IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING NEW PARENT VISA: SUBCLASS 870

Hello all,

hope you all are doing well. I am posting this update after a while as there was nothing to be updated. The last two years were hard for the entire world, and there were no exceptions for us as a family. As we are heading to the federal elections next month, I wanted to inform you that I was invited to meet with Hon. Senator Kristina Keaneally – Shadow Immigration Minister in Adelaide, and I was assured by her and Hon. Steve Georganas MP that the Australian Labor Party is going to announce their policy on the new parent visa very soon and that it would be fairer.

I know that it has been a long journey for all of us and there have been times where we have been discouraged and started losing faith. But look at where we started. Seven years ago, there were no options that permitted our own parents to stay with us for longer than a year (as a visitor). It is because of your support and faith in this campaign that we have successfully given Australia a new parent visa subclass 870. Every signature and every voice raised has been incredibly valuable to our cause. So, a big thank you to all who supported and worked with this campaign.

There are always chances for there to be a change in power. In the past two elections, we have witnessed betrayal by the Government on their promises about a fairer visa. We have seen their unwillingness towards providing us with a reasonable solution regarding the new parent visa.

I am quite keen to see the change in Government during the coming Federal elections and this is the only hope that we have. I don’t think that the unfair conditions on this visa are going to change unless there is a change in Government.

My sincere thanks to Hon. Steve Georganas MP, Hon. Russell Wortley and Hon. Dana Wortley MP, the Australian Labor Party, and Monika Kumar for their continuous support from the very beginning of this campaign.

Kind Regards,

Arvind Duggal.