An update from the Department of Home Affairs to the Afghan Australian community!

 

“The Australian Government understands the concerns you have for your family and friends in Afghanistan and we acknowledge the tremendous distress that this would be causing you. We also acknowledge the contributions being made by so many community members towards informing and supporting Australia’s efforts to respond to this crisis.

 

The Government is looking at all possible avenues to ensure that visa options through Australia’s long-standing Humanitarian and Migration Programs continue to be available to Afghan nationals regardless of ethnicity, both within Afghanistan and those displaced from their home country.

 

We recognise you may have many questions about the best way to assist your family and friends. As you all are aware the situation on the ground in Afghanistan is unstable and the ability to process applications and transport people out of the country remains unclear at present.

 

The Government is working as quickly as possible through a range of complex issues in order to provide you with clear and comprehensive advice on visa pathways. We will provide the information to you in the coming weeks. We recommend that you wait to submit applications until we provide further information about the process.

 

Sadly, we have received reports of unscrupulous operators approaching the Afghan Australian community claiming to be accredited migration agents and charging exorbitant fees for supposedly being able to fast track and guarantee visas. Paying large sums of money for applications to be lodged is unnecessary and will not improve the prospect of having a visa approved.

 

Migration agents and others cannot guarantee visas. Please note that in Australia to be able to provide migration advice one must be a lawyer or a registered migration agent. Migration agents registration details can be checked at www.mara.gov.au.

 

We thank you for your patience and understanding and ask that you continue to liaise with community leaders and the department to receive accurate information about the Government’s response to this important issue.”

 

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