‘Putting their lives on hold’: Australian families kept apart as wait times for partner visas blow out

Australian families are living in constant fear of being torn apart, as wait times for partner visas blow out - to years in some cases, according to newly released figures.

The Department of Home Affairs has released figures on partner visa processing times to Guardian Australia in response to a freedom of information request.

The data shows the average wait to get a temporary partner visa is between eight and 13 months. This is up from six months a decade ago. However, wait times, depending on country of origin, could now be years in some cases.

"People are putting their lives on hold for years," says Josephine Langbien, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre.

"Parents are missing out on seeing their kids grow up. People are stuck in really precarious situations overseas when they could be here in Australia rebuilding their lives together with their families."

There are a number of reasons why waiting times have increased, including Covid, bureaucratic difficulties, high thresholds to prove relationships, cultural and administrative barriers in other countries, and difficulties some face in providing documentation. But some advocates have questioned if a key reason might be potentially unlawful targets in how many visas are processed in a year.

It is illegal under the Migration Act to place a cap on the number of partner or child visas granted every year. The Department of Home Affairs denies the practice , saying visas have "never been capped".