An Australian Parent Visa update, including current timeframes and Coronavirus processing.
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Release of the Federal Budget 2020-21
The Australian Federal Budget was released last month.
A notable change is that Parent visa allocations have decreased by 39% to 4,500 for the migration year. With less spaces available the backlog of applications will continue to build, thus extending processing times.
This will be disappointing given the already long waiting times for parent visas, however there is some good news.
Despite the COVID pandemic the department is still processing visas.
During the pandemic we have seen movement on our clients’ applications, most recently:
- 143 visa lodged December 2015 – granted September 2020
- 143 visa lodged February 2016 – final request received November 2020
Current Processing Times
Visas lodged before or on the below dates are currently being processed:
- Onshore Contributory Parent (subclass 864) – January 2017
- Offshore Contributory Parent (subclass 143) – May 2016
Processing times for parent visas can be lengthy
Discrepancies in processing times between offshore and onshore visas in Contributory Parent categories have been identified and are being corrected. Consequently, Onshore Contributory Parent (subclass 864) visas lodged after January 2017 are likely to take longer.
You can read more about queue release dates and processing times on the Government website.
An alternative parent visa – the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 870) – provides another pathway for applicants wishing for quicker processing times. Unlike the Contributory Parent visa, the 870 enables parents to live temporarily in Australia for either 3 or 5 years, and for no more than 10 years in total. You can read more about this on our website.
Migration Advice
For further information on parent visa processing times you can refer to the Government website.
If you would like to discuss in detail the best visa for you, why not book a consultation with our Migration Agent. Without over 18 years’ experience as a licensed migration agent, Darren Chatt is well informed to advise you on your visa options for Australia.
Speak with a licensed migration agent today!
