Hi All -
I read some very depressing news tonight from another agent who recently spoke to DIAC's temporary partner processing section in Sydney and is reporting that the current estimated wait time for partner visa processing (onshore, NSW) is "over 15 months." Additionally, decision-ready (DR) processing for partner visas in NSW has all but been abandoned as so many applications are now coming in as "decision-ready" that DIAC apparently thinks it would not be "equitable" to give all of them priority processing as it would unfairly disadvantage all the non-DR applications. So all partner applications are being processed in NSW in one queue now, not a separate queue for DR and non-DR.
Given reports of processing times less than this, I think there is still hope for those who lodge DR applications and have a bit of luck. But if this report is accurate, it represents a major delay in processing these applications, and as far as I'm concerned, it's simply not fair, just or "equitable" to force married or defacto couples to wait this long simply to have their visa processed.
I really have to wonder what DIAC's priorities are at this point. Assuming this report is true, they are willing to live with a steep decrease in processing standards, while at the same time increasing the application fee significantly. Where is the accountability? Where is the fairness to visa applicants and their families? And where is the responsible management at DIAC being accountable for such a shocking slippage in delivery standards?
It occurs to me that a collective body of visa applicants and those who care about the rights of visa applicants may be in order. It's simply too easy to deliver poor service when for most people it's a one-shot deal and they have no continuing involvement with the government after the visa is granted. I would be happy to be involved with such an organisation, but for it to have credibility it should be led by those directly affected by the issue.
Any thoughts? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news tonight, but we all in one way or another have a stake in timely visa processing, and I just see things these days getting worse, and let's not even talk about the haphazard and inconsistent offshore partner visa processing that is discussed at length here. Ideally the interests of both onshore and offshore applicants could be addressed by such an organisation, similar to the way that Bus Rider's Unions have lobbied municipalities, etc in the USA to battle fare increases and poor service.
Best,
Mark Northam
I read some very depressing news tonight from another agent who recently spoke to DIAC's temporary partner processing section in Sydney and is reporting that the current estimated wait time for partner visa processing (onshore, NSW) is "over 15 months." Additionally, decision-ready (DR) processing for partner visas in NSW has all but been abandoned as so many applications are now coming in as "decision-ready" that DIAC apparently thinks it would not be "equitable" to give all of them priority processing as it would unfairly disadvantage all the non-DR applications. So all partner applications are being processed in NSW in one queue now, not a separate queue for DR and non-DR.
Given reports of processing times less than this, I think there is still hope for those who lodge DR applications and have a bit of luck. But if this report is accurate, it represents a major delay in processing these applications, and as far as I'm concerned, it's simply not fair, just or "equitable" to force married or defacto couples to wait this long simply to have their visa processed.
I really have to wonder what DIAC's priorities are at this point. Assuming this report is true, they are willing to live with a steep decrease in processing standards, while at the same time increasing the application fee significantly. Where is the accountability? Where is the fairness to visa applicants and their families? And where is the responsible management at DIAC being accountable for such a shocking slippage in delivery standards?
It occurs to me that a collective body of visa applicants and those who care about the rights of visa applicants may be in order. It's simply too easy to deliver poor service when for most people it's a one-shot deal and they have no continuing involvement with the government after the visa is granted. I would be happy to be involved with such an organisation, but for it to have credibility it should be led by those directly affected by the issue.
Any thoughts? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news tonight, but we all in one way or another have a stake in timely visa processing, and I just see things these days getting worse, and let's not even talk about the haphazard and inconsistent offshore partner visa processing that is discussed at length here. Ideally the interests of both onshore and offshore applicants could be addressed by such an organisation, similar to the way that Bus Rider's Unions have lobbied municipalities, etc in the USA to battle fare increases and poor service.
Best,
Mark Northam