LindaH27

The current quota of 6000 was set by the govt in last budget. The new govt has announced a 2500 increase in the family stream effective immediately. But it’s not clear yet whether this will all be for parents. They have also authorised a review into the whole immigration/visa situation which is due to report in February 2023. They have also said they want to reduce the whole visa backlog. How all this will play out for parents is obviously still unsure. But if - if!- just 2000 of that 2500 were added to the contributory parents quota it could well be that by end June 2023 they may have reached early 2017!! Having said that, the two months of May/June 2017 with their 9000 applications will stall the momentum as it will take around 18-24 months to process them under the quotas announced this year unless the quota is greatly increased again. Hopefully there may be some good news in the October budget.

Yes on social media the latest date seems to be 22/11/16 The rules on dependants changed in November 2016 but I’m not sure when they actually took effect from. The maximum age is now under 23. 23 years and over were not eligible unless they had a serious illness which kept them dependant . However that would then still be subject to passing the medical.

They definitely can apply for 143 onshore but they won’t get a bridging visa

The four year wait is mostly for young people and families I believe. Yes you have to have PR to be eligible as well. 103 used to have a wait period of 2 years. That may have changed now.

New migrants have always had to wait for varying periods AFTER they have arrived. Australia expects migrants to be able to support themselves. They don’t expect to be paying out benefits to newly arrived migrants

I’m assuming you mean someone has died rather than just withdrawn an application 1) I understand if you contact immi and explain. The main applicant has died they will accept the secondary applicant as the main applicant without any change in date. 2) if you switch from 103 to 143 you keep the same queue date 3) No benefits are payable until after GRANT of 143 for 10 years but will have Medicare 4) I believe after GRANT of 103 you wait two years for benefits but will have Medicare However this is all pretty academic because 103 is likely to take quite a few more years as they’re only currently dealing with October 2010 I think and only 900 grants per year are available for the combined queue of 103 and 804 and likely to be further drops in that amount this year Changing to 143 would mean with a queue date of 2012 it would be processed almost immediately as they’re up to September 2016 at the moment. So you would need medicals. Police clearances etc plus pay a lot of money - approx $43600 plus the costs of medicals etc. and would still have to wait 10 years for any benefits after grant. You as sponsor would also have to pay assurance of support of $10000 and would not get it returned for 10 years. Australia doesn’t give any benefits out to new migrants until after a wait period of years. Should the migrant not be able to afford to live on their money Centrelink will use the money from the Assurance of Support. Once that runs out you as sponsor will have to pay for everything and will have a debt to the government.

It’s because it’s in the same queue as 173,143 and 884 - all contributory visas. Also it was being wrongly processed earlier than the others (sometimes within a few Months!) so now immi have put a hold on all 864 lodged before June 2017 until the others catch up with that date. It’s presently asking September 2016 applicants for further docs to start the processing . It’s moved quite quickly in the last few months but will stall once it reaches May/ June 2017 applicants because 9000 applied just in those two months - at current annual quota that could take 2 years just to get through those two months alone. There are already approximately 75k waiting in the queue so the wait time will only get longer unless the govt increase the quota and possibly stop the 804. It’s a possibility they may also look at 864 as people have complained that it’s very discriminatory to allow aged parents on that visa to wait onshore on a bridging visa when it makes aged parents on 143 wait offshore. Many weren't aged when they first applied or weren’t in a position to leave their respective countries at that time for various reasons so applied for 143 on the premise of a fairly quick result. It could actually take 18 plus years for grant if quotas don’t increase drastically. - and you’d still have to pass the medical at the end..If one fails all fail. That’s a long time to be living on a temporary visa and facing all the extra costs eg for property. You need permission from FIRB to buy and they’ve just doubled the cost of that permission to a starting figure of around $13500 plus each state charge an extra amount of stamp duty on top of the usual - NSW is an extra 7%! On a temporary visa they’re no entitlements to benefits or extra pensioner concessions. Reciprocal health doesn’t cover optical, dentists, ambulance etc so would need extra cover which is expensive and can only increase. Basically onshore visas need deep pockets for the future

It may be a vote winner for those Australians born overseas whose parents with applications for contributory parent visas (which greatly outnumber non contributory) who have been waiting offshore for many more years than they expected and are willing to pay a large sum of money for it!

804 could possibly be discontinued at some point given it costs Australia taxpayers a lot of money so perhaps that’s why the agent recommended 864 instead of suggesting going for 804. Some visas in the past have been discontinued retrospectively

Exactly ! People who apply offshore for contributory visas have to wait offshore for their grants but more and more people are using a visitor visa then getting a bridging visa so effectively “living” in Australia as soon as they land. The increasing cost to the Australian taxpayer with reciprocal care is not sustainable and govt have already mentioned there are too many people on bridging visas already.

