Australia news live: airlines blame lack of traffic controllers for morning of cancellations and long delays at Sydney Airport

Australia’s $50,000 parent visa takes so long to process that applicants die waiting Wait times for visas to bring parents to Australia are so long that more than 1,500 applicants died before receiving their visa over a 21-month period to 31 March, new Department of Home Affairs data shows. Reports of an upcoming overhaul of the nation’s migration system, including tougher rules for family visas, has intensified worry among Australians whose parents are waiting for their visas to be processed. For applicants of non-contributory parent visas, which provide permanent residency for a fee of just under $9,000, the wait times are now an estimated 33 years. Contributory parent visas have waiting times of about 15 years but cost almost $50,000 each. Read more here:

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: The Guardian. Open at source →