Grant Dates Announced – COVID-Concessions for certain Visas

Onshore Grant Dates Announced – Partner Visas, Contributory Parent Visas and Child Visas

The department have officially announced a date when the onshore grant of the below mentioned subclasses, which are usually granted offshore, will commence.

Commencement Date: 27 February 2021

From the 27th of February the below visas will be eligible to be granted while the applicant is in Australia, even though these usually require the applicant to travel offshore.

• Partner (subclass 309) visa
• Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa
• Child (subclass 101) visa
• Adoption (subclass 102) visa
• Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa

As mentioned in an announcement earlier this year, the eligibility criteria for this temporary concession is for applicants who are in Australia and are not able to travel offshore to be granted their visa because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The same concession as mentioned above will commence for eligible parent visa applicants on 24 March 2021:

• Contributory Parent (subclass 173) visa
• Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa
• Parent (subclass 103) visa

Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate – Offshore lodgement and grant concession dates announced!

The department released an update earlier this year that announced certain offshore lodgement and grant concessions for ALL Subclass 485 streams, including the Graduate Work, the Post Study Work and the Second Post Study Work streams. The introduction of this concession will allow eligible visa applicants impacted by COVID travel restrictions during the concession period, to lodge and be granted their visa while they are outside Australia.

Concession Period Commenced: 1 February 2020.

Business Innovation Visa (Subclass 888) – COVID Concessions for Residency requirements

Eligibility criteria for Subclass 888 visa applicants states they must have been physically present in Australia for at least 1 year in the 2 years immediately before they apply.

The introduction of this concession could allow time spent overseas during the COVID Concession Period to be counted as being in Australia if the applicant held one of the following visas:

• Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream
• Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation Extension stream

NOTE: The first visa in the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Business Innovation stream must have been granted on or before 30 June 2019.

Concession Period Commenced: 1 February 2020.

Skilled Regional Visas (Subclass 887) – Onshore & Offshore Concessions

The department have also introduced onshore and offshore concessions to assist certain applicants applying for Skilled Regional (Subclass 887) Visas.

Applicants outside Australia (Offshore)

Eligible applicants will be allowed to make their visa application outside Australia and be granted the visa while outside Australia during the COVID concession period.

In addition to the above, these applicants will also be given access to reduced employment requirements and shorter residency requirements during the concession period:

• 9 months full-time work in a specified regional area – A concession of 3 months off the usual 12 month period, and
• 18 months residence in a specified regional area. A concession of 6 months off the usual 2 year period

Concession Period Commenced: 1 February 2020.

Applicants inside Australia (Onshore)

In order for applicants applying onshore to meet the eligibility criteria they will still be required to meet the 2 years of residence in a specified regional area. They will also receive the 3 month employment concession of:

• 9 months full-time work in a specified regional area 

If you feel as though you could benefit from these concessions and would like to speak to a Registered Migration Agent, please feel free to GET IN TOUCH with our team of professionals.