Australia Visa Changes: 12 Updates in November 2024 | Australia Visa Update

The Australian government is changing the Visa system to include additional pathways, opportunities, and stringent rules. The latest modifications to the Australian visa will benefit skilled workers, international students, and even people who want to live here permanently.

This article explains everything you need about Australia’s November 2024 visa reforms.

1. Skills In-Demand Visa’s New Occupation List

The Specialist, Core, and Essential skill pathways for the Skills In-Demand Visa should start by the end of this year. Individuals employed in occupations listed on the Confident Off List as part of the consultation on fundamental skills are being impacted.

Jobs in agricultural and livestock management, child care center management, customer service management, microbiology, nutrition, and other fields are all included in this list. Jobs on the Confident Off List may not be eligible for employer sponsorship under the new Core Skills Visa.

2. Student Visa Allocations for 2025

The Australian government has released the allotment numbers for student visas in 2025. Major universities, especially those in Sydney and Melbourne, have seen a decline in funding, while several smaller universities have had increases. Understanding these numbers is crucial because they show how easy or challenging it could be to enroll in a particular university or other educational setting.

3. Changes to the 482 Visa

By the end of this year, the Australian government intends to replace the 482 Visa with the new Skills In-Demand Visa, under the migration strategy released on December 11, 2023. Even though the exact date and full set of changes are still pending confirmation, sponsors and visa applicants must be prepared immediately.

We strongly advise submitting nomination and visa applications by November to avoid being impacted by the changes. Applications filed before the new Visa went into effect should still be assessed according to the existing criteria. Similar nomination and visa application procedures will apply to the new Visa’s Core Skills track.

4. ANZSCO Changing to OCA in December

To maintain comparability, Statistics New Zealand and the Australian Bureau of Statistics have announced that each nation will have its own unique occupation list categories. Australia’s new classification system will be the occupation standard classification, and the initial edition will be released on Friday, December 6, 2024.

As of right now, we don’t know how the new classification will impact the processes for selecting a job and assessing skills, or how these modifications will impact the job listings for the entire Australian skilled migration stream.

5. New Pre-application Process for Visa 462

On October 1, 2024, a pre-application procedure Visa ballot was launched under the Working Holiday Maker program. Registrations for visa ballots have started for several highly sought-after work and vacation destinations, including China, India, and Vietnam. Visa ballots provide a fair, effective, and transparent way to randomly pick initial Work and Holiday applicants from partner countries when demand exceeds available slots during a program year.

You can only apply for a First Work and Holiday Visa from outside of Australia if you are selected, regardless of whether you are in or out of the country at the time of registration.

6. Family and Partner Visas

For those who want to bring family members to Australia or join a loved one, there are some improvements and good news. It is highly expected that Partner and Family visa processing times will decrease. However, because of improved application screening processes, proving the authenticity of relationships is now given more weight.

If the government wants to reduce the amount of visa abuse cases, it will need strong documentation, such as photos, correspondence logs, and evidence of mutual financial obligations.

7. Business Opportunities with the 491 Visa

Small business owners now have more options thanks to Tasmania and Queensland. In Queensland, candidates who purchase a business that is already registered outside of Southeast Queensland or who have operated their own business for at least two years may qualify. Candidates in Tasmania who have run a business for at least a year may qualify.

8. Pathways to Permanent Residency

Permanent residency is many people’s ultimate goal, and Australia is introducing simpler and more effective processes in November. It might be easier for skilled workers in industries with high demand and those working in regional areas to transition from temporary visas to permanent residency.

For international students who have completed their studies in Australia, there is also a new Graduate to PR option. If people acquire work experience in critical fields after graduation, their path to permanent residency will be accelerated.

9. Changes to the Visa Refusal Process

By upgrading the administrative review procedure, the Administrative Review Tribunal has assumed the function of the administrative appeals tribunal since October 2024. Increased effectiveness and responsiveness to public requests are the goals of this reform.

Recent statistics show that the number of bridging visas has dramatically increased due to the attraction of former students. The number of canceled or denied visas increased from 191,235 to 323,583. Help requests for visa cancellations and refusals have surged, particularly for student visas.

10. Australia Launches MATES Visa

The new MATES visa scheme has made it possible for Indian students and young professionals to work and gain international experience without requiring employer sponsorship. This program allows recent graduates to work and reside in Australia for up to two years starting in November 2024 in high-demand industries like engineering and information and communications technology.

The Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement between Australia and India includes this new initiative. It provides up to 3,000 seats per year for eligible Indian residents to live and work in Australia for a maximum of two years, starting in November 2024.

11. Changes to the Subclass 400 Temporary Work Visa

The Australian government announced changes to the Subclass 400 Temporary Employment short-stay Specialist Visa that will affect longer stays and return visits. The Department of Home Affairs will now conduct a more thorough review of Subclass 400 Visa applications to ensure that the Subclass 400 Visa pathway is not used as an unlawful replacement for the Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa.

Subclass 400 visa holders are allowed to stay for three months within 12 months after arriving, however, they are not allowed to return and visit more than once within that same 12-month term.

12. Australian Universities Against Continued Visa Crackdown

According to the Australian National Vice Chancellor’s organization, the country’s economy was suffering as a result of Ministerial Instruction 107, a prolonged crackdown on visa processing.

Clare O’Neal, the Home Affairs Minister at the time, issued an order in December 2023 instructing migration authorities to assess student visas based on immigration risk, while the government’s intended restrictions on the number of international students awaited the resumption of parliament in November.

Australian institutions and the economy have lost billions of dollars in income as a result of the Ministerial Directive’s 60,000 reduction in the number of visas granted in the higher education sector.