Amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments in Australia and significant visa fee increases, some of which have doubled or even tripled since July 1, SBS Nepali sat down with Tony Burke, the Federal Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, Cyber Security, and the Arts, to discuss the effects that are especially felt by the international student community, permanent residents renewing their Resident Return Visas (RRV), and citizens, including those from the Nepali community, who are facing varying barriers in their quest to bring parents to Australia either temporarily or permanently.
In the second part of our conversation, Minister Burke underscores the importance of permanent residents, including those from the Nepali community, making a lifelong commitment to Australia by taking up citizenship.
He addresses the pressing concerns surrounding rising visa fees and the challenges of visa refusals that families say they are continually facing when trying to bring their parents to Australia.
The Minister also shares his perspective on the current national dialogue regarding social cohesion, the various forms of exploitation international students face in the workplace, and the growing risks of cybercrime.
Furthermore, Tony Burke has encouraged the Nepali-speaking community to think about how they can share their heritage with other communities who don’t know as much about it.
