Positive announcements were made during the skilled migration session at the Jobs and Skills Summit.
1. Review of current migration system
An in-depth review of the Australian migration program will be undertaken however the government will not wait until the review is complete before making changes to the migration program, with some adjustments occurring as the review is progressing.
2. Increase to permanent migration numbers
An increase to the permanent migration program numbers for this financial year:
- 195,000 places in total (additional 35,000 places)
- 34,000 regional places (additional 9,000 places)
- 31,000 state and territory places (additional 20,000 places)
3. Additional funding for visa processing staff
$36.1 million dollars will be invested in visa processing to increase staff capacity by 500 people in the next nine months.
4. Government Priorities for migration
Areas for immediate action include:
- Increasing the migration program numbers as outlined
- Improving the visa processing timeframes as outlined with additional staff
- A proposal for international graduates of Australian universities to be able work longer in Australia, post graduation
- Extending the COVID concessions on student visa holder work rights until 2023, when they will cease
Areas for urgent further actions
- Moving away from temporary migration to permanency and citizenship, by developing the pathways.
- Reassessing the occupation lists to ensure they are fit for purpose
- Raising Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)
- Addressing worker exploitation (2023 priority)
- Examining industry sponsorship
- Addressing regional labour shortages
For further information about this announcement or to discuss your particular immigration situation, please get in touch with our friendly migration agents and support team to arrange an online consultation. Our contact details are here.
