July at Nomos
As the first month of the new migration programme year, July is always full of updates, changes and news that needs to be unpacked and understood. Here are some of the changes that took effect this month:
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- The increased migration intake first announced in May 2023 commenced on 1 July with a total of 190,000 places. In line with the stated intention of addressing the ongoing skills shortages faced in Australian workplaces, the Government has focussed a large portion of these places (137,100, or almost 72% of the entire programme) in the skilled migration stream – this includes the Skilled, Employer Sponsored, State/Territory Nominated, Global Talent and the Business Innovation & Investment visa categories. The Family stream makes up almost all of the remainder with 52,500 places allocated (roughly 28% of the entire programme) – this will be filled predominantly by Partner visas, Parent visas and Child visas, though these are demand-driven and are not subject to a ceiling, unlike the skilled migration stream. For a full breakdown of the planning levels of the current migration year, please visit the DHA website.
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- Aside from the visa application charges (please see our previous blog for more information), another dollar amount that saw an increase from 1 July was that of the Temporary Skills Migration Income Threshold (‘TSMIT’). The TSMIT is the minimum base salary that a sponsored employee must be paid in order to obtain a temporary skilled visa in Australia, which was raised to $70,000. While the raised threshold will not impact any valid applications lodged on or prior to 30 June 2023, applications lodged on or after 1 July are subject to the new threshold. If this threshold increase will impact your company’s migration plans moving forward, please contact us for advice on your global mobility needs.
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- Also on 1 July 2023, the new pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealanders living in Australia was opened. Eligible New Zealanders who have been living in Australia for four or more years can now apply directly for Australian citizenship. This new pathway does away with the previous step requiring New Zealanders to first apply for and be granted a permanent Australian visa before they could begin their journey to Australian citizenship. As always, immigration matters generally sound easier on paper than they are in reality, so if you or anyone you know needs guidance on navigating their Australian citizenship journey, please contact us.
- That’s the Nomos wrap-up for July. See you next month!
*This is general information only, as at the date of publication, and should not be interpreted as legal advice. For an accurate and current assessment of your circumstances and visa options, please contact us to receive this advice.