Some visas require applicants to be outside Australia when the visa is granted, if they applied from overseas. But what happens if the applicant has already entered Australia on another visa?
Usually they will have to go offshore for the visa to be granted and then return. However, this is creating major headaches for applicants during the pandemic.
Australia's Covid-19 travel restrictions and limited flights make the journey out and back into Australia expensive, risky and sometimes not possible. The Department of Home Affairs has recognised these issues and is taking action.
Changes planned to commence on 27 February 2021 will allow some Family stream visas, which have been applied for outside Australia, to be granted while the visa applicant is in Australia. This temporary concession would be for certain applicants who are in Australia and are not able to travel offshore to be granted the visa because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The concession would apply to eligible applicants for the following Partner and Child visa subclasses:
Child (subclass 101) visa
Adoption (subclass 102) visa
Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa
Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa
Partner (subclass 309) visa
Another concession to allow visas to be granted to applicants in Australia would also be extended to eligible Parent visa applicants during the COVID-19 period. This concession is intended to commence on 24 March 2021 and would apply to the following visa subclasses:
Parent (subclass 103) visa
Contributory Parent (subclass 173) visa
Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa
Current processing timeframes for Parent visa applications would not be impacted by these amendments.
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Have any questions? Post them in the comments below or email elan@ryshermigration.com.au
Elan Rysher is a Registered Migration Agent and Qualified Student Counsellor. He is the main Writer for ImmiUpdates and the founder of Rysher Migration. Elan has many years of experience working in immigration, finance and health. Being a former migrant himself, Elan is passionate about helping others fulfill their Australian dream.
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