Immigration To Australia | 澳大利亚移民 - Australian Immigration and Visa

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/news/679-xmas-family-visitor.htm

The department receives a high volume of Sponsored Family Visitor visa applications each year during the Christmas holiday period. People intending to lodge applications for their overseas family members to visit Australia are advised to do so before Friday 6 November 2009. There is a high likelihood that applications lodged on or before this date will be assessed and finalised before 25 December 2009.
However, an outcome for all applications cannot be guaranteed. While the department aims to process all visa applications submitted in a timely manner, those applications requiring a formal medical and/or chest x-ray examination may take longer to process. Even if an application is lodged before 6 November 2009, it cannot be finalised until health results have been cleared by the Immigration doctors in Australia.
Applications lodged after Friday 6 November 2009 will more than likely not be finalised before 25 December 2009. Every effort will be made to finalise these applications as quickly as possible.
Note: Applications requiring urgent processing due to compelling and/or compassionate reasons are not subject to this cut-off date and will be processed as soon as possible.
Also note: Applicants should not make any firm travel arrangements until they receive written confirmation from the department that their visa has been granted.
For more information, please contact the department. Application and sponsorship forms are available on the department's website.
See:
Contact Us – Sponsored Family Visitor Visas
Form 48S – Application to visit Australia as a sponsored family visitor (366KB PDF file)
Form 1149 – Application for sponsorship for sponsored family visitors (208KB PDF file)