Tourist visa to Australia for wife. Possible?

[sikishrory]

Of course it's "possible". However, my circumstances seem to make it very difficult.

First time she went was when I was employed in Australia and had an address there. We were not married. We used a cheap Thai visa agent to prepare the documents as she didn't have time. It was a success.

Now we want to go again just for a couple of weeks.

This time my sitution is different. We are now married. I have a substantial amount of money but am unemployed. I rent/live in an abode in thailand so have no address in Australia. Her situation is same she makes just 17,000 a month working in hospital and a lot of that goes to family I think. 

So I recently approached 2 visa agents again. They both say get my family to do an invitation/sponsor letter for her. I have spoken with family and they are happy to do a stat dec stating we will stay at their home during the trip... I suppose immigration want to see you have a place to stay and I don't want to produce hotel bookings.

My plan was to combine this stat dec with my own financial sponsor letter. Agents don't seem to think this is a good idea. Although they are Thai and probably don't understand the meaning of "statutory declaration".

Other idea was to just deposit a sum of money into her account perhaps 3 months before the application and let her try herself with that money. I was thinking 2 or 3 hundered thousand baht. 

My father finds it difficult to understand that it is so much trouble to bring my wife to Australia.

The deposting money thing and also the full financial sponsorship from a family member kind of takes the fun out of it all for me to be honest. I would rather not go than ask my dad for bank statements and letters of employment.

So will probably go somewhere else. Just thought I would post here incase I was wrong about something. Maybe someone has a better idea?

[simple1]

Plenty of people have obtained tourist visa for their partner whilst living in Thailand. As you wife works in a hospital can she not obtain a letter from her employer confirming her pay, employment and leave granted. In conjunction a copy of your marriage certificate, and your sponsorship with funds in bank should be sufficient.

 

If you're comfortable with online applications, can do so yourself at:

 

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/600-/Visitor-e600-visa-online-applications

[Will27]

You're overthinking this.

 

No need for Stat Dec's for a visitor visa. Immigration don't require them so save yourself some time and forget them.

You also don't need an invitation letter from your family.

 

Just a stock standard visa application using your parents address and a copy of your bank account statement.

Your girlfriend has been before and this will be in her favour.

 

If you're comfortable with filling out paperwork, do it yourself and save yourself some coin.

It's not that hard.

 

 

[mfd101]

(1) Do it yourself. Stupid to pay agents (who may be incompetent or dishonest). Given the details of past visit & current employment, should be no prob. Dealing direct with the people at the Trendy in soi 13 Sukhumvit is probably helpful - they see you & she are nice, truthful, well-dressed, no b/s ...

(2) You're an Oz citizen returning home to visit family for 2 weeks. The fact that you now live in Thailand is not an issue. Your WIFE (with marriage cert) is accompanying her HUSBAND on family visit. Return air tickets might be useful but not essential (if she's already been once and obeyed the rules, there should be no trouble - the key is: Always enter on the date planned & LEAVE on the date planned). Not sure her bank balance (or yours) or her employment details at the hospital will help, but can't do any harm.

 

[Northpoint]

My de facto wife made six visits to Australia on tourist visas, when we lived together in Thailand. I was never employed when living  in Thailand, but always had sufficient funds to support us in Thailand and to afford the 3-months holidays. My de facto was working in a factory in Bangkok before we met and then stopped work, when I asked her to move in with me.

 

When she applied for her first tourist visa, she asked her previous employer for a letter about her employment history. Her employer's letter also said that she would get her old job back, if there was a need to do so. Get your wife to get a similar letter from her employer. This will help to prove that she has a reason to return to Thailand.

 

Like your wife, my de facto had no savings from her job. All her income went to support her family as well. VFS will want a copy of a Thai Savings account from her and from you. 100 K baht in her account will be more than enough. Your account will need to have sufficient funds to show that you are able to pay for all expenses in Australia and when you return. VFS will ask for copies of your and her bank accounts covering the last six month.

