We adopted a girl in Thailand and the same thing so far. Have to go through a big expensive process due to Hague treaties. The USA will let refugees from all over the world come in with assistance to boot but a big middle finger to a hard working American couple who want to give a future to a poor Thai girl. I feel your anger!!!
to brandon’s issue, the international travel of adopted children should always be subject to great scrutiny, especially in poorer nations where children may be more vulnerable. if you have ever been involved in anti-child smuggling operations you would understand. orphan or adopted child? private placement? age? thai permanent resident status of putative adopting parents? most crucially, have thai and american adoption and travel laws both been satisfied? the rampant and severe criminality at our southern border is certainly acutely frustrating but doesn’t relieve a u.s. consul of his sworn duties. as to laos… guardianship isn’t adoption. flight risk? yes, sadly it is not uncommon at all for prospective adopting parents to use a tourist visa to bypass required procedures and safeguards. did you provide strong evidence of your longstanding ties to laos, not australia, that compel all of you to depart australia and return to laos? more importantly have you complied with lao adoption requirements? never assume that your statement alone will suffice. i can’t speak for commonwealth (can, uk, aus, nz) visa processing but i have seen it in operation. a u.s. decision in this case could certainly be the same. “return home” to australia aren’t the words to use in this instance. travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/Intercountry-Adoption-Country-Information/LaoPeoplesDemocraticRepublic.html provides information to americans who wish to adopt a lao child. the lao minister of justice has final authority and it’s a lengthy process that involves 5 other lao ministries. the overall advice from the u.s.g. is “Intercountry adoption to the United States from Laos is legally possible, but exceptionally difficult.” once a foreigner is involved in an adoption any government of the child’s nationality will consider the adoption to be “intercountry,” as does international law. folks consult a tax advisor when making important financial decisions, and should discuss visas and adoptions with a qualified immigration attorney before proceeding.
The Australian Embassy Bangkok handles Visa applications and Thai personnel do most of application process, the local MP Australia is waste of time. If he can get it overturned will take best part 6 months. I have 4 Australian/Thai sons, 2 are dual national. So have played this game before, go to Bangkok and get a Visa Agent to lodge visa application, yes money works miracles.
Dude just to clarify ws the last Government LNP who outsorced almost everything to save a quid and make everything clear as mud ..the LNP have sold off or off shored what they can !! I agree not right !
It's due to Feminism and to many women dealing with mens business and not having children and caring for them. Females in these agencies are in my experience vindictive batches.
@@PeterC245 funds in bank not issue,no nz family sent 3 kids to sisters Muslim country to experience culture,sister thought she take 16 year old daughter to nz reciprocal to see culture,but immigration said might stay despite both parents and family in home country,have box tickers in beuacracy,who can't think ,in nz and aussie with preconceived ideas,only think in straight line
I said my piece on this matter under my personal account on your Facebook post, so I won't say what I did again, but I will say I'm totally over the Australian goverment ways, hence why I'm working on setting up a new life in laos after spending the last 4 months in laos, my friends have asked me if I will bring my laos partner to Australia forna visit to which I tell them no, I want to get out of Australia myself and it's too hard to take someone to Australia even for a vacation.
Good luck mate, my partner is Filipino and here in Australia 2 years now and the bullshit we had to go through with immigration, she should have come here on a fishing boat, this government is f@cked up
We used an Australian immigration specialist living in Chiang Mia when my mate had issues getting his Thai wife into Aus. This bloke solved the problem fast. He was honest and straight down the line with his advice. You have to do things a specific way that just does not make sense to you and me and he solved the issue fast. Dealing with embassy staff in Bangkok did our head in. Get someone to do it for you that specialises in this area. We had 4 goes ourselves with great frustration and cost. Once i got onto him it was solved fast.
Hi Todd, don't worry, it will all be sorted out. The same thing happened to me 10 years ago when my stepdaughter's tourist visa to visit UK for my Aunt's 100th Birthday was refused, by some Thai person in the British Embassy in Bangkok. Her Thai mother, now my wife, was approved but her 14 year old daughter wasn't. (work that out if you can) I re-applied giving 52 pages of additional information and it was finally approved 3 hours before we were due to fly out! I am sure that half these officials don't even look at the applications. Keep calm and carry on Todd, it will all be fine. God bless all 3 of you and keep you safe.
Your absolutely right about them not looking at all the applications, I paid a consultant to help with the paper work to bring my wife and stepson to Canada she said with the amount of paperwork I was going to send they would have just thrown it in the garbage.
Todd... First off I'm not surprised by this, and, I do feel your frustration. I wish you luck mate but don't hold your breath. Since Visa processing became a business enterprise, it's gone to hell in a handbag. And it's worldwide mate, not just Australia.
