Temporary Concession for Offshore Family Visas to be Granted Onshore

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There are some types of visas where the applicant is required to be outside of Australia at the time of grant. This would normally require visa applicants in Australia (for example: visitor visa holders, working holiday holders etc..) who applied offshore to leave Australia temporarily for the offshore visa to be granted. However, the Department of Home Affairs recently announced on their website that certain family visa applicants affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions could have their offshore visas granted onshore.

The changes are intended to come into effect on 27 February 2021 for the following partner and child visa subclasses:

Subclass 101 child visa
Subclass 102 adoption visa

The changes are intended to come into effect on 24 March 2021 for the following parent visa subclasses:

It’s important to note that these changes are only temporary and will be reviewed periodically by the Department of Home Affairs. We expect that at some point in the future the Department will revert back to the original requirement where an offshore applicant must be offshore at the time of grant.

UPDATE: 23 February 2021

The Department of Home Affairs have clarified that the below subclass classess of visa can be granted onshore:

The application must have been made during the ‘concession period’ while the applicant was offshore. The visa can be granted onshore before the end of the ‘concession period’. The concession period commenced on 1 February 2020 and an end date has not yet been decided. This change will come into effect on 27 February 2021. Once the concession period ends offshore family visas will again be granted while the applicant is offshore.

The Department of Home Affairs have also announced that the timeframe in which subclass 300 propective marriage visa holders must get married will be increased from 9 months to 15 months from the date of grant.

If you are interested in applying for a family visa feel free to book a free consultation by clicking here.

About the author

Nick Hansen

Nick has been a Registered Migration Agent since 2016 when he founded Hansen Migration. Since then he has helped many migrants obtain permanent residency in Australia and Australian citizenship.

About the author

Robyn Vogels

Robyn Vogels founded Personnel Relocations in 2008 to support people moving to Australia. Her personal experience from across the world defined her understanding of the intense process of relocation, especially when moving with families and children. She strongly believes that relocations are life-affirming transitions and ought to be handled with care.

Download Your Free Family Visa Handbook

Looking for more details on the different visas and the requirements? We’ve put together this handy guide to help answer your questions. Just click below to download a copy today.

If you’ve still got questions after reading it, don’t stress – we can help. Book a free consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agents today.

My name is Geraldine (Gonzales) Darling. I am from the Philippines and now living in Melbourne, Victoria Australia. I am very grateful to have known Hansen Migration and partnered with them in getting our Partner Visa. Prior to Hansen Migration, the biggest pain-point was the daunting amount of information that we needed to research for our unique situation. Me and my partner Adam Darling (now my husband) had been in long distance relationship for some periods. Then COVID happened and then I got stuck in the Philippines and was pregnant of our first son. Hansen Migration went over and above, giving us valued support. Because our situation got tangled with COVID and lockdowns, they helped us get an exemption letter and submitted it to immigration for my entry to Australia. Fast forward, and now here I am in Australia, living with my husband and with our 2 sons in our humble home we built. I am forever grateful for Hansen Migration who has helped our family reach this milestone in our life.

Geraldine and Adam Darling

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Free Consultations Terms and Conditions

Thank you for booking a free consultation with Hansen Migration. We offer one free consultation per applicant. A free consultation is not available to you if you have already lodged a visa application, and the consultation will be cancelled. If you do not show up to your free consultation you can book another consultation for a fee of $165, as the time allocated to your free consultation will have already been utilised.

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If you have already lodged a visa application or would like to book a follow up consultation after your free consultation, a fee of $165 will apply for a 30-minute consultation or $330 for a 60-minute consultation. An advice agreement will also need to be signed prior to any subsequent consultations.

Download Your Free Family Visa Handbook

Looking for more details on the different visas and the requirements? We’ve put together this handy guide to help answer your questions. Just click below to download a copy today.

If you’ve still got questions after reading it, don’t stress – we can help. Book a free consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agents today.

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Published On: 15 July 2021