Important Information Regarding Sponsored Family Visitor (Subclass 679) Visa Applications for the Christmas Holiday Season 2009

DIAC receives a high volume of Sponsored Family Visitor visa applications each year during the Christmas holiday period.

People intending to lodge applications for their overseas family members to visit Australia are advised to do so before Friday 6 November 2009.

DIAC advises that there is a high likelihood that applications lodged on or before this date will be assessed and finalised before 25 December 2009, but says that an outcome for all applications cannot be guaranteed. 

In particular,  applications requiring a formal medical and/or chest x-ray examination may take longer to process. Even if an application is lodged before 6 November 2009, it cannot be finalised until health results have been cleared by the Immigration doctors in Australia.

Applications lodged after Friday 6 November 2009 will more than likely not be finalised before 25 December 2009.   

Note: Applications requiring urgent processing due to compelling and/or compassionate reasons are not subject to this cut-off date and will be processed as soon as possible.

Also note: Applicants should not make any firm travel arrangements until they receive written confirmation from the department that their visa has been granted.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 9:26 am and is filed under Family visas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.