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CHANGES to the Parent Visa Programme have been made and take effect from June 27, 2003 for applicants living outside of Australia and from July 1, 2003 for applicants in Australia.
The changes provide for four new visa classes, each comprising one subclass and known generally as contributory parent visas.
There is a permanent visa and a corresponding two-year temporary visa for applicants who usually reside outside Australia and for applicants who usually reside in Australia.
These new classes are in addition to the existing classes in the Parent Visa Programme: Parent and Aged Parent.
Temporary contributory parent visa holders must make a separate application for a permanent contributory parent visa.
The same basic criteria that apply to the existing parent visa subclasses apply to the contributory parent visas, both temporary and permanent.
These are that applicants:
* are sponsored by a "settled" Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen;
* meet the Balance of Family (BOF) test;
* meet health and character requirements; and
* meet "aged" requirement for the subclasses to be applied for by a person usually resident in Australia (800 series).
Contributory parent visa applicants can elect to:
* apply directly for permanent residence and, prior to grant of the visa, pay a $25,000 second visa application charge for each adult applicant ($1,080 for applicants under 18 years of age) and ensure lodgement of an Assurance of Support bond of $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each adult secondary applicant; or
* apply for temporary residence and, prior to grant of the two-year temporary residence visa (with access to work rights and Medicare), pay a $15,000 second visa application charge ($1,080 for applicants under 18 years of age); or
* as a contributory parent temporary visa holder, apply for permanent residence before expiry of the two-year visa and, prior to grant of the permanent visa, pay a $10,000 second visa application charge and ensure lodgement of an Assurance of Support bond of $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each adult secondary applicant.
The income requirements for assurers who give an Assurance of Support for a permanent contributory parent visa applicant are the same as for the existing parent visas. However, the period that the Assurance of Support bond is held by the Commonwealth Bank is 10 years (not the two years for the existing parent visa classes). After 10 years, the bond (less any social security payments during that period) is refunded with interest.
The advantage of applying for a contributory parent visa will be that annually there will be more visa places available: 3,500 visa places for contributory parent visas as opposed to 1,000 visa places for existing parent visas.
For 2003-2004 Programme Year only, there will be a total of 5,500 contributory parent visa places and 1,500 existing parent visa places.
Applicants for the contributory parent visas will be placed in a queue for the class of visa for which they applied.
The introduction of the contributory parent visas means that parent visa applicants will have a choice in terms of processing times and costs when they apply for any type of parent visa.
Furthermore, an applicant for any type of parent visa can apply for another type of parent visa.
However, to make a valid application, that person must withdraw their current parent visa application lodged with the Department. (If a person has an existing parent visa application at merits or judicial review, that application must be withdrawn or finalised before the other parent visa can be granted.).