On 23 February 2021, the Senate referred the efficacy, fairness, timeliness and costs of the processing and granting of visa classes which provide for or allow for family and partner reunions to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report.

To date, the committee has received and published 179 submissions, which are listed at Appendix 1. Some individuals provided submissions and correspondence in languages other than English. The committee translated these documents and either authorised their publication as submissions or received the documents as correspondence.

This report comprises six chapters:

• Chapter 1 outlines information about the conduct of the inquiry;
• Chapter 2 sets out the legislative and policy frameworks within which the family and partner visa system operates;
• Chapter 3 discusses the importance of immigration generally and family reunion in particular;
• Chapter 4 identifies some of the key issues associated with the family and partner visa system;
• Chapter 5 examines individuals' direct experiences of navigating the family and partner visa system; and
• Chapter 6 provides the committee's view and recommendations.