The Australian government’s newly created permanent residency visa for refugees on temporary visas has finally been made available, fulfilling a long-awaited promise made by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022. This new visa is expected to provide a pathway to a secure and prosperous life for an estimated 19,000 refugees.
The announcement was made in response to the increasing number of refugees coming to Australia seeking asylum. The Australian government has been under increasing pressure from human rights organisations, advocacy groups, and the public to provide more secure and permanent options for refugees.
The newly created permanent residency visa is designed to provide an improved pathway for refugees to gain permanent residency in Australia. The visa will allow refugees on temporary visas to apply for permanent residency without having to go through the lengthy and complex process of applying for a permanent visa.
Those who applied for a three-year Temporary Protection visa (TPV) or five-year Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV) before February 14, 2013, or arrived in Australia prior to the commencement of Operation Sovereign Borders, may be eligible for permanent residency through the Resolution of Status (RoS) visa.
The government has pledged $9.4 million over two years to provide free visa application assistance and additional funding for free specialist legal service providers.
