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30 year wait for parent visa damages Australia’s international standing for migrant integration

The department of immigration's (DIBP's) website states that the processing period for the non-contributory parent visa is now 30 years. The previous indication was 13 years. Has the quota dropped for this parent visa category or have more people desperately joined the queue in light the of the shock from the government’s attempt to repeal the visa class?

Thirty or 13 years, the wait is too long. Unless families can contribute some $100,000 and get on the contributory parent visa class which has a processing period of under 2 years, family reunions involving parents look virtually impossible.

This issue together with the difficulties faced by migrants in obtaining permanent residency were among the reasons cited for the fall in Australia’s score in the latest assessment of Australia’s performance in resettling migrants according to a report by the global ranking index, MIPEX.

The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) is a unique tool which measures policies to integrate migrants in all EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.

Developers of the index, use 167 policy indicators to “create a rich, multi-dimensional picture of migrants’ opportunities to participate in society. The index is a tool to evaluate and compare what governments are doing to promote the integration of migrants in all the countries analysed.

While Australia ranks 8 out of the 38 countries ranked, the migrant integration policy index has penalised Australia for policies that make it harder for migrants to have family reunions and obtain permanent residence.

The parent category visa was a particular concern. The category includes both the Parent (non-contributory) and the Contributory Parent visas. Parent (non-contributory) visa applications have a lower processing priority than other visas in the family stream such as partners, children and contributory parent visas. DIBP's website indicates that the same number of parent visas will be available this  year: 8,675. However its website is still showing the 2014–15 Migration Programme year breakdown for the 2 different classes, with the quota as follows:

  • 1 500 places allocated to Parent (non-contributory) visas (subclasses 103 and 804)
  • 7 175 places allocated to Contributory Parent visas (subclasses 173/143 and subclasses 884/864) which requires a contribution of over $100,000.

According to the DIBP, due to the caps, applicants for a Parent (non-contributory) visa “can expect an approximate 30 year wait before visa grant consideration after being allocated a queue date.”

“People just can’t do that,” said Jessica Kinsella, the Australian National University lecturer who helped compile the Australian data for MIPEX. In an interview with the AAP news agency she said that migrant policies needed attention in order to promote social cohesion and help those already settled to have a fulfilling life. Ms Kinsella said Australia needs to weigh up the need of migrants to be with family against the burden some could place on the health system, along with the economic contribution grandparents can make as a source of childcare.

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  • Guest
    Noel Victor Comley Friday, 17 July 2015

    Read: "Parents stay away, we don't want you."

    30 year wait is a joke.

  • Guest
    Sam - RMA Friday, 17 July 2015

    Noel, actually we don't. Australia needs people who will contribute except for the really needy refugees approved through the front door within our chosen limits and a few other valid "social welfare" migrants. Otherwise, keep migration where it belongs, making a contribution to Australia.

  • Guest
    Noel Victor Comley Friday, 07 July 2017

    We're happy to benefit from migrants who can contribute but not happy t allow these same contributing migrants to have their parents come as well. Parents are an asset to these contributing families even if it is only as babysitters. If we are willing to accept the contribution of migrants we should be willing to help keep the families together.
    I was very glad to be able to have my mother and father in law migrate here; my wife had her parents and our children had their grandparents here. The current system is wrong.

  • Guest
    Sam - RMA Friday, 17 July 2015

    Scott Morrison as Minister for Immigration said that our immigration program is not a social welfare scheme but a scheme to improve Australia. I agree. The government tried to stop the non-contributory parent visas but was blocked by the Senate. They obviously prefer to have more contributors to Australia as migrants than those who are likely to be a cost to the country in the near future. I also agree with that. Australia is one of the most attractive countries for migrants and we do not need to please left wingers about our policies. I have done quite a few contributory parent visas and they all have, without fail, been hard-working people who have done well enough in their home countries to afford the $100K fee. There is no doubt the government does not want the NC parent visas granted and I agree. We cannot please all despite the lefties wanting us to. Lets get real and accept that Australia is a country that should be able to manage migration our own way and however we want to.

  • Guest
    Bernard Scheelings Friday, 17 July 2015

    Let us be realistic, parents have never contributed nor paid tax in Australia and as they are elderly will make demands on Australia's medical system in the near future, no argument. Us tax payers will be obliged to cover those costs. Sponsored parents officially cannot access benefits for the first ten years but they can, claiming to have been abandoned by their children (names of offenders withheld) after having worked as child minders for a number of years and having passed their 'use by' date, or parents make claims for rental assistance because they need to pay their children for staying their house. The system allows it and the rip off is a fait accompli. Centrelink obliges and does not make checks with Immigration. he Government does not want elderly migrants but won't actually say so, it uses the wait period to solve the problem. No-one will be alive after 30 years and/or certainly will not meet the medical test.

  • Guest
    gguest Friday, 17 July 2015

    It means other words DIBP Will be process parents application when they will die..ultimately currently DIBP is selling lottery ticket and whom will be win that alive on draw time.

  • Guest
    James Saturday, 18 July 2015

    19th century:

    "Give me your tired, your poor,
    Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
    The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
    Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

    21st century

    "Give us your young, healthy and competent,
    the old can drop dead"

    Some morality

  • Guest
    Ben Scheelings Saturday, 18 July 2015

    James, put your money where your mouth is and give us real tax payers a break. Dogooders and socialists should band together and form an association. This mob can then collect funds from all members to cover the costs of those they wish to help. How many will now duck for cover. Being generous with someone else's money is a cop out.

