parents visa

[Guest maff.bird]

can anyone give us any information on parent visasas we have heard that there have been some sort of hold up or change ,that they are putting a stop on all visas until july 08 thanks maff:arghh:

[Gollywobbler]

Hello maff

 

It is not as bad as you seem to have heard. What has happened is as follows:

 

Each year, DIAC are allowed to grant 1,000 non-contributory Parent visas and 3,500 Contributory Parent visas. The visa Program Year rus util 30 June every year.

 

By 30 June 2007, DIAC were in receipt of over 5,000 live applications for CP visas, representing about 7,000 people. Since 1 July 2007 they have continued to receive around 325 new CP applications each month, representing about 525 new applicants each month.

 

So DIAC began the 2007/8 program year with applications for 7,000 people and another 525 people a month joining the queue. As at 1st July 2007, they had 3,500 CP visas available between 01/07/2007 and 30/06/2008.

 

By the end of Novmber 2007 DIAC had granted or allocated all 3,500 CP visas available in the 2007/8 Program Year.Therefore they have had to stop granting new visas for the time being because they have used up the total quota for 2007/8.

 

They have made a Submission to the new Monister for Immi explaining the situation. The Minister may decide to increase the quota of CP visas avaialble each year, so as to ensure that demand does not exceed supply by too much. If he dcides not to increase the quota, the worst case scenario is that another 3,500 CP visas will be available on 1 July 2008.

 

The way the procesing works is that the first thing DIAC check with a CP application is whetheror not the "threshold criteria" are met. This is stuff like checking whether the applicants are OK on the Balance of Family Test.

 

If the threshold criteria are met, the next step is to check the Public Health Criteria, which are the Meds and the Police checks.

 

Hitherto, when the police and Meds have been cleared, DIAC ask for the Assurance of Support to be given and the Bond deposited (in the case of the permaent CP and Contributory Aged Parent visas.) Once Centrelink confirm that the AoS procedure is complete, the CO then asks for the 2nd Instalment (the big money.) When thet is paid, the CP visa is granted.

 

You may be aware that the Bond for a single Contributory Parent is A$10,000 and A$14,000 for a couple. For applications made before 30 June 2007, the 2nd Instalment is A$29,330 per Parent. For applications received after 1 July 2007, the 2nd Instalment is now A$31,555 per Parent.

 

Obvioously, people would resent being asked to pay the substantial Bond and the even bigger 2nd Instalment unless visas will be available swiftly thereafter. So DIAC decided to process all the applications normally up until the point where the meds and plolice checks have been cleared. At this point, they are placing the applications in a queue. They will request the AoSs and 2nd Instalments as and when they have more visas available to grant. It is looking increasinglyl likely that there won't be any more new CP visas granted before 1 July 2008.

 

However, they are still accepting applictions as usual, so anybody who is getting ready to submit a CP application should carry on and submit it as soon as possible.

 

Sing out of you have any more queries because there is now a lot of information available about this and I have read almost all of it, spoken with DIAC about it etc.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill