EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Migration Act 1958Migration Regulations 1994

ADDRESSES FOR APPLICATIONS FOR CONTRIBUTORY PARENT (MIGRANT) (CLASS CA) VISAS

(REGULATION 1130(3)(b))

1. This Instrument is made under regulation 1.17 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (‘the Regulations’) and section 85pParagraph 1130(3)(b)  of the Migration Migration Regulations 1994 (‘the Regulations’)Act 1958 (‘the Act’).

2.                  Regulation 1.17 of the Regulations provides that the Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, specify matters required by individual provisions of the Regulations to be specified for the purpose of those provisions.

3.                  Paragraph 1130(3)(b) of the Regulations provides that an application for a Contributory Parent (Migrant) (Class CA) visa must be made by (i) posting the application to the post office box address specified in a Gazette Notice for this subparagraph, or (ii) having the application delivered by a courier service to the address specified in a Gazette Notice for this subparagraph.Section 85 of the Act allows the Minister to determine by Gazette Notice, the maximum number of the visas of a specified class or the visas of specified classes that may be granted in a specified financial year.

The purpose of this Instrument is to ensure that all applications for Contributory Parent (Migrant) (Class CA) visas are sent to a particular place for processing.revoke the current Gazette Notice advising that, if being couriered,The purpose of the Instrument is to impose a cap on the number of visa grants for the Non-Contributory Parent Category (‘the Parent Category’) over the 2005-2006 financial year. The Parent Category consists of 2 visa classes – the Class AX Parent (Migrant) visa ‘(the Parent (Migrant) class visa’) and the Class BP Aged Parent (Residence) visa (‘the Aged Parent (Residence) class visa’). A cap of 1000 visas is placed on the Parent Category for the 2005-2006 financial year. Relevantly, this Instrument imposes a maximum number of 740 Parent (Migrant) class visas that may be granted for the 2005-2006 financial year. A separate Instrument imposes a cap of 260 Aged Parent (Residence) class visas th Contributory Parent (Migrant) (Class CA) visa applications are to be addressed to:

Perth Offshore Parents Centre

411 Wellington Street

4.                   PERTH  WA  6000

at may be granted over the same financial year.

and issue 5. The Parent (Migrant) class visa is subject to visa capping due to high demand and limited number of places available. Once the limit set by the Government for the Parent (Migrant) class visa  for a specific financial year has been reached, no further visas can be granted in that financial year. Applicants are queued until a place becomes available.  There are approximately 20,000 people waiting for a decision on a Parent (Migrant) or an Aged Parent (Residence) class visa application. 

a new Gazette Notice advising that, if being couriered, Contributory Parent (Migrant) (Class CA) visa applications are to be addressed to:

Perth Offshore Parents Centre

Level 3

166 Murray Street

PERTH  WA  6000

5.                   This Instrument operates to specify the postal and courier addresses to which applications should be sent.

6.                   Pursuant to section 18 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, consultation was not necessary.  The Instrument is of a minor or machinery nature and does not substantially alter existing arrangements.ere is no change to the post office box address to which applicants may post their application.

6. The Queuing mechanism is a method of managing the parent caseload so that the visa places available under the parent program are allocated in an orderly way until the numeric target or cap is met.  Queuing eliminates unnecessary requests for the payment of second instalments of visa application charges and bonds.  Applicants know where they stand well in advance and it is more precise.  The queue is a continuum used both before and after the cap is reached.

7. The Contributory Parent Category was introduced in 2003 to enable the expansion of the parent migration program, thus addressing the demand in the pre-existing Parent Category while minimising the potential cost to the Commonwealth budget of an increase in Australia’s aged population.  The Contributory Parent Category for 2005-2006 was not to exceed 3, 500 places. 

8. The Instrument operates to specify the number of Parent (Migrant) class visas that may be granted for the 2005-2006 financial year.  

9. This Instrument does not have a direct, or a substantial indirect, effect on business or restrict competition (subsection 17(1) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 refers). As such, consultation was not undertaken.

7. 6. 10. Thise Instrument, IMMI 06/033, commences on the first moment of the day following the day when the Instrument is registered (the default commencement, paragraph 12(1)(d) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 refers)1 July 2006.