Jen's mother died waiting for a visa. Now she fears the same future for her father

Jen moved to Australia from South Africa in 2008 and later became a citizen. In 2018 she applied for a parent visa so her parents could join her. Her mother died in 2022 before the visa was approved. Eight years later, her widowed father is still waiting. New visitor visa rules announced in September could make it harder for him to visit. The changes are part of the government's plan to cut net overseas migration.

Parent visas let migrants bring their parents to live in Australia. But the wait list is very long: up to 18 years, and more than 40 years in some cases. Many families use visitor visas to bridge the wait, letting parents stay for long visits. A new 'no further stay' rule would stop visitors from applying for another visa while in Australia. Advocates say the change removes one of the few ways families can stay together.

Long visa waits split families for years and even decades. This shows how small rule changes can affect people caring for ageing parents.