 

I always had my own condominium (unit) in Australia, so I gave VFS a copy of the title. You are only staying a couple of weeks in Australia, versus the 3 months during our visits. A letter from your parents saying you will be staying at their place might be a good idea, but I don't think it will be necessary. If you have a Tabien Baan (house book) showing your wife's name in it, give a copy to VFS and your marriage certificate as well. You don't need translations into English of Thai documents for an Australian tourist visa. I only needed translations when I applied for a partner visa last year. 

 

I always got  2 or 3 short letters from friends in Thailand when applying for tourist visas, saying that I was living in a happy realationship with my de facto. I always included a photo copy of their Aussie passport or their Thai I.D. card. They were just brief letters and not statutory declarations. A few photos of you and your wife together with friends or family might help as well.

 

I think you will have no problems getting another tourist visa.  There is no need to buy a return ticket before applying for a tourist visa. You will have three months time to leave for Australia after the Visa Grant, so there will be plenty of time to look for a cheaper ticket with one budget airlines, Jetstar, Air Asia etc.

 

 

[sikishrory]

Thanks for the answers. Some good information in there.

Before we used a agent as she couldn't get time of work to do it herself and for 3500 baht it saved us the hassle.

It seems like this next time I need to do it myself as anything outside of collecting and submitting documents these Thai agents are incapable it seems.

I will try again in September when we have time. 

A couple of questions. 

She is thinking of leaving work at the hospital to make time for this holiday and as she has another job lined up. I assume if shes unemployed that changes everything? Perhaps wait till the visa is approved and she has her letter of employment and then quit?

Other thing, someone mentioned applying online. Is this possible with Thai citizens?

[simple1]

6 hours ago, sikishrory said:

Thanks for the answers. Some good information in there.

Before we used a agent as she couldn't get time of work to do it herself and for 3500 baht it saved us the hassle.

It seems like this next time I need to do it myself as anything outside of collecting and submitting documents these Thai agents are incapable it seems.

I will try again in September when we have time. 

A couple of questions. 

She is thinking of leaving work at the hospital to make time for this holiday and as she has another job lined up. I assume if shes unemployed that changes everything? Perhaps wait till the visa is approved and she has her letter of employment and then quit?

Other thing, someone mentioned applying online. Is this possible with Thai citizens?

'Yes' to both your questions

[Will27]

8 hours ago, sikishrory said:

Thanks for the answers. Some good information in there.

Before we used a agent as she couldn't get time of work to do it herself and for 3500 baht it saved us the hassle.

It seems like this next time I need to do it myself as anything outside of collecting and submitting documents these Thai agents are incapable it seems.

I will try again in September when we have time. 

A couple of questions. 

She is thinking of leaving work at the hospital to make time for this holiday and as she has another job lined up. I assume if shes unemployed that changes everything? Perhaps wait till the visa is approved and she has her letter of employment and then quit?

Other thing, someone mentioned applying online. Is this possible with Thai citizens?

It would be preferable to have a letter of employment but it's not a deal breaker.

 

Your wife is going with you to visit Australia and you she will be returning with you back to Thailand.

It would be a different situation if you lived in Oz and she lived in Thailand.

[mfd101]

33 minutes ago, Will27 said:

It would be preferable to have a letter of employment but it's not a deal breaker.

 

Your wife is going with you to visit Australia and you she will be returning with you back to Thailand.

It would be a different situation if you lived in Oz and she lived in Thailand.

Entirely agree.

[sikishrory]

Picked up her visa today from vfs. 

It was rushed to get it in the day we submitted it but still fairly comprehensive. 

Screenshots of chats

Pictures together

Marriage certificate translated to thai

All my bank account statements and an invitation letter saying we would stay with family mostly.

All her docs and a few more of mine showing that although unemployed currently I have a good employment history.

I didn't get any stat decs. Thank god. That would have been a waste of time. 

Also she did leave her job and that didn't seem to make a differance.

So both unemployed with no real evidence of a place to stay. Her broke.

So for people reading this in future I guess really all that matters is showing I had a good bunch of cash and perhaps also her successful previous visit.

So stoked to be going on holiday.