From 19 September 2020, a number of concessions will be available for certain visa holders impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 concessions are to help visa holders continue on their visa pathway if they have been disadvantaged by COVID-19 border closures, business restrictions or the economic downturn.
If you hold, or held, a temporary or provisional visa listed below during the COVID-19 concession period you may be eligible for a COVID-19 concession.
The COVID-19 concession period commences from 1 February 2020 and is an interim arrangement. Check back here or contact Aussie Immigration Services for updates about when the concession period will end.
- Parent visa applications lodged outside Australia
If you have applied for one of the Parent visas listed below outside Australia and you are in Australia on 24 March 2021, your visa can be granted in Australia if you meet all other visa criteria during the COVID-19 concession period.
- Parent (subclass 103) visa
- Contributory Parent (subclass 173) visa
- Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa
Any applicant for these visas who is outside Australia and who meets the usual visa grant requirements will be able to be granted the visa outside Australia (as per the current process).
- Parent visa applications lodged in Australia
If you have applied for one of the Parent visas listed below in Australia, and you are outside Australia on 24 March 2021, your visa can be granted while you are outside Australia if you meet all other visa criteria during the COVID-19 concession period.
- Aged Parent (subclass 804) visa
- Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864) visa
Any applicant for these visas who is in Australia and who meets the usual visa grant requirements will be able to be granted the visa in Australia (as per the current process).
These amendments will not impact current processing timeframes for Parent visa applications.
- Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visas
If you held a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa (SPTV) and were outside Australia on 1 July 2021, your visa period has been automatically extended by 18 months. This concession aims to assist SPTV holders who could not spend the full 3 or 5 years on their visa in Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
If your visa was extended under this concession, the additional 18 months will not count toward your cumulative 10-year maximum stay period.
The Department will notify eligible visa holders in writing by the end of August 2021.
Sponsorship obligations for SPTV Sponsors have also been extended for the same 18-month period.
Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid-19-visa-concessions
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