Category Archives: 173 visas

Parent visa numbers – Ukrainian visa processing

The Immigration Minister in the previous Australian Federal Government announced earlier this year that visas for Ukrainian nationals would be processed as a priority.

This has been given effect by Ministerial Direction number 98.

We have received confirmation from the Department of Home Affairs that there has been no increase in the total number of parent visas available for Program Year 2022-23 at this time, which presently remains at 6,000 in total across the Contributory and non-Contributory visa categories.

Alan’s Update on Contributory Parent Visa Processing

Here are current expectations on the processing of Contributory Parent visas for the program year to 30 June 2023.

These are based on the number of parent visas announced for the 2022-23 program year in the last Federal Budget in March 2022.

Of course, we have since had a change of Government at the Federal level.   The first Labor Budget for the new administration is going to take place on 25 October, 2022 and it is very possible that we will see an uplift in total migration numbers.

Whether this will be focused on skilled migration only remains to be seen – as many will know there are skills shortages across the world and the needs of Australian businesses in terms of skilled visa numbers are being well publicised in the media.

Of course, many skilled migrants with parents residing overseas are more likely to return to the country in which their parents are living – eg in the event of ill health, or due to the pain of separation – so if the Australian Government is of a mind to adopt a holistic approach to skilled migration we consider that including a higher number of parent visas within the overall migration program would be in line with a desired outcome of attracting and retaining skilled migrants to Australia.

The 2022-23 Migration Program includes an allocation of 6,000 visas to parents.

This is further broken down into contributory parent visas (CPVs, subclasses 143, 173, 864, and 884) and non contributory parent visas (subclasses 103 and 804).

We presently anticipate an allocation of 500 visas to non CPVs, and 5,500 to CPVs.

Go Matilda Visas requests information from the Department of Home Affairs periodically as to the number of visa applications on hand broken down into the month the visa application was received.

The latest such information we have is as at 31 March 2022.

A schedule detailing the number of CPV applications is below.

We have assumed 10% of CPV applications will not progress to grant.   This may be due to the withdrawal of the visa application, requirements not being met (eg health, Assurance of Support income test), or the death of the visa applicant.

Given these assumptions we expect individuals with CPV applications lodged in the months up to November 2016 to receive communications from the Parent Visa Centre leading to visa grants over the period to 30 June 2023.

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CPV-expectations-2022_23_2.pdf

Go Matilda Visas is a proactive Australian visa business, with the bulk of our client base being family visa applications.

We advocate for greater transparency on the part of the Department of Home Affairs in the processing of visa applications, and for parent visa applicants in particular.

Please complete the enquiry form on this page if you are an intending parent visa applicant, are living in Australia and have a parent residing overseas who you want to join you, or have lodged a parent visa application and need some help.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Subclass 870 visa applications and Other parent visa applications – You need to submit them in the right order!

The details of Australia’s migration regulations are ignored by many, particularly by those who don’t appoint a registered migration agent.

The consequences of doing so can mean parents and their children may need to spend years apart in different countries in the future – or you might find that you spend money on an application for a subclass 870 visa that has to be withdrawn if you want to also apply for a parent visa that provides for permanent residency.

Here are the details:

Schedule 1 of Australia’s Migration Regulations prevents a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa applicant or visa holder from applying for another permanent or temporary Parent visa.

Here are relevant extracts from the Regulations which pertain to the parent visas under subclasses 143, 173, 864, 884, 103, and 804:

If the applicant has previously made a valid application for another parent visa:

(i)  a decision to grant or to refuse to grant that visa has been made; or

(ii)  the application for that visa has been withdrawn

and

The applicant:

(i)  does not hold a Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa; and

(ii)  if the applicant held such a visa—has left Australia since that visa ceased to be in effect.

The same provisions do not apply for a subclass 870 application.

In other words, if you are thinking of applying for a subclass 870 visa as well as (say) a permanent parent visa under subclass 143 make sure you apply for the subclass 143 visa first.

Applying for a subclass 870 visa first will prevent an application being made for the subclass 143 visa, unless you withdraw the subclass 870 visa application – costing at least A$1,000 per visa applicant, plus (potentially) the family sponsor application fee of A$420.

And if a subclass 870 visa has already been granted the visa holder will not be able to apply for a permanent residency visa until the time the 870 visa has ceased to be in effect, and the individual has left Australia.

Visa strategy is therefore critical.

If you think you need help with your parent visa application Go Matilda Visas invites you to complete the enquiry form on this web page for a free initial discussion.

Once we have had an initial chat we can send details to you of our fee for assisting with a parent visa application.

Travel Exemption Applications Now Open for Parents

Australian Government Media Release

​From today, parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for a travel exemption, for travel to Australia from 1 November 2021.

Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the changes would reunite many families separated by the pandemic.

See the full media release here.

Parent Visa Backlog Continues to Increase

The Australian Government has published its report on the delivery of the 2020/21 Migration Program.
 
Page 56 of the report discusses parent visa processing activity and clearly shows the number of visa applications awaiting decisions continuing to rise, with new parent visa application lodgments comfortably exceeding the number of visas being granted annually.
 
For program year 2020/21 (with 2019/20 in brackets) the numbers are as follows – these numbers include Contributory and non Contributory parent visas:
 
Number of applications – 14,827 (12,664)
Number of visas granted – 4,500 (4,399)
Applications on hand at 30 June – 114,359 (108,659)