Key Points
- A restriction placed on processing family visa applications made by refugee boat arrivals has been lifted.
- Family visa applicants from Afghanistan and Iran are expected to be the largest groups affected.
- The government says the move is about resolving the backlog of visa applications "in a humane way".
Labor has cleared the way for refugees on permanent visas who came to Australia by boat to bring family members to Australia.
Under the former Coalition government’s immigration policy, family reunion applications by refugee boat arrivals holding permanent visas were given the "lowest priority" in visa processing under Ministerial Direction 80.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has now formally reversed that policy, replacing Ministerial Directions 80 and 83.
The decision does not apply to people on a Temporary Protection Visa.
The government estimates the decision, foreshadowed last November, opens a path for visa processing for tens of thousands of family members waiting for their requests to be considered.
"The Government is improving the family reunion pathways for these permanent visa holders, many of whom have been separated from family for over a decade, exacerbating mental health issues and imposing great and enduring uncertainty on their lives," Mr Giles told SBS News.
The government has also increased the number of immigration staff who are processing visas for individuals in complicated situations. The current employee group of 20 will double to 40.
Family visa applicants from Afghanistan and Iran are expected to be the biggest groups affected.
The Taliban’s grip on Afghanistan has ensured that very few people are able to leave directly to come to Australia, but it could facilitate resettlement for those waiting in a third country.
The Coalition put in place the ministerial directions as a deterrent, arguing they would help stop people trying to reach Australia by boat.
The Albanese Labor government that came into office after the May 2022 election maintains the broader policy on boat arrivals has not changed and "strong border policy architecture remains".
"The Government is resolving the bureaucratic burden of the asylum legacy caseloads in a humane way," the statement announcing the changes said.
Labor’s border policy includes boat turn-backs, where those who try to reach Australia are either returned to their country of departure, sent home or taken to an immigration detention centre.
The Albanese government also promised that, if elected, it would abolish Temporary Protection Visas.
The Greens and a number of crossbenchers have raised concerns about the lack of progress on this commitment, and the government has signalled action in the coming months.
Immigration analysts expect that will happen with the release of the federal budget because the changes affect 31,000 temporary visa holders and will have cost implications.
