All Parent visa applications are subject to capping and queueing. This includes:
- Parent (subclass 103)
- Aged Parent (subclass 804)
- Contributory Parent (including subclasses 143 and 173)
- Contributory Aged Parent (subclasses 864 and 884).
What is capping and queueing?
“Capping” means there is a maximum number of visas that the Department of Home Affairs can grant each migration program year. Once they reach that number they cannot grant more visas for that year. All remaining visas will stay in “queue” until a place becomes available in a future year program.
How the department queues applications
The department assess all parent visa applications in lodgement date order.
When a parent visa application is received, it is assessed against the core visa criteria. Once assessed and deemed to meet the criteria it is assigned a queue date. Which the department will let the applicant/migration representative know in writing.
If the application does not meet the core visa criteria to be assigned a queue date, it will be refused.
Queue release dates
Queued visa application is released in queue date order for final processing throughout the year. If the migration program outcome cap has been reached for the year, the department will not release any more visa applications in the current migration program year.
As of 31 July 2014, the department have released the following applications for final processing.
- Contributory Parent visa applications with a queue date up to July 2017
- Parent visa applications with a queue date up to May 2012
- Aged Parent visa applications with a queue date up to January 2013.