About 1,000 nationals from Palestine and Israel have been offered temporary humanitarian visas in Australia since October 2024, based on the figures obtained by Guardian Australia.
In October 2024, the Department of Home Affairs in Australia announced that it is offering a temporary stay visa pathway to nationals from Palestine and Israel affected by the Hamas-Israel conflict, VisaGuide.World reports.
The humanitarian pathway introduced by the government of Australia offers several social benefits to its holders, including the right to work. However, it does not permit those affected by the conflict between Israel and Hamas to apply for permanent protection.
Based on the figures from Australia’s Home Affairs Department, obtained by the Guardian, as of January 15, a total of 995 humanitarian visas have been granted to Palestinian and Israeli nationals.
The same source reveals that over 210 people have been granted the subclass 449 visa, and 66 others have been granted the subclass 786 visa.
The temporary humanitarian stay pathway is a two-step process. This involves being granted a Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) (subclass 449) visa, followed by a Temporary Humanitarian Concern (subclass 786) visa. The subclass 786 visa will be granted for three years.
The Australian temporary humanitarian stay pathway for nationals of Israel and Palestine is a two-step process.
It consists of being granted a Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) (subclass 449) visa and a Temporary Humanitarian Concern (subclass 786) visa. Through a statement, the department highlights that the subclass 786 visa will be granted for three years.
While the first stage of this process (subclass 449) gives visa holders access to social payments and working and study rights, the second process (subclass 786) gives its holders access to Medicare.
Temporary Humanitarian Visa Similar to the One Offered to Ukrainians
In this regard, the Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, said the pathway was similar to the one offered to Ukrainian nationals in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After extensive security checks, we have been offering humanitarian visas to people affected by the conflict in Gaza. This is the same visa which was offered to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
The minister stressed that the Ukrainians who were given temporary humanitarian visas are now going through the process of attaining permanent visas.
Before the temporary pathway was introduced for the Gaza conflict in October last year, a total of 1,033 Palestinians had applied onshore for permanent visas.
In order to benefit from this kind of visa, applicants must ensure that they meet all the needed requirements first.