Hanieh Safavi, daughter of Iranian Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, has been granted permanent residency in Australia and is now registered as a provisional psychologist, despite her father being a sanctioned adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a former senior figure in the Revolutionary Guards.
As per the Herald Sun, Safavi arrived in Australia on a student visa in February 2024 and obtained a skilled independent visa by October of the same year.
Now, her permanent residency and professional registration have raised alarm among members of the Iranian-Australian community and opposition politicians, who question how such a rapid visa approval was possible.
Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a former detainee of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, criticised the situation on social media, highlighting Safavi’s high-level connections.
She wrote on X: “Hanieh Safavi, daughter of the former head of the IRGC Yahya Rahim Safavi, who is personally sanctioned by Australia, arrived on a student visa in February 2024. By October, she had gained permanent residency. If she fled the IRGC and her father to come to Australia, why not say so? Trying to hide suggests you have something to hide.”
Moore-Gilbert also raised questions about the government’s screening process: “How is it possible to arrive on a student visa in February and get permanent residency by October the same year?
“Did Safavi disclose links to a sanctioned individual or a proscribed organisation? Did Home Affairs or ASIO properly assess her high-level ties to the regime?”
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma echoed concerns in a letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, calling it “concerning and potentially alarming that the daughter of a senior IRGC commander, on the Australian sanctions list, appears to be residing in Australia.”
Iranian-Australian activists have also urged authorities to ensure visa rules are applied consistently to protect the community.
A government spokesperson told Herald Sun that all visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and must satisfy all criteria before approval.
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