Petition:

Request for Fair and Transparent Processing of Iranian Skilled Visa Applications

To the Australian Department of Home Affairs and the Hon. Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

We, a group of skilled migration applicants, respectfully wish to draw attention to the ongoing delays affecting Iranian nationals under the Skilled Visa subclasses 190, 491, and 189.

Over the past several months, many Iranian applicants who have been waiting for visa for years, have reported receiving no case officer comments or updates on their lodged applications. This situation includes individuals who applied for 190 and 491 visa subclasses as early as 2023 and 2024, as well as more recent applicants under subclass 189 who received invitations in September and November 2024 but have yet to receive any follow-up communication.

At the same time, applicants from other nationalities — who lodged around the same dates — appear to be progressing in line with the Department’s published timelines and are receiving comments or visa grants accordingly. Meanwhile, Freedom of Information (FOI) data indicates that a substantial portion of the skilled visa backlog has already been cleared.

We fully acknowledge the complexities of visa processing and deeply appreciate the Department’s ongoing efforts to manage a high volume of applications fairly. However, we kindly request that the Department:

Clarify the current progress and order of processing for subclasses 189, 190, and 491, including applications lodged by Iranian nationals.

Ensure equal and transparent processing of all skilled visa applications, regardless of nationality.

Review long-pending Iranian cases, especially those that have not yet received their first case officer contact.

If these delays are due to the absence of a processing unit or location for Iranian applications, possibly related to the closure of the Australian Embassy in Iran, we respectfully request that this be clarified. If such limitations exist, we urge the Department to establish an alternative arrangement or clear procedure to ensure Iranian applications are processed without further delay.

We hold strong respect for Australia’s principles of fairness, transparency, equality and values that make its migration system one of the most trusted in the world. We submit this petition in good faith, hoping for communication, clarity, and fair progression for all skilled applicants.

Sincerely,

Concerned applicants seeking transparency and fairness