Getting an Australian visa for your Thai girlfriend, partner or spouse to travel to a foreign country can be difficult. Australian visas can be harder than most, and sometimes the process is lengthy and the paperwork required substantial. So is it worth hiring an Immigration Lawyer, or should you have a shot at applying for the visa yourself?  A friend of ours, John, weighs up the pros and cons of hiring an Immigration Lawyer (with some hearty advice) if you are planning on applying for an Australian visa on behalf of your Thai girlfriend, wife or spouse.

Applying for a visa for your girlfriend?

Most of the guys I know who fall in love with a Thai girl are geuniunly looking for love and a long-lasting relationship. I don’t buy the whole ‘sex pat’ stereotype, sure there are some out there that fulfill the stereotype to a tee… But most of the blokes I know are just ordinary blokes, looking for love (or at the very least companionship) –  with someone who is pretty and cute and who will accept them for who they are. Afterall who doesn’t want a pretty girl by their side?

I first came to thailand seven years ago, and have been here, on and off ever since.  I guess I’ve seen it all over the years, and if I’ve not seen it, I’ve certainly heard it all anyway! Oh the stories! I could write a book! Some guys have made it here, while others have fallen by the wayside. Some found the love of their lives and have been together, happily, ever since. Others bedded a few too many bar girls, got burned and went home, never to return. Or else they went on to find haunts that were more suited to their tastes…The Philippines or Cambodia are just two other destinations that appeal.

There are some who love Thailand so damn much they embrace everything about it, becoming more native than the natives. They claim to hate anything ‘farang’, choosing to embrace Thai culture and customs instead. I wish them luck with that one… it’s not for me! These guys, the ‘Cheap Charlie’s', live like a local on a measly allowance, in predominantly local areas. I call it struggle street, and would hate an existence like that. I guess it’s horses for courses because at the other end of the spectrum you get those who never accept Thai culture at all. These are the ones you hear, propped up on bar stools, complaining loudly about Thailand and it’s people, about the corruption and hard it is to get anything done. They live it up, in Thailand like the hero. They are the big man here for a short time, staying in expensive hotels, and renting luxury villas.  Eventually though, the cash runs out and they too end up jaded and burnt out,  and they go home broke with stories their mates back home would never even dream about. Where do you go after Thailand? What do you do for kicks?

Australia bound

For me and my mates, Thailand is somewhere that we will always come back to. But home is home. We earn our money at home and spent it in Thailand. We work hard, but we make sure we play even harder! I don’t want to live in Thailand, and end up being jaded with the place, cause let’s face it, it sure does have it’s problems… And some of the guys just can’t seem to stay out of trouble… But for me, once I’d met Lei, I just knew that we had to make Australia our home. As soon as I met her I knew I wanted to take her back. She was really excited to go, I think she was a bit apprehensive too, and she was worried about how expensive everything would be. I guess I figured she’d either love it or hate it.

She’d had a passport before, and she had two previous visa refusals to the UK and to Sweden. I had never done a visa application before, so I wasn’t sure how easy or difficult it was going to be to get her one. I looked for information online, and figured I’d do it myself, how hard could it be? The thing is I actually did find it quite difficult… I looked at hiring an Immigration Lawyers , but mostly couldn’t afford their fees. One offered me a ‘free visa” – I only had to pay if the visa was successful – but the advice of a British mate of mine was to steer clear of these services, as you usually end up having to pay much more in the long run in expensive and unnecessary ‘extras’. I realized then that you have to do your homework, and that getting your girl to Australia isn’t always as straight forward as you might think at first.

Hiring an Immigration Lawyer

I only found a decent Australian Immigration Lawyer at the last minute. But I’m reallly glad I did. He was gold. For a fraction of the normal fee, he offered me full support by email. I could ask him as many questions as I needed to, and got a fully detailed response back. This guy didn’t mess around and was as professional as they come. The service he offered me was top notch, and he gave me thorough advice on my situation. I was able to upload my documents and get all the Thai translations done at a fraction of the cost back in Australia. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him, and I will use him again further down the track when we go for our spouse visa.

My absolute total advice to you on the question of whether or not to hire an Immigration Lawyer is : do your homework when applying for an Australian visa for your girlfriend, wife or spouse!

If you can’t do the visa yourself, or think it will be too complicated, get yourself a qualified, experienced Immigration Lawyer, who knows Thailand and how to get things done here, not some fly-by-night who runs a one man show from Pattaya or Phuket.

Shop around and compare the prices on offer, and find out exactly what the service involves. Are there any hidden fees? Do you have to pay upfront?

If an Immigration Lawyer you contact makes any outstanding claims at visa success, or guarantees a certain outcome then I would avoid them completely – because no one can guarantee the successful outcome of a visa. So remember if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

finally, heres a couple of the more reputable Immigration Lawyers that offer visa advice for Australia. I’m not recommending them, as I haven’t used their service, but it will give you a few leads to follow up if you are chosing not to do the visa yourself and you wish to hire the services of a qualified and reputable Immigration Lawyer. Good luck.

Australian Visa Bureau

Migration Expert

Migration Expert is located at:

329 Queensberry Street

North Melbourne

Victoria 3051

Australia

Tel: +61 (0)3 9320 5999

Office Hours

• Monday to Friday, 9:00 – 17:00 (closed on Australian Public Holidays)