Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

In my office, I often hear of heartbreaking stories of families torn apart by distance, desperate to be reunited before it's too late. As the member for Fowler, home to Australia's most multicultural and multifaith community, I've witnessed firsthand how family and partner migration visas are amongst the most emotionally charged problems our community faces. These aren't just statistics or case files; these are real people facing moments of crisis. We've heard of stories of families desperate to unite with their loved ones after years torn apart. Every case is a reminder that for many the pain of isolation is deep and personal.

One such story is that of my constituent Kim. Kim is bravely fighting a terminal illness. Her doctors have told her family her time is heartbreakingly short, yet Kim's father and younger brother are still in Vietnam. They remain separated not by choice but by red tape and visa backlogs. Despite our office's best efforts, writing urgent support letters and making phone calls, there are strict limits to what can be achieved on compassion alone. Even when it's a matter of life and death, visa processing for urgent cases can stretch for weeks or even months, robbing families of their chance for a final reunion.

Sadly Kim's story is not unique. Another family I represent lost their wife before a compassionate visa decision came through for a loved one overseas. The grief was compounded first by tragedy then by bureaucracy. These delays are not hypothetical; they are happening now with profound emotional and mental health consequences for our constituents. I do understand that the department must maintain proper process and respect the need for strong borders and thorough checks, but the unfortunate reality is that even compassionate or medical emergency provisions are plagued by wide variability in timelines. As of this year, family and carer visas can take up to eight years for processing, and partner visas frequently require 12 to 24 months—sometimes longer. When someone is dying, any delay is a cruelty that the system should not inflict.

There has been progress. In 2025, the government began to streamline certain parent visas, introducing online lodgement and moving towards single-stage applications. This is a welcome step, but it's not enough for families caught in crisis. Compassionate and emergency visa cases need to be truly prioritised with dedicated staff and fast-tracked decision-making, with clear guidance for everyone involved. No family should be separated by bureaucracy in their darkest hour.

Let's act swiftly and humanely. I speak as a mother, daughter, wife and refugee. I know how deeply the ache of separation can run.

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