Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At 20 past three on Friday afternoon my office received email notification that the non-contributory parent visa category and other family visa categories, including aged dependant relative, remaining relative and carer, would be abolished today. This email also explicitly stated that, as a result, last Friday was the last day to lodge applications for these visas before they were abolished. That was less than 40 minutes notice for people who have already spent months preparing visa applications to bring family here from China, India, Sri Lanka or, indeed, any other country to live here with their families.

This is an act of unspeakable cruelty and cowardice. Hardworking low- and middle-income migrants now have no avenue to reunite with their families in Australia unless they can produce up to $125,000. Many people in my community are heartbroken by this change. They have been working hard on their application and, try as we might to let many people know, 90 minutes was not enough time for them to complete their applications. People like Teresa Carvillo, who had been working hard to submit her application, now know it is in vain. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has betrayed ethnic communities and made sure that many will now never have the chance to live with their families and loved ones again. This is an outrage—a complete shame—and people like Teresa and her partner, who wrote to me, said, 'It's not a very ethical way to treat people' (Time expired)