If your Thai girlfriend wants a visitor visa to visit Australia, there a certain steps that she must go through. Unlike many other countries, Australia does not have a visa on arrival program. Therefore, anyone traveling to Australia must have a valid visa before they arrive. In fact, if you don’t have a valid Australian visa you will not be able to board your flight. Airlines face very stiff penalties for any passenger that arrives in Australia without a valid visa. It’s a fact, it is a lot easier for some nationalities to obtain a visa than it is for others, unfortunately, Thailand is not one of them.
Are Thai citizens eligible for an ETA visa?
Thai citizens are not eligible to apply for an ETA visa and must, therefore, apply for a subclass 600 visitor visa under the tourist stream. After the visitor visa application has been submitted a decision whether to grant the visa or not usually takes around 2 weeks. It is however always advisable to apply well in advance of the proposed dates of travel to Australia, but not more than 3 months from this date.
Preparing your Thai girlfriend’s visitor visa
Your Thai girlfriend’s visitor visa application must include sufficient evidence that shows that she has a genuine intention to visit Australia temporarily. If her application does not meet this criterion, she will be refused a visitor visa as she has not satisfied clause 600.211 of the Migration Regulations 1994. If her visa application is refused, that decision is final and cannot be the subject of any review.
My Thai girlfriend was refused a visitor visa to Australia, can she apply again?
Whilst your Thai girlfriend can apply again for another visitor visa, unless the reasons for the refusal are adequately addressed, it is unlikely that the result of a further application will be any different. Of the clients that approach us that have been refused a visitor visa, the majority is because they did not satisfy the genuine intention to visit Australia temporarily. We work with our clients to submit a stronger application that addresses the reasons for the refusal against the criterion provided for in the Migration Regulations.
After your Thai girlfriend applies for a visitor visa to Australia
After the visitor visa application has been submitted your Thai girlfriend will receive a formal acknowledgment that the Department has received her application. However, it does not stop there, she will also receive a request to provide biometrics for an Australian visa which must be done at the Australian Visa Application Centre in either Chiang Mai or Bangkok. If the biometrics are not done in the required time her visitor visa will be refused. We are often approached by people that were refused a visitor visa because they failed to read the request to provide the biometrics for their visa application
How long can my Thai girlfriend stay in Australia on a visitor visa?
Any period of stay granted is at the discretion of the Department. Visitor visas can be granted for 3, 6, or 12 months, they can also be single or multiple entries. If you are requesting multiple entries, at the time of application you must provide reasons for travel outside of Australia during the period of stay you have requested. This visa grant notice will also stipulate the date you must arrive in Australia before your visa expires. As long as you arrive before this date, you are then permitted to remain for the period of stay you have been granted.
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