There is currently a backlog of 97,000 applications that equates to a three-year wait time for permanent parent visa applications. The Greens want to cap the wait time to 12 months.
Parents of migrants can only visit their children in Australia on tourist visas, if they don’t have a permanent parent visa.
The contributory parent visa has a wait time of nearly four years and costs roughly $47,000 per person in comparison to the non-contributory parent visa which costs $6,000 per person but can take up to 30 years to grant the visa.
The Greens want to remove both visas and review the balance of family test. This test required that half the applicant’s children or step-children be permanent residents or Australian citizens. This also allows people that arrive by boats the option to apply for family reunion visas.
The party has vowed to invest $250 million and $12.68 billion over the next 10 years to see through their proposal.
The Greens have described that the wait of decades for migrants to be reunited with their parents as ‘cold-hearted and mean.’
The Coalitions proposed a revamped parent visa scheme in May 2017 and is taking effect from 1 July 2019. The scheme will be capped at 15,000 visas and families are allowed to sponsor one set of parents at one given time.
The cost of the visa will be $10,000 for a five-year visa and $5,000 for a three-year visa. The cost was decided after consulting the public in conjunction with the Department of Home Affairs.
Labor on the other hand has proposed that the 15,000 capped number be revisited and changed to a demand-driven system and let families bring over both sets of parents. They have also said the cost should be reduced to $2,500 for a five-year visa and $1,250 for a three-year visa.
It has been said that Labor’s proposal is nothing but a hoax and is unsustainable.
If you have any questions regarding a permanent parent visa, contact Results Migration, a team of experienced immigration lawyers and migration agents. Call Results Migration on 1800 808 717 or email us on [email protected] to book your free consultation today!
