Australia's visa changes leave families in limbo

A policy shift by Australia's Department of Home Affairs has cast a shadow of uncertainty over families with parents applying for visas from overseas. The change, introduced in late July, prioritizes family visa applications lodged within Australia over those submitted from abroad. This affects not only parents but also other family-stream visas for partners, children, and carers.

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She helped me big time with my daughter.

Amy Hu, a Chinese Australian living in Brisbane, shared her experience, highlighting the crucial role her mother has played in raising her children. Her mother, who travels between Australia and China, has had to repeatedly return to China and wait months to reapply for temporary visas to visit. Hu has already spent over $12,000 on two temporary parent visas, with her daughter frequently asking why her grandmother had to leave.

In 2019, Hu's parents applied for a contributory parent visa, which requires a payment of over $50,000 and grants permanent residency. They had anticipated receiving their visas by 2027, but this timeline is now uncertain. A non-contributory visa costs $8,665 but involves significantly longer wait times. Hu has started an online petition, which has garnered over 1,600 signatures, calling for the federal government to treat offshore visa applications fairly.

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My daughter was asking me all the time why her grandmother had to leave.

"My children are all Australian citizens," Ms. Hu stated. "Am I supposed to tell my children that family is not important? Or grandparents are not important?" She expressed a feeling that decision-makers "do not care about the next generation."

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Am I supposed to tell my children that family is not important? Or grandparents are not important?

A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs explained that the ministerial direction supports the "targeted delivery of Australia's 2026-27 Family Migration Program" and prioritizes applications from onshore migrants to reduce wait times for those already contributing to Australia. The spokesperson assured that parent visa processing has not paused, though estimated processing times for capped migration programs will be updated. Previously, average processing times for parent visas lodged this year ranged from 15 to 33 years, and there are now fears these wait times could become indefinite.

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Prioritising onshore applicants will help reduce wait times for migrants already living, working, and contributing to Australia.