Humanitarian visa

Question

Hello. I and husband and 13 years old daughter have been refugees for 6 years in Malaysia. One of our friends in Australia, as a sponsor, applies for us a humanitarian visa, But Australian immigration said we can not put you in priority because of the large volume of files. I was wondering there are other ways. Should we go to the Australian Embassy in Malaysia? Or another way. I would be appreciated if anyone can guide me on this issue.

Answer 1

Dear @Zizib,

Thank you for your question and sorry you had to wait so long for an answer!

I am not familiar with Australian law, but from what I read about Humanitarian Visas, including here, the rules on the prioritization in the issuance of Humanitarian visas are quite strict, and depend on the status of your sponsor, and how close you are with them (close, extended family or friends). There is probably not many chances getting around that.

I recommend you, or your Australian friend, to contact a lawyer in order to see what your options are. For instance, you might want to check if you can enroll the Community Support Program, or if you qualify for another visa as the Humanitarian one.

I am sorry I cannot really answer your question and hope this somewhat helps.

All the best,

Safia