The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[Tulip1]

6 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

Full details of evidence required for immediate family exemption for parents and link to apply for exemption here

https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/immediate-family-australian-citizens-or-permanent-residents-or-new-zealand-citizens-usually-resident-australia

 

 

Thank you for providing this info. 

[LindaH27]

@Tulip1 I think it’s only 600 visa that you can use - not sure though  - but would make sense as they can put No further stay clause on that one. Hopefully someone who applies can let us all know. I’m not applying yet as my daughter will be coming home in a few months as she wants to see all the family. I’m not sure if all airlines say you have to be fully vaccinated? I know you don’t have to quarantine in Australia if fully vaccinated but at present think it’s only NSW and VIC  

Edited October 22, 2021 by LindaH27

[LindaH27]

Honestly - WHAT???? I don’t believe this !  Postponed to March 2022!,

Edited October 22, 2021 by LindaH27

[A&J]

Disappointment heaped on dissatisfaction 

[John Tyers]

4 hours ago, A&J said:

Disappointment heaped on dissatisfaction 

It gets from bad to worse! If only they would give you some indication as to where you are in the queue and an approximate time for planning purposes.

CPV lodged may 2017, acknowledgment received, nothing heard since!

[LindaH27]

10 minutes ago, John Tyers said:

It gets from bad to worse! If only they would give you some indication as to where you are in the queue and an approximate time for planning purposes.

CPV lodged may 2017, acknowledgment received, nothing heard since!

You can get a rough idea of how many years left to wait. Count how many are in front of you and divide by annual quota of 3600

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/contributory-parent-visa-application-numbers-updated/

[John Tyers]

10 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

You can get a rough idea of how many years left to wait. Count how many are in front of you and divide by annual quota of 3600

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/contributory-parent-visa-application-numbers-updated/

Thank you for the response, if I have read this correctly it looks like there are nearly 14,000 in front of me then divide it by 3600 leaves approximately another 3.8  years to wait? Obviously assuming that processing times remain the same. Thanks again.

[LindaH27]

57 minutes ago, John Tyers said:

Thank you for the response, if I have read this correctly it looks like there are nearly 14,000 in front of me then divide it by 3600 leaves approximately another 3.8  years to wait? Obviously assuming that processing times remain the same. Thanks again.

Yes it’s only approximate as it gives monthly totals so I guess it’s where you are in that particular month. May and June 2017 in particular had huge numbers of applications 

[Alan Collett]

14 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

Yes it’s only approximate as it gives monthly totals so I guess it’s where you are in that particular month. May and June 2017 in particular had huge numbers of applications 

Having a competent and proactive migration agent can therefore make a difference to how long you wait for the visa to be granted.

For example, if your month of processing is approaching an agent who is on the ball will anticipate requests for medicals and police clearances, and advise you to arrange them.

This can give you an advantage of several weeks if not months over those who seek their advice from discussion forums and Facebook groups.

I appreciate there's a cost attaching to appointing a professional advisor, but how quickly do you want your permanent residency visa?

Onwards!

Best regards.

[amsaini15]

14 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

Yes it’s only approximate as it gives monthly totals so I guess it’s where you are in that particular month. May and June 2017 in particular had huge numbers of applications 

Approx 2 years time frame at the time of applying has become 8 years now and Govt. doesn't feel they are answerable?? 

[Alan Collett]

4 minutes ago, amsaini15 said:

Approx 2 years time frame at the time of applying has become 8 years now and Govt. doesn't feel they are answerable?? 

The Government is answerable to the electorate on polling day.

Therein lies the challenge to parent visa applicants and their families in Australia.

Best regards.

[amsaini15]

Has someone written to their local MP about the delays and reduction of number of visas available for parents? 

Rather than everyone writing their own letter, wouldn't it benefit if we share the letter with facts and information on forum for each one of us to raise with local MPs? This way there is consistency in putting our case forward. What do you think. Thanks

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, amsaini15 said:

Approx 2 years time frame at the time of applying has become 8 years now and Govt. doesn't feel they are answerable?? 

No, it wasn't 2 years time frame at the time of applying.   It was already 8 years on the date you applied, you just didn't know it, because that information wasn't published.  The figure on the official government website only meant, "we are currently processing applications we got 2 years ago".   That is still how they show the figures on the website, which is disgraceful, because it gives people a false idea of how long their own application will take.  

For instanc, people applying today are seeing a 5-6 year processing time on the website, but the actual waiting time for them will be over double that. 

There has been a petition and there is a senate enquiry due next year, but to be honest, I don't think it will change things.    The government has already carried out a research project and discovered that parents cost the government millions in health care and aged care, far in excess of the fees they collect, and they don't want to take on that burden.  They also know that even though Australia is regarded as a nation of migrants, the number of people who actually want to bring their parents to Australia is only a small percentage of the voting population, so there's no incentive at the ballot box either.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Marisawright

[palaceboy1]

38 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

No, it wasn't 2 years time frame at the time of applying.   It was already 8 years on the date you applied, you just didn't know it, because that information wasn't published.  The figure on the official government website only meant, "we are currently processing applications we got 2 years ago".   That is still how they show the figures on the website, which is disgraceful, because it gives people a false idea of how long their own application will take.  

