Push for long-term visa changes to allow grandparents to stay longer in Australia
FAMILY means everything to Parkside widow Preet Kamal. She depends on her mother to help with her 10-year-old son, while she works long hours. But under current rules, her mother is forced to leave Australia for six months at a time.
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FAMILY means everything to Parkside widow Preet Kamal.
Ms Kamal moved to Adelaide from India almost four years ago to start a new life with her son Abir Rakhra, 10, with the support of her mother Balbir Kaur.
While the IT technician works extra hours to provide for her son, Ms Kaur cooks for the family and takes Abir to school, swimming, Kumon and soccer lessons.
But under current protocols Ms Kaur is forced to leave the country twice during her three-year visa, for six months at a time.
The time away puts added stress on the family — Abir cannot attend extra curricular activities, and the trips cost up to $5000 each.
“ (Abir) just sits home and does nothing and that makes me feel sad that I can’t be everywhere and I can’t be a supermum,” Ms Kamal said. “I have to go above and beyond.”
Ms Kamal is one of hundreds of migrant families across the state hoping for changes to long-stay visas for parents.
Around 70 representatives from South Australian ethnic groups met with Opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann this week urging a new visa for grandparents — after the temporary sponsored parent visa, pledged by the Coalition ahead of the 2016 election, failed to come to fruition.
Forestville father Arvind Duggal founded the Long Stay Parent Visa campaign more than three years ago when his mother was living by herself in India and his children were upset when she had to return.
“Permanent parent migration in Australia is very hard,” Mr Duggal said.
The group lobbied for a suitable alternative — Labor pledged a three-year option while the Liberals promised the five-year temporary sponsored parent visa.
“They promised us a long-term visa and they promised us there would be a refundable bond and they promised us there would be no cap,” Mr Duggal said.
However amendments were made to the bill — including only one set of parents per household being sponsored at a time, a $5000 non-refundable charge for three-year visa applications and $10,000 for five-year visa applications, and a cap of 15,000 visas a year — that Mr Duggal said were yet to be debated in the senate.
Labor this week wrote to Immigration Minister David Coleman urging action on the issue.
Mr Coleman is aware of migrants’ concerns and is looking in to the visa arrangements.
Hindmarsh MP Steve Georganas, who hosted the meeting, said grandparents as part of the family unit provided important support.
“These people are willing to pay for themselves, there is no cost to the community or to the Australian taxpayer,” Mr Georganas said.
“They take out their own private health insurance and they’re spending money while they are here.”
Ms Kamal said she was in favour of a long-stay visa so her mother could stay with her and her son for longer.
“My mother is not any burden on the country or myself in any way — she is a great help to me and my son,” Ms Kamal said.