The Australian Government will amend restrictions applying to Temporary Protection (subclass 785 - TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise (subclass 790 - SHEV) visa holders, and some permanent visa holders, as an initial step in line with the Government's election commitments in relation to TPVs and SHEVs.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Andrew Giles MP, has announced the Government will make it easier for TPV and SHEV holders to travel outside of Australia.
The Government has directed the Department of Home Affairs to take a more expansive approach to the interpretation of 'compassionate and compelling circumstances', meaning affected TPV and SHEV holders will be able to travel overseas in more circumstances.
"Under these changes TPV and SHEV holders will still be required to request permission to travel to a third country, and still cannot travel to the country by reference to which they were found to engage protection obligations," Minister Giles said
"However, the new policy will broaden the circumstances in which they are able to travel to a third country."
The Government is committed to using a range of visas including Family visas to assist people at risk in Afghanistan to access refuge in Australia and will amend Ministerial Direction 80.
Under this change, Family visa applications where the sponsor or proposer is a permanent visa holder who entered Australia as an Unlawful Maritime Arrival (UMA) no longer receive the lowest processing priority in the Family visa stream.
"The Government is improving the family reunion pathways for these permanent visa holders, many of whom have been separated from family for over a decade, exacerbating mental health issues and imposing great and enduring uncertainty on their lives," said Minister Giles.
"This will help enable family reunion for the many Afghan-Australians who remain separated from close family members as a result of the current Ministerial Direction."
Australia's position on persons who travel to Australia via irregular means has not changed.
Our strong border policy architecture remains, including turn backs and take backs and regional processing. The Government is resolving the bureaucratic burden of the asylum legacy caseloads in a humane way.
