Concessions for family visa applicants now made law
Published on February 23, 2021 by Maithri Panagoda AM , Wing Ho | 何宛穎律師 and Yee Mei Chow
We published an earlier article advising that the Australian Government would introduce concessions for certain family visa applicants in early 2021.
Last week (18 February 2021), the Government introduced regulations which amend the current Migration Regulations and effectively allow for these concessions.
Onshore visa grant available for certain family visas
From 27 February 2021, applicants for the following visas may have their visa granted while they are in Australia:
- Child (subclass 101) visa
- Adoption (subclass 102) visa
- Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa
- Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa
- Partner (subclass 309) visa
Extension of validity period of Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage) visa
The new amendments also allow for Subclass 300 visas to be granted for a period of up to 15 months. Prior to the change, these visas could only be granted for up to 9 months.
Take away
These concessions have been introduced in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Visa applicants should take care to remember that the regulations can be changed at any time, and therefore we cannot assume that the concessions will remain available indefinitely.
For assistance with any Australian immigration matter, please contact Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers.
