Out of the 160,000 visas allocated in the 2021-2022 Migration Program, only 4,500 places are allocated for Parent Visas. This means that processing times for some Parent Visas may take up to 50 years due to the volume of applications exceeding the available places. These lengthy waiting periods means that many families can miss out on a long-awaited reunion if they don’t choose the right visa.
If you are considering sponsoring your parent under the Parent Visa scheme, there are several visa subclasses you should be aware of:
- Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
- Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
- Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
- Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
- Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
- Parent visa (subclass 103)
- Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
Not all Parent Visas are permanent visas. This means that you can choose to sponsor you parent for a period between 2 to 5 years. However, the visa subclass your parent applies for may determine whether or not they can apply for a further parent visa afterwards.
As at June 2021, the Department of Home Affairs has only just commenced processing applications lodged from the below dates:
- Contributory Parent visa applications with a queue date up to May 2016
- Parent visa applications with a queue date up to October 2010
- Aged Parent visa applications with a queue date up to December 2012
When the 4,500 visas have been granted, the queued applications rollover onto the next Migration Program year.
If your parent has applied for a Parent Visa and are affected by COVID-19, they may be entitled to a recent COVID-19 concession.
If you are unsure of what visa your parent can apply for, the relevant processing times and what concessions apply, please contact our Australian Migration Lawyers so we can help guide you.
Nevett Ford Lawyers – Immigration Lawyers Melbourne & Australian Citizenship Lawyers
Telephone: +61 3 9614 7111
Email: melbourne@nevettford.com.au
Visit our website: www.nevettford.com.au