Visitor Visas

Letter to the Editor - The Canberra Times
21 December 2005

Dear Editor

The article 'Things go better with Pepsi – and Alvin’ (20/12) signals an early start to the media silly season.

For the record, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs last (financial) year approved – on a global basis – about 98.5 per cent of people applying to visit Australia. The corollary of that is we refused only about 1.5 per cent of applicants. In real numbers, what that means is more than four million of our clients managed to provide departmental officers, or their agents, or through electronic visa lodgement, all of the relevant information to facilitate quick, accurate decision-making. Our processing statistics for Thailand – relevant to your report – were similar: DIMIA approved more than 95 percent of applications for visitor visas. Of the 55 571 Thai nationals who applied to visit Australia, only 2621 were refused visas.

In the case in your story, the applicant for a visitor visa did not provide DIMIA with the required information. She was informed of this in writing within a few days, with reasons why we were unable to grant her a visa. Once she had provided the additional information required some days later, her visa was granted forthwith.

DIMIA has a responsibility to the Australian public to manage an orderly migration program – something with which the vast majority of our clients have no problem.

Sandi Logan
Assistant Secretary
National Communications Branch
DIMIA, Canberra