  • Guest
    Sam - RMA Sunday, 19 July 2015

    There is an article in the Sunday Mail - Brisbane - today about a family who appear to be applying for a parent visa, the one costing about $50,000 per person. The fees are known before people apply so no excuse for anyone not being able to pay. The family have been in Oz since 2006, not long term taxpayers. The applicant is an 85 year old lady who has had a stroke and other health issues. Now they are complaining that they cannot afford the stage fee of $30K and are looking for donations. Many immigration issues have sad elements but:
    1. The family have contributed little to Oz over the years with only a 9 year residence.
    2. The applicant will need healthcare - at 85 this is inevitable.
    While many immigration law elements of the story in the paper do not add up and i think the journo does not understand visa rules, this is the craziness of peoples attitude to migration. It is a take take take approach.

  • Guest
    Raul Monday, 20 July 2015

    The reality of the situation is that Australia cannot afford to open its doors to all of the Migrant parents that would like to come.

    The health and aged care system is already unable to cope, with the situation only set to worsen in the future as the Australia population ages.

    1,500 available places per year with a 30 year waiting list means a queue of 45,000. If the places were unlimited the number of application would increase dramatically as currently the long waiting times are putting people off applying.

    Even the contributory scheme, although it looks expensive, $50,000 for life time medical cover is cheap and the reality is that most will cost way more than that in their lifetime.

    Compassion needs to be balanced with fiscal reality.

  • Guest
    Nicholas Houston Tuesday, 28 July 2015

    Give me a break about real tax payers Vs. do gooders and socialists.

    My experience is that real tax payers are invariably engaged in every kind of negative gearing family trust super rorting scam going around and pay very little tax.

    Doesn't stop them baiting socialists though...




    should band together and form an association. This mob can then collect funds from all members to cover the costs of those they wish to help. How many will now duck for cover. Being generous with someone else's money is a cop out.

    Ben is no doubt

  • Guest
    Di Saturday, 05 December 2015

    The more comments I read on, the less hope I have on humanity..

  • Guest
    Kyle Tuesday, 12 January 2016

    Well my mom wasn't contributing any tax to australia for last 25 years.
    But she contributed a lot to raise me up to be a 25 yo young man.

    When the time I come to aus at my 25yo as the "skilled immi" doing the so called "contribution", aus hasn't paid a single dime to help me grow up etc. in my last 25 years neither.

    So,no need to spend anything on children and education, free young well-trained labors can just come out from thin air, right? Nop, there is no free lunch. If you gain, means someone else sacrifices.

    The payback will be I will bring my mom here and use the welfare to let her enjoy her last, hopefully 25 years life. By her living standard she consume much less resources comparing to rising up a 25yo young man. If the system doesn't allow me to do this, I will fight it to my death.

    To me, its nothing controversial, Its just a fair play. When we saved money from raising up a child, we need to compensate the people who paid that money for us. Especially those people are not some distant foreigners now, they are moms and dads of the aussies.

  • Guest
    Dorys Wednesday, 24 August 2016

    I am in the same boat. Trying to bring my mum here as the single mother or an only child, me. Now it is time for her to be with me so i can look after her in her elderly years and for her to be part of my family here (husband and son) as her only family. I got my PR and citizenship on my on right thanks to my mum's efforts raising me up to be the person i am. She may not be contributing money to Australia but contributed by raising me so i could contribute, and also while in the country She helps me and my husband raise our son, furthermore helping us to work and keep contributing

  • Guest
    Barjesh Monday, 11 July 2016

    Brilliant argument and cogent too.
    Aged parents are in no way a worse liability than refugees or persons who come illegally by boats.
    30 years waiting period is THE CRUELLEST POSSIBLE JOKE .
    EVEN THE TRUE PICTURE OR STATUS OF 103/804 VISA QUEUE APPLICATION IS NEVER MADE PUBLIC BY THE DEPARTMENT LONG PAST THE CLOSE OF LAST PROGRAMME YEAR OR THE START OF THE NEW VISA YEAR.
    SOLE AIM IS TO PUT OFF THIS CLASS OF VISA APPLICANTS.

  • Guest
    Patel Monday, 11 September 2017

    Very true

  • Guest
    Pardeep Thursday, 14 January 2016

    VERY FAIRLY SAID

  • Guest
    Nicholas Houston Thursday, 14 January 2016

    In response, the migration program is not about fairness, it is about bolstering Australia. Of course the country is seeking a free lunch from the families and other countries that have raised and educated young skilled migrants. They pay, we take. The system is based on a cross subsidy from the sending country to Australia. We take, and then we take again. Brilliant!

  • Guest
    Duncan Friday, 05 February 2016

    My wife wants to bring her father over here from South Africa. He is 70 and still working 6 days a week in a country being misrun by the good old ANC. He'll bring what he can and contribute his skills and experienced locally. Making someone like him wait 30 years, just so he can live with his only daughter for his remaining years is fucking pathetic.

    Case closed.

  • Guest
    Sam Saturday, 06 February 2016

    He can come - through the Contributory Parent visa Scheme. An investment of about $50k will do it if 50% of his children are here.

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