Welcome to outsourcing. It's usually cost related and nothing to do with service. or efficiency. We had similar problems with my Thai wife getting a visitor's visa for NZ.
It has been fashionable for last 50 years to denigrate the public service and claim the private sector is more effective and efficient than the public service. Thus governments have outsourced functions to the private sector because that is what the public has wanted. 😂
@@AndyPat239 Actualy the evedancee would say that if you are Tha you will not have the problems Lao citizens do. Having a simlar expriance that I wont bore you with, I can assure you Thai citizns are treated differantly. A Quantas agent explined to me (as my Laos wife was denied a bording pass to NZ at BKK) some Lao people in the past had shreded their pass ports on a flight to Aus,so everyone is treated the same.
Governments look at statistics. If more than a certain percentage (1-2%) of people from a country overstay, the government will crack down hard on applicants from that country. The overstay rate for Australians in the USA is under 1%. The overstay rate for people from Laos into the USA in 2022 was 34%. That's why Aussies can very easily travel to the USA and Laotians can't.
Its all about how much work is involved mate coz it so much quicker to refuse entry than have to process another form. I spent a lot of time arguing with the ATO via an indian call centre but the good news is soon it will just be a Bot that you cant argue with at all like FB and RU-vid
Tried ringing the Oz embassy in Vientiane for about a week without any answer. Gave up and rang the embassy in Bangkok, who told me to keep ringing the Lao Oz embassy in Vientiane. Gave up only ever got an answering machine.
Wow!!! Sounds very familiar to me. Sorry for ya going though all this trouble. Just keep in mind all the adventure she is gong to have once its approved. Thats what keeps me going for Mong and Mona.
Todd and Neenee it's just the whole world has gone berserk. Our own countrys can do their own jobs. Loas don't communicate with Bangkok, Thailand. Hope you get better answer. Stay safe healthy and calm Todd Neenee and little Mina.
Sad to hear Todd and hope you all get through for your VIST TO AUSTRALIA. I Live in Lao PDR. It is over 14 yrs since I went to Oz with my Lao GF then we came back again and married but back to Lao for work and life. Now we have 2 adopted Lao kids. No intension to go back with them for a visit. But if and when it happens I will have to go through this shit too.
Issues! Multiply it by 5 (for 2024) and you will get an idea of what you deal with in the states. Keep pushing and all barriers will move. Incidentally, are there similar issues with you remaining in Laos? What hurdles does a foreigner have to contend with to remain in Laos?
Maybe they are over cautious that the adoption papers are correct? Imagine falsely adopting a child and getting away with applying for a visa they will look very bad.
Had many hassle with Australian immigration! Wouldn’t trust them half as far as I could spit ! I had a MP write me a letter previously! My children by decent got Australian passport straight away ! Luck of the draw ✍️ what angry immigrant working the embassy abroad on there mood they not going Australia 🇦🇺! I seen many irate ozzys at the embassy! I was once 1 of them and finally had a Australian to talk too!
Why would she be a risk? All they have to do is watch your RU-vid channel. You and NeeNee are internationally recognizable. Mina couldn’t be in more capable hands, not a flight risk. We’re all praying 🙏 for easy resolution and having her visa granted. Cheers mate.
While I can understand the point you're making (and agree with some of it). Never be reliant on anything on RU-vid. RU-vid is Theatre Fantasy for 90% of all posts. Content on RU-vid is worthless legally, it can all be faked..
Hey Todd we can thank and blame this to all the people who left Laos🇱🇦 and never went back. We can't blame Australia for making it hard to get a visa, because the younger they are the harder it'll be to find if they don't go back home.
Sorry this has happened to you. I think that Mina will eventually go to Australia on a student visa if not before. Your relatives will be able to communicate with her by the internet while you are there. I hope that you are enjoying your travels in Lao.
Can't advise about this as never done an Australian visa but done for the UK multiple times with no issues. My personal advice based on this is write an accompanying letter to explain the entire situation and loads of photos of your life in Lao. We also had all our land and business titles translated to back things up. Would imagine the same thing applies to Australian visa.
Hey Todd , hope you are able to sort that visa out. Must be an mis understanding there somewhere. Watch that blood pressure mate.you were nearly boiling. Take care Nev
You said it exactly It is non-Australian that are making decisions that are empower in Australia that are denying Australian citizens services but if you’re East Indian or Chinese you were granted all the privileges it has to offer. It’s a change of power it’s the same in Canada. Are you sure you wanna go back there to Australia everything is changed.?
