Ukraine visa pathways ‘for as long as they need’

Displaced Ukrainians will be ­offered visa pathways giving them the right to work and study in Australia ‘for as long as they need’.

Australian citizen Kate with her mother Larysa before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Displaced Ukrainians will be ­offered visa pathways giving them the right to work and study in Australia “for as long as they need”, after the Albanese government decided on a new plan to support refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will announce on Thursday that the government will support Ukrainians and their immediate family members by providing both short-term and long-term visa options, just days before a temporary humanitarian visa scheme introduced by the Morrison government ends.

From next week, Ukrainian nationals who come to Australia and are unable to return home or access any other visa – such as skilled, family, student and visitor visas – will be able to apply for bridging or protection visas.

A protection visa will allow them to live in Australia permanently.

They will be able to stay in Australia for up to 12 months on a bridging visa with full work rights. Once the year is up, they can voluntarily return home or apply for permanent protection.

The move to offer the option for permanent protection comes after Prime Minister Anthony ­Albanese visited the war-torn country and pledged Australian support “for as long as it takes for Ukraine to emerge victorious”.

“Since February 2022, the government has granted over 8600, mostly temporary, visas to Ukrainians in Ukraine and hundreds more to Ukrainians elsewhere,” Mr Giles said.

“In that time, nearly 3800 of these visa holders have arrived in Australia.

“We want to ensure this cohort, both onshore and offshore, can continue to reside in the Australian community for as long as they need, through a range of short and long-term visa pathway options.

“That is why temporary Ukrainian visa holders, post 31 July, will be able to access additional visa options, provided they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.”

There has been pressure on the government to extend the special Temporary Humanitarian Concern visa for Ukrainians, which was set up by the Coalition following the Russian invasion in February.

Ukrainians must be in Australia to accept the THC visa by 11.59pm on July 31, which is then valid for three years and allows people to work, study and access Medicare.

Speaking to The Australian before the new visa pathways were announced, Kate, an Australian citizen from Kharkiv, said she wanted her elderly mother Larysa to take up the THC visa but she would not make it to Australia by the weekend as the 74-year-old was undergoing cancer treatment in Germany.

It is difficult for Kate, 45, to travel to Germany to care for her mum – who has been in Germany since May after being forced to flee Ukraine – because she has a two-year-old daughter. Her brother remains in Ukraine under martial law. “My brother’s not allowed to leave the country so he can’t be with her,” said Kate, who asked for her last name not to be used. “She has two kids and nobody is next to her now. She’s alone in Germany.

“We want to bring her here when she’s fit to fly and when she stabilises (following medical treatment) in a few months. The war is not over.”

Kate’s husband Illya, 42, whose own mother travelled to Australia on a tourist visa in January and is now on the humanitarian visa, appealed to the government to continue the scheme. “If they can’t do this for everyone, perhaps they can consider individual circumstances,” he said.

Kate added: “I have another friend who has a sister with two kids, they’re stuck in Kharkiv too.

“The kids don’t have foreign passports. They applied for passports but they’re not going to be here by the end of July. There are heaps of stories like this.”

Mr Giles has twice extended the humanitarian visa scheme by two weeks, when it was due to end in June and again in mid-July.

Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said the government needed to “back its words with actions” and support the people of Ukraine.

“At the opening of parliament, the Prime Minister said the Labor government would show solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Now is the time,” Mr Tehan said.

“The Labor government must extend the deadline for displaced Ukrainians to access the humanitarian visa until the conflict ends.”

Mr Giles said visas for Ukrainians would be processed as a priority. Ukrainians already on the THC visa who would like to move to a protection visa will need to ask for ministerial intervention to allow the change.

If the war is still going on in three years when the humanitarian visas expire, Ukrainians will be able to transfer to a bridging visa.