As the Saturday 2 July election day draws near, the Turnbull Government has made an attractive proposal for Australian citizens and residents living away from their loved ones, promising to enhance existing visitor visas for parents and grandparents if re-elected.
If the Coalition delivers, the amendment will see parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents who have already lodged a concurrent permanent parental visa application in with a chance to be issued a visitor visa for a continuous period of up to five years.
Issued on a case-by-case basis, those selected will no longer be required to lodge a concurrent permanent parental visa application.
“The Coalition recognises that many Australians, including our growing South Asian and Chinese communities, face particular pressures through the separation of children from parents and grandchildren from grandparents,” said Peter Dutton, Federal Member for Dickson and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.
“We want to help families reunite and spend time together, while ensuring that we do so in a way that does not burden Australia’s healthcare system.”
To ensure the system doesn’t in fact feel the brunt, applicants will be required to demonstrate that they hold adequate private health insurance from an Australian provider.
The visitor or their sponsoring family will also be required to pay a bond based on the existing Assurance of Support Scheme.