From Sen. McKim, Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania
“In a cruel move, the Government ripped 10,000 places out of the Partner Visa category and moved those places into the skilled stream in the Budget last night.
The Australian Greens believe these places should have stayed within the family visa program.
Some parent visa streams have wait times in excess of 30 years to be processed, and with only 6,000 places available for parent visas in this Budget – the heartbreak for families will be palpable.
The Government has once again failed to get the balance right when it comes to family reunions.
Our family reunion visa system is broken, and this budget will lock in further family separations and heartbreak for families already reeling from the 2-year international border closure.
You may also wish to read our additional comments and recommendations on the family reunion inquiry report – which was published yesterday.
Thank you again for your advocacy, and please be assured that the Greens will continue to advocate strongly for a faster, fairer, and more affordable family reunion visa system.”