The long-awaited Migration Strategy has been released by the Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs today. The full strategy can be read here, and the Department’s action plan (outlining key milestones and indicative dates) is below.
Briefly, we can expect the following:
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- A new ‘Skills in Demand’ visa, with 3 targeted pathways:
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- Specialist Skills Pathway to drive innovation and job creation. This pathway will be available to applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria (for example, be nominated by an approved employer, meet the health and character requirements) and who are in any occupation except trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers and who earn at least $135,000 (the ‘Specialist Skills Threshold’) and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation. The government has committed to a service standard of 7 days median visa processing time for workers in this pathway.
- Core Skills Pathway to meet targeted workforce needs. This pathway will be available to applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria and whose occupation is on a new ‘Core Skills Occupation List’, which relates to occupations identified by Jobs and Skills Australia as being in shortage or where Australia has committed to providing access to our labour market in relation to that occupation through international trade agreements. Visa applicants will need to be paid a salary at or above the TSMIT (to be retitled the ‘Core Skills Threshold’ when the new system is implemented), or the relevant average market salary where it is above the TSMIT.
- Essential Skills Pathway for lower-paid workers with essential skills. This is still under consideration but will be a more regulated pathway for lower-paid workers with essential skills, and the pathway will be developed in consultation with state and territory governments, unions, businesses and migrant workers. It is expected that sectors and occupations that are vital to supporting the living standards of Australians and where persistent shortages exist will be covered by this pathway. The government is primarily considering the pathway in the context of the care and support economy, and will maintain the primacy of our relationships with the Pacific as a guiding principle in developing the pathway.
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- Streamlined labour market testing, including today’s legislative update removing the mandatory requirement to advertise on Workforce Australia;
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- The reshaping of the points tested skilled migration program;
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- A new Talent and Innovation visa for migrants who can drive growth in sectors of national importance;
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- Strengthening the integrity measures in place for Student visa applicants/holders as well as education providers, including:
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- Higher English language requirements for students and graduates,
- Increased scrutiny of ‘high risk’ applicants,
- New legislation around the ‘genuine student’ requirement,
- Simplification of the Temporary Graduate visa,
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- A range of legislation (including penalties) to punish unscrupulous employers, including:
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- A register of employer sponsors to improve integrity and support migrant worker mobility,
- Protections against visa cancellation for exploited workers (the government is ‘considering’ the creation of a substantive visa to allow temporary visa holders who have been exploited or underpaid to remain in Australia where necessary to pursue workplace entitlements),
- Strengthening integrity in the application process for sponsorship approval,
- Improving monitoring and compliance in conjunction with the tax system
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- Establishing a formal role for Jobs and Skills Australia in defining Australia’s skills;
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- A longer-term and evidence-based approach to planning migration, in close collaboration with states and territories;
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- Affording the highest priority visa processing to regional visas;
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- Overall simplification of the migration system, including the removal of over 20 unnecessary and duplicative visas.
2024 is shaping up to be a very interesting year. Stay tuned for more updates as these come to hand.
*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.
