Australian Tourist Visa from Philippines for loving couples
Australian tourist visa applications from Philippines to Australia for loving Australian Filipina couples are extremely popular with us at Down Under Visa. Visiting and spending time together in the Philippines to get to know each other and to get a good introduction to Filipino culture and to meet your girl’s family, this is an absolute must. And if you are ready to bite the bullet and be together permanently then you should definitely be looking at a partner visa application. However if you are not ready yet, then the logical next step is to get a tourist visa for your Filipina girl and spend some time in Australia.
Are Australian tourist visas hard to get? And if so, why?
Yes, they are definitely harder to get than most people realise. Most assume they are a bit of a formality. Fill out a few forms and pop them into the Australian Embassy, and of course she can come back with you on the same plane. As if! Close to 1:5 tourist visa applications lodged by the inexperienced person applying for visa themselves end up refused, and the disappointment is usually pretty profound.
They are also not quick, nor do you deal with the Australian Embassy in Manila these days.
Why so hard? Because there are so many people from so many countries…..especially poor countries like the Philippines…..who are happy to lie, cheat and manipulate the facts AND people in order to get a foot in Australia’s door. Opportunities abound, and paypackets for even menial work is comparatively very high compared to Filipino salaries. So you have to work hard to prove that you DO have a genuine reason to visit Australia and to spend some time together to enhance and to enjoy your relationship with an Australian.
How long can you stay in Australia for?
For a first visit to Australia for a Filipina girl visiting her Australian boyfriend? And you want the visa to be actually granted? Three months! This is a realistic time period to ask for.
Tourist visas are designed for visitors. They are there for tourism purposes, and for visiting friends and family. Visiting anywhere at all for 3 months is a good length of time. Down Under Visa take 2 weeks off over Christmas, and I might sneak in a few days from time to time, but I would LOVE to be able to take a 3 month holiday. It gives you plenty of time to see if you are really comfortable with each other, and if she is comfortable with Australia too. You should both have a fairly good idea at the end of this period if you wish to take your relationship to the next level or not.
And yes, I know the DIBP website says “You can choose 3, 6 or 12 months”, but that doesn’t mean they will grant what you ask for! It’s not an online “shopping cart” where you can just choose what you want. Australian visas are grants……not rights! If the Filipina visa applicant has visited Australia before and done the right thing, yes there’s a possibility she can stay a bit longer (ie. 6 months). I’ve never heard of any Filipina girl visiting her boyfriend or fiancé getting a 12 month stay in one go, though. If this is your first go, then 3 months is realistic. It will also increase your chances significantly if your request matches what a normal couple would look for. Not too many people take a 1 year holiday, do they?
Can you use a tourist visa to live together instead of getting a partner visa?
No, and please don’t try.
There is one thing the Department really don’t like and that is seeing people trying to play the system, and trying to bypass existing visa pathways. Tourist visas are for visiting and then returning. Partner visas are for committed couples to remain together. The visa requirements built into the Migration Regulations for both visa types is completely different, because of their different purposes. Don’t try sneaking in the back door because they will see what you are up to.
I even had somebody tell me he had applied for 12 month tourist visas for his wife and kids, and stated in the application that he was doing this to avoid the high fees and long delays that went with partner visa applications! He was surprised when they knocked him back!
Yes, I sympathise. The fees for partner visas are unfairly high, but ‘fraid that’s the way it is and you can’t do anything about it. Even if the Government had changed last election, it wouldn’t have changed anything because from the Governments point of view it’s great revenue-raising. Captive market! No choice. Not fair at all, but if you want to be together as committed partners then that’s what you need to do. If you’re not at that stage yet? Well, use a tourist visa. But don’t expect to spend the next year together.
So what to do? Go to the Down Under Visa free VISA ASSESSMENT FORM, and let’s see if we can help you. Get some professional help from an experienced Registered Migration Agent in Manila who specializes in visas for Australian Filipina couples, and increase your chances of success.
Who are Down Under Visa? Who is Jeff Harvie?
Jeff Harvie and the Down Under Visa team have been doing this for a lot of years! Down Under Visa have brought thousands of couples to Australia from South East Asia over the years. Mostly from the Philippines, but we help increasing numbers of couples where the visa applicant is from China, Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. And what this means is we see a lot of success....and we also see failures when people go it alone after talking to their mate, or their relative, or that minimal-care-no-responsibility Facebook group run by Steve and Maribeth based on their own visa application! One application, and they feel qualified to advise others! It's not even LEGAL to do that!
Want to bring your sweetheart to Australia from The Philippines, China, Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia? Get a FREE VISA ASSESSMENT today! It will take you five minutes.