I have applied visa for hundreds of Chinese, majority of them were denied a visa, the approval rate is below 50%, even we demostrated the assets and the resources of their assets, we have to apply for 2 times or even 3 times to get approval, sometimes the extreme things will happy, one of the client had applied for 9 times, and finally he got through, it is a joke, and it takes time and efforts, always will waste a lot of money, and you have to prepare pages and pages of documents and who knows whether they will view it or not, the new rule is, even the id card and the hukou register and the marriage certificate every single page of the document should be translated to English and you can not translate by yourself, you must hire a third-party to translate it and stamp on the translation, all in all, the things are ugly to Chinese and to people all over the world, hope things will change soon, we fed up with it, we need to rebel, but it need accumulate the strenth, hope we can act together to object this ridiculous situation.
Sorry to hear, have you looked into whether she would be eligible for Australian citizenship due to your legal adoption of her? May be a long term solution to this issue.
@@walterishere5864 Thanks Walt.. We are just legal guardians, plus they don't give citizenship if you don't reside in the country. Our home is in Laos.
Never make the mistake of comparing Laos with Thailand, especially visas and no surprises for me she was refused a visa especially if adopted and She still has family in Laos.Dont forget we are all guests in Southeast Asia and on visas to reside here they make the rules we don't.
I feel your disbelief in the due process, but don't give up hope. it's just a case of having to attack it from a different angle. dealing with immigration of any country is never straight forward. it's like there from a different planet some times.
G'Day , I hear your pain and frustration , the aus gov has gone efn stupid with saving money by outsourcing departments to people who don't have a clue or more importantly live in the country , the ideology of stupidity has to be seen to believed , as in your case , no idea ! , cannot wait to leave and lead a simple stress free life , nuff venting , OZ WAS A GREAT COUNTRY not any more ... Catchya
The money they are saving from all this outsourcing is going straight in to the pockets of the Politicians. Where else will they get the money to keep giving themselves another pay rise or to waste on their virtue signalling?
Your adopted daughter not having a job to fund herself for the trip to Australia is a good reason for visa denial. She's 7 years old? no matter, I'm sure the children of those 'Australian officials' all had jobs even before they were 7.
I've been on Mars A base the last 2 years they won't accept my resignation letter and say I've got to put in another 2 years before they'll have a rocket home. The gravity is screwing with me.
I HAVE JUST BEEN THROUGH THE BULLSHIT i HAVE A GIRL NOW 25 YEARS they would not listen to me she was going to travel with her mother to see Australia I am supporting them to come here for a visit, local member no help .
Hi Todd, I can recommend Sanling Chan immigration lawyer in Perth (she has a website). I recommended her to my mate and they had a successful outcome. What I do know is, she has personal contacts in the Aussie embassy in Cambodia and was able to get a rejection reversed (she flew there). For all I know she could deal effectively with the embassy in Bangkok too. Good luck with it mate.
Australian policy is dumb as im afraid.Look at countries like Norway that are far richer than Oz.They dish out visas no problem and they reap millionsin tourist money every summer.
I know your pain, tried getting my gf out of China, went to three different US embassies, denied by all three. Yeah, they were worried that Mina would skip off with a kangaroo. Fking ridiculous!
Australia is a frocking country with lots of racial restrictions. Probably in this case of Mina, they might not be so sure about your intentions and endeavors towards the kid. Hope we soon get back to a free visa world.
With the amount of money we throw around and constantly champion tax cuts, you’d think first prioritise an Australian embassy in every country in ASEAN with a couple of Australians in it.
I wanted to take my Lao in-laws to the US for a visit but got turned down. This was like 20 years ago. Got denied. What really got me they fit everything on the list and they wouldn't tell us why. I had be gathering info here in Lao and in US on them selling visas. I had name dates , amounts of money. I lied to get into see the Ambassador and when it came time to live I asked for the visa. She said not her department. I said what info I had and she'd find out whose embassy it was when the FBI showed up. and walked out the door. I got a phone call at exactly 8am saying the visas were done and could be picked up at any time. They went to the states twice no problems. AUS Army friend working out of the Embassy here told me to never rely on the embassy like people do in the movies . Wouldn't happen If the was a coup to stay home and weather myself. The embassy has a plan if there is any major problem, like the pandemic to go into lock down. No one gets in. Man not like the movies at all. I'd like to think your embassy is better But wouldn't bet my life on it. Look at US now. Everyone that comes across at the southern border gets in. People playing straight only lose their money. Real life. I hope it all works out. John
@@Tony-eb5kh Na I've Never been a MONGER!!! Same Girl 17 years PS I'm A Master Not a Servant!!! Never Worked for Government 🤣 You obviously DO Not Know ME!!!
@@brucegrant9964 the Thai embassy has nothing to do with issuing visas to Australia or visas to any other country for that matter including visas for Thailand. All visas are in the hands of immigration and their subsidiaries including in Thailand that "lovely" office known as VFS.... I suspect it is VFS who stamped Todd's application with a denied, but I assumed VFS only did the pre approvals and it was Australian immigration who have the final yes or no results.
