Australia’s immigration system is broken, complex, costly and painfully slow, creating hardship for families who want to reunite with their parents.

Current parent visa options are restrictive, expensive and involve lengthy delays, forcing families into making repeated applications that are costly, time consuming and   stressful.

In the 1980s the government issued four times more family visas than skilled visas.

Family reunion was at the heart of Australia’s migration program.

Today, that balance has been reversed, with family visas making up only a third of visas issued by the government, this is despite Australia being a proud multicultural nation built on the backs of migrants who have contributed greatly   to our society, culture and economy.

We, the undersigned, call on the government to urgently reform the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa to make family reunification fairer and more compassionate. We propose the following changes:

• Give parents on the 870 visa the right to work
• Provide onshore applications and renewals or extensions
• Provide a pathway to permanent residency
• Make it possible to enter and leave Australia freely
• Reduce application fees and provide applicants  pro rata payment options

These reforms will reduce financial and emotional hardship and make our immigration  system fairer.

Improving the 870 visa will streamline the parent visa category.

Families belong together. We urge the government to act now to deliver a fair, compassionate and practical approach to family reunion.