Migrants waiting for the sponsored parent visa – promised by the Australian Government before the last Federal election - may have to wait longer to unite with their parents as the Immigration Minister said he can’t give a “specific date” for the visa to be made available.
“I can’t give you any specific dates,” said Immigration minister David Coleman. “It’s something we are committed to.”
Mr Coleman said the visa would provide migrants with an alternative to permanent contributory parent visa which costs over $40,000 in fees alone for one parent.
“What we are proposing is a temporary parent visa at a significantly reduced cost,” he said.
The visa was promised by Turnbull Government during the run-up to 2016 federal election and was unveiled last year.
However, the availability of the visa is tied to Migration Amendments (Family Violence and other measures) Bill which is yet to pass through the Senate. The lower house of parliament has already cleared the Bill in October 2016, but it hasn’t been listed for discussion in the Senate.
“Top Priority”
Labor said the lengthy delay in making the visa available is of “utmost concern” for migrant families.
“Labor supports [the Bill] and the important measures it seeks to implement. Despite this, the Bill has not been brought on for further debate in the Senate by the Government,” Shadow Immigration Minister Shayne Neumann said.
The Department of Home Affairs said in August that the Bill was expected to be debated in Senate “in the coming weeks”.
“The Bill remains a top priority for the Home Affairs portfolio but it is competing with priorities across the entire government. We expect to see the Bill debated in the Senate in the coming weeks,” a spokesperson for Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, Alex Hawke told SBS Punjabi.
“Expensive and unaffordable”
Besides the delay, Mr Neumann said the proposed visa is “much different” from the commitment made before the general election.
“Despite saying before the election that a sponsor would have to pay a bond rather than a fee - the government announced a fee of $20,000 if a family chose the full ten-year visa option,” said Mr Neumann.
Arvind Duggal who led the campaign for a continuous stay visa for parents of migrants says the visa will remain out of the reach of most migrants.
“It’s too expensive. They are charging a $5,000 fee for a three-year visa. People are already getting a three-year visa for under $200 that allows them to stay in Australia for two out of those three years- the government is planning to charge migrants just to make their stay continuous,” he said.
Currently, parents are allowed a maximum continuous stay of 12 months on a family-sponsored visitor visa, costing just $140, with a total validity of three years. They are required to stay out of Australia for six months in each 18-month period.
Under proposed visa, applicants will be able to get a three-year visa for $5,000 or a five-year visa for $10,000, with the opportunity for a single renewal for another five years at the same price.
The financial burden of health care for migrant parents will be shouldered by their sponsoring children who will be legally required to pay for their private health insurance.
The children will also need to act as financial guarantor for any extra healthcare costs their parents rack up in Australia.
Immigration minister David Coleman said the legislation would ensure that visiting parents don’t pass on any healthcare related expenses onto the taxpayer.
“When someone comes to Australia under this visa, it’s very important that the sponsors which would be their kids, ensure that those costs are covered of aged care and health care,” Mr Coleman said.
“And those expenses can be very substantial,” he said, without giving a timeframe for discussion on the legislation in Senate.
