Some significant changes have already been made to Australia’s migration policies under the new Labor government led by Anthony Albanese, which has been in office since May. There could be even more changes in 2023, with the government promising to look at the effectiveness of skilled migration occupation lists, which some believe are outdated.
The last update to the current Skilled Migration Occupation List occurred on 11 March 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic had just struck.
The government announced an increase of the permanent migration programme from 160,000 to 195,000 places in 2022/23 and an increase of the skilled visa programme from 79,600 to 142,400 in October’s budget.
In addition, the government announced changes to Temporary skill shortage subclass 482 visas to allow people to apply for permanent residency, the removal of age restrictions on 457 visa holders, and the expansion of subclass 462 working holiday maker visas.
The government has not yet confirmed whether more than 19,000 refugees on temporary protection visas will be allowed to apply for permanent residency in Australia, according to a spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Department.
With these developments in mind, here are five key visa opportunities in Australia for 2023:
1. From July 2023, 3,000 visas will be made available to Pacific and Timor Leste migrants through a Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) ballot. These visas will be available on top of the permanent migration programme of Australia, in addition to the spots offered.
2. Australia’s Skilled Independent visa programme will now give New Zealand citizens priority service. In addition to dropping previous tax and health requirements, the Department of Immigration has eliminated the five-year Australian residence requirement. The application period will close on December 10, 2022, to July 1, 2023, to process the backlog already in the system.
3. The number of state-sponsored visas set to be up for grabs is set to dramatically increase thanks to the larger regional allocation, former Department of Immigration secretary Abul Rivzi said.
4. More than 19,000 refugees on temporary protection visas will be allowed to apply for Australian permanent residency, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. However, a spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Department said this has not been confirmed by the government.
5. The government plans to review the effectiveness of skilled migration occupation lists, which some believe are outdated. The last update to the current Skilled Migration Occupation List was made in 2019.
The Australian government has been making adjustments to its migration policies, boosting the number of skilled visas, and widening eligibility for various visa classes under Anthony Albanese’s administration. In addition, New Zealanders are likely to receive priority processing and, potentially, more state-sponsored visas will be issued. The government will also audit the effectiveness of the skilled migration occupation list and modify Permanent Residency Eligibility.
