An Aussie retiree has slammed the government as an “absolute disgrace” after being left stranded in Vietnam following a stroke, with his wife refused a visa to accompany him home.
Robbie Elsom, 81, lives in Ho Chi Minh City with his Vietnamese wife, Dinh Yen Ly Le, 49, and has an 18-year-old son finishing Year 12 in Brisbane.
Mr Elsom was due to fly back to Brisbane in late April to spend time with his son, but suffered a stroke on April 20, throwing his travel plans into chaos.
He was hospitalised in ICU at Cho Ray Hospital in April and May and now requires care from his wife at home.
With Mr Elsom unable to travel alone, Ms Le applied for a three-month tourist visa so she could accompany him to visit his son — but on June 9, the Department of Home Affairs refused the visa.
A delegate for the Minister said in the letter they were “not satisfied that the applicant genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia”.
The delegate cited a lack of information on Ms Le’s financial circumstances, family ties and employment or other commitments in Vietnam as evidence she may intend to remain in Australia.
“On balance, I am not satisfied that the applicant’s economic circumstances demonstrate they will return to home country at the end of their proposed stay,” the delegate wrote.
Mr Elsom vehemently denies his wife intends to remain in Australia and says the decision has left him “stranded”.
“The reality is this government is going to allow another 300,000 migrants to come to Australia who will require housing and Centrelink payments but they cannot accommodate a stranded Australian citizen to come back with his wife on a tourist visa,” he said.
The “born and bred in the bush” Aussie who has “paid my taxes all my life” argued that if the Australian government “really cares about Australian people”, it would have a “compassionate understanding” for someone in his circumstances.
Mr Elsom wrote to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, with a representative for the department replying in a June 12 letter, informing him “no further action” would be taken on the application.
“Applicants must satisfy all criteria for a visa as set out in Australian migration law before a visa can be granted,” the representative wrote.
“The legal criteria for the grant of a visitor visa require, among other things, that applicants meet Australia’s health and character requirements, have adequate funds for support for the period of the visit and intend a genuine temporary stay in Australia.
“When deciding whether an applicant intends a genuine temporary stay in Australia, the delegate must take into account relevant considerations such as the applicant’s personal circumstances, immigration history, incentive to return home, financial situation and ability to support themselves while in Australia. The likelihood of an applicant overstaying or seeking to remain in Australia is also a matter that must be assessed.
“While offers of support by family or friends in Australia are given due consideration by delegates, this in itself is not sufficient evidence that an applicant intends a genuine temporary stay.
“Applicants must be able to satisfy the visitor visa requirements in their own right. This includes being able to demonstrate to the visa processing officer that they have sufficient ties to their home country.”
While he says he’s been left “high and dry” by the government, Mr Elsom also claims living in Ho Chi Minh City means he is “better off than most Australians”, taking a swipe at declining living standards under the Albanese government.
“Food is good, people are respectful, people work hard and things get done today,” he said.
“All foreigners are monitored by the police and have to provide where they live and why they are here and have to justify their qualifications to work in Vietnam and the employers have to justify why they are employing a foreigner. All accommodation houses must report every tenant to the local police [and] in turn to immigration.”
Australia “could do this but there is no co-ordination or communication between immigration, AFP and state police”.
“Australia is the laughing stock of the world,” he said.
“How I feel is how real Australians feel and my boys feel the same way — disillusioned, no prospect of a future in Australia.”
The number of temporary visa holders in Australia hit another record high of more than 2.6 million in the year to March 2026, Department of Home Affairs visa statistics show.
Around one in five tourist visa applications were rejected by the department last year. Vietnam had the second highest refusal rate of 33 per cent, behind only Bangladesh on 55 per cent.
As of June 30 2025, there were an estimated 77,700 unlawful non-citizens in Australia without a valid visa.
“For privacy reasons the department cannot comment on individual cases,” a Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman told news.com.au
“The government promotes family unity, social cohesion, and cultural diversity and is committed to delivering visa outcomes that facilitate family reunification for Australian citizens and migrants settled in Australia.
“All visa applicants, including partner visa applicants, must meet all requirements in the migration legislation, such as relationship, character, health and security requirements before a visa can be granted.
“Visa applications are generally considered in the order in which they are received to ensure fairness and equity to all visa applicants. The Department assesses applications on a case-by-case basis, and processing times can vary for a range of reasons.
“There are many factors that may impact the processing time of individual applications, including the quality and completeness of the applications, applicants’ responsiveness to requests for information and the complexity involved in assessing genuineness, character, health and security requirements.”