Australian Immigration Daily News

One might think that because of the importance of the tourism industry to the Australian economy, and also because of the obvious social value in allowing Australian citizens and permanent residents to maintain their relationships with members of their immediate families, that getting a Visitor Visa would, in the ordinary course of things, be relatively simple and straightforward. Right? 

Well, one might not think so if one were working professionally as an RMA! Also right? Yep!!!!! 

As many of us know, the exercise of  trying to get a Visitor’s Visa approved by the Department can be truly frustrating, and can cause us to pull our hair (or in my case, what’s left of it!!) out in clumps!! Sometimes it seems that no matter how obvious it is that our client holds a genuine intention to stay in Australia only temporarily, and we can provide a mountain of evidence that the applicant has sufficient ties to her or his home country to give them strong incentive to return, the Department will not accept those facts, and will refuse the visa application. All too often it seems, the requirement of demonstrating that an applicant is really a “genuine temporary entrant” will rear its ugly head, and stand in the way of getting a visa for the client.

At least in theory, applications for “visitor visas” to Australia (subclass 600) should be relatively simple, straightforward and uncomplicated.  After all, it is well known that tourism is part of the “lifeblood” of the Australian economy.  However, it is far from the case that visitor visa applications are “routine”.

All too often, these applications are refused because the Department is not satisfied that the visa applicant meets the requirement, specified in clause 600.211 or Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations, of demonstrating that she or he “genuinely intends to stay in Australia (only) temporarily”. 

One of the difficulties with visitor visas is that, in most circumstances, the Department’s decisions to refuse an application cannot be challenged.  The right to seek review of the refusal of a visitor visa application is limited to a few narrow circumstances – primarily cases where the applicant is seeking a visa under the Sponsored Family Stream.  Thus, in circumstances where no review rights are available, the Department can, and does, seemingly arbitrarily, ignore evidence that would establish that the visa applicant is indeed a “genuine temporary entrant” (for example, evidence that the applicant has strong family, economic and social ties to their home country which would provide strong incentive for them to return at the conclusion of their planned visit). 

Richard Johnson, Assistant Secretary and Delegate for the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship has announced a change to the Medical Treatment visa address and fax number by Legislative Instrument.

The Instrument is to specifes, for Medical Treatment (Subclass 602), that for the purpose of submitting these visa applications made onshore (inside) Australia, the addresses for posted applications and applications delivered by courier or transmitted by fax have changed.

An additional fax number has been added as per below details.