Alan Collett

We understand that visa grants under the Contributory Parent program have been halted until further notice:
http://www.gomatilda.com/news/article.cfm?articleid=435

JAJ

Alan
Perhaps a play on words, but the halting of visa grants does not necessarily mean a halt in visa processing?

In other words, don't they continue processing visa applications and allocating a queue date, unless the Minister uses additional powers to terminate processing?

George Lombard

Hi Jeremy,

No it sounds as though applications are going to be queued - see http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charter.../visas/5.0.htm - although given Labor's opposition to the contributory and designated parent visas during the last 10 years it may be that the outcome ends up being more positive. Will have to wait...

Cheers,

George Lombard

Pollyana

Looks like it should be a sticky for a while guys, hope you agree

Sleeping Beauty

........what about peoples applications that are already in the process? surely they cant just stop their applications until this has been sorted out. mum and dads are near the end??!!!

Alan Collett

Yes they can, I'm afraid.

Hopefully we will have clarity fairly soon.

Best regards.

Sleeping Beauty

buggar......buggar......buggar....their bond has been lodged etc, so they are right at the end.......buggar. i have thought that there are more and more parents applying......buggar.......blinking heck . i suppose the answer to how long, would be a piece of string?

Alan Collett

At the very least ask the case officer to progress the application (or your parents' agent should do so). It may come to nought, but I suggest your parents "encourage" the case officer to progress the application, particularly if they have attended medicals and obtained police clearance certificates at the case officer's request - a delay in finalising the application means the window for required initial entry is reducing.

Best regards.

Sleeping Beauty

thanks alan, yes police checks/medicals/centrelink interview were all requested by their case officer.......... <<<<<<sigh>>>>>>..........oh well, there's nothing i can do about it. mum/dad will have to e-mail their case officer. like you say, the time span for entry will be narrowed. is there any news about when it will be resolved?

Alan Collett

Nope, no timeline for a decision on the parent program was the comment in the conversation I had this afternoon. It being the summer holiday season here I don't expect anything substantive much before the end of this month, though it would be nice to be wrong on this ...

Best regards.

Sleeping Beauty

thanks alan, not as bad as i thought then (only a half sigh )

AHamm

I'm so sorry for anyone affected by this.

I'm sure those responsble don't take these decisions lightly, but what with the scrapping of TRA pathway D, the $100k investment, the language tests for some S/c 457 visa applicants, indreasing processing time-frames....Do they not realise that they hold people's lives in their hands? It's too bad.

susanRem

Hi

What about people like me who have only just posted their application, 27 December 2007. Will this be thrown out/returned or will they keep it until things start moving again?

Susan

marwood

[QUOTE=AHamm;5751862]I'm so sorry for anyone affected by this.

I'm sure those responsble don't take these decisions lightly, but what with the scrapping of TRA pathway D, the $100k investment, the language tests for some S/c 457 visa applicants, indreasing processing time-frames....Do they not realise that they hold people's lives in their hands? It's too bad.[/QUOTE

Is it just me or do things appear to getting a little wobbly at DIAC? The TRA thing, the 100k investment collapse and now this!! We're waiting on feedback re: the capital investment programme and although unrelated this latest news doesn't exactly lift the spirits. Best wishes to those affected by this latest blip - hopefully we'll all get there eventually.

Alan Collett

I agree. I am going to send a letter to the new Minister in an effort to give him some context on the issues in his portfolio, and the messages these issues are sending to intending migrants.