Home Affairs Community Liaison Officer Makes First Visit to Chinese Family Support Network Victoria

(Melbourne) On Friday 11 September 2026, Tian Sun, a Community Liaison Officer with the Office for Multicultural Affairs in the Australian Department of Home Affairs, made a first visit to Chinese Family hub, the Mount Waverley office of Chinese Family Support Network Victoria. The centre’s Chair, Junxi Su, and Secretary-General, Raymond Wang, welcomed Tian Sun. During a discussion lasting approximately two hours, they explored the community projects the centre is developing, family safety support and policy information of interest to the community, establishing a connection for further communication and resource sharing.

During the discussion, Tian Sun learnt about the projects the centre is planning and taking forward. As a community organisation serving Chinese families in Victoria, the centre is committed to helping families understand local systems, access the resources they need and build support networks in the community through community education, rights advocacy and connections to services. The discussion also gave the centre an opportunity to seek information and guidance directly from a government community liaison officer on issues arising in its work.

Family safety and policy information

Family safety and the support available to people experiencing family violence were among the key topics discussed. In a follow-up email, Tian Sun said they would discuss with colleagues the preparation of a presentation covering available family violence support and the relevant visa provisions. This follow-up would help inform the centre’s further family safety education and sharing of reliable information about where to seek help.

In response to community questions about calculating the residence requirement for the Resident Return Visa (subclass 155), Tian Sun also provided official guidance and a link after the visit. Under the application pathway requiring “two years of residence in the past five years”, the two-year requirement is calculated as a cumulative total of 730 days spent in Australia as a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen during the five years immediately before the application is lodged. The full eligibility requirements and other applicable pathways can be found on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

In addition to responding to specific questions, Tian Sun shared materials relevant to the centre’s work, including information on family violence support, and expressed a willingness to continue discussions in the email. Where policy information can be misunderstood within the community, clear official explanations and reliable sources of information help the centre provide Chinese families with more accurate and practical information.

Mid-Autumn greeting and follow-up

On 18 September, the centre subsequently received a Mid-Autumn Festival message from Australia’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr Anne Aly, forwarded by Tian Sun. The message reflected on how Chinese Australians keep Mid-Autumn traditions alive through family gatherings, sharing mooncakes and passing traditions between generations. It highlighted how diverse cultural traditions enrich Australian society and wished community members celebrating the festival happiness, good health and togetherness.

The visit and subsequent sharing of resources laid a foundation for ongoing communication between the centre and the government’s community liaison network. Chinese Family Support Network Victoria will continue to respond to families’ practical needs through community education and stronger connections to resources, making reliable information easier to understand and appropriate support easier to find.