Go Matilda Parent Visas

13/08/2024

"If overseas-born Australians want to sponsor a parent to join them permanently in Australia, they can go down one of two routes.

The expensive path is a contributory parent or aged parent visa with a price tag of close to $50,000 per person. The cheaper option is a standard parent or aged parent visa, which costs “only” $5,125, but takes much longer.

The government sets an annual cap of 8,500 parent visas, with about eight in ten granted to “contributory” applicants. This is 4,000 more places than the Coalition granted in its last year in office, but is still way too few to meet demand.

As a result, the logjam grows. On June 30 2023, Home Affairs had 140,615 parent visa applications on hand. A year later, it was 151,596."

Burke has only been in the role for a couple of weeks, but a backlog of more than 150,000 parent visa applications presents some tough choices.

12/07/2024

We have received details of the number of Australian parent visas granted during the year to 30 June 2024.

Details of the number of Australian parent visas granted during the year to 30 June 2024.

30/06/2024

New Visa Application Charges are effective from today (1 July 2024).

Charges for 1st VACs (payable when the visa application is submitted) have been increased in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rounded to the nearest $5.

New VACs for the most commonly encountered parent visa subclasses are:

143 - $4,895 for the main visa applicant, plus $1,650 for a secondary visa applicant.
864 - $4,895 for the main visa applicant, plus $2,445 for a secondary visa applicant.
804 - $5,125 for the main visa applicant, plus $2,565 for a secondary visa applicant.
870 - $1,180 for each visa applicant

There is no increase in the 2nd VAC (which is payable immediately prior to visa grant) for 143s, 864, and 804s.

The 2nd VAC for subclass 870 visas has been increased to $10,605 for a 5 year visa, and to $4,715 for a 3 year visa.

These VACs apply to parent visa applications lodged from today.

04/06/2024

The latest data set has now been added to the Go Matilda Parent Visas calculator, which can be accessed here: https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/visa-processing-time-calculator/

As the preparation of the calculator involves costs (we have to pay the Department for the raw data, which then needs to be turned into a spreadsheet and input to the back end behind the website) we are considering ways of recovering these costs.

This might be by introducing a charge for all who aren't clients of Go Matilda Visas to access the calculator, or requesting names and email addresses so we can send information about our trusted associates and from whom we receive introducer fees.

Feedback from those of you who find the calculator of use will be much appreciated.

Welcome to Go Matilda Parent Visas and our Contributory Parent visa processing time calculator. When you enter your details into the calculator and the estimated number of visas you think will be granted each year the calculator will give an indication of when you can expect your visa to be granted....

02/04/2024

A Legislative Instrument has been published that caps the number of visas that can be granted to parents in the program year to 30 June 2024 as follows:

> Contributory Parent visas - 6,800
> Non Contributory Parent visas - 1,700

Of these 112 CP visas can be granted to Retiree pathway applicants; 13 can be granted to non-CP visa applicants by Retirees.

Retiree pathway applicants are those who are applying under the pathway that is available to subclass 410 and 405 visa applicants.

The numbers of parent visas granted in this program year up to 29 Feb 2024 are discussed here:

Information from the Department of Home Affairs - number of parent visas granted to the end of February 2024.

21/03/2024

We have details of the number of parent visas granted in the current program year through to 29 Feb 2024.

This indicates that there are still some 2,500 available visa grants available to Contributory Parent visa applicants for the year to 30 June 2024.

Information from the Department of Home Affairs - number of parent visas granted to the end of February 2024.

09/02/2024

Our latest blog discusses an issue of increasing significance to those waiting for subclass 143 Contributory Parent visas to be granted and who have a subclass 870 visa - the renewal of subclass 870 visas and the need to be outside Australia for at least 90 days.

We think this will be of interest to a few of you.

Renewal of subclass 870 parent visa. The requirement to be outside Australia for 90 days.

25/01/2024

The end of the Covid concession – and what it means for Subclass 143 visa applicants with Bridging Visas ...

25/01/2024

We have received up to date information from the Department of Home Affairs regarding the number of Contributory Parent visa applications that are in the system.

These have been entered into the database on our website, and can be used to estimate CP visa application processing times here:
https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/visa-processing-time-calculator/

A reasonable expectation presently is some 7,000 CP visas being granted annually.

