Immigration issues

Visa delays and new rules leave families struggling to reunite with ageing parents as backlogs continue to grow.

New visitor visa restrictions are adding pressure to families already facing lengthy parent visa backlogs. This episode explores the difficult choices confronting migrants with ageing parents overseas as long waits, high costs and changing rules raise fresh questions about family reunification.

In this episode

How new visitor visa conditions could limit options for families waiting on parent visas
One family's tragic experience after years of waiting for a visa decision
Advocates say the changes could leave ageing parents separated from their children for decades.
The growing parent visa backlog, processing times and costs facing applicants
Concerns that migration policies may force some families to choose between life in Australia and caring for ageing parents overseas

SBS News in Depth is a news analysis podcast from SBS, going behind the headlines with reporting and interviews on the stories shaping Australia and the world.

Listen to more episodes of SBS News in Depth, and follow the show on the SBS Audio app, Apple

For the latest news from Australia and around the world, visit SBS News and follow us on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.

The federal government says Labor’s long-awaited immigration reforms are designed to bring net migration down, ease pressure on housing and close what it describes as loopholes in the visa system. But what does that look like for farmers, current international students and migrant workers?

Support for One Nation has been on the rise in recent months. But in the electorate of Hunter - a Labor stronghold in New South Wales - the party was the runner up in last year's election, one of only two electorates where that happened. SBS News reporter Kerrin Thomas travelled to Hunter to speak to residents about how they're feeling about the party's latest moves.

A new report by the Lowy Institute reveals support for multiculturalism in Australia has plunged in the past two years. A recent poll has linked a decline in support for both current migration levels and multiculturalism, which coincides with growing fears about economic and social safety.

A new report by the Lowy Institute reveals support for multiculturalism in Australia has plunged in the past two years.

A recent poll has linked a decline in support for both current migration levels and multiculturalism, which coincides with growing fears about economic and social safety.

This week, Australia celebrates the one million refugees who’ve made a home here since the end of World War Two. While some employers are offering new jobs and training, there are also calls to cut the refugee intake and some initiatives are at risk.