Balinese girlfriend a visa for Aus

Ginand T

Member
Sep 30, 2019
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Any tips on getting my Balinese girlfriend a visa for Aus during Covid or is it impossible. Note a two week quarantine stint in a hotel is required
 

JohnnyCool

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2009
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Sanur
In “normal times”, getting an Australian visa for an Indonesian was difficult enough, but possible.
What kind of visa? Tourist, Visitor, etc, for how long?
Let’s assume you actually get one now.
You and your Balinese girlfriend manage to find a flight to Australia.
You get there, but, now you both have to stay in a “quarantine hotel” for 14 days.
Previously, the Australian government footed the bill.
Not any more! You’ll both have to cough up AUD$2,000/3,000 for the “pleasure”. It seems to me that some of these “quarantine hotels” are like cruise ships on land.
OK. You’ve somehow survived all that, What about getting back to Bali? No one knows for sure when “normal” international flights out of Australia will resume. Middle of 2021, end of 2021?
If the pandemic is still going one then (quite possible), you’d probably have to self-isolate for 14 days back in Bali.

Look, I know the scenarios I’ve just painted aren’t pleasant. Hopefully, I’m wrong.
These are difficult times to be in love, You can maybe take some solace in the phrase “love conquers all”. Hope it works for you two.

:D
 

Tezza71

Active Member
Oct 31, 2018
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I hope you're wrong mate. Before all this started I had set up a home in Bali with my girlfriend and then the whole issue went pearshaped. I can't wait to be able to get back to see her. I just hate having to put my life on hold for the foreseeable future.
 

JohnnyCool

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2009
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I hope you're wrong mate. Before all this started I had set up a home in Bali with my girlfriend and then the whole issue went pearshaped. I can't wait to be able to get back to see her. I just hate having to put my life on hold for the foreseeable future.
Like I said. I hope I'm wrong too.
I don't quite get what you meant by this:
...Before all this started I had set up a home in Bali with my girlfriend and then the whole issue went pearshaped
What was the "whole issue" then? Setting up the home or relationship problems?
As for the "foreseeable future", guess that depends on how far you can see, your eyesight or spooky stuff.

Not trying to be flippant here. I've set up two homes in Indonesia, (One in Bali, with my Balinese wife in her village. Lasted 7 years. The other in Jogjakarta with my Sundanese wife and we're still married after 19 years).

Wish you well with whatever situations you're trying to navigate. It's ain't always easy, mate.

;)
 

PERtoDPS

Active Member
Dec 31, 2018
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Let me elaborate, my reply sounds like some arrogant wanker. But I speak from experience doing this in non-covit times. If you search my post history you'll find the story I can't be bothered typing it all out again. I've done the 14 day hotel quarantine coming in to Aus, when the govt was still paying the bill mind you(for the record it's $3000 now and yes you pay alone), you can't come out the room at all for the full 14 days, if you smoke you don't anymore.

The issues I speak of are specific to Western Australia, however most of them will apply Australia wide:

This is your biggest problem: there is a travel ban on right now https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/ so citizens and residents can't get out of this country, if it's an existing relationship (IE marriage) you MAY be able to throw a lot of money at the issue and bring the girl, but the regulations on who can enter/exit Australia right now are the strictest ever.

Guruda just started flying Perth to Bali/Bali to Perth again - it's $1500 via Brisbane with a transfer to get there (so you're detouring many hours in the wrong direction) but there is currently no other way. Around $1500 to get back, no holiday visas just returning citizens/residents straight to hotel quarantine. So what used to be as little as a $250 flight - flight plus quarantine = $1500 + $3000 = $4500! There is only 2 or 3 flights a month too.

If you really trust the girl, you're best option is probably to offer financial support and try to keep up comms like video calling daily etc until you can reunite. It sucks I agree, checkmated in the same delimah myself.

My personal view is there is a lot of political stuff going on right now with everything happening in China and Hong Kong, I hate to say it but the route to Indonesia will likely be near the bottom of the list to open back up to pre corona levels. Asia is perceived as "high alert" and "don't trust" and it just unfortunate that ordinary citizens like you and I cop the fallout from something we have nothing to do with.
 
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harryopal

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2016
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Even before the Covid outbreak there were a lot of hurdles to jump before gaining an entry visa for a partner or spouse married and living outside Australia. Health and police reports to show no tuberculosis and no criminal history. Complete detail of families on both sides and. if married, substantial evidence to show the marriage is genuine. The Departments of Immigration in Australia across many years have had a policy of understaffing which I suspect has been a deliberate ploy to create bottlenecks and often interminable delays as a means of discouraging applications. Once one simply applied for application forms, provided all the necessary information and that was processed without cost to the applicants. But that was many moons ago and fees have been increasing every year. No refunds if the application is unsuccessful.

Tourist visa applications can also be testing. You or she will have to show sufficient means to cover all and any expenses associated with a visit. A tourist visa might be more easily obtained if your friend is currently employed, can show they are taking leave and are to return to employment at the end of the visit. A letter from an employer indicating the above information would usefully be provided with any tourist visa application. Details of proposed touring activity would also be useful. If your friend is not employed there may be suspicion that your intention is to marry your friend in Australia.You my be pressed to apply for a visa for a fiancee and the costs are much higher and will require much of the information referred to above.

In a real way the world is almost on a war footing without bombs. Bear in mind that there are thousands of Australians stuck overseas trying to get back not to mention many people in camps here and there applying for refugee status. The present crisis will undoubtedly create further delays in visa application processing.

This is not to say your mission is impossible but it is unlikely to be a speedy and easy process. Sorry to put it all like this but these are difficult times I wish you good luck.
 
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Juggler

Active Member
Jun 20, 2018
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Well chins up boys and girls as Oxford Uni has some promising news.....Their human trials have gone super good and their agent zeneca will most prob start manufacturing a vaccine in Sept. They hope to have 2 billion doses by year end...

Maybe things might be happening sooner than later
 

Tezza71

Active Member
Oct 31, 2018
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Guys, there's a lot of positive talk about vaccines but not to put a damper on it remember they've been chasing a vaccine for the common cold for years with no luck. Aids/HIV also with little success. I hope I'm wrong in being so negative but I'm not going to hold my breath yet.