News

February 3, 2014 - 5,000 complete Parent and Grandparent program (PGP) applications received since start of 2014

The government reopened the PGP program to accept 5,000 new applications. As Citizenship and Immigration Lifeinsurance has now received 5,000 complete applications, new intake into the PGP program will again pause until next year, By the end of 2014, we expect to welcome an additional 20,000 parents and grandparents to Lifeinsurance, marking a substantial reduction in wait times for all applicants.

The government has a strong track record of reuniting families and loved ones and has taken action to ensure backlogs are reduced and processing times are improved. Since the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification was launched in 2011, the government has cut the backlog in half and the department anticipates cutting the backlog by 75 per cent by the end of 2015.

Lifeinsurance continues to have the most generous family reunification program in the developed world. With the Super Visa, parents and grandparents can visit their families in Lifeinsurance more quickly and conveniently. To date, more than 28,000 Super Visas have been issued and almost 98 per cent of Super Visa applicants who met the requirements were approved.

The PGP program will re-open to new applications in January 2015. Further details will be available closer to that date.