AUSTRALIA’S NEW MIGRATION STRATEGY UPDATE

 

On December 11, 2023, the long-awaited Migration Strategy was released. The strategy aims to make our skilled migration system more focused on the skills needed to increase productivity. It also intends to use permanent migration to create an innovative and effective workforce for Australia's future.

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Skilled In Demand Visa-

TSS 482 Visa Replacement

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A new three tiered system of Skills in Demand Visa will replace the TSS SC 482.

• The Specialist Skills Visa pathway doesn't have an occupational list and has a quick processing time of 7 days. However, trades occupations, machinery operators, drivers and laborers are not eligible for this visa. The visa class has only 3,000 places available per year and is designed for individuals with specialist skills and earning over $135,000 per year.

• The Core Skills Visas pathway is expected to provide the majority of visas for the program. Trades workers will be required to apply under this visa based on a revised 'Skills in Demand List' developed by Jobs and Skills Australia. The 'Core Skills' visa is for those who earn between $70,000 and $135,000, with earnings being at least TSMIT, currently set at $70,000 but indexed annually.

• The specifics of the essential skills visa program haven't been finalized yet. This visa will have union supervision, be limited in availability, and restricted to certain industries. So far, the aged care and disability sectors have been identified as potential beneficiaries. Individuals earning less than $70,000 per year are eligible for the "essential skills" visa. 

Visas will be granted for a period of up to four years, and holders will have an easier time changing employers and finding clear pathways to permanent residency. The 'TSMIT' will be adjusted annually, and a public register of employer sponsors will be available to facilitate the process of switching between employers.

Key elements of the Skills in Demand visa include:

• Time spent with any approved employer will count towards permanent residence requirements

• Skills in Demand visa holders will have access to self-nominated independent permanent pathways, in addition to employer-sponsored pathways

• The visa will provide for a 4-year stay for all streams

• median processing time of 21 days

• Skills in Demand Visa holders will have the ability to move between sponsors with an 180 day time period to find a new sponsor

• Streamlined labour market testing (LMT) requirements will be introduced. The requirement to advertise on Workforce Australia has already been removed

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Amendments To Temporary 485 Graduate Visa  

There will be significant changes to the Graduate Visa 485  

• reducing the length of stay for these international graduates-                            For Bachelor degree or Masters by coursework 2 years stay and 3 years for Masters by research.

• Restriction for holders of the new graduate visas to move back into student visas

• Prevents International graduates without skills in demand from remaining in Australia.

• Age eligibility reduced from 50 to 35 years of age

• English Language level requirements increase for temporary graduate visas -IELTS 6 to IELTS 6.5

• Students studying in regional areas will be eligible for a second visa lasting between one to two years, depending on their location.

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Student visas

There will be no cap on the number of places for the student visa program, but other migration requirements will be applied to regulate numbers and quality.

• higher English language levels for student visa applicants

• reducing the types of courses eligible for student visas with the focus on retaining tertiary university courses

• preventing course swapping

• increased funding for visa integrity and to identify the ‘genuine student test’.

From early 2024, the English requirements for Student visas will be increased to:

• IELTS 5.0 or equivalent for ELICOS student visa applicants

• IELTS 5.5 or equivalent for student visa applicants undertaking foundation or pathway programs with reputable English language training

• IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for other student visa applicants

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Student Visas Processing Priorities

The processing of offshore Subclass 500 (Student) visa and Student Guardian visa applications will be based on Ministerial Direction 107. This directive outlines the processing priorities, which are determined according to the level of risk associated with the Educational Provider, as assessed under the Simplified Student Visa Framework SSVF.
The Ministerial Direction prioritizes the processing of applications for providers with lower risk levels, while those with higher risk levels will experience slower processing times. This is because visa decision makers need to consider not only the individual applications, but also the integrity of the provider.
In summary, all visa applications will be processed, but priority will be given to low-risk applications.

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Download the Migration Strategy – Action Plan here 

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