[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes, H.R. we ended up as illegal aliens in 2003. I tried to tell them we were tourists.....not terrorists.....but they didn't listen.
It was all a very unfortunate mistake made by the tour company that organised our visas......they gave us a 12month multiple entry visa (we were staying for 6 months)......BUT, they neglected to tell us that we could only stay in Oz for 3 months at any one time......we should have been told.....and if we had been told we would have gone to NZ for a week or so. It was a real imbuggerance......I took it up with the Senior Immigration wallah in Melbourne.....they said to take it up with Australia house over here.....nobody wanted to know.....least of all the travel firm who had by this time pocketed my money and were not interested in customer satisfaction......The Company in question was Bridge the World.....who are now part of the Airtours Group (but they weren't at the time we travelled with them). so for the past couple of times we have gone to Oz I have had to fill in an 11 page document for each of us.....pay £60 each AND get a covering letter from our relatives about the reason for the visit.
I will NEVER let a travel company sort out visas for me ever again! You live and learn.