Typical Bureaucratic bullshit . Clueless. Let's hope you can get this thing sorted out. You guys deserve better. Harriet and I are praying for you everyday that you can come to us with good news. All the best to you all mates. 🙏🙏🙏 Jim and Harriet
My Laos Wife got her visa accepted to UK but my Laos Daughter got hers knocked back. Because she 'maybe' British. Computer says no! They told me she has to get a UK passport, I explained Laos citizens cannot have dual passports, computer says no. I even paid HMPO to be allowed to send someone a direct email. Got some mush in India sending me weblinks to websites that give no help at all.
No Todd would have to apply for a child adoption from overseas by a Australian Citizen immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/become-a-citizen/child-adopted-outside. But I imagine Todd has applied for a visitor visa, my work colleague applied for his Laotian fiancé to come to Australia for a 3 month holiday, he was also denied. But imagine it would be more difficult with a child adopted overseas, due to The Hague convention and other international agreements.
No l adopted my wife’s daughter in Philippines which took 3 years to go through the court.When l inquired about residency they said because not through The Hague system she is not entitled to residency through adoption.
Hopefully you will get the visa approved. Yes,you and your family are a big flight risk of not returning to Laos. House,cars, restaurant. Really. Karma will come through in the end of this for all the kindness and support you give to the Lao people. Just a small obstacle in your path. You'll get out of the troopie with a chain saw and clear the path for your visa application approval in a month or two. Hang in there.
I know the issue... You are from Cessnock.... Just dont tell them you are from Cessnock and it will be all good... Imagine the stress the poor Thai girl went through knowing she was in contact with Cessnock... Poor girl.
Sorry Mate, Welcome to Australia White Policy 2024, If not European they don't want, I know I couldn't believe it either. I had a friend from Philippines that was coming out for a visit but was refused yes refused for a 7-day tourist via with an Australian confirming her trip and return airfare. They said she was a risk not to return lol, my god so much for being a good neighbor in this part of the world and good for tourism. Hope it works out for you But don't your breath they are masters of dragging it out and extracting maximum $$$$
It's not race. It's statistics. Overstay rates. Lots of people from certain countries overstay their visas, then everyone from those countries suffer by having their visas denied.
I disagree is hasn't got mad its been always mad - I travel world wide with little fuss and yet my Filipina and Thai friends have to jump through flaming hoops
This once great country of ours is no longer what it used to be mate which saddens me. The morons who are running this shit show have absolutely NO IDEA!!!!!!! I can’t wait to pay my house off and explore new places to semi retire/live. You’ve got the right idea mate.
Agree , I am my second year in Thailand. The Commonwealth Bank slaps non residential tax on me for my money in the savings account and also wants my Thai tax number ! Unbelievable.
@@rossjurecka5372 It’s a disgrace mate. You go to work and work your freckle out and they tax the arse off you!!!! Paying a quarter of your wages in taxes is criminal if you ask me! Not to mention the price of food,electricity,fuel,insurance’s and a schooner of beer at the pub costs $9 which the government gets over half of! It makes me sick!
Too much red tape knackers, we had an issue with the Bangkok sub contractor's too when wanting to bring my in laws to Australia for a holiday. They wanted 200 baht processing fee for each document that we provided, I knew this was wrong and what they were trying to do so I got in contact with immigration office in Melbourne told them about it and forwarded the email to them, it was quickly dealt with. The thai subs were trying to fleece us and line their pockets. Once you pay for the visa application that covers all costs, the aussie bureaucrats don't know what the sub contractor's are up to because no checks and balances. Keep ya chin up knackers she'll be right 🙂👍
So sorry about what happened. It is very upsetting situation but for the future or maybe for the next Christmas you still can try different approach. I can be wrong, but reading your government website it states you can go straight for her citizenship: (Become an Australian citizen (by adoption) Child adopted outside Australia by an Australian citizen You may apply for citizenship if your adoption was completed outside Australia by an Australian citizen under the Hague Convention or a bilateral arrangement). You do not need any lawyer to do this, you can apply yourself online/email or send to the address. On a website you can see eligibility and step by step what you need to do. As well all steps are in the form 1272 which you can find in google. Follow the steps precisely. Website states that process for 90% of applicants is 10 months . You will have to pay only application fee 560$ and few extra payments. I could be wrong. But again, so sorry to hear about what happened.
@@allrandompicks4648 We don't want citizenship.. we live in Laos. We want to visit Australia this Christmas for a family reunion we have been planning for nearly 3 years.
Trying to get your adopted daughter to Australia? The Thais arent going to help , even in the Embassy . Theyre probably upset shes from Laos . I watch the Thais come into Laos to tour , all fake . They look down on Laos anyway . Vietnam does much more for Laos . Brand new taxis 🚕 🚖 . Thats why im living in Vietnam part time .
