Permanent parent visas go online…but only after lodging

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Australia’s immigration program has steadily moved applications from being paper-based to online, primarily through their ImmiAccount platform, with a few visa applications lodged using a web form.

There are many benefits to this including:

  • Automating receipting of valid applications and bridging visa grants,

  • Ensuring the correct charges have been paid using online payment platforms,

  • Preventing applications from being lodged when they would otherwise be invalid, such as when a proposed visa applicant is statutorily barred,

  • Attaching and uploading documents online instead of posting them,

  • Reviewing a list of attachments and correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs,

  • Updating details and passports faster, and

  • Reviewing the status of the application.

No doubt this has greatly increased the efficiencies of the Department of Home Affairs and all related stakeholders including applicants, agents, and advisors.

The one major holdout from the platform has been permanent parent visa applications. While the much newer subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa has been an online application from inception, permanent parent visas have remained paper-based, meaning the forms and documents must be in hard copy and posted to the Parent Visa Centre located in Perth.

Why these applications have not moved to ImmiAccount is anyone’s guess. This may be due to the relatively low volume of applications. Partner visa applications, which is another old subclass, but with many more visa applications per year, moved online many years ago.

The Department of Home Affairs announced late last week that while permanent parent visas still must be physically lodged, they can be imported into ImmiAccount after they have been receipted. This will allow the post-lodged benefits of being able to upload supporting documents, update details, review messages, and view an application’s status. It is a welcomed concession, particularly for those inclined to check their application’s status often.

Applications lodged before November 2018 will not be able to be imported. Why this is the case is unclear, and the only possible explanation was the addition of the retiree pathway to a permanent visa began then.

This leaves the question of when or whether permanent parent visa applications and all other remaining paper-based applications will be moved to online lodgements. A hard question to answer, indeed.