Renewing TPVs

 

* If the applicant for a further TPV is unsuccessful at the primary stage and the applicant decides not to seek a merits review, their TPV will expire 28 days after the primary decision is handed down.  If the applicant decides to seek a merits review, the TPV is valid until either another TPV is granted, or if the applicant is unsuccessful in the RRT, 28 days after the decision is handed down (ie the expiry of the period in which the applicant could have sought review through the courts) (sch. 2 r. 785.611).  If the applicant fails on appeal to the RRT and decides to appeal through the courts, the applicant will be need to lodge an application with DIMIA for a bridging visa along with a copy of the relevant application for review or notice of appeal.

 

* Once the applicant has exhausted the review process and has not been granted a visa, the same processes as apply to other failed applicants will apply.  That is, if the applicant is found not to be a refugee, they are expected to abide by the conditions of their visa and depart Austraila, if not the Department is obliged to detain them.  However, as the failed applicant has already been immigration cleared (as the initial grant of a TPV will immigration clear the applicant), they will have greater access to bridging visas than a TPV applicant in detention.  A bridging visa could be issued to a failed applicant to enable them to stay in the community while removal is arranged (DIMIA would have to feel confident that the failed applicant would comply with deportation orders). 

 

 

 * If an applicant's home country will not accept them back, DIMIA will detain the applicant until agreement has been reached with the home country.  Just because there is no agreement at current with certain countries, does not mean that DIMIA will not be able to reach agreement in the future.  Thus the applicant will be detained during this 'diplomatic gestation period' until agreement is reached. (this is actually the term they use, how sickening is that???.)

 

From Ruddock's office:

Removal Of Non-Citizens

 

Removal of unlawful non-citizens occurs by force of law - that is, no

specific order for removal is required, provided that all conditions in the

Act have been satisfied.  Mandatory removal of unlawful non-citizens was

introduced to simplify the procedures for removing unlawful non-citizens

from Australia and to reinforce the principle that unlawful non-citizens

have no right to stay in Australia.  This approach follows logically from

the connection between a person's right to remain in Australia and a final

decision being made on a visa application or a visa being cancelled.  Once

a final decision has been made to refuse a visa application or a visa has

been cancelled, and the time periods providing the opportunity to pursue

merits/judicial review have expired, no other formal process is necessary

before removing a person from Australia.

 

Officers have the power to remove non-citizens under the following sections

of the Act:

 

.    Section 198 provides for the removal from Australia of unlawful

non-citizens (s 14)  (It should be noted that a removal in this instance

will always occur from detention, even if the removee is detained just

prior to departure);

 

.    Section 199 provides for the removal of dependants of a removee (i.e..

spouse and/or dependent children);

 

.    Section 205 provides for the removal of dependants of a deportee.

 

Removal of unlawful non-citizens (s 198)

 

A "removee" is defined in section s 5(1) as "an unlawful non-citizen

removed, or to be removed, under Division 8 of Part 2" of the Act.  (People

removed under sections 199 and 205 may not be unlawful non-citizens and

therefore cannot technically be described as removees).

 

An unlawful non-citizen is a person who has no legal right to remain in

Australia.  Unlawful non-citizens make up the largest number of persons

subject to enforced departure from Australia.

 

 

From the DIMIA web site:

 

Monitored departure: The failed applicant is granted a bridging visa to arrange their own departure.

Supervised departure: Prepared to leave at their own expense, usually granted a bridging visa but taken to the air port.

Removal: When someone is unwilling or unable to depart, it generally involves a period of detention while departure arrangements are made by DIMIA. The department meets costs of removal and detention, and overstayers are given notice that they must repay the debt.

 

*Apparently the "Compliance Strategy Section", onshore section will be dealing with removals. I have been trying to speak to someone there but no one will talk to me due to confidentially issues.

 

As of the 29th of September 2000, the legislation relating to 785 tpv visas changed (Article 785/ .212). Anyone who receives a tpv after this date is now no longer eligible to apply for permanent status, and can only apply for another 3 year visa.

 

Of the aprox 6 thousand people who where on one of these visas before this change of legislation, only about 3-4 thousand people reapplied for a visa, making it possible for them to hypothetically receive a permanent visa. However the change of legislation was not properly made public (who's falt is that???) and unfortunately about 2-3 thousand people did not reapply before the 29th, so even though they had received a visa before this date, because they did not reapply before the 29th of sept, they now can no longer apply for a permanent visa.  While anyone who received a tpv visa after this date can not apply for permanent status at all...

 

One more bit of info... Ruddock has publicly stated that if any Afghan people do not successfully gain afurther visa, he has given an undertaking that he will not send them home before winter has ended. I don't know when that is though. And I haven't personally seen this is writting, so one wonders....

 

785 VISA is a TPV 3 year visa.

866 VISA is a permanent visa.

 

Other phone numbers:

 

*On shore compliance- (02) 62641111

*Compliance Officer A.C.T (02) 62477818

*The department operates a national telephone inquiry line on 131881

 

Some literature:

 

*Immigration update, Consolidated Statistics-

Available from Ausinfo, GPO Box 84 Canberra

ACT 2621, AND FROM GOVT INFO SHOPS.

 

Also there are facts sheets that you can get from DIMIA if you ring and ask, specifically no. 68.