Notably, almost 28,000 applications for Contributory Parent visas were lodged in calendar year 2023, which represents some 4 years of CP visa grants based on the usual number. Expectations of the withdrawal of CP visas is likely driving this surge in demand; a normal year would see 10,000 to 12,000 CP visa applications being submitted.

Welcome to Go Matilda Parent Visas and our Contributory Parent visa processing time calculator. When you enter your details into the calculator and the estimated number of visas you think will be granted each year the calculator will give an indication of when you can expect your visa to be granted....

14/12/2023

China's legacy 'one-child policy' is having a flow on effect for the children in Australia, who are facing waiting times of up to 30 years to bring their parents to Australia.

China's legacy 'one-child policy' is having a flow on effect for the children in Australia, who are facing waiting times of up to 30 years to bring their parents to Australia.

07/12/2023

Queue date confusion - mystery solved ... perhaps ...

Queue dates for Contributory Parent Visa applications.

31/10/2023

The latest contributory parent visa dataset has now been added to the processing time calculator on our website ...

Welcome to Go Matilda Parent Visas and our Contributory Parent visa processing time calculator. When you enter your details into the calculator and the estimated number of visas you think will be granted each year the calculator will give an indication of when you can expect your visa to be granted....

25/10/2023

Another good article from Abul Rivzi ...

In its attempt to repair the immigration system chaos caused by the Coalition, the Albanese Government has instead created a new set of challenges to overcome.

07/10/2023

Abul Rivzi (ex-Department of Immigration) always writes an interesting article ...

Calls for the parent visa reform are increasing, but questions remain over the feasibility of these ambitious demands, writes Dr Abul Rizvi.

06/10/2023

Some interesting comments in this article from the ABC:

"The government is close to releasing a new migration strategy to address some of the existing holes and backlogs in the system.

Parent visas are one of the most tricky areas, and there's still no obvious solution.

Tens of thousands of parents hope to reunite with their families, but the system only allows for around 8,500 permanent places a year, so the waitlist quickly balloons.

At the moment, the waitlist is around 143,842 over several parent visa categories."

Migrant families are putting their lives on hold as they wait years and even decades to hear if their parents will be able to settle in Australia.

17/08/2023

Dysfunctional is not an understatement …

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-16/how-can-australia-s-permanent-parent-visa-system-be-fixed/102702864

There are almost 140,000 people waiting for an Australian permanent parent visa, with wait times up to 40 years. But critics say there's a solution.

31/07/2023

“My heart is broken,” writes Maria from Norway.

Originally from Poland, Maria and her husband, Robert, are eager to join their son in Perth. He’s an IT engineer at a global company who relocated to Australia several years ago. Since then, he’s married, become a citizen and had a son.

In August 2021, Maria and Robert applied for contributory parent visas, which offer permanent residency and cost $47,955 for each person. At the time they were advised it would be three or four years before they could migrate. Now Maria is reading on Facebook that the wait could be more than six years.

As processing times for some parent immigration visas balloon out to almost 30 years, the families hoping to be reunited for good are left in limbo

31/07/2023

When Perth resident Sarah scours a Facebook group she’s part of, with scores of others in her situation, she finds countless messages from people in desperation.

The posts from strangers who happen to share her predicament are overwhelming.

There are growing calls for changes in Australia’s parent visa system, with tens of thousands being left in limbo amid 40 year wait times and people thousands of dollars out of pocket.

31/07/2023

When Vicky Heaton is asked how she’ll feel if her mother cannot get a permanent parent visa to join her in Australia, her voice suddenly wavers.

Her mother, Jane, is 77, and Vicky knows that, even if she trusts the Home Affairs department’s current estimate of a 12-year wait time for a parent visa, there is slim hope that they’ll ever live in the same country again. Vicky says she and her two children are now counting the number of times they might see her again.

Vicky Heaton is one of almost 140,000 Australian residents waiting between 12 and 40 years to be reunited with their parents.

23/06/2023

Increases in the 1st Visa Application Charges for parent applications, effective for applications lodged from 1 July 2023:

Subclass 143 - A$4,765 for main applicant, plus A$1,605 for a secondary applicant aged 18+ (currently A$4,355 and A$1,465)

Subclass 864 - A$4,765 for main applicant, plus A$2,380 for a secondary applicant aged 18+ (currently A$4,355 and A$2,175)

Subclass 804 - A$4,990 for main applicant, plus A$2,495 for a secondary applicant aged 18+ (currently A$4,560 and A$2,280)

Subclass 870 - A$1,145 for each applicant as a 1st Visa Application Charge (currently A$1,050), plus A$10,325 per applicant for a 5 year visa; A$4,590 for a for a 3 year visa (currently A$9,430 and A$4,190)

No changes have been announced yet to the 2nd VACs for permanent parent visa applications.