Possibly also on 864 as it will be years before they get the grant so that’s years of relying on reciprocal health care. Even if you apply for 143 and fail the medical at the end stage of the processing you will not be given the grant. So I assume the same for 864 and obviously as she ages she will have more problems and more medication. The argument about not being a burden with full health insurance has continued for quite a while. Aged health insurance is expensive and will only increase with age and claims. It would have to be monitored by govt and checked every year I suppose. Some will not be able to carry on paying - are they then supposed to be asked to leave ? Opens up a minefield. In common with every country worldwide Australia is facing a demographic timebomb - a rapidly ageing and expensive population - they don’t really want to import more old people. And I say all this as someone who’s been waiting offshore for 5 years now and no nearer getting a grant. Yes I would like to be there but yes I can understand Australia’s desire to have younger skilled workers than more potentially expensive elderly people. NHS in UK is floundering and I believe there are also concerns about the future of Medicare. Its obviously entirely up to you what you decide what to do - just make sure you’re aware of all the pros and cons of an onshore application. UK doesn’t even offer a parent visa!

It’s around 3 years after application. She will have to be self supporting more or less as wouldn’t be able to access any benefits and her UK pension will be frozen as it was at the date she leaves UK and will not be eligible for the Australian pension which is means tested. Reciprocal health care is available but not Aged care. That wouldn’t be available either at home or in care home as a benefit and would have to be paid for privately. You do need deep pockets on the non Contributory visa because you’re only classed as a temporary resident so not a lot of pensioner concessions are available. Should her health deteriorate badly so that the costs to govt become expensive (over $51000) there have been a few cases where they have been asked to leave. Also govt do not like 804 and there have been attempts previously to stop this visa. Because the wait for the contributory has ballooned out a lot of applicants are changing to 804 putting more pressure on govt finances so it’s something the new govt will probably be looking at.

@Alan Collett I’ve just sent you PM.

Thanks Alan, always grateful for your advice !

Thank you Alan. Hopefully there will be a further increase in the upcoming October budget. I note you think the non CP visa allocation (103 & 804) will drop to 500. Obviously it doesn’t really matter for 804 as people know they are not likely to ever get their grant owing to the current long wait but it’s likely that even more aged parents will take this route in future given that it’s so much cheaper and they can wait onshore so it’s going to mean a lack of revenue for the govt and surely can’t be sustainable. I hope it doesn’t mean increasing the VAC for CPV applications. I know at present the second VAC is locked in at the price at the time of application. Do you foresee any change in this ?

It’s condition of 870 visa that they have to pass a medical so I don’t think they would be able to get that visa unfortunately.

Thank you for letting us all know. That must have been a hard decision and yet perhaps something we all may face given the length of time spent waiting and the changes in both our own and our families lives and health. It takes courage to walk away and I wish you well for the future.

Wouldn’t that give rise to a capital gains tax problem when they come to sell further down the line eg parents die, owner needs money, divorces etc?

No you need to be “settled” just as you need to meet balance of family. Without that you’re not eligible.

@Little Dragon I trust you have now seen that there’s an estimated wait in excess of 18 years for grant of new applications so it’s possible your parents may never become permanent residents and spend all their life on temporary bridging visas with no Medicare. . Private health insurance will be needed which is expensive as people age /make claims etc. they will always need to apply for BVB in order to leave and return to the country every time even for a holiday or to go back to sort out their affairs. Just something else to consider

Has it changed? I was under the impression you were only given 28 days in which to pay??

You will have to withdraw 143 and reapply for 864. You will lose your original application fee which will not be refunded. More importantly you will lose your queue date and start again with a new queue date. All applications for 864 after January 2017 have been put on hold until 143 reaches the same date as 864 were wrongly being processed earlier than 143. New applications with current quotas are likely to take around 18 plus years. The quotas are going up 4500 to 6000 ( but no details yet about the split between contributory and non contributory) and the new govt could increase them even more as they’ve said they’re looking into the parent backlog. Not sure how you get 2024 - you can get a better idea here https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/visa-processing-time-calculator/ If you go ahead with 864 you will probably need to pay private health insurance which is expensive and increases every year. No help is given on any form of aged care and no entitlements to any benefits. You could apply for 870 whilst on 143 and stay for 3 or 5 years whilst maintaining your original queue date. It’s expensive living on 864 whilst waiting for grant.

Where does it say 120 k for contributory visas? Any lists I’ve seen in the recent past would imply that 120k is actually the combination of both contributory AND non contributory visas. Quite a lot of those visas are also aged parent visas for those over 67 - and they are allowed to wait onshore whilst waiting for their grant, and if from one of 11 countries they will get reciprocal health care in Australia, so it’s likely the applications for these visas are really blowing out now as people are changing to them because of the wait times . However yes the wait is very long and the visas should be halted temporarily whilst the new govt decides what to do. They have stated that they are looking at the wait times for all visas including the parent backlog. They have an awful of of work to do as they’ve only just been elected. Give them a chance to see what they suggest

According to centrelink 804 cannot enrol in Medicare but if from one of 11 countries they can receive reciprocal health care which covers “essential “ medical needs only

Well I applied June 2017 so 5 years ago and expect to have to wait another 5 years