Whilst processing times for temporary visas locally have much improved and are fairly consistently around 4-10 weeks, permanent residence applications still take at least 12-24 months to be processed, more if they were lodged before May 2014.
Group court action is being prepared at the moment regarding permanent residence applications made before 26 May 2014. If you wish to join the action, please contact our consultants.
Obvious errors and unjustified rejections are continuing, making appeals and rectification requests necessary, which further clog up the system and take 6-12 months to be resolved.
Quite regularly, family applications are split up, and accompanying family members’ applications are adjudicated without the main member having received his or her visa or permit yet, leading to unnecessary and frustrating rejections based on the main member not being in possession of the appropriate visa. In other cases, one member of a family may receive his or her permit, and another will wait another year or two to receive his or hers, or to receive a random rejection. Whilst these decisions are usually resolved by way of an appeal, the appeals route takes another 6-12 months. Regular complaints to Home Affairs about this have thus far not brought tangible improvement. So if you are waiting for your permanent residence, prepare for all kinds of outcomes.