Thai Lady Entering Australia

You might think that once your Thai Lady has a visa she is guaranteed entry into Australia. Well, this is not the case! If the immigration office believes that any visitors will not comply with the conditions on any visa they can refuse entry. This can and does happen.

Unfortunately Thai ladies have been trafficked into Australia and been forced into prostitution. Also they are a high risk group as far as working illegally is concerned. For these reasons single Thai ladies receive more attention (along with similar nationalities) for special attention when they arrive in Australia. Immigration want to confirm that they did not submit fraudulent applications and that they will comply with the visa conditions. They achieve this by asking questions about their stay and their background. This story demonstrates the type of questions that may be asked.

For a Thai lady who may not have travelled overseas before this can be a bit bewildering if they are travelling alone. If they are travelling alone it is worth considering educating them in what they should expect when they arrive in Australia. It is likely that the immigration officers will have access to all the details on the application that was submitted for the visa.

If your Thai Lady is travelling with you to Australia her transit through immigration should be a lot easier.

If she is travelling alone then consider giving her a letter to show immigration if they ask why she is her. This letter can detail why she is travelling to Australia. It is also a good idea to state that you will be giving her accommodation while she is in Australia and that you will be covering all expenses. Your contact details on the letter will enable them to contact you for confirmation.

You should also consider taking out an medical insurance policy for her stay in Australia. Being on a tourist visa she is not eligible for health care under Medicare. If she requires medical treatment in Australia you will be expected to cover the costs. Immigration may also want to know that she has medical insurance.

Another area of concern is customs. Given that your Thai lady probably hasn't travelled much and may not fully understand the arrival card you may like to educate her on customs requirements when entering Australia. We all know how much the Thais love their food but they need to be aware that they must declare anything that they bring. To make things easy the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service has published a document in Thai detailing what can and can not be brought to Australia. You can download the document from here. It is important that she understands what she has to declare on arrival.

With an understanding of the requirements your Thai lady should not have any problems entering Australia. I hope you both have a lot of fun and hopefully it is the first of many trips. The first is usually the hardest.

If your lady wants an understanding of the Australian way of life and how things work in Australia you may like to get her to read the publication called Life In Australia published by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. It is also available in Thai. The Thai version can be downloaded from here and if you want to check it out the English one is here.

Also check the Forms for Download page for a scan of an arrival card in Thai for you partner to have a look at defore departing. They could then ask you for any clarification. There is an English version on the same page for your reference.