The Future Of Australian Immigration 2023
In this blog, we are going to have a detailed discussion on the most important updates concerning Australian immigration in 2023.
The Review Of Skilled Migration Occupation Lists
Currently, there are three main lists under Australia’s skilled visa programs that are being reviewed.
Australia offers a temporary visa without any prospects of permanency which creates a significant problem for a country that is in dire need of skilled individuals. As a result, foreign nationals are going to prefer other countries over Australia for immigration to find better work opportunities.
Combining the lists and enabling all skilled workers to acquire permanent residency under the TSS could prove helpful.
The lists are always being reviewed to make sure they are capable of fulfilling the skills needs of businesses required to help them grow in case skilled Australian workers are unavailable.
The existing Skilled Migration Occupation List was last updated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Labor Government recently made more permanent migration visas available for 2022-2023 as the number was increased from 160,000 to 195,000.
Updates To The Skilled Independent Visa In The New Zealand Stream
On-hand New Zealand stream visa applicants no longer have to fulfill the requirements of income threshold, period of residence, and health standards while submitting applications from 1 July 2023.
Let’s talk about the requirements that a primary applicant of the New Zealand stream is not supposed to fulfill anymore;
- The eligibility criteria no longer require the applicant to live in Australia for 5 consecutive years before submitting their application. Plus, there is no restriction that demands an applicant’s residence period to have started before 19 February 2016.
- In addition to this, the previous requirement of meeting the taxable income threshold of three out of five income years right before the submission date of the application does not exist anymore. The eligibility criteria also exempted the applicant in certain cases, such as if they have to look after a child who has to stay in Australia.
- Moreover, the primary applicant and their family members included in the visa application do not have to meet the health standard called Public Interest Criterion, or PIC, 4007.
Pacific Engagement Visa
In July 2023, a new visa is expected to be introduced, which is going to allow up to 3000 eligible migrants from Timor Leste and Pacific countries to come to Australia. The Pacific Engagement Visa, or PEV, is going to follow a ballot process every year to allocate spots to eligible applicants.
About Subclass 485 Visa COVID-19 Replacement Stream
In order to be eligible for this stream, applicants need to fulfill the following requirements;
- Be an existing Temporary Graduate Visa holder. Otherwise, the applicant must have held one that expired on 1 February 2020 or afterward.
- The applicant must have spent some time outside Australia between 1 February 2020 and 1 December 2021.
An applicant is only allowed to have a single Temporary Graduate Visa under normal circumstances. Other visas are granted according to regional employment and education.
No Restriction For Partner Visas
The number of partner visas issued on a yearly basis is not going to be subjected to any limits in 2023. As a result, partner visa applications will be processed must faster.
Updated Order Of Priority Processing
New rules dictating the processing time for different visas have been introduced. Let’s look at the order of priority, in which applications are now processed;
- Visa applications for healthcare workers and teachers.
- Employer-sponsored visa applications and those who have been nominated by an Approved sponsor with Accredited status.
- Visa applications for a designated regional area.
- Applications for provisional and permanent visa subclasses, including all other applications that fall under the migration program with the exception of Subclass 188, which is the Business Innovation and Investment Provisional visa.
- Remaining visa applications.
Good News For Indian Nationals
India and the Australian government have signed a free trade agreement, which became effective on 29 December 2022. This is how it affects visas for Indian nationals;
- Nearly 1000 Indian citizens will be given access to the Work and Holiday visa subclass 462 every year.
- The new post-study work rights arrangements mean that international students from India can stay for an extended period.
- There is no requirement for Labor Market Testing for TSS visa applications.
This is the end of today’s blog update. We hope you found this blog useful. Please don’t forget to support us by subscribing to our newsletter and sharing this blog with your friends and family on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter.
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