, stating she will join her for a few months driving down from Port Douglas to Adelaide. The coastal route.

Would this help?

In a word no.

You can request 6 months but as I've said, they're rarely given.

What does your girlfriend think about sitting at home by herself for 4

days a week for 6 months?

I reckon your best bet is to ask for 6 months but expect 3.

That is assuming you get a visa at all.

You haven't really provided enough details to assume that she will get one.

[HuckAuffority]

She loves the idea because she will be out exploring.

What other details would you need?

[billphillips]

For a tourist visa .... Forget any details about the girls bank, home, work or anything else. You will be her sponsor and as such your details will be the only consideration for the visa. You will need to prove your finances, residence, health care and general ability to provide everything needed for the duration of her stay, including the return flight for the visitor.

[HuckAuffority]

Thats easy enough.

I will be paying for all of the above.

[Will27]

She loves the idea because she will be out exploring.

What other details would you need?

I don't know what you could provide to obtain one to be honest.

Like I said before, they're very hard to get. I haven't heard

of anyone getting a 6 month tourist visa for ages.

DIAC look at it as if 3 months in Australia is more than sufficient

for tourist purposes.

And especially if it's a first time, your chances would be remote I think.

Like I said, you can ask for 6 but prepare for 3.

** Edit: I'm not sure if your partner will qualify for a working holiday visa.

Check out s/c 417 and 462 visas.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Will27

[HuckAuffority]

Im not after a working holiday visa. I can get her long term work, not short term.

Working can wait until she has PR.

[HuckAuffority]

The 6 months would be more suitable for us to find out wether we really are marriage material for each other.

3 months is not long enough for that, and we wont be playing tourists for those first 3 months as it will be the middle of winter, ie freezing cold and wet and football season.

[Will27]

The 6 months would be more suitable for us to find out wether we really are marriage material for each other.

3 months is not long enough for that, and we wont be playing tourists for those first 3 months as it will be the middle of winter, ie freezing cold and wet and football season.

I wouldn't mention that in your application.

Why not put off the application for 3 months and wait for nicer

weather if that''s the case?

How long have you known her?

If you're not sure now, perhaps you're moving a bit fast.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Will27

[Will27]

She loves the idea because she will be out exploring.

What other details would you need?

I don't know what you could provide to obtain one to be honest.

Like I said before, they're very hard to get. I haven't heard

of anyone getting a 6 month tourist visa for ages.

DIAC look at it as if 3 months in Australia is more than sufficient

for tourist purposes.

And especially if it's a first time, your chances would be remote I think.

Like I said, you can ask for 6 but prepare for 3.

** Edit: I'm not sure if your partner will qualify for a working holiday visa.

Check out s/c 417 and 462 visas.

Sorry, she wouldn't qualify for s/c 417 but she might for a 462.

Anyway, it would at least get her to Australia for a year.

[krisb]

Im not after a working holiday visa. I can get her long term work, not short term.

Working can wait until she has PR.

Just until she gets the partner visa. Temporary is fine to work.

I don't think a joint bank account means much really. Its a holiday and you're the sponsor, but up to you.

[HuckAuffority]

Im not after a working holiday visa. I can get her long term work, not short term.

Working can wait until she has PR.

Just until she gets the partner visa. Temporary is fine to work.

I don't think a joint bank account means much really. Its a holiday and you're the sponsor, but up to you.

I had never heard of this visa, it would be a great option, i did not see any details about sponsorship however, it only stated that she would need $5000 aud available (which wont happen).

Does she need to have employer/course lined up before she gets here?

Are there any threads specific to that visa?

[krisb]

Im not after a working holiday visa. I can get her long term work, not short term.

Working can wait until she has PR.

Just until she gets the partner visa. Temporary is fine to work.

I don't think a joint bank account means much really. Its a holiday and you're the sponsor, but up to you.

I had never heard of this visa, it would be a great option, i did not see any details about sponsorship however, it only stated that she would need $5000 aud available (which wont happen).

Does she need to have employer/course lined up before she gets here?

Are there any threads specific to that visa?

Temporary is the first part of the partner visa. Second part is called permanent.

Your partner can work on both.

Have you looked on the Australian visas website?

[HuckAuffority]

Yes i have. She technically is not my partner as we only physically met in October.