Australia to issue new 5-year temporary parents visa

In response to the Productivity Commission's recommendation for major changes in the visa for migrants’ parents, the Australian government plans to file legislation that would grant parents of migrants five-year temporary sponsored visas. Immigration Australia rolled out on Friday a discussion paper to initiate community consultations on the proposal.

The temporary sponsored parent visa would make it easier for the parents to visit their children who have migrated to Australia. In planning the new visa, the Australian government recognises that aged parents are also an asset to their families, and families are the fundamental building blocks to their society, explains Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.

He adds reuniting three generations of families has great benefits to society. In making wide consultations, the Turnbull government aims to enable the setting of the visa to have the most options, reports SBS.

However, among the conditions for the grant of the visa would be for the aged parents to secure private health insurance and financial guarantee from their children in Australia so they would not be a burden to the Australian government. In that way, the new visa would be more affordable than current arrangements without burdening the taxpayer, reports ABC.

There is still an option for the issuance of permanent visas to parents under Australia’s Migration Programme, but the number of visas is small and waiting times could take long, up to 30 years to process, according to the discussion paper. However, with the proposed temporary visa, processing time would be cut to two years only.

Hawke says the new visa would be available to parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens. The timetable is for the new visa to be in place by July 2017.

VIDEO: Parent Visa