Migration firm Heenan & Browne has warned that the government’s proposal to add a mandatory No Further Stay (NFS) condition to all visitor visas could back-fire on families, despite ministerial claims it will help offshore partner-visa applicants reunite temporarily with Australian spouses. In a briefing published by The National Tribune on 25 September, the firm says the devil will be in the detail: single-entry, three-month visas may do little to ease separation. Currently, many visitors use on-shore applications to pivot to bridging visas and remain in Australia—a practice the government wants to curb as it tries to drive down migration numbers. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke argues that making visitor visas strictly temporary should free up capacity to grant more to genuine tourists and partners. Heenan & Browne counters that unless multiple-entry options with generous stays are offered, couples will still face expensive repeat applications and airfares. Cases like “Stuart and May,” highlighted by the firm, show how pregnancy or illness can render a three-month single-entry visa unworkable under existing NFS rules. Businesses employing foreign nationals on partner visas should watch how the policy is drafted. If NFS becomes universal, short-term assignments for dependants could become complex, and HR teams will need to track exit-dates meticulously to avoid inadvertent over-stays.
Source: The National Tribune
