Parent Visa Processing Priorities
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'Parent visas' include visas in both the parent and the contributory parent categories.
Parent category visa applications have a lower processing priority than other family stream visa applicants such as partners, children and the contributory parent category.
In the 2008–09 Migration Program year, the number of parent category and Contributory parent category visa places available for applicants applying from in and outside Australia has been increased.
In the 2008-09 Migration Program year, a total of 8500 visa places have been allocated to parent visas, comprising:
- 2000 Parent category visa places, of which approximately:
- 1400 will be allocated to applicants applying from outside Australia
- 600 will be allocated to applicants applying in Australia
- 6500 Contributory Parent category visa places, of which approximately:
- 5900 will be allocated to applicants applying from outside Australia and
- 600 will be allocated to applicants applying in Australia.
The final proportion of places allocated between applicants applying in and outside Australia in both Parent visa categories is dependent on a number of factors, including client response times.
The additional places will reduce, though not eliminate, the queue for parent category visas. Due to the high demand, applicants will still be subject to queuing.
To ensure equity, all parent category visa applications are assessed in order of lodgement.
The applications are then assigned a 'queue date' and placed in the queue for the relevant visa subclass. Applicants will be advised of their queue date when they reach this stage.
The queue date is the date that the application was assessed as meeting the initial criteria for a parent category visa. When a queue date has been assigned it is a fixed date and the application cannot be given priority ahead of other applicants. Applications are then considered for grant in order of their queue date as places become available.
Parent category queue
In the 2008–09 Migration Program year, the number of parent category visa places available for applicants applying from in and outside Australia has been increased to 2000.
After being allocated a queue date, applicants can expect approximately a 10 year wait before visa grant consideration. This is based on current planning levels and the parent category queues.
Contributory parent category queue
In 2007–08, high demand for the contributory parent visa category meant that a queue formed for the first time. In the 2008–09 Migration Program year, the number of contributory parent category visa places available for applicants applying from in and outside Australia has been increased to 6500.
Based on current planning levels and the number of contributory parent visa applications already lodged, new applicants can expect to wait between 18 months and two years before visa grant consideration.
Using the queue calculator
The department's online queue calculator enables applicants to determine how many people are ahead of them in the queue.
Applicants will need to enter their queue date and select the parent visa subclass which they have applied for. The parent visa queue calculator will give them the approximate number of persons ahead of them in the queue.
Applicants can then estimate the approximate time it will take them to be considered for visa grant based on the number of visa grants available for their visa subclass in any one migration program year.
Note: Changes to the number of visa grants in any one migration program year will affect the length of time before they will be considered for visa grant.
See: Parent Visa Queue Calculator
Example: An applicant has an application for a Parent (Subclass 103) visa with a queue date of 12 June 20XX. According to the queue calculator, there are approximately 5200 applicants ahead of them in the queue. As there are currently about 1400 visa grants available for Parent visa applicants applying from outside Australia each migration program year, this means that they may be waiting around four years before being considered for grant.
The queue calculator figures are usually updated in the middle of every month for the preceding month.
Example: If your queue date falls within 1-5 June, you will have to wait until mid July to be able to access the queue calculator for your queue date.
Applicants place in the queue
The number of people ahead of applicants in the queue includes applicants being considered for visa grant for this migration program year.
Numbers in the queue are subject to:
- changes to planning levels
- fluctuations due to visa grants, refusals and withdrawals
- fluctuations due to successful review cases which are given priority