This Ukrainian woman who married a Perth Pentecostal pastor came to Australia on a partner visa
More than 900 foreigners who start a relationship with an Australian citizen overseas or online are granted spousal visas every week.
The figures equate to about 48,000 foreign wives – and occasionally husbands – being allowed to move to Australia each year after being granted a partner visa by the Department of Home Affairs under the family migration category.
The rules on spousal visas haven’t changed since 1996, when the Howard government introduced a two-year waiting period before foreigners could be accepted.
One of the country’s most respected population experts has called for tighter rules to ensure those granted the visas can speak English, integrate into the country and work.
Dr Bob Birrell, the head of the Australian Population Research Institute, said the existing rules were open to abuse.
‘My main concern is just how weak our rules are on spouse migration,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
About 48,000 foreign wives – and occasionally husbands – are being allowed to move to Australia each year. This chart shows that figure has risen from 39,931 in 2007-08
One of Australia’s most respected population experts Bob Birrell has called for tighter rules on mail order brides to ensure they speak English, can integrate into Australia and work
‘A person can sponsor a spouse about age 18.
‘They could have arrived yesterday and there’s no evaluation at all on the financial capacity or the financial security of the spouse, or to provide for the spouse.
‘It’s just quite extraordinary, really.’
Dr Birrell, a former Monash University academic and immigration policy adviser, said the existing system also allowed the unemployed to bring a spouse over.
‘They don’t have to have a job, they could be on welfare. That is not taken account of,’ he said.
‘Nor is there any evaluation of the sponsored spouse capacity to integrate in Australia: does he or she have any English, have any skills?’
Lawrence Shave, a 74-year-old Pentecostal evangelical pastor from southern Perth who is twice divorced, five years ago found a Ukrainian woman to be his bride.
Unfortunately for him, Oksana left him for another man.
Last year, he advertised for a Russian bride aged between 20 and 44 via the SingleBridesAgency.com dating website, which specialises in eastern European women.
Lawrence Shave, a 74-year-old Pentecostal evangelical pastor from southern Perth who is twice divorced five years ago found a Ukrainian woman to be his bride
Unfortunately for Lawrence Shave, Oksana (pictured) left him for another man
The church minister, who ran as a One Nation state election candidate in 2017, sought a Russian woman who shared his Christian faith.
‘I am still looking for my special Christian partner that has old family values,’ he told Daily Mail Australia last year.
Dr Birrell said women from Asian nations in particular often sought out Australian men so they could escape a life of poverty.
‘Some of the permanent residents from Vietnam and The Philippines here would be under pressure,’ he said.
Last year, he advertised for a Russian bride aged between 20 and 44 via the SingleBridesAgency.com dating website, which specialises in eastern European women
Meanwhile, Australia is set to gain 11.8 million residents over the next 30 years, with the population ballooning to 36 million by 2046.
The overall population is growing faster than the U.S., U.K. and Indonesia, with migration accounting for almost two thirds of the country’s growth, and is set to surpass the 25 million milestone in the first week of August.
If Australia’s immigration intake continues as it is, Melbourne will have eight million people by 2051 and leapfrog Sydney as Australia’s largest city.
Sydney is predicted to grow to 7.4 million people by 2046 and Brisbane and Perth’s population will both double to four million.
More immigrants settling permanently in Australia since the turn of the millennium were born in India than anywhere else.
Census data revealed nearly 300,000 permanent migrants arrived from the country between 2000 and 2016.
Australia is set to gain 11.8million residents over the next 30 years, ballooning to 36million in 2046 (report did not include data for other cities)