Twice, my brother and I have faced the heartache of having our sister's tourist visa applications rejected preventing her and her family from visiting us in Australia. In both cases, the stated reason was "insufficient evidence of intent to depart Australia," despite her stable employment, property ownership, and clear family and financial ties in India. More recently, my brother's in-laws were granted a visa for only three months, even though the application was for a longer duration, without explanation, leaving them insufficient time to support their daughter during a crucial pregnancy even though they had visited before and returned as required each time.

These are not isolated cases. They reflect a broader pattern affecting Indian nationals seeking to visit loved ones or experience Australia's landscapes and culture, genuine applicants with strong documented ties being refused on assumption rather than evidence, or granted far less time than requested with no reasoning given.

The Australian tourist (Subclass 600) visa is meant to facilitate visits by genuine tourists with strong ties to their home country, stable incomes, and clean travel histories. Many Indian applicants meet every one of these criteria and are still refused, or approved for only a fraction of the time they need.

India is one of Australia's fastest-growing and most valuable visitor markets. According to Tourism Australia, Indian visitors contributed A$2.7 billion to the Australian economy in the year ending September 2025 : a 15% increase on the previous year, with India now ranked Australia's fifth largest source market for both visitor numbers and spend. Indians visiting friends and relatives are also Australia's longest-staying visitor cohort, with an average trip of 66 days, reflecting how much of this travel is genuine family connection rather than short-term tourism. Beyond the economic contribution, Indian-Australian families are being kept apart, often at real financial cost, since visa fees and non-refundable flights and bookings are lost when applications are refused.

We call on the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, to:

• Review current visa assessment practices for Indian tourist visa applications
• Publish clearer guidance on what evidence is considered sufficient proof of intent to return (employment, property, family ties, prior travel compliance)
• Ensure refusal decisions include specific, evidence-based reasons, not generic template language that leaves applicants unable to understand or address the concern
• Require an explanation whenever a visa is granted for significantly less than the requested duration, particularly in cases involving family care, such as supporting a pregnancy or an elderly relative
• Introduce a genuine avenue for applicants to submit further evidence or seek review when they believe a decision was made in error
• Ensure immigration officers are well trained to fairly assess the socio-economic context of applicants, so that strong ties and clean travel histories are properly weighed

Our goal is not just to reunite with family for important, once-in-a-lifetime moments, it's to ensure the assessment process itself is fair, transparent, and consistent, so that Australia's reputation as a welcoming, multicultural nation is upheld in practice, not just in principle.

Please sign this petition to help ensure Indian tourist visa applications are assessed fairly and transparently, so families can reunite without unnecessary obstacles.