COVID-19 Update: Changes for Australian Partner and Family Visa Application
Australian Government has been working hard in the recent months to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on Australian Partner and Family visa holders and applicants, including allowing visa holders to stay longer in Australia with a number of changes available or allowing them to continue their visa pathway when they cannot travel out of Australia due to the international borders closure.
On 30th of November 2020, Australian Government announced temporary changes will be implemented for partner and family visa applicants.
As the visa applicant, you must be wondering, what are the partner visa and family visa changes? Is it for a temporary change? And how does it affect you? Let’s check this out!
What Is Australian Partner And Family Visa Application?
Partner visa is intended for you who are partners or spouses of Australian citizens or Permanent Residents to live in Australia, while other family visas are intended for parents, children, or other family members of Australian citizens or Permanent Residents to live in Australia.
Partner and family visas have many subclasses. There are onshore and offshore applications with differences in the eligibility criteria and requirements.
For example, if you are engaged and would like to get married in Australia, you may consider applying for the Prospective Marriage Visa, or if you are a PR and you would like your son to move to Australia and apply for Permanent Residency for him, you may consider applying for a child visa.
It all depends on each person’s circumstances. Are you one of them who has applied for a visa and is affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions? Which subclass have you applied for? Is it an offshore application and you are currently onshore? If yes, here is good news for you!
If you want to check your eligibility and want to discuss what your options are, please contact us via email at [email protected] or via phone on 1300 827 159.
COVID-19 Makes Offshore Applicants Who Are Currently Onshore, Difficult To Travel Out Of Australia For Visas To Be Granted
As per the regulations, if you are applying for the visa onshore, you have to be in Australia at the time the Department gives you the decision. This is vice versa for offshore applications.
Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the offshore applicants would need to have a valid visa and positive outcome of the travel exemption in order to enter Australia.
Therefore, it would be difficult for the visa applicant to see their loved ones.
Family Visa Requirements Before COVID-19 Temporary Changes
Partner (subclass 309) Visa, Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) Visa, Child (subclass 101) Visa, Adoption (subclass 102) Visa, and Dependent Child (subclass 445) Visa (if you have made an offshore application), require the applicants to be outside Australia at the time of decision for the visas.
However, some of the applicants have come to Australia and are currently stuck in Australia and are not able to travel offshore to be granted the visas due to travel restrictions.
Some of the offshore applicants stuck in Australia while traveling to Australia. Due to this condition, many offshore family visa applicants were in a tricky situation to travel outside Australia.
It might be hard to decide whether you have to go back offshore or remain in Australia. If you choose to go back, you would need to apply for another travel exemption and do another quarantine. Do you want to do it over and over again?
Read more: Travel Exemption for Australian Citizen and PR
New 2021 Regulation Changes For Australia Partner And Family Visa Application
In response to the current situation, the Australian Government indicates that a temporary change will be available in early 2021.
The Australian Government released temporary regulation changes for partner and family visa applicants who are stuck in Australia and unable to travel back to their home country.
Partner visa and family visa applicants are allowed to remain in Australia while extending their offshore visa or waiting for their visa grant.
The temporary changes will benefit around 4000 visa applicants, predominantly partner visa applicants, who are stuck in Australia.
The temporary changes will be reviewed with travel restriction changes as well.
Alan Tudge, the Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrants Services, and Multicultural Affairs, explained the temporary changes would lift the burden of the Australians who were worried about the uncertainty of their partner.
The temporary changes will be applicable in the early of 2021 for Partner (subclass 309) visa, Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa, Child (subclass 101) visa, Adoption (subclass 102) visa, and Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa.
Even though the temporary changes are welcomed well by Australians and Australian Family Visa applicants, some applicants are still worried as their current visa will expire at the end of this year before the changes take place.
What Are The Impacts Of These Regulation Changes On Partner And Family Visa Applicants?
If you are an offshore family visa applicant and are currently stuck in Australia, you may wait for your offshore family visa to be processed onshore.
It is a relief as well if you are concerned of not knowing when you could return once you leave Australia, not to mention the funds that you may have to set aside for quarantine hotel and flights.
You don’t have to be separated from your loved ones anymore. However, you have to make sure that you have a valid visa to remain in Australia until early 2021.
What If Your Current Visa Will Expire Before 2021? Do Not Worry, ONE derland Consulting Is Here To Help You!
If your visa will expire before 2021, but you have to stay in Australia due to the travel restrictions, do not worry, because ONE derland Consulting is here to help you to stay further in Australia while waiting for your offshore family visa application to be processed.
ONE derland Consulting will give you the best visa options and pathways for your further stay in Australia.
We also understand that applying for a visa to Australia is certainly very complex due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our visa specialists at ONE derland Consulting will help you assess your visa options. We have a 98% success rate and one of the most recommended migration agents in Australia. Read our 4.9* score customer reviews.
We specialize in complex visa cases. As a registered Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), we are regulated in our professional practice and bound by the profession’s Code of Conduct issued by the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Take the first leap and get in touch with us. Our migration agents are professional, honest and our team members are able to speak various languages such as Mandarin/ Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, Japanese, Polish, German and Russian. Contact us through email at [email protected] or via phone on 1300 827 159. Alternatively, you may book your consultation online and it is 100% refundable if you become our client.
