December 30th, 2023 at 04:28 am
Australia 5 End of Year Major Visa Changes | Australia Visa Update
We’ll look over the most recent developments in the employer-sponsored sector as 2023 comes to an end and give you an idea of what the Australian government’s immigration policy has in store for you.
1. Pathway to PR for 482 Visa Holders
No matter what their occupation, all holders of subclass 482 visas now have a path to permanent residency under the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Visa Temporary Residence Transition Stream. Like the Subclass 482 Visa, there are two requirements for this Employer Sponsored Visa: an application and a nomination.
The person on a 482 Visa needs to have performed the job duties for at least two years. Furthermore, the employees must stay open for at least two years following the issuance of the visa, and their wages must surpass the new temporary skilled migration income criterion of $70,000. Regulations regarding the application deadline for holders of 482 short-term visas—which are only valid for two years—are now awaited.
2. Introduction of New Visa
The Subclass 482 Visa will close to new applicants very shortly. A completely new Skills In-Demand Visa will replace it instead. The following changes are significant even though there will be numerous differences between this visa and Subclass 482, and consultation is still required in certain cases;
Subject to further feedback, a monthly payment plan is being explored as a potential substitute for upfront expenses such as those related to the Skilling Australia Fund. Visa holders may continue working for any approved employer throughout the 180 days they have to find new employment, as this will count toward gaining permanent residency.
There will be an authorized sponsor registry that is available to the public, which will include information about the number of migrants supported and their vocations.
3. Migration Strategy
The recently released migration strategy centers on changes to the skilled migration program and company policies. Among the strategy’s primary objectives are improving living standards, ensuring workplace equity, building stronger Australian communities, strengthening partnerships with other nations, and simplifying the immigration process.
Australia’s 10-year migration policy, which outlines the nation’s current migration figures as well as any recommended changes, was released by the government. Australia’s net migration is expected to decline to more typical levels with 250,000 in 2025 and 375,000 in the following year, after peaking at 510,000 in the previous fiscal year.
Several noteworthy enhancements have been made to the Australian government’s new migration policy, some of which are targeted at migrant workers.
4. Working Holiday Makers
On December 31, 2023, working holiday visa holders who began employment with an organization before July 1, 2023, will be released from their six-month work limitation. Certain exceptions to the work restriction were previously in effect for the cultivation of plants and animals, employment in highly sought-after industries in Northern Australia, or employment in many locations as long as one location was occupied for no longer than six months at a period.
There are no exceptions to the six-month work ban, according to the most latest materials from the Department of Home Affairs. The department expects that The Minister’s office will announce temporary policy settings to address this issue. These will be communicated as soon as they become available.
5. Labor Market Testing
Testing for the job market has evolved. Effective December 11, the changes remove the requirement to post job adverts for all designated openings on the Workforce Australia website and define the parameters for overlap and advertising. When an advertisement runs on a platform for 14 days and then reruns for another 14 days to fulfill the statutory 28 days, this is known as an overlapping advertisement.
For labor market testing, these advertisements must overlap by a minimum of one day, and overlapping days are only taken into account once. A further 14-day advertisement would need to be posted on December 14 if, for example, a 14-day advertisement was posted on December 1.
Ministerial Direction Number 105?
Key Points of Ministerial Direction Number 105
1. Recognition of the need to simplify visa processing
2. Prioritizing applications for certain occupations
3. Priority awarded to sponsors that hold accredited status
4. Removal of priority status of certain passport holders
To improve overall efficiency, certain eligible passport holders had their priority status revoked. British nationals living overseas and citizens of Hong Kong remain covered by this. See the Australia Home Affairs website’s skilled Visa processing priorities section for a detailed list of all the visa subclasses under each category that are subject to Ministerial Direction number 105.
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