On 1 March 2019, Immigration Minister David Coleman has announced that the new temporary Sponsored Parent visa will be made available on 17 April 2019.

Up to 15,000 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas may be granted each program year. If the cap is reached in a program year, no further visas will be granted until the next program year commences on 1 July.

The Australian Government approved the Migration Amendment Bill on 28 November 2018 that will eventually suppress Family Violence especially on Partner Visa applicants.

For now, the Bill is not implemented yet and has to pass the Governor General's Royal Assent for the bill to take effect.

 It is unclear at this point, when it will commence but DoHA states it is likely to be sometime this year.

Introduction

The new Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA) lets the Northern Territory (NT) employers sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for work visa Subclass 482.

A broader range of occupations are available for work visa sponsorship. Occupations that are not ordinarily in the work visa program have been added such as Aged or Disabled carers, Hotel receptionists, Truck/forklift drivers, accounts clerk/bookkeepers, car salespersons, and many others.

A press release from Minister Coleman has announced that the new Temporary Long Stay Parent Visa will become available in the first half of 2019. 

The Senate passed the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016 which includes provisions to introduce the new visa that will allow parents to visit their families in Australia for a continuous period of up to five years.