khurram

Hi

I got my pR in July, 2010 and arrived to Australia in Nov 2010 so I am here for about 1 year. I wanna ask if I can sponsor my parents to visit Australia now or do I need to live here for 2 years in order to sponsor them? My wife is expecting a baby in April 2011 and therefore I want my mother to come here for 3 months. Please guide me what can I do? Thanks

moneypenny20

They can apply for a tourist visa.

Dorothy

No need to wait. They can apply for a tourist visa any time. Congratulations on the new baby.

khurram

Thank you very much. I thought that one has to sponsor for tourist visa as well. I was looking at this form, "Application to visit Australia
as a sponsored family visitor".

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/48s.pdf

and it says, "In all cases, your sponsor must be an Australian citizen or
permanent resident aged 18 years or over and settled in
Australia for a reasonable period (usually 2 years)". This is confusing me.

Dorothy

If you are settled here with a job, home, etc you should be fine. You will have been here nearly 2 years by the time your MIL comes so try not to worry too much. The site says "usually 2 years" not "definitely 2 years"

moneypenny20

You said your mother would want to visit for up to three months, not 12.

Pollyana

Depends on the visa. The one you are looking at requires sponsorship. A 676 does not.

khurram

Yes she will be coming from March to May 2012. Thanks for your reply. I got it now. its not a hard and fast rule that I need to be living here for 2 years. They will see my individual circumstances.

khurram

Yes right. But I personally think (may be wrong) that it will be very hard for anyone to get simply a tourist visa from Pakistan these days. I think it will be better and easier to apply for a visit visa telling them a genuine reason that we, her family, needs her to be here for some reason. It will make things simpler. Isn't it?

Bermudashorts

I think you are right in that your mother will need a sponsored visa to visit, but visit visa, tourist visa, it is the same thing surely?

One of my team recently sponsored his mother for a 3 month visit from Sri Lanka, I signed the form for him confirming he was in employment here etc, he has not been in Australia for two years and I know his mother got the visa no problem. I would be careful with your wording, saying that she is "needed" here might not be best choice of words, I would just say it is for a visit to coincide with birth of a new baby.

Dorothy

I agree with this. All you have to say is that you would like her to come to visit when your wife has her baby.

khurram

Thank you very much for your answers. I will sponsor her and hope she gets the visa

khurram

Thanks all of you but I think I need some further guidance from you. My mother is sick and might be unable to travel so I think I might need to ask my mother in law to come. But I read on the form, "There are no provisions for fiancé(e)s, cousins, friends, in-laws or New Zealand citizens to sponsor". It means that I can't sponsor my mother-in-law but my wife can sponsor her mother but she is not working and has been here just for 6 months. My sister can come but my friends told me they don't usually grant visas to brothers, sisters etc as there r more chances they won't go back. So it is easier to get visa for parents. Please guide me in this regard.

goldchoccycoin

Hi,

As your wife is also 'settled' in Australia - married to you, living in Australia, having a baby in Australia - I would think it will be completely fine for your wife to sponsor her mother. There would be no issue with her not working as you can write a statement to say you will provide accommodation and support to your MIL.

I think if you put the application together and attach a statement explaining that your wife is due to give birth and your MIL would like to visit and that you are working, paying rent etc then there shouldn't be any problems.

You may need to ensure your MIL has travel insurance for the whole trip and a return ticket.

Best of luck with it and sorry to hear your mother is unwell, hope she recovers soon.

Persona Grata

Hi khurram,

Your mother or mother in law can even apply for simple visit visa without you being sponsoring her. My MIL applied for visit visa when my wife was pregnant back in 2010 and she got the visa within 2 months of applying and without any problems... though we were not even on PR back then. We only sent her an invitation letter stating that we need her with us in this time when my wife will give birth and my bank statement showing that i have enough funds to sponser her stay in australia... So, i don't really think that if you won't sponser her she won't get visa...

Cheers!