Visa for Australia

[sooz]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post. I'm not Iranian, but I hope I'm welcome here nevertheless. I'm learning Persian (very slowly), but unfortunately I don't know enough yet to read or write anything of significance.

I'm not at all sure whether this post should go under "Politics" or here under "Travel.."

I've noticed some posting from Australia. I'm interested to know how you got here.

I am currently attempting (poorly, it seems) to help someone from Iran to get a visa to Australia.

With all I know and have read, it's darn near impossible if you're not rich, do not have property, do not have a wife and kids, are over 45, and do not have one of the required skills.

A Tourist Visa I already know, is totally impossible. Even a Business (Short Stay) Visa seems almost impossible for this person. We are so convinced that the application will be denied (despite 4 business invitations from Australian companies) we are very hesitant for him to go ahead and lodge the application. We've been sitting on the application for several months now because I am so convinced that it will be denied.

What I'm asking is whether anyone fit the criteria above and still got a visa?

I'm not sure this is the right forum for such a question. If it's not, my apologies... perhaps someone can direct me further.

sooz

[donsaeid]

welcome to tapesh and good luck with your persian learnings

that person lives in iran right? and doesnt have any problem for getting out?

have that person any family in Australia?

there are some lawyers who can manage to get a visa! im not sure who and how you can get to them but some iranian tv or magazines have ad for those kind of lawyers!

[sooz]

Hi DONSAEID,

Thanks for your reply. Heheh, my Persian is coming along far too slowly. I’m no longer a sponge for languages as I was in my teens and I'm not around many people who speak the language, which I think would help.

Yes, the person lives in Iran. He has travelled before but to Middle East countries only where it’s easy to get a Visa, so I assume he has no problem getting out. Clean police record. No he has no family in Australia. He is not Ba’hai (I believe it could be easier to get a Visa if one is). He’s not involved in anything political either – so no visa on humanitarian grounds possible, as far as I know.

Unfortunately I have no access to any Iranian TV or magazines - I'm not in a capital city either, so no access.

Persian script is also impossible for me (believe me, I’ve tried to learn), so even if I did have access to press in Persian, I couldn't read it anyway. I've already been to one local immigration agent, who was completely useless - he just shook his head, talked for an hour, then said "impossible". Then I suggested a possibility... he said, "maybe".

I'm happy for anyone to email me directly with a lawyer recommendation or to tell your story if this forum isn’t the right place for it. Also, please feel free to find out a little about me first. I realise that this may be a sensitive issue.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. It’s probably a story you’ve heard many times before. I heard of someone who came here recently on humanitarian grounds and when the parents, who do have property, family, jobs and ties in Iran, applied to come for a visit, they were rejected.

My own parents were immigrants in 1948. At the time, Australia was the only country which would let them in, even though permission from the USA came a few months later. How times have changed!

sooz