Our Blog update for today discusses the prioritization of PR applications in Australia.
Australia intends to manage its application backlog for permanent residence by dedicating priority to 60000 applications from skilled workers living abroad. This initiative is being carried out due to the lack of workforce met by Australia caused by delays in processing. It is a known fact that Australia has been fighting against a backlog of nearly one million across different visa categories; a situation originated due to the impact of the pandemic.
The Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has stated that Australian immigration would focus on offshore applications, prioritizing education, health, and aged care. At present, there are 57906 offshore PR visa applications for skilled workers in the processing stage in Australia.
However, immigration experts believe that the applications of skilled workers being prioritised are insufficient to tackle the severe labour shortage crisis Australia faces. Minister O’Neil has also acknowledged that this method is simply a short-term solution. She expressed that the government of Australia would discuss how the migration program could be altered to manage the long-term challenges concerning the labour deficiency crisis at a job summit to be held in September.
What is the future target for Australian immigration?
The former Morrison government had restricted the permanent migration program to 160000 per year. But due to the pandemic, immigration plunged to damaging levels for the first time following the Second World War. The Australian international borders were reopened only on 21 December 2021, and since then, there has been a gradual incline in migration numbers. However, the businesses in the country have nonetheless been waiting to employ staff to supply for skill shortages.
In this circumstance, the Australian Chamber of Commerce has insisted that the government of Australia expand the annual migration program to 200000 people to boost the country’s economic recovery. They believe the shortage of sufficient workers hinders the Australian economy’s growth.
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