Bridging Visas for Subclass 143 Visa Applicants

143 visas,

Following the announcement of concessions affecting applicants for subclass 143 visas, those who had applied for a 143 visa and were in Australia on 24 March 2021 may be eligible for a Bridging Visa that will allow the permanent residency visa applicant to remain in Australia until a decision is made on the application.

The conditions to be satisfied are as follows:

  • Subclass 143 visa application lodged before 24 March 2021
  • In Australia on 24 March 2021
  • Held what is called a substantive visa – eg a visitor visa under subclass 600 or 651 – when the subclass 143 visa application was lodged
  • Currently in Australia

If these conditions are satisfied there are good prospects of being granted a Bridging Visa.

Given the processing time for subclass 143 visa applications presently a BV may be of particular interest to parents who are presently awaiting a decision on their application – and is certainly a somewhat cheaper option than a subclass 870 temporary sponsored parent visa.

Go Matilda Visas has been assisting parent visa applicants for over 20 years – we are a very experienced firm of Australian visa advisors.

Please complete the enquiry form on this web page if you meet the above requirements and would like to explore obtaining a Bridging Visa.

Covid Concession – Extension of Validity Period for 870 Visas

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Subclass 870 visa holders are unable to travel to Australia presently, due to restrictions at the point of arrival.

The validity period of subclass 870 visas is 3 years or 5 years from the time the visa is granted – not from the time of first arrival in Australia.

The Australian Government has announced a concession that extends the validity period of subclass 870 visas by 18 months.

If you hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa (SPTV) and were outside Australia on 1 July 2021, your visa period has been automatically extended by 18 months.

The concession is intended to help SPTV holders who could not spend the full 3 or 5 years on their visa in Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

If your visa is extended under this concession the additional 18 months will not count toward your cumulative 10 year maximum stay period.

The Department of Home Affairs has said that it will notify eligible visa holders in writing by the end of August 2021.

The sponsorship obligations for SPTV Sponsors have also been extended for the same 18 month period.

Number of parent visas capped for year to 30 June 2021

103 visa, 143 visas, 173 visas, 804 visas

The Australian Government has published a Legislative Instrument which caps the number of parent visas that can be granted for the current program year that ends on 30 June 2021.

There is a ceiling of 3,600 visas on the number of Contributory Parent visas.

For the last 2 program years the numbers were:

2019/20 – 6,096

2018/19 – 7,175

For non CP visas – ie visa subclasses 103 and 804 – the ceiling is 900.

2019/20 – 1,275

2018/19 – 1,500

The ceiling on the granting of CP Visas includes 125 visas that are available to subclass 410 and 405 visa holders who are seeking permanent residency under the pathway to permanent residency for retirement and investor retirement visa holders.

Comment:  Clearly COVID-19 has significantly affected the number of visas being granted to parents.   With a significant number of applications for parent visas lodged with the Australian Government – see our recent post in this regard – and political pressure building on the Government to react to a significantly lengthening waiting time – we like to think that the planned parent visa program for the program year to 30 June 2022 will respond appropriately.

The number of parent visas for the following program year is usually announced at the time of the Federal Budget.   The 2021 Budget is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 11 May, 2021.

We will bring news here regarding the 2021/22 program numbers as soon as they are known to us.

Parent Visas – Place to be at Time of Visa Grant – COVID Concessions Start

143 visas, 173 visas, 804 visas, 864 visas, 884 visas, ,

Temporary relaxations in the place where parent visa applicants are required to be at the time of visa grant come into effect today.

The Migration Amendment (Parent Visas) Regulations amend the Migration Regulations to allow specified Parent Visas to be granted during the COVID concession period in locations other than those usually applying.

For applicants for the following Parent visa classes who are located in Australia, but who would be otherwise required to be outside Australia at the time of visa grant, these visas may be granted when onshore:

  • Parent (Permanent) (subclass 103)
  • Contributory Parent (Permanent) (subclass 143)
  • Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173)

For applicants for the following Parent visa subclasses who are located outside Australia, but who would otherwise be required to be in Australia at the time of visa grant, these visas may be granted when offshore:

  • Aged Parent (Permanent) (subclass 804)
  • Contributory Aged Parent (Permanent) (subclass 864)

These COVID concessions apply to visas that were lodged before 24 March 2021 and before the end of the concession period prescribed in Regulation 1.15N(1).

No end date for the concession period has been prescribed at the time of writing this article.

For the grant of a Subclass 103, Subclass 143 or Subclass 173 visa while the applicant is in Australia, the applicant must have been in Australia on 24 March 2021, but not in immigration clearance.

For grant of a Subclass 804 or Subclass 864 while the applicant is overseas, the applicant must have been outside Australia on 24 March 2021 and must not be in immigration clearance.

Contributory Parent Visa Application Numbers

143 visas, 173 visas, 864 visas, 884 visas, ,

Go Matilda Visas has details of the breakdown of the number of Contributory Parent Visa (CPV) applications that were lodged and in train at the Parent Visa Centre at the end of October 2020.

A table that provides details of the number of CPV applications that were lodged with the Department of Home Affairs as at 30 October, 2020 is accessible at the link below.

Even allowing for the fact that some of these applications will be withdrawn or will be refused rather than granted – the numbers in these regards are unlikely to be more than 10% of the total – we believe that these details support our view published on this blog a month ago: CPV application processing times are likely to be somewhat longer than has been advertised by the Department of Home Affairs to date.

Unless of course there is a step up in the number of CPV grants over the next few years.

Allowing for a 10% rate of refusal and withdrawal there are some 50,000 applications waiting to be granted.

The number of parent visas to be granted over this program year to 30 June 2021 – including non Contributory subclass 103s and 804s – is slated to be 4,500.

In previous years the number of CPV grants has been around 7,000 for each program year.

As some might say – you do the maths!

Go Matilda Visas is an informed migration advisory practice, and believes it has a responsibility to advise intending migrants of what should be expected as to outcomes and timelines, and not to set unrealistic expectations.

If you already have a parent visa application submitted to the Parent Visa Centre and think you might like some professional assistance to get you through to your visa being granted – or are planning to submit a parent visa application with the support of a registered migration agent – and would like a free no obligation conversation with us please feel able to complete the enquiry form on this page.

We will then contact you to tee up an initial discussion.

CP visa applications in train – 30 Oct 2020Download