FAO Spion

[aKROKiwi]

Spion re your buddy's visa problem this is difficult to understand. I add a link below to the DFAT site which appears to suggest their ought to be no issue assuming the young woman does not possess a criminal record (such as one by the Spice Girls for example)or possibly is a card carrying fundamentalist Moslem member of teh Communist Party.

Sorry didn't mean to be so cynical. It is correct that our current gumbermint is bizarre, and our Mr Ab-blot makes your Mr Cameron look like across between U Thant and Leon Trotsky. So anything is possible in terms of irrational objections to person of foreign origins (except mr Ab-blot himself; he was born in London - please take him back!!). Surely the Australian High Commission/ Embassy must be able to offer an explanation for this. Govt decisions are still appellable in Australia (currently...). If there is not one near to her then she probably needs to get herself to the nearest British or Canadian consulate to see of they can assist.

[spionkop]

Firstly my thanks to you and BrisBlue, who is also trying to help. The lady is 30 with no criminal record and is dealing directly with the Australian consulate in St. Petersburg.
As far as I am aware she is not a member of the KGB ( or whatever it's replacement is) but has a talent for languages and acts, usually as a one to one guide for English speaking visitors to St. Petersburg. She gets her work through agencies and recently was a guide at the Sochi Olympics.
Her Brazilian boyfriend has not encountered any problems and has already got his Australian visa. Perhaps they should skip Oz and head to New Zealand on their return journey??
Aplogies to other traders of this board and, if necessary KKiwi, perhaps you would allow Pearcy to pass me your email address so that we can correspond privately on this matter and not clutter up. what is a football message board.
The whole issue remains a mystery to me, especially as Australia has traditionally had an open door policy on these

[aKROKiwi]

Sorry just back from Lakes Entrance trying to work out how on earth they can get garbage bins in to the backs of side loading trucks

I am more than OK for pearcy to give you my details so we can correspond less intrusively about this. This matter is certainly hard to comprehend...