Category Archives: 103 visa

The latest Retirement Pathway statistics

103 visa, 143 visas,

Following a Freedom of Information request of the Department of Home Affairs we have details of the number of permanent residency visa applications lodged by subclass 410 and 405 visa holders that were on hand at 31 March 2023.

The Retirement Pathway is the means by which the holders of subclass 410 and 405 visas can obtain permanent residency.  Subclass 410 and 405 visas are no longer available to new applicants – they can only be renewed by existing 410 and 405 visa holders.

The numbers are as follows, with numbers at 31 July 2022 in italics.

Subclass 143 – 11 ; was 14

Subclass 103 – 212 ; was 207

From this we might reasonably conclude that subclass 103 visa applications under the Retirement Pathway have not yet started to be processed, even though the Department indicated that processing of such applications would commence in the current program year (to 30 June 2023).

Non-Contributory Parent visa numbers – An update from Go Matilda Visas

103 visa, 804 visas,

In our continuing effort to provide information for parent visa applicants we have details here regarding the number of subclass 103 and 804 non Contributory Parent visa applications that were in the system as at 31 July 2022.

The numbers are split between those that have been queued and those that are awaiting being queued – regular readers of our blogs will know that queuing takes place after an initial assessment of health and character for onshore subclass 804 visa applicants; subclass 103 applicants are queued once an initial assessment has been made to ensure the visa application is valid.

The Department of Home Affairs has been typically granting about 250 non Contributory Parent visas each program year.

Note that 45,000 visa applications divided by 250 visa grants per year equals 180 years!

Or, to achieve the 30 year timeline presently advised on the Department’s website 1,500 visas will need to to be granted each program year.

804 and 103 visa applications on hand as at 31 July 2022_2

An option for subclass 103 and 804 parent visa applicants – Ministerial Direction 83

103 visa, 143 visas, 804 visas, 864 visas

Note: Ministerial Direction 83 was replaced by Ministerial Direction 103 on 9 February 2023.    There have been no changes to the issues discussed below as a result of MD103 coming into force.

As many applicants for Australian parent visas know, there is a choice available when submitting an application: apply for a non-Contributory parent visa (subclass 103 or 804) or for a Contributory parent visa (usually subclass 143 or 864).

The non-Contributory parent visa option is cheaper, but expected application processing times are such that most will not live long enough to see the visa being granted – over 30 years is the present expectation.

Nevertheless many apply for non-Contributory parent visas.   Some do so because they are unaware of the expected visa application processing time.

Others lodge an application for a subclass 103 or 804 visa application and some time later wish they had submitted an application for a Contributory parent visa.

This is where Ministerial Direction 83 can save the day.

Section 7 of the Direction includes the following:

(2)  To ensure fairness and equity in the processing of parent visa applications, the principle of processing applications for Family visas in the order in which they are received by the Department is to be departed from in the following circumstances:

(a) if before lodging a Contributory Parent (classes CA and Class UT) or Contributory Aged Parent (classes DG and UU) visa application the applicant had an unfinalised Parent (Class AX) or Aged Parent (Class BP) visa application, then the date of lodgement of the Contributory Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visa application should be deemed to be the date of lodgement of the unfinalised Parent or Aged Parent visa application.

In other words the date the non-Contributory parent visa application was lodged is deemed to be the date on which a subsequent Contributory parent visa application is lodged.

Note: Migration Regulations permit only 1 x application for one of these parent visas to be awaiting a decision at any given time

So if an application for (say) a subclass 804 visa application was lodged on 1st June 2014 a subsequent application for a subclass 864 visa application this month (September 2022) will be deemed to have been submitted on 1st June 2014.

Such an application would move to the front of the processing queue given the Parent Visa Centre is presently assessing applications that were lodged in the second half of calendar year 2016.

The same outcome can be achieved by subclass 103 visa applicants who move to an onshore Contributory Aged Parent visa application under subclass 864, making use of Ministerial Direction 83.

Parent visa processing times are now significant – even Contributory parent visa applications are taking many years to be decided.  A strategy for those who are not yet aged (as defined – 66.5 presently; 67 for those born on or after 1 January 1957) and hence cannot presently apply for an onshore parent visa might therefore be to apply for a subclass 103 parent visa now, and to apply for a subclass 864 visa when the aged requirement is met.

The lodgement date of the subclass 103 parent visa application will then be deemed to be the lodgement date of the subclass 864 visa application.

Note: the 1st Visa Application Charge has to be paid again when such a strategy is adopted.

Go Matilda Visas is a proactive Australian visa advisory practice.    We have been helping parents apply for visas for over 20 years and work with clients to develop visa strategies that are innovative and relevant to the needs of our clients.

If you are a parent with a child or children living in Australia and would like to discuss a current or planned parent visa application please complete the enquiry form on this page.

We’ll be pleased to have a free initial conversation about your situation, after which we can send a no obligation fee proposal to you.

Parent visa numbers – Ukrainian visa processing

103 visa, 143 visas, 173 visas, 804 visas, 864 visas, 884 visas, ,

The Immigration Minister in the previous Australian Federal Government announced earlier this year that visas for Ukrainian nationals would be processed as a priority.

This has been given effect by Ministerial Direction number 98.

We have received confirmation from the Department of Home Affairs that there has been no increase in the total number of parent visas available for Program Year 2022-23 at this time, which presently remains at 6,000 in total across the Contributory and non-Contributory visa categories.

The Retirement Visa Pathway to Permanent Residency – Latest Details

103 visa, 143 visas

The Retirement Pathway to permanent residency was introduced in 2018 for subclass 410 and 405 temporary visa holders.

Under this pathway holders of subclass 410 and 405 visas can apply for permanent visas under subclass 143 or 103.

Since this Pathway was introduced subclass 143 visa applications have been processed quickly; applicants for subclass 103 visas – the cheaper option – have been waiting to hear from the Department of Home Affairs.

At the time the Pathway was introduced the indications were that Pathway applicants for 103 visas should expect to have a wait of 4 or so years.

We await news as to the commencement of processing of these visas.

In the meantime we can advise the following details, which we have received following a Freedom of Information request of the Australian Government:

As at 31 July 2022 there were on hand 207 Parent (Subclass 103) and 14 Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) visa applications for the Retirement Pathway.