The opportunity to come to Australia can be life-changing for many but the tourist visa application process can be complex. What seemed straightforward to Anastasias and Sakunphet ended up being a process filled with complications and refusals.
Business professional Anastasias runs a successful consulting business in Sydney working with clients looking to increase their business’ growth. As the son of immigrant parents, Anastasias is well aware of the life-changing opportunities available to immigrants who decide to make Australia their home.
On a recent trip to Thailand, he met his partner Sakunphet. As he got to know her, she shared her dream of a fresh start. Thailand’s a great country but the opportunities for people to get ahead and forge a different path in life are very few.
Sakunphet, a nurse in Thailand currently works in her family’s business. While she’s happy with the life she leads, she also recognises that to have the financial freedom she wants, she needs to start a new chapter in her life. Most likely in a country other than Thailand.
While Anastasias acknowledges Sakunphet could have had a new start anywhere in the world he suggested the idea of her giving Australia a go. Aside from Sakunphet and Anastasias being able to work on their relationship, as a nurse, Sakunphet’s skills are in high demand in Australia so she would have potential job opportunities.
There is a shortage of nurses worldwide and almost every country struggles to find nurses to staff healthcare systems. Health services are under increased pressure, and just recently the Australian government revealed that registered nurses and midwives in particular are in high demand. [1]
The Unknown
While it all seemed wonderful and like an obvious choice given Anastasias lives in Australia, both Anastasias and Sakunphet were well aware that it may not pan out exactly as they hoped. This decision was all about Sakunphet potentially building a better life in another country, but they also had to consider, Sakunphet having never been to Australia before may not like Australia and decide to return to Thailand. The best way to see if Australia was for Sakunphet was to apply for a tourist visa.
The Uncertainty – of a Tourist Visa
Tourist visas (Visitor Visas) allow people to visit Australia on a temporary basis as a tourist, for business purposes or to visit family and friends. The type of tourist visa you have been granted determines the length of time you can stay in Australia; this can vary from three to 12 months. Tourist visas can be applied for onshore or offshore and each stream has its own application conditions and eligibility criteria. Processing times for tourist visas can take anywhere from two days to a little over a month depending on the stream of tourist visa you are applying for. More information about tourist visas can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.
To Anastasias and Sakunphet it all seemed so easy. Anastasias speaks English and can fill out the application, Sakunphet can get all her paperwork in order, applying for a visa should be easy! If only it were that simple.
Want to learn more about tourist visas or any other aspect of migration? Speak to a member of the Visa Solutions team.
[1] Best Practice Nursing, https://bpna.com.au/blog/where-did-all-the-nurses-go-can-australia-find-enough-nurses-to-meet-the-increasing-demand-for-healthcare-services/