14/06/2023

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/visa-processing-time-calculator/

Latest data set now added to the contributory parent visa processing time calculator ... based on data as at 20 May 2023.

There was a total of 84,559 CP visa applications awaiting a decision at that date.

At 11 Jan 2023 the total number was 80,099.

At 30 August 2022, the total number was 77,451.

The extent to which the demand for CP visas is exceeding the number being granted annually is apparent from the sizeable increase in the number of outstanding visa applications over only 9 months.

Indeed, for calendar year 2021 the total number of CP visa applications awaiting processing amounted to 13,032 in the last data set.

For calendar year 2022 the number was 15,754.

For the first 4 months of 2013 the number was 5,023.

So realistically about 15,000 CP visas should be granted each year to maintain some order and control over parent visa processing.

As most will know, we're looking at about 7,000 again for the program year starting 1 July 2023 ...

Welcome to Go Matilda Parent Visas and our Contributory Parent visa processing time calculator. When you enter your details into the calculator and the estimated number of visas you think will be granted each year the calculator will give an indication of when you can expect your visa to be granted....

27/05/2023

The Australian Immigration Minister has confirmed the number of parent visas that can be granted for the program year ending on 30 June 2023.

The Australian Immigration Minister has confirmed the number of parent visas that can be granted for the program year ending on 30 June 2023.

21/05/2023

Go Matilda Visas has details of the number of parent visas granted from 1 July 2022 to the end of April 2023.

Go Matilda Visas has details of the number of parent visas granted from 1 July 2022 to the end of April 2023.

10/05/2023

Following yesterday's Federal Budget in Australia we can advise there is no change to the number of parent visas available in the program year ending on 30 June 2024.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels

13/01/2023

We've received current information from the Department of Home Affairs about Contributory Parent Visa applications that are in train and awaiting a decision following a Freedom of Information request.

Details are in our latest blog, which you can read by clicking below.

These statistics have also been included in a new data set in our Visa Processing Calculator - together with a data set which we obtained in August 2022.

If you have lodged a Contributory Parent Visa application and are awaiting news the Calculator should help you estimate the time it will take for your application to be processed to a decision.

A link to the Calculator is included in the blog post.

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/just-in-the-latest-statistics-regarding-contributory-parent-visa-applications/

13/01/2023

We've received current information from the Department of Home Affairs about Contributory Parent Visa applications that are in train and awaiting a decision following a Freedom of Information request.

Details are in our latest blog, which you can read by clicking below.

These statistics have also been included in a new data set in our Visa Processing Calculator - together with a data set which we obtained in August 2022.

If you have lodged a Contributory Parent Visa application and are awaiting news the Calculator should help you estimate the time it will take for your application to be processed to a decision.

A link to the Calculator is included in the blog post.

The latest update on the number of Contributory Parent visa applications, following a recent Freedom of Information request of the Department of Home Affairs.

25/10/2022

The Albanese Government will almost double the number of parent visas and will significantly increase the number of skilled visas available as part of the federal budget.

It has also restored some migration program funding after it was cut by the previous Morrison Government.

An extra $576 million over four years will be provided to the Department of Home Affairs in the 2022 federal budget and more skilled visas will be made available.

14/10/2022

Here are the latest statistics we have available for non Contributory Parent visa numbers (sub classes 103 and 804).

Hopefully of interest to a few of you!

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/non-contributory-parent-visa-numbers-an-update-from-go-matilda-visas/

21/09/2022

Tax factsheets and information for people who are moving to Australia.

17/09/2022

Here's a blog that might be of interest to those who have applied for a non Contributory parent visa under subclass 103 or 804 - or who are not yet old enough to apply for an onshore parent visa under subclass 804 or 864.

Ministerial Direction 83 can have a useful outcome for such parents.

Australian visas - Ministerial Direction 83 can save the day for subclass 103 and 804 parent visa applicants. Deemed application lodgement date is used when a subclass 143 or 864 application is lodged.