A growing backlog in Permanent Residency (PR) visa applications is causing widespread distress among applicants, with nearly 11,000 applications currently pending. The Department of Home Affairs is processing fewer than 300 PR visas per month, leading to a processing time that now extends beyond 14 months. Many applicants express feelings of frustration and uncertainty as they wait indefinitely for their visas, with some considering returning to their home countries due to the prolonged delay.
The Department of Home Affairs is facing criticism for its inability to process PR visas efficiently. Applicants are voicing their grievances over what they perceive as an unreliable online system, which has exacerbated the already sluggish processing pace. Akash, one of the applicants, remarked on the inconsistency of the system, stating:
"I can see online the system here at the Department of Home Affairs, it's not reliable as it's supposed to be. The calculations they normally use on the website, it's absolutely a joke or something. The reason why – it keeps changing."
The protracted waiting period for visa approval has left many applicants feeling as though their lives are in limbo. Some have been waiting for over a year, unable to make permanent life decisions. The uncertainty surrounding their future in Australia has led to mounting frustrations and accusations of unfair treatment.
Prasoon Kottayodan, another applicant caught in the backlog, expressed a sense of loss and exploitation:
"I feel like our future has been taken away here. As much as we love Australia and being part of the community, and contributing, our pathway to permanent residency seems to be shut off, or at least, undefined."
Additionally, Kottayodan explained how the delay impacted his employment situation:
"I actually faced a lot of exploitation. I actually resigned from my job. I already applied for residency. Nobody is getting for me sponsorship after I applied for residency."
The backlog is not only affecting individuals but also regional communities reliant on skilled migrants. Many applicants have been sponsored by family or government bodies to live and work in regional areas for at least three years before becoming eligible for PR through the 191 visa pathway. This delay is contributing to skills shortages in these regions.
Matthew Nicklin, an applicant residing in a regional area, emphasized the commitment many have made to support these communities:
"We have already supported the community for a long time in the regional areas. We are not going to the city or something. We are mostly wanting to settle down in the regional areas, actually. The regional areas have a shortage of skilful people, actually. I don't know why they are completely avoiding us."
The government's inconsistent handling of PR visa applications is attracting criticism from various quarters. Applicants like Akash are calling for fairness and adherence to promises made by the authorities:
"We don't mind staying in regional areas. But we just ask for fairness – the promises they have given to us."
As applicants continue to wait, some consider abandoning their dreams of permanent residency in Australia altogether. The delay also affects their housing situation, as expressed by Kottayodan:
"It'd get us out of occupying a rental."
