Australia’s Extended 10-Year Visa Strategy for 2024 ~ Australia Visa Update 2024

For certain professions, employer-sponsored visas have been expedited in Australia. Check if you’re fortunate enough to work in these fields by reading on.

The Australian government has announced that it is giving employer-sponsored visas for the healthcare and education sectors top priority in regional locations. Furthermore, a recent ministerial directive has emphasized the importance of streamlining the visa application procedure for companies that hire skilled laborers in regional Australia.

Applications for employer-sponsored visas are given top priority for all occupations in Regional Australia, according to the Department of Home Affairs, as a result of the New Direction. This reform essentially benefits regional firms in Australia, who continue to experience severe skills shortages across all industries and sectors.

The department added that under these Visa categories, all jobs in regional Australia would be given top priority to address a recognized shortfall;

1. Temporary Skill Shortage Subclass 482
2. Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186
3. Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional Provisional Subclass 494

Furthermore, priority is still given to processing employer-sponsored visas for healthcare and education in regional Australia. Given the reduction in the backlog of visas, the department spokeswoman stated that this priority shift will have a minor influence on the processing timelines for the healthcare and education sectors.

How many visas were granted in the healthcare and education sectors?

In the program year 2022–2023, the Department of Home Affairs authorized 6,466 visas to social workers and healthcare workers under the Temporary Skill Shortage Subclass 482 Visa category to maintain the healthcare industry as the top applicant pool for both temporary and permanent skilled visas.

Additionally, nearly 1,060 visas were approved for the field of education and training. Lastly, the government affirms that industry-specific invitation rounds served as the foundation for these Visa awards.

4 Important Australia Visa Changes in 2024

Australia’s immigration and education policies are undergoing significant changes in 2024. For aspiring students and experienced professionals searching for opportunities in Australia, these are significant advancements.

This article will highlight significant changes to Australian immigration visas that will take effect in March 2024 as they work to streamline visa procedures, alter pathways for international students, and control immigration quotas.

1. Update to Australia AC Skill Assessment

Since the ACs Talent Assessment Authority recently announced an update in March 2024, the Australian government plans to change the ACs legislation. If you are an IT engineer or data scientist planning to transfer to Australia, you should be aware of this new law as the new AC’s migration skills evaluation will go into effect.

More applicant support and a simpler assessment process will be offered by the updated and revamped assessment application platform. AC has realized that its evaluation of new candidates’ migration skills needs to be expedited and made easier. Better guidance will be given during the application process, and applications that have already been filed will receive their results more quickly thanks to the streamlined procedure.

2. Age Limit Reform for Australia 485 Visa

The government has formally declared that the 35-year-old age limit for 485 Visas would go into effect in the middle of 2024 and that more details will be released before its implementation. Reducing the age threshold for the 485 temporary graduate visa from 50 to 35 is a highly controversial and concerning suggestion that has discouraged a significant number of people.

If you intend to study in Australia or have already started doing so to earn a 485 Visa, keep an eye out for further developments regarding this change. The government’s proposed amendment to lower the age requirement for 485 visas, which is 50, and the age limit for skilled migration PR visas, which is 45, is the reason for this disparity.

There would be a significant 10-year gap between 35 and 45 if the newly proposed age restriction of 35 for the 485 Visa were implemented. This is not consistent with the age limit for skilled migration visas. As the 485 Visa’s length would be extended to two or three years, an age range of 42 to 45 would be more appropriate.

Additionally, the government is attempting to address the problem of permanent temporariness, often known as VISA hopping, in which an applicant has no further immigration options once their 485 Visa expires.

3. Extension of the 10-year Frequent Traveler Visa Scheme

Australia is considering including Timor Leste and other eligible countries in its 10-year Frequent Traveler Visa program. Travelers from Southeast Asian countries may soon benefit from Australia’s long-term Visa program under the planned expansion, which would allow hassle-free travel for up to 10 years, to improve its tourism business.

Additionally, Australia plans to facilitate commercial and investor relations by reducing the duration of its business visas from three to five years. China was first welcome to visit Australia under the 10-year Visa scheme.

Many Chinese tourists are opting to travel to neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia to access the sizeable population of the second-largest economy in the world because of their visa-free travel policies. Australia is thus missing out on Chinese travel.

4. End of 2-year Extension of Post-Study Work Rights

International graduates have had the opportunity to prolong their post-study employment privileges for over a year. This allows them to extend their temporary graduate visa validity for an additional two years, provided that their degree is in a field with demonstrable skill shortages.

The extension has been reassessed given Australia’s evolving economic situation and additional considerations outlined in the migration plan. Consequently, graduates of foreign higher education programs will not be qualified to apply for the extension beginning in mid-2024.

The temporary graduate post-study work stream is still available to international graduates who meet the Australian study requirement and hold an Australian qualification. For any more questions concerning this change, please get in touch with the Department of Home Affairs.