Family visits

[gparkes]

Hi Guys,

 

Just wondered what is the limit to parents staying in oz?

I am wanting to bring my parents out for a trip in august but wondered what is the time limit they are able to stay here?

 

I also want them here for xmas next year so thought if they could stay 6 months that would kill 2 birds with 1 stone?

 

Gail

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Gail

 

If your Parents are British, UK resident, in reasonably good health and have not visited Australia before (or not lately) plus they are obviously solvent, the chances are high that DIAC in London would be willing to let them stay in Australia for anything up to a year. This would give them the flexibility to choose exactly how long they want to stay for.

 

Let us say that they have been in Oz for nearly 6 months, are loving it and want to stay for a while longer. If their visa permits a stay of 9 or 12 months, the only thing they would need to alter is the date of their return flight.

 

Please see this link:

 

Tourist Visa (Subclass 676)

 

Personally I think that by far the best way to deal with applications for long stay tourist visas for Parents is by paper and post, using Form 48 and the checklist that goes with it. This ensures that the application will be handled by a human in London from start to finish. As far as I am concerned, Parents deserve personal, red-carpet service and a paper application ensures that they get it.

 

If the relevant Parent is aged 70 or over, the application must be accompanied by a simple form of Medical Certificate, completed by the Parent's own GP. Please see here:

 

dima_health - Australian High Commission

 

Although the main DIAC website says that all visitors of 70 or over applying for long stay visas of 6, 9 or 12 months must produce evidence of medical insurance, this does NOT mean that British Parents must obtain private medical insurance for the duration.

 

There is a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement between the UK and Australia and it counts as medical insrance for the purposesof this provision. It is useful to include acopy of the card that the doctors send when you register with a new practice if that is handy. However, I wouldn't make a special effort in this regard: a copy of a recent prescription will do because it is sufficient to show that the Parent has access to the NHS inthe UK, and via that also has access to the RHCA.

 

If applying by post, the current fee is $75 AUD each ad you need a separate For 48 for each Parent. Please see here:

 

Tourist Visa Charges

 

Payment must be made by debit or credit cadr. You will need to download and complete the mandate and send that with the other papers when the application is made:

 

dima_fees - Australian High Commission

 

Since your Parents are not thinking of travelling to Oz till August 2008, check for updated documentation nearer the time, and note particularly that the charge is likely to increase on 1 July 2008, but only by $5 or so.

 

I often see istructionsonthe forums for a scheme that it involved goingto the villae green via the moonand wasting oney inthe process.

 

If a stay of more than 3 months is wanted, then the intelligent thing is to apply for the subclass 676 visa from the outset, and that is the cheapest option as well. It simply makes NO sense to me to use a 90 day ETA to get there and then have to go to the hassle and cost ($205 AUD each) of applying for a further 3 or 6 months whilst there. The reason why the onshore extension is so expensive in comparison with applying for a sc 676 from the start is a deliberate deterrence measure by DIAC.

 

Include a covering letter with the application, confirming that you ahve invited yor Parents to visit you for as long as they wish up to the maximum of 12 months. Include your own full name, date of birth and visa number so that DIAC can easily find you on their database.

 

Also, they can be a bit "wooden." Let us say that your Parents think they would like to visit you for, say, 9 or 12 months but you want the flexibility to take a family holiday together in NZ/Fiji/Bali/Wherever during their visit. If that is on the cards, then make sure that in the covering letter, you ask for the visas to be made valid for multiple entry to Oz and explain about the possible/proposed short holiday offshore. The DIAC staff won't assume that you might want multiple entry, so be sure to ask for it if you do.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[gparkes]

wow thats great info Thankyou for that