For instanc, people applying today are seeing a 5-6 year processing time on the website, but the actual waiting time for them will be over double that. 

There has been a petition and there is a senate enquiry due next year, but to be honest, I don't think it will change things.    The government has already carried out a research project and discovered that parents cost the government millions in health care and aged care, far in excess of the fees they collect, and they don't want to take on that burden.  They also know that even though Australia is regarded as a nation of migrants, the number of people who actually want to bring their parents to Australia is only a small percentage of the voting population, so there's no incentive at the ballot box either.

I find this strange regarding the 143 visa where they state only current processing times but with the 103 visa it states up to 30 years when in fact they are processing august 2010 . Double standards I think !

[Marisawright]

17 minutes ago, palaceboy1 said:

I find this strange regarding the 143 visa where they state only current processing times but with the 103 visa it states up to 30 years when in fact they are processing august 2010 . Double standards I think !

Yes indeed.  Why use a predictive date for the 103 and not use a predictive date for the 143?   

[Kukoo 19/10/16]

No application seems to be processed till March end 

[April]

On 22/10/2021 at 16:58, Tulip1 said:

It’s very good news that parents are now classed as immediate family.  It means I’ll get out there before too long but it’s a shame my 21 year old won’t be able to come with me to see his siblings.  Still it is what it is and I’m grateful they’ve added parents to the list. 

On 24/10/2021 at 11:10, Alan Collett said:

The Government is answerable to the electorate on polling day.

Therein lies the challenge to parent visa applicants and their families in Australia.

Best regards.

Very well said! 

[April]

On 24/10/2021 at 11:05, amsaini15 said:

Approx 2 years time frame at the time of applying has become 8 years now and Govt. doesn't feel they are answerable?? 

Yes, I did write to my local MP - stating the fact that the estimated timeframe on Home Affairs website is misleading, and new applicants will need to wait 18 years for their applications to be processed if the cap remains at 3600 a year. In light of the 2022 election, I asked whether there were any consideration to increase the cap. I haven’t heard back - mostly it will be a standard useless reply email from their staff anyway. 
 

I would like to be optimistic - perhaps the reduction to 3600 in these two years was due to COVID and therefore temporary? Perhaps with the election coming up, parties would reconsider the parent migration policy? At the same time, I found it hard to be optimistic. It seems the trend is towards more temporary visas and fewer permanent visas, which is why the government started 870 visa back then 

[LindaH27]

1 hour ago, April said:

I would like to be optimistic - perhaps the reduction to 3600 in these two years was due to COVID and therefore temporary? Perhaps with the election coming up, parties would reconsider the parent migration policy? At the same time, I found it hard to be optimistic. It seems the trend is towards more temporary visas and fewer permanent visas, which is why the government started 870 visa back then 

Im afraid it’s not temporary and nothing to do with Covid, the reduction in numbers started well before Covid hit  

There was a Review back in 2016. It had 4 recommendations 

1 Reduce quota of contributory visas (actioned)

2 Introduce long term temporary parent visa (actioned) 

3 Get rid of 804 except for extremely restrictive compassionate reasons 

4.Increase fees for  contributory visas

Thr first two have actually happened so it’s likely the next two are being looked at again during this current review 

They have worked out that each older parent will cost the Australian taxpayer around $410,000 (!) during their lifetime so $43600 for 143 second charge goes nowhere near! That’s why Australia doesn’t want older parents. I’m just hoping that if they increase the charges it’s not retrospective! 

[April]

5 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

Im afraid it’s not temporary and nothing to do with Covid, the reduction in numbers started well before Covid hit  

There was a Review back in 2016. It had 4 recommendations 

1 Reduce quota of contributory visas (actioned)

2 Introduce long term temporary parent visa (actioned) 

3 Get rid of 804 except for extremely restrictive compassionate reasons 

4.Increase fees for  contributory visas

Thr first two have actually happened so it’s likely the next two are being looked at again during this current review 

They have worked out that each older parent will cost the Australian taxpayer around $410,000 (!) during their lifetime so $43600 for 143 second charge goes nowhere near! That’s why Australia doesn’t want older parents. I’m just hoping that if they increase the charges it’s not retrospective! 

But with the cap of 3600 and an estimated waiting time of 18 years, is 143 even a viable visa option? I assumed that majority of the applicants were in their 60s and 70s when they applied, which means their visas wouldn’t  be processed until they are almost in their 80s or 90s. 
NZ has a quota for parents visa of 1000 a year (which isn’t generous anyway). Given Australia is 5 times the population of NZ, the quota of 3600 appears very low and unreasonable to me. 

[LindaH27]

13 minutes ago, April said:

But with the cap of 3600 and an estimated waiting time of 18 years, is 143 even a viable visa option? I assumed that majority of the applicants were in their 60s and 70s when they applied, which means their visas wouldn’t  be processed until they are almost in their 80s or 90s. 
NZ has a quota for parents visa of 1000 a year (which isn’t generous anyway). Given Australia is 5 times the population of NZ, the quota of 3600 appears very low and unreasonable to me. 

143 was only introduced because 103 non contributory queue reached similar numbers of applicants as 143 has now. It was introduced because people were told if they’d paid they would get their visas a lot quicker. I think the explosion in applications wasn’t what they thought it would be hence the review in 2016. 

NZ actually stopped its parent visas for a few years due to too many applications! 
When it was reintroduced I believe it was only by invitation to keep the numbers down ie they picked and chose from the queue  before offering invitations to apply rather than going on date order. 

Every country in the world is facing an expensive ageing population so are reluctant to add any more. UK does not even offer a parent visa anymore unless in extreme circumstances.

A lot  of applicants are younger  than 60s and 70s - they applied for 143 thinking they would be able to work once they migrated. The main problem is the statement made on the website that processing takes 64 months - it showed 18-24 months when I applied! . Like many I assumed that meant the length of time I had to wait when in fact it only means it’s taken that much time for the ones they are actually processing now. 
The review in 2016 suggested that the charges for 143 be increased. That led to a huge surge in applications in May and June 2017 before the prospective increase in July 2017 as July  is the start of the new financial year and new quota. 9000 applied in those two months alone meaning on present quota it will take 2.5 years just to get through those two months! Thus pushing all the following applications back. People are still applying now without being aware of the true wait time. 
The annual Parent quota  is actually 4500, 3600 for contributory and 900 for non contributory and other family such as last remaining relative Those 900 are looking at a wait time of 30-50 years!!

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, April said:

But with the cap of 3600 and an estimated waiting time of 18 years, is 143 even a viable visa option? I assumed that majority of the applicants were in their 60s and 70s when they applied, which means their visas wouldn’t  be processed until they are almost in their 80s or 90s. 
NZ has a quota for parents visa of 1000 a year (which isn’t generous anyway). Given Australia is 5 times the population of NZ, the quota of 3600 appears very low and unreasonable to me. 

I don't think you can call it reasonable or unreasonable.  IMO the only unreasonable thing is the disgracefully misleading information about waiting times.  A country has every right to place whatever limits it wants.    

People often argue that Australia will lose valuable migrants by preventing them from bringing their parents.   The reality is that for every migrant who leaves Australia because they can't bring their parents, there are two or three migrants eager to take their place, and leave their parents at home.    So why would the government willingly take on the huge cost of providing for parents in their old age, if they don't need to? 

[Alan Collett]

On 24/10/2021 at 11:50, amsaini15 said:

Has someone written to their local MP about the delays and reduction of number of visas available for parents? 

Rather than everyone writing their own letter, wouldn't it benefit if we share the letter with facts and information on forum for each one of us to raise with local MPs? This way there is consistency in putting our case forward. What do you think. Thanks

I think the best one can reasonably hope for when we're this close to a Federal Election is a policy in the manifestos of the two main political parties - what are they going to do about the parent visa backlog?

Is time to start lobbying your local MP, the Federal Ministers in the Immigration/Home Affairs portfolio, and the opposition Members filling the equivalent positions.   IMHO.

Best regards.

[April]

@LindaH27  @Marisawright Thanks. I can understand what you are saying and to be honest I know you are right. I suppose I'm just frustrated at myself and now trying to convince myself that the cap could potentially be increased for the next couple of years. My parents could have applied in July 2015, but they thought it would only take a year or two to approve the visa there was no rush and only applied in June 2017. With the COVID border restrictions, I got desperate to get them here on a permanent basis. Anyway, at least they can come to visit next year as my immediate family which is good news at least. 

Edited November 3, 2021 by April

[Lady Jane]

24 minutes ago, April said:

@LindaH27  @Marisawright Thanks. I can understand what you are saying and to be honest I know you are right. I suppose I'm just frustrated at myself and now trying to convince myself that the cap could potentially be increased for the next couple of years. My parents could have applied in July 2015, but they thought it would only take a year or two to approve the visa there was no rush and only applied in June 2017. With the COVID border restrictions, I got desperate to get them here on a permanent basis. Anyway, at least they can come to visit next year as my immediate family which is good news at least. 

The worst part of the whole process is that parents applying go by the application processing time on the website. As you say your parents made the decision to delay applying, which we did too. It’s so difficult as your life revolves around when you might get the visa. 
if the immi website was clear in the processing times parents could then make an informed decision when to apply.  I know how you feel, we felt like it would never happen( especially with Covid)  but eventually it did.  
Keep your chin up and good luck.