'Insane' wait times deter migrants from applying for parent visas as delays worsen

As tens of thousands of parents await the chance to live with their children in Australia, some migrants say they are hesitant to apply for parent visas due to concerns about the lengthy processing times.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, there were more than 151,000 pending applications as of June 2024, up from over 140,000 applications a year earlier. Credit: rvimages/Getty Images

Key Points

• The processing time of newly lodged parents’ visa applications can be up to almost 31 years.
• A former immigration official says parent visas are prioritised less than partner and dependent child visas within the family stream.
• According to the Department of Home Affairs, there are more than 151,000 applications pending as of June 2024 compared to over 140,000 application as of June last year.

With only 8,500 permanent spots available annually and just over 151,590 applications currently pending, the processing times for parent visas have been rising almost every year.

Sundeep Reddy has been living in Melbourne for several years and has consistently sought tourist visas to invite his parents from overseas to visit him.

"In 2013, I successfully applied for a permanent visa for my mother-in-law. However, due to the income-based rule, I’m now only allowed to apply for one more parent. My initial plan was to apply for contributory visas for both of my parents, but that’s no longer possible," he explained.

Sundeep Reddy (right) with his mother and child. Credit: Supplied

"I've applied for a visa for my mother, but the wait will be long. And I'll need to wait several more years before I can even apply for my father. This delay will make it even more time-consuming to bring him here," he added.

Reddy expressed concerns that he might not proceed with his father’s residency application, as the earliest he can apply is in 2028. By then, considering his father’s age and the long processing times, it might not be worth it.

"I believe the Australian migration system is unfair, especially with the excessive waiting periods that can have consequences for the families," Reddy stated.

Gowtham, who preferred not to share his last name, expressed similar frustrations.

"Even if you pay $50,000, the wait times are insane. By the time your parents finally get their visa, you've already missed out on valuable time with them," he remarked.

"I'll keep bringing my parent on a tourist visa because the delays are just too discouraging and demotivating to apply for a parent visa."

Parent visa categories and the processing times

If Australians born overseas want to sponsor a parent to live with them permanently in Australia, they have two options.

The costly route is the contributory parent visa (Subclass 143), which costs nearly $50,000 per person, and the more affordable option is the standard parent or aged parent visa (Subclass 103), priced at $5,125.

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that as of 30 June 2024, there were 151,596 Parent (including all subclasses) visa applications on hand.

The contributory parent visa (Subclass 143) costs nearly $50,000 per person and the more affordable option is the standard parent or aged parent visa (Subclass 103), priced at $5,125. Source: SBS

"As of 30 June 2023, there were 140,615 visa applications on hand and as of 30 June 2022, there were 125,233 visa applications on hand," the DHA spokesperson said. 

Currently, the standard parent visa has a wait time of up to 31 years, while the more costly contributory parent visa has a wait time of approximately 14 years.

These visa processing times represent an increase of two years in both categories compared to last year's estimations.

"The Department publishes updates to the processing times for newly lodged Parent visa applications on an annual basis. These processing times take into account the number of on hand visa applications and the migration program planning levels," the DHA spokesperson said.

The criticism

From time to time, Reddy said he has been signing petitions circulating on social media, calling for faster processing of parent visas or seeking solutions to reunite parents with their children living permanently in Australia.

"If we are able to give visas to all other categories then why not our parents," he pointed out.

Recently, the Commonwealth Ombudsmen has also criticised the migration system managed by the Department of Home Affairs for its existing policies and procedures on refunds for parent visa applications. Credit: Public Domain

"Many people struggle to bring their elderly parents here, and tragically, some parents pass away during the extended wait," he added.

Recently, the Commonwealth Ombudsmen also criticised the system managed by the Department of Home Affairs for its existing policies and procedures on refunds for parent visa applications.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman, Iain Anderson, noted, “Parent visa applications involve significant charges which can total over $40,000 and very lengthy processing wait times of up to almost 30 years."

Immigration experts say the queue for parent visas is expected to keep increasing. Credit: triloks/Getty Images

After an investigation into complaints about the Department of Home Affairs' handling of Visa Application Charges (VACs) refunds, Anderson commented, "It is not surprising that as time passes and circumstances change, applicants may decide they no longer wish to proceed with their application and request a refund."

Former immigration official Abul Rizvi informed SBS Hindi that, according to the Migration Act, parents are given lower priority compared to partners and dependent children within the family stream.

Rizvi said the backlog will most likely continue to grow and that there may be no new plans for the government to deal with the issue.

"The government has introduced a temporary parent category. I suspect it (the plan) won't go beyond this. Thus the backlog will most likely keep growing," Rizvi said.

Migration agent Vaibhav Patel shared similar concerns regarding the visa queue.

"I doubt the government will increase visa allocations for this category anytime soon, so the queue will likely grow, discouraging many from applying as they may deem it not worth the effort," he said.

"I believe the community should keep raising their voices, as we've seen this make a difference in the past with other visa categories